What are the top 5e monk weapons 5e d&d?
Monk weapons in 5e can have specialized versions that still use the game statistics at PHB p.149. Monk weapons are simple melee weapons without heavy or two-handed properties. A Monk weapon can be a QuarterStaff or Spear, as it doesn’t possess the “two-handed or heavy” property.
Are monk weapons finesse 5e?
Monks may not give weapons to monks, but the fact that they can use either the str or the dex bonus for these weapons makes their Finesse. Finesse can be defined as the ability to use either str or dex.
Are whips 5e monk weapons in d&d?
Monk weapons are simple melee weapons and short swords. They aren’t heavy or two-handed (pg. 78, PHB), so they don’t. A Rogue could use Sneak Attack with the whip because it is Finesse.
Is a rapier a monk’s weapon?
No. “Shortswords” and simple melee weapons are default monk weapons. Player’s Handbook, p. 149, states that rapiers are melee weapons, not melee weapons. They do not meet the requirements.
D&D Monk Weapons 5e Table
Base Simple Weapon | Monk Weapon |
Shortsword | Butterfly sword |
Dao | Ninjatō |
Wakizashi | |
Club | Nunchaku |
Sai swords | |
Tambo | Tonfa |
Dagger | Emeici, Shobo |
Handaxe | Ono, Wind-and-Fire Wheel |
Javelin | |
Light hammer | Jutte |
Mace | Bian |
Quarterstaff | Three-section staff |
Bō | Eku |
Dragon pole | |
Sickle | Kuwa, Kama |
Spear | Qiang, Yari |
Other | Kusarigama |
What are the best Monk Weapons in d&d 5e?
Bian
A bian is a hard whip made of ribbed metal. It’s often used as a training weapon.
Bo
Bo is a bamboo or hardwood staff. Some are reinforced with metal bands and may have a square, rectangular or hexagonal cross-section.
Butterfly sword
A butterfly sword is a single-edged, short blade with a small crossguard. The blunt edges are used for non-lethal strikes. Only half of the rim is sharpened, from the tip to the midpoint. They are often used as a pair.
Dao
A dao is a single-edged, short-sword-like saber. It is one of the most frequently used Monk Weapons in 5e.
Dragon pole
Dragon poles are long staffs. Practitioners claim they can project their ki down the length of the staff.
Naginata
The Naginata is a curved knife at the end of a staff. The Naginata is often associated with fighting monks. However, it can also be used as a weapon by infantrymen. Advanced techniques include whipping the weapon, striking with both the blade and base and wide, sweeping strikes. You can use the statistics to spear but not as a throwable weapon.
EKU
An eku, a polearm made from an oar, is called a saber. This weapon is top-heavy due to its vast, wooden blade. Techniques focus on significant circular strikes.
Emeici
They are also called Emei piercers or Emei Daggers. An emeici, one of the best Monk weapons in 5e dnd, is a thin metal rod with a sharp stabbing tip attached to a detachable band for wear on the middle finger, is made from a thin metal rod. This weapon can be spun or thrown. They are often used as a pair.
Kama
The agricultural sickle was the inspiration for the kama. It is made of a wooden shaft with a bent blade that extends sidewards from its tip.
Kusarigama
The kusarigama is made up of a kama. It is the equivalent of a sickle on a metal chain with an iron weight at its end.
Kuwa
The agricultural hoe was the inspiration for the kuwa. The monk weapon features a short, wooden shaft with an inwardly facing horizontal blade.
Ninjato
A ninjato, a straight and short sword, is also known as a ninjato.
Nunchaku
Nunchaku is a pair of wooden sticks that are connected by a rope or chain.
Ono
An ono is a type of hatchet that has a convex cutting edge. It is associated with warrior monks who used agricultural tools as weapons. See the statistics about a handaxe.
Jutte
A jutte, a pointed, short-handled metal baton with a prong curved out from the handle, is called a jutte. It can be used as a dagger or a hammer, but it also has a blunt tip that can be thrown.
