Unearthed Arcana 8 Review Part 2: Monk and Magic
Unearthed Arcana 8 unveils its final touches to One Dungeons and Dragons for 2023. Following up on my previous analysis of the Barbarian and Druid, I now turn my focus to the Monk class and the latest spell adjustments. Let's unravel these final enhancements and see how they shape the future of D&D. Join me as I dive into the last 2023 Unearthed Arcana updates for One Dungeons and Dragons, examining the latest Monk class changes and the introduction of new spells and subclasses.
(Art: Magic the Gathering by Gabor Szikszai)
Monk Take 2
Last time I looked at the changes to Monk I was disappointed. Last of the original classes to have an update, the changes seemed to leave this swift hitting martial class in the dust. The class suffered the most from the power-creep inherent in higher tier play, and it was not adjusted properly. Some abilities were reduced down in power and it furthered the divide. Hopefully, this update fixes a lot of this.
Soucre: Unearthed Arcana 8
Monk Class Overhaul: Agility Meets Strategy
This update starts strongly at first level, with a large overhaul to the Martial Arts feature. We start off with the return of Monk Weapons, defined as any Simple or Martial weapon with the Light Property, being able to use Martial Arts die (as well as the Unarmed Strike still having access). The previous play test had removed it.
The Bonus Actions Unarmed Strike now no longer requires an Attack Action to be used , and instead can always be used as a Bonus Action. This means that a Monk can use their action to do something besides attacking, and not lose the chance for those extra punches.
Dexterous Attacks, which was available in the previous version, has had its wording updated to include the term Monk Weapons. It also affects the saving throw DC when a Monk uses a Grapple or Shove option.
These changes are not all increases, as the Weapon Mastery feature the Monk had has been cut. This makes Monk the only member of the Warrior Group to not have access to this ability (I know they stopped using this term, but I still like it and will keep using it).
Level 2
At level 2 we see Monk’s Discipline (formerly Martial Discipline) now provides options that do not require spending Discipline Points (formerly Ki Points). Monks now can always Dash and Disengage as a Bonus Action from the Patient Defense and Step of the Wind features, respectively.
Next we have Uncanny Metabolism, an ability similar to what the Barbarian got this time around as well. When a Monk rolls Initiative, they can choose to regain all spent Discipline Points. They roll a Martial Arts die and regain a number of Hit Points equal to their Monk level plus the value of the die. At level 2, this would equal 1d6+2, with an average of 5.
Level 3
At level 3, we see a large change to the Deflect Attacks (formerly Deflect Missiles) feature. If you could not tell from the name, this ability has expanded to deflect both Melee and Ranged Attacks. if the damage reduces to 0 and the Monk spends a Discipline Point to redirect the attack, the Monk does damage equal to their Martial Arts die plus their Dexterity Modifier. Note that the range on this varies, with a melee attack having a range of 5 feet and a ranged attack having a range of 60 feet.
Level 5
At level 5, Stunning Strike has had some damage added to it to soften the blow of a failure. If a creature succeeds on a saving throw, they instead take Force Damage equal to a roll of the Monk’s Martial Arts die plus their Wisdom modifier. At 5th level with a Wisdom Score of 16, that would equal 1d8 + 3 with an average value of 8.
Level 10
The options given in Monk’s Discipline get increased in power at level 10 with Heightened Discipline. Flurry of Blows now allows for three unarmed strikes instead of 2. Patient Defense gives the user Temporary Hit Points equal to two rolls of their Martial Arts die (1d8, average of 9). Step of the Wind now allows the Monk to bring a willing creature along that is within 5 feet, Large size or smaller, and is willing.
Self Restoration now no longer requires a Bonus Action to remove a condition. Instead, a Monk may remove the Charmed, Frightened, or Poisoned condition for free. As before, forgoing food and drink does not cause Exhaustion.
Level 13
Like Deflect Attacks, Deflect Energy has been adjusted to include melee attacks. Now a Monk can use their Deflect Attacks feature against attacks that deal any type of Damage.
Level 15
Perfect Discipline now gives Monks a minimum of 4 Discipline Points back when rolling Initiative
Level 18
Superior Defense, at level 18, now no longer needs an Action or Bonus Action to activate. Instead a Monk can choose to spend 3 Discipline Points at the beginning of their turn to activate the ability as a Free Action.
Level 20
The Monk class caps out with the feature Body and Mind. This increases the Monk’s Dexterity and Wisdom scores by 4 each, to a Maximum of 26.
Monk Class Thoughts
In conclusion, the Monk class overhaul in D&D's latest Unearthed Arcana creates a more robust and adaptable warrior, poised to offer players a blend of tactical depth and narrative richness, a testament to the evolving landscape of D&D class design.
Immediately I see a lot of power increases for this class off the bat. The return of Monk Weapons being able to use Martial Art Die means Monks won't have to choose between hitting hard or using an interesting weapon. This means that this class has to worry less about overcoming resistance to non-magic damage.
As with the Barbarian, the Monk can now more easily regain their core resource. Once per day, it will give a Monk a bit more power to get through their adventure. They gain a bit of health as well, similar to the Fighter’s Second Wind.
I felt a bit saddened by the loss of Weapon Mastery. While it was not a definite for the class, I feel like this feature was supposed to be a general purpose quality of life improvement for all Martial Classes, not just some of them. It appears the developers tried to bake in enough abilities to the class and provide them with lots of attacks to make up for it, and that possibly Weapon Masteries tied to so many attacks could have been overpowered. However, Id love to see a Monk able to use this feature in some limited form.
I keep comparing these changes to the Barbarian, and it really feels similar. Both classes can do a little more, and can recharge their features a bit more. It makes them interesting opposites of the same coin, pure Martial characters that rely on their own abilities.
Exploring the Way of the Hand: A Subclass Deep Dive
Source: Magic the Gathering by Magali Villeneuve
Besides the core class, we have an updated version of the Warrior of the Hand Monk subclass, with some minor changes to go along with the core class itself.
Level 3
Starting off, Hand Monks have a new option when using their Open Hand Technique. Now the player can choose to use the Addle option, which makes the target unable to make Opportunity Attacks until the start of its next turn.
Level 6
The Hand’s healing ability, Wholeness of Body, no longer requires Discipline Points to heal. Instead, Monk’s can use it a number of times equal to their Wisdom modifier (minimum 1) every Long Rest.
Level 11
At level 11, Way of the Hand Monks become swifter through Fleet Step. Now when taking any Bonus Action, the Monk may also use Step of the Wind as part of that Bonus Action.
Level 17
The capstone of the subclass, Quivering Palm, can now be ended more easily. Previously, it took an Action to end the vibrations and deal damage to the target. Now Hand Monks may replace one of their attacks with ending it. The damage has been adjusted down accordingly to adjust for this flexibility.
Way of the Hand Review
Overall, I see this as an improvement on this subclass. The developers did not really remove anything from the Way of the Hand. Instead, we have better action economy, as well as less reliance on Discipline Points. Overall, I would say this is a win.
Source: Magic the Gathering by Brian Valeza
Spellcasting Evolved: A New Era of Magic in D&D
Unearthed Arcana 8 brought with it a surprising amount of changes to spells. In total we have 11 spells updated as well as 3 entirely new ones. This gives a lot of adjustments to ponder over.
Redefining Conjuration: A Shift in Summoning Spells
Something I had been concerned about since Tasha’s Cauldron of Madness came out was the redundancy of conjuration magic that was available. The TaCoE spells were obviously an improved version of what the original Conjure spells did, and I thought eventually they would replace them. That seems to not be the case.
All of the Conjure spells (Conjure Animals, Conjure Celestial, Conjure Elemental, Conjure Fey, Conjure Minor Elementals, and Conjure Woodland Beings) have all been entirely redesigned to act uniquely.
Conjure Animals now creates a Large swarm of spectral animals that deal Radiant Damage to any target that enters within 10 feet of the swarm for the first time on a turn or starts its turn there. They give the caster advantage on saving throws.
Conjure Celestials creatures a pillar of Celestial Spirits which can choose to either Heal a non-Undead or Construct creature, or deal Radiant damage to an enemy that enters the cylinder or starts its turn inside it.
Conjure Elemental now creates a 10 foot cube sized Elemental Spirit, the type of your choosing. When a hostile creature moves within 5 feet, the Elemental spirit attacks. Large or smaller creatures are also pulled into the cube and Restrained upon a successful hit.
Conjure Fey creatures a Medium Fey spirit. It makes a melee spell attack on the turn it was conjured, dealing Psychic damage. On later turns, the caster can use their Bonus action to teleport the spirit to a space within 30 feet and repeat the attack.
Conjure Minor Elementals now cloaks the user in elemental spirits. This makes attacks deal an additional 2d8 damage of the caster’s choosing, and the ground within 15 feet of the caster Difficult Terrain.
Conjure Woodland Beings surrounds the user with nature spirits, damaging creatures that enter a space within 10 feet of the caster or start their turn there. The caster can take the Disengage action as a Bonus Action while the spell is active.
Conjuration Spell Thoughts
Wizards of the Coast did a good job at completely redesigning these spells. It now seems like each gives a varying sort of area of effect instead of providing more tokens for the table to keep track of. I like these changes and think it provides an interesting way to rethink the idea of calling up a spirit. I worry about spells that just add damage to attacks or make creatures harder to hit, like Minor Elementals and Woodland Beings. I think the game provides a lot of ways to do this already, and that these options might be too excessive or even just not unique enough to stand out.
Source: Magic the Gathering by Dallas Williams
The New Face of Healing: Evaluating Enhanced Healing Spells
Now in the school of Abjuration (Healing magic should be Necromancy, and no one can convince me otherwise), healing spells have had an increase across the board. All the spells now heal for a bit more.
| Spell | Old Healing | New Healing |
|---|---|---|
| Cure Wounds | 1d8 | 2d8 |
| Healing Word | 1d4 | 2d4 |
| Mass Cure Wounds | 3d8 | 5d8 |
| Mass Healing Word | 1d4 | 2d4 |
The “non-Mass” (Mass Healing Words) spells will also increase by the new amount of each level they are up-cast (ie Cure Wounds increases by 2d8 for each level increase).
On its own, I think this makes healing spells that feel a bit more powerful. The two most popular spells have gotten their base healing doubled. This should help prevent characters from getting healed in one turn only to go down in the next. I worry about this stacking.
There have been some other changes for One Dungeons & Dragons that has increased the overall power of the players. Specifically, that players will now gain all Hit Dice back on a Long Rest. I worry that with so many changes to the resilience of players, that we will see combat encounters need to be increased accordingly to provide any sort of challenge.
Summarizing our exploration of the newly introduced spells, it becomes evident that these changes are designed to enhance magical gameplay, offering spellcasters more strategic depth and a refreshed sense of wonder in their arcane pursuits.
Source: Magic the Gathering by Pauline Voss
Conclusion
As we wrap up our deep dive into Unearthed Arcana 8, we stand at the precipice of a new era for Dungeons and Dragons, one that beckons with both promising advancements and areas of concern. This latest iteration revitalizes the Monk class, enriching it with newfound agility and strategic depth, and simultaneously redefines the landscape of spellcasting, painting a future rich in magical diversity.
The transformation of the Monk class is a standout achievement. Emerging from the shadows of other martial classes, the Monk now radiates with a blend of vitality and versatility, embodying One D&D's commitment to balanced and dynamic combat. However, the removal of certain features, like Weapon Mastery, raises questions about the uniformity of class improvements and the potential implications for gameplay balance.
Spell adjustments, particularly in conjuration, mark a departure towards more engaging and varied magical experiences. Yet, while these changes innovate spellcasting, they also bring to light concerns about the complexity and uniqueness of these spells. The increase in healing capabilities, for instance, while a boon to resilience, prompts reflection on the potential need for recalibrating combat challenges to maintain a sense of risk and reward.
Looking forward, it's clear that One Dungeons and Dragons is charting a course towards a richer, more layered experience. But this path is not without its pitfalls. As players and storytellers, we must navigate these changes with both excitement for the new possibilities and a critical eye towards maintaining the game's cherished balance and challenge.
I invite your thoughts on these updates. How do you perceive these changes affecting your playstyle and the overall landscape of D&D? Are there aspects that excite you, or perhaps some that raise concerns? Let's continue this conversation, sharing insights and preparing together for the next chapter in the grand adventure that is Dungeons and Dragons.
