DnD 5e 2024 Monk guide and best subclasses

DnD 5e underwent many big changes in 2024, with the Monk class arguably getting the biggest glow-up, as every subclass proves.

At its core, DnD 2024 still uses much of the 5e ruleset, but the changes are so numerous that some may have to relearn a few of the game’s classes. Generally speaking, the community has embraced these changes, as most affected classes feel like better versions of the previous iterations. 

The Monk class received a surge in popularity after the 2024 rework. It was one of the most effective melee classes in DnD, and recent changes have made it even better.  It’s a good idea to revisit what made Monks so strong and what weaknesses have been ironed out in their latest iteration.

DnD Monk 5e 2024 level progression

Monks will gain various class features and resources per level, and the higher they go, the more powerful the class becomes.

DnD 5e underwent many changes in 2024, and the Monk arguably got the biggest glow-up thanks to overhauled mechanics and subclasses.

For more details on the broad changes to each class featured from the 2014 Player’s Handbook to 2024, DnD Beyond has an post that players can read through. Our guide will focus on the core subclasses of 2024 Monks.

Every 2024 DnD 5e Monk subclass explained

The 2024 Player’s Handbook has overhauled every Monk subclass to be significantly stronger.  One of the most prominent complaints about the Monk class was how underpowered it was compared to other classes. These issues made Monk not as popular as it could have been.

Despite being a martial class, Monks had to juggle resources while not being as consistently effective in combat as a peak Fighter or Barbarian. Some of the subclasses also had underpowered features relative to their cost. The overhaul fixed many of those issues through its subclasses.

Warrior of Mercy

Warriors of Mercy are masters of life, giving it freely and taking it away with cold efficiency. At the 3rd level, they gain Hand of Harm, which allows one of their Unarmed Strikes to deal extra Necrotic damage equal to one roll of their Martial Arts die, plus their Wisdom modifier. This can only be done once per turn, but it gives Monks a nice boost of damage in the early game.

Alternatively, they can also gain Hand of Healing, which allows them to restore hit points to the creature they touch equal to a roll of their Martial Arts die plus their Wisdom Modifier.  In the early game, when hitpoints are so low, these heals can make a massive difference. These two features are core to the Mercy class, giving them the versatility to act as a healer and DPS at any time, so long as they have sufficient Focus Points. 

As a bonus, they also gain proficiency in Insight, Medicine, and the Herbalism Kit. Those proficiencies will prove useful for those roleplaying as wandering doctors. With Physician’s Touch at the 6th level, Hand of Harm can also inflict Poison until the end of the monk’s next turn. Additionally, Hand of Healing can now end the following conditions: Blinded, Deafened, Paralyzed, Poisoned, and Stunned. These bonuses do not cost extra Focus Points.

All those status effects can ruin a team fight, as an inactive player is at times, even more detrimental and frustrating than an incapacitated player. These make monks fantastic supporters against enemies that inflict these status effects, such as venomous jungle monsters.

At the 11th level, monks gain Flurry of Healing and Harm. The feature allows them to replace each Unarmed Strike with Hand of Healing at no extra cost, or a single Unarmed Strike with Hand of Harm. Monks can do this a number of times equal to their Wisdom modifier. With how cost-efficient the Hands features are, this makes them even more effective. It also provides monks tons of versatility and resource savings.

At the 17th level, monks gain Hand of Ultimate Mercy as a Magic action.  Upon touching a creature that died within 24 hours, the monk expends 5 Focus Points to bring them back to life. They gain 4d10 hitpoints plus the monk’s Wisdom modifier. They also lose all conditions listed in Physician’s Touch. Naturally, bringing back an ally from death is a significant boon in late game campaigns.

Warrior of Shadow

Warriors of Shadow lurk in the darkness, utilizing stealth and shadow magic to confuse their enemies. At the 3rd level, these monks learn the Shadow Arts. For 1 Focus Point, they can cast Darkness without any spell components. Additionally, they can see within the spell’s area of effect and move the area to any space within 60 feet of themselves. This means monks can make a quick escape, or shroud their opponents in darkness for more combat advantages.