Sai
They are three-pronged truncheons/clubs called Sai. The outer forks are often used to defend, and they can be found in some monks’ cloisters. Monks use them to practice different grips and forms while holding one in each of their hands. Their fighting style is more like a dance than a fight if they are mastered.
Shobo
Shobo refers to a sharpened wood rod that is attached to a detachable metal ring. It is used for striking pressure points. Check Cloud of daggers 5e
Tambo
A Tambo refers to a small wooden staff that is less than three feet in length.
3 Section Staff
Three bamboo or hardwood sticks are connected by short chains to form a three-section staff. This staff has a shorter reach than a quarterstaff and can be folded to conceal it.
Tonfa
Tonfa refers to a wooden club that has a vertical grip. It allows the shaft to rest on the wielder’s forearm. That may have evolved from the use of crutches or millstone handles as weapons.
Wakizashi
It is a two-foot-long Japanese sword, which looks similar to a short Katana. It is regarded high in the Monk 5e weapons.
Wind-and-fire wheel
A wind-and-fire wheel, also known as chakram, is a flat, metal ring measuring 15 inches in diameter with protruding blades. It has a padded grip. They are often used as a pair. Use the statistics for a handaxe.
FAQ
Are scimitars monk weapons?
They are almost identical to monk weapons, shortswords. A two-handed quarterstaff is the only monk weapon that can do 1d8. That is why a scimitar cannot be considered a monk weapon. Scimitars deal 1d6, but Spears does 1d8.
Is it legal for a monk to use a weapon DND against another?
You can use a variety of weapons (e.g., Use a versatile weapon (e.g., a spear or quarterstaff) with two hands to perform 1d8 +Dexterity and 1d4 +Dexterity as bonus actions from martial arts. Use no weapons, doing 1d4 + Dexterity twice. The versatile weapon is your best option if you have a higher Dexterity modifier than zero.
Monk 5e
Classes
You can become a monk by acquiring the following class features.
Hit Points
- Hit Dice: 1d8 per monk level
- Hit Points at the 1st Level8 + Your Constitution Modifier
- Hitpoints at higher levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per monk level after 1st
Proficiencies
Armor: Shields, light armor, medium armor
Monk Weapons: Simple weapons and shortswords
Tools: Select one type of artisan’s tool or one musical instrument
Save Throws: Strength and Dexterity
Skills: Two from Acrobatics or Athletics, History and Insight, Religion, Stealth, or both
Equipment
The following equipment is required to start, along with any equipment that your background has given you.
- A shortsword (a) or any other simple weapon (b)
- A dungeoneer’s or explorer’s pack.
- Ten darts
Do monks get martial weapons?
Yes, you lose martial proficiencies. They are proficient in the use of handaxes, so they can. It’s important to note that monks should not use martial weapons even though they are proficient in all of them. The bottom line is that you don’t need to have martial proficiency on a monk unless it’s just a monk flash. The following are the Monk Weapon Proficiencies:
Simple weapons: Club and Dagger, Heavy Crossbow, Light Crossbows, Quarterstaff, Quarterstaff, Unarmed
- Handaxes are Martial Weapons
- Exotic weapons: Kama and Shuriken
- Shortsword for Martial Weapons
Martial Melee Weapons Table
Martial Melee Weapons | Cost In gp | Weight in lb | Properties | Damage |
Battleaxe 5e | 10 | 4 | Versatile (1d10) | 1d8 slashing |
Flail 5e | 10 | 2 | — | 1d8 bludgeoning |
Glaive 5e | 20 | 6 | Heavy, reach, two-handed | 1d10 slashing |
Greataxe 5e | 30 | 7 | Heavy, two-handed | 1d12 slashing |
Greatsword 5e | 50 | 6 | Heavy, two-handed | 2d6 slashing |
Halberd 5e | 20 | 6 | Heavy, reach, two-handed | 1d10 slashing |
Lance 5e | 10 | 6 | Reach, special | 1d12 piercing |
Longsword 5e | 15 | 3 | Versatile (1d10) | 1d8 slashing |
Maul 5e | 10 | 10 | Heavy, two-handed | 2d6 bludgeoning |
Morningstar 5e | 15 | 4 | — | 1d8 piercing |
Pike 5e | 5 | 18 | Heavy, reach, two-handed | 1d10 piercing |
Rapier 5e | 25 | 2 | Finesse | 1d8 piercing |
Scimitar 5e | 25 | 3 | Finesse, light | 1d6 slashing |
Shortsword 5e ( Monk Weapon) | 10 | 2 | Finesse, light | 1d6 piercing |
Trident 5e | 5 | 4 | Thrown (range 20/60), versatile (1d8) | 1d6 piercing |
War Pick 5e | 5 | 2 | — | 1d8 piercing |
Warhammer 5e | 15 | 2 | Versatile (1d10) | 1d8 bludgeoning |
Is a katana a good choice among monk weapons 5e?
It would be best if you kept the katana in proportion to the other weapons. Otherwise, you will break the game. It allows it to be used as a monk weapon in 5e dnd.
Suppose Magical hands are used. Can it be considered a Monk weapon?
Monks do not have magical hands, but most do. However, you might be able to have one replaced by a magical hand in a specific campaign. Unarmed attacks, starting at level 6, count as magic to overcome resistances/immunities. That is because D&D rules require particular terms when it comes to Monk weapons 5e. Even their unarmed attacks do not constitute weapons. They can’t be disarmed by spells or enchanted with different spells, just as you can weapons.
They are still considered melee weapon attacks, as many rules refer to. It is confusing because specific rules say “when you attack using melee weapons” instead of “when you make a melee weapon attack.” It almost looks the same, but D&D 5e makes it clear that this subtle distinction is important.
If you are multi-classing with Paladin, you can use divine strike with unarmed attacks. The phrase is “when you hit with melee weapon attacks.” You can’t use a Devotion Paladin’s Sacred Weapon channel divinity because it works only on a weapon and not a melee weapon attack.
Although Unarmed Strikes are not in Monk Weapons in 5e d&d, they can be used to attack Melee Weapons mechanically. Monks can now gain Ki-Empowered strikes, which says, “Starting at 6th level, your unarmed strike count as magical for overcoming resistance to nonmagical attacks or damage.”
Their body does not become magical. However, monks can create defenses that require magic weapons to defeat. Monk weapons are short swords and simple weapons that don’t have heavy or two-handed properties. There are weapons a Monk is proficient in that are not Monk weapons in 5e d&d. Being gifted with a weapon does not change that weapon’s properties.
Read Campaign setting Creation 5e
What are the top 5e monk weapons 5e d&d?
Monk weapons in 5e can have specialized versions that still use the game statistics at PHB p.149. Monk weapons are simple melee weapons without heavy or two-handed properties. A Monk weapon can be a QuarterStaff or Spear, as it doesn’t possess the “two-handed or heavy” property.
Are monk weapons finesse 5e?
Monks may not give weapons to monks, but the fact that they can use either the str or the dex bonus for these weapons makes their Finesse. Finesse can be defined as the ability to use either str or dex.
Are whips 5e monk weapons in d&d?
Monk weapons are simple melee weapons and short swords. They aren’t heavy or two-handed (pg. 78, PHB), so they don’t. A Rogue could use Sneak Attack with the whip because it is Finesse.
Is a rapier a monk’s weapon?
No. “Shortswords” and simple melee weapons are default monk weapons. Player’s Handbook, p. 149, states that rapiers are melee weapons, not melee weapons. They do not meet the requirements.
D&D Monk Weapons 5e Table
Base Simple Weapon | Monk Weapon |
Shortsword | Butterfly sword |
Dao | Ninjatō |
Wakizashi | |
Club | Nunchaku |
Sai swords | |
Tambo | Tonfa |
Dagger | Emeici, Shobo |
Handaxe | Ono, Wind-and-Fire Wheel |
Javelin | |
Light hammer | Jutte |
Mace | Bian |
Quarterstaff | Three-section staff |
Bō | Eku |
Dragon pole | |
Sickle | Kuwa, Kama |
Spear | Qiang, Yari |
Other | Kusarigama |
What are the best Monk Weapons in d&d 5e?
Bian
A bian is a hard whip made of ribbed metal. It’s often used as a training weapon.
Bo
Bo is a bamboo or hardwood staff. Some are reinforced with metal bands and may have a square, rectangular or hexagonal cross-section.
Butterfly sword
A butterfly sword is a single-edged, short blade with a small crossguard. The blunt edges are used for non-lethal strikes. Only half of the rim is sharpened, from the tip to the midpoint. They are often used as a pair.
Dao
A dao is a single-edged, short-sword-like saber. It is one of the most frequently used Monk Weapons in 5e.
Dragon pole
Dragon poles are long staffs. Practitioners claim they can project their ki down the length of the staff.
Naginata
The Naginata is a curved knife at the end of a staff. The Naginata is often associated with fighting monks. However, it can also be used as a weapon by infantrymen. Advanced techniques include whipping the weapon, striking with both the blade and base and wide, sweeping strikes. You can use the statistics to spear but not as a throwable weapon.
EKU
An eku, a polearm made from an oar, is called a saber. This weapon is top-heavy due to its vast, wooden blade. Techniques focus on significant circular strikes.
Emeici
They are also called Emei piercers or Emei Daggers. An emeici, one of the best Monk weapons in 5e dnd, is a thin metal rod with a sharp stabbing tip attached to a detachable band for wear on the middle finger, is made from a thin metal rod. This weapon can be spun or thrown. They are often used as a pair.
Kama
The agricultural sickle was the inspiration for the kama. It is made of a wooden shaft with a bent blade that extends sidewards from its tip.
Kusarigama
The kusarigama is made up of a kama. It is the equivalent of a sickle on a metal chain with an iron weight at its end.
Kuwa
The agricultural hoe was the inspiration for the kuwa. The monk weapon features a short, wooden shaft with an inwardly facing horizontal blade.
Ninjato
A ninjato, a straight and short sword, is also known as a ninjato.
Nunchaku
Nunchaku is a pair of wooden sticks that are connected by a rope or chain.
Ono
An ono is a type of hatchet that has a convex cutting edge. It is associated with warrior monks who used agricultural tools as weapons. See the statistics about a handaxe.
Jutte
A jutte, a pointed, short-handled metal baton with a prong curved out from the handle, is called a jutte. It can be used as a dagger or a hammer, but it also has a blunt tip that can be thrown.
Sai
They are three-pronged truncheons/clubs called Sai. The outer forks are often used to defend, and they can be found in some monks’ cloisters. Monks use them to practice different grips and forms while holding one in each of their hands. Their fighting style is more like a dance than a fight if they are mastered.
Shobo
Shobo refers to a sharpened wood rod that is attached to a detachable metal ring. It is used for striking pressure points. Check Cloud of daggers 5e
Tambo
A Tambo refers to a small wooden staff that is less than three feet in length.
3 Section Staff
Three bamboo or hardwood sticks are connected by short chains to form a three-section staff. This staff has a shorter reach than a quarterstaff and can be folded to conceal it.
Tonfa
Tonfa refers to a wooden club that has a vertical grip. It allows the shaft to rest on the wielder’s forearm. That may have evolved from the use of crutches or millstone handles as weapons.
Wakizashi
It is a two-foot-long Japanese sword, which looks similar to a short Katana. It is regarded high in the Monk 5e weapons.
Wind-and-fire wheel
A wind-and-fire wheel, also known as chakram, is a flat, metal ring measuring 15 inches in diameter with protruding blades. It has a padded grip. They are often used as a pair. Use the statistics for a handaxe.
FAQ
Are scimitars monk weapons?
They are almost identical to monk weapons, shortswords. A two-handed quarterstaff is the only monk weapon that can do 1d8. That is why a scimitar cannot be considered a monk weapon. Scimitars deal 1d6, but Spears does 1d8.
Is it legal for a monk to use a weapon DND against another?
You can use a variety of weapons (e.g., Use a versatile weapon (e.g., a spear or quarterstaff) with two hands to perform 1d8 +Dexterity and 1d4 +Dexterity as bonus actions from martial arts. Use no weapons, doing 1d4 + Dexterity twice. The versatile weapon is your best option if you have a higher Dexterity modifier than zero.
Monk 5e
Classes
You can become a monk by acquiring the following class features.
Hit Points
- Hit Dice: 1d8 per monk level
- Hit Points at the 1st Level8 + Your Constitution Modifier
- Hitpoints at higher levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per monk level after 1st
Proficiencies
Armor: Shields, light armor, medium armor
Monk Weapons: Simple weapons and shortswords
Tools: Select one type of artisan’s tool or one musical instrument
Save Throws: Strength and Dexterity
Skills: Two from Acrobatics or Athletics, History and Insight, Religion, Stealth, or both
Equipment
The following equipment is required to start, along with any equipment that your background has given you.
- A shortsword (a) or any other simple weapon (b)
- A dungeoneer’s or explorer’s pack.
- Ten darts
Do monks get martial weapons?
Yes, you lose martial proficiencies. They are proficient in the use of handaxes, so they can. It’s important to note that monks should not use martial weapons even though they are proficient in all of them. The bottom line is that you don’t need to have martial proficiency on a monk unless it’s just a monk flash. The following are the Monk Weapon Proficiencies:
Simple weapons: Club and Dagger, Heavy Crossbow, Light Crossbows, Quarterstaff, Quarterstaff, Unarmed
- Handaxes are Martial Weapons
- Exotic weapons: Kama and Shuriken
- Shortsword for Martial Weapons
Martial Melee Weapons Table
Martial Melee Weapons | Cost In gp | Weight in lb | Properties | Damage |
Battleaxe 5e | 10 | 4 | Versatile (1d10) | 1d8 slashing |
Flail 5e | 10 | 2 | — | 1d8 bludgeoning |
Glaive 5e | 20 | 6 | Heavy, reach, two-handed | 1d10 slashing |
Greataxe 5e | 30 | 7 | Heavy, two-handed | 1d12 slashing |
Greatsword 5e | 50 | 6 | Heavy, two-handed | 2d6 slashing |
Halberd 5e | 20 | 6 | Heavy, reach, two-handed | 1d10 slashing |
Lance 5e | 10 | 6 | Reach, special | 1d12 piercing |
Longsword 5e | 15 | 3 | Versatile (1d10) | 1d8 slashing |
Maul 5e | 10 | 10 | Heavy, two-handed | 2d6 bludgeoning |
Morningstar 5e | 15 | 4 | — | 1d8 piercing |
Pike 5e | 5 | 18 | Heavy, reach, two-handed | 1d10 piercing |
Rapier 5e | 25 | 2 | Finesse | 1d8 piercing |
Scimitar 5e | 25 | 3 | Finesse, light | 1d6 slashing |
Shortsword 5e ( Monk Weapon) | 10 | 2 | Finesse, light | 1d6 piercing |
Trident 5e | 5 | 4 | Thrown (range 20/60), versatile (1d8) | 1d6 piercing |
War Pick 5e | 5 | 2 | — | 1d8 piercing |
Warhammer 5e | 15 | 2 | Versatile (1d10) | 1d8 bludgeoning |
Is a katana a good choice among monk weapons 5e?
It would be best if you kept the katana in proportion