They also gain Darkvision up to 60 feet. If the monk already has Darkvision from some other feature, they gain an additional 60 feet. Finally, they can cast Minor Illusion. At the 6th level, monks in dim light or darkness can use a bonus action to teleport to any unoccupied space they can see, provided it’s also in dim light or darkness. They gain an advantage on their next melee attack until the end of their turn.

Shadow Step is the bread and butter of the Shadow Monk subclass. It gives them fantastic mobility at no cost, and clever players will become almost untouchable as early as at 6th level. At the 11th level, Shadow Step can now be used without the dim light or darkness requirement at the cost of 1 Focus Point. Monks can also perform an unarmed strike immediately after teleporting this way.

Once 17th level is achieved, monks in dim light or darkness can expend 3 Focus Points to become one with the shadows. For one minute, so long as the monk is not incapacitated or in bright light, they are rendered invisible, moving through occupied spaces as if it were difficult terrain and using Flurry of Blows without needing to expend Focus Points.

Warrior of the Elements

Warriors of the Elements control the forces of the Elemental Planes to enhance themselves in battle. At 3rd level, elemental monks can attune themselves to one of the following elemental energies for the next ten minutes: Acid, Cold, Fire, Lightning, or Thunder. Their attacks will also have an extended range of 10 feet. Creatures hit with an elemental attack must succeed a Strength saving throw or else they will be moved 10 feet either toward or away from the monk. Bonus damage and a “push-pull” feature makes them incredible for positioning and utility on the battlefield.

At the 6th level, elemental monks can use the Elemental Burst feature. For 2 Focus Points, monks can perform a Magic action that conjures a 20-foot-radius orb of their chosen elemental energy within 120 feet of their location. Creatures caught in its area of effect must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or take triple Martial Arts die damage. On success, targets will take only half of that damage. 

At the 11th level, Stride of the Elements allows Warriors of the Elements monks to fly equal to their movement speed while Elemental Attunment is in use. At the 17th level, monks reach their Elemental Epitome. Here, they gain resistance to their chosen element, which they can change freely at the start of their turns. Step of the Wind increases by 20 feet, and any creatures within 5 feet of it take damage equal to one Martial Arts die. Unarmed Strikes also deal extra elemental damage, equal to one Martial Arts die.

Warrior of the Open Hand

Warriors of the Open Hand are the classic melee monks, masters of unarmed combat. At the 3rd level, they learn Open Hand Technique, which allows them to inflict the following effects on targets hit by Flurry of Blows. 

• Addle – Target creature cannot use Opportunity Attacks until the start of its next turn.
• Push – Target creatures who fail a Strength saving throw are pushed 15 feet away from the monk.
• Topple – Target creatures who fail a Dexterity saving throw are knocked prone.

At the 6th level, Warriors of the Open Hand gain Wholeness of Body, which allows them to heal themselves equal to one roll of their Martial Arts die plus their Wisdom modifier. Monks can use this feature several times equal to their Wisdom modifier. Upon reaching the 11th level, all bonus actions other than Step of the Wind now trigger Step of the Wind immediately after the action. Once again, Monks bake features into other features for peak cost-efficiency.

At the 17th level, monks gain the Quivering Palm. For 4 Focus Points, monks can strike a creature with lethal vibrations, which last a number of days equal to their monk level. These will not trigger until the monk takes an action to end the vibrations. Once ended, the vibrations will deal 10d12 Force damage on a failed Constitution saving throw, and half that on a success. 

Monks can only inflict these vibrations on one creature at a time, and it can be ended harmlessly if preferred. This feature is a particularly brutal way to keep an opponent you want “alive” talking with an active threat to their life.

What is the best Monk subclass in DnD 5e in 2024?

Warrior of Shadow is generally considered the strongest all-around Monk subclass in DnD 5e 2024.  Though in truth, every Monk subclass is powerful after the 2024 reworks. What gives the Warrior of Shadow subclass an edge is the lack of strict resource management requirements, especially early on. They have access to powerful features for the relatively cheap cost of 1 Focus Point. In dark areas, they don’t even need to spend these resources on Shadow Arts. 

That said, every Monk subclass is viable. With the right build and team compositions, one truly can’t go wrong with Monks in DnD 2024.

Mercy is great as a hybrid of support and DPS, Elementals have great grappling potential, and Open Hand remains a powerfully simple subclass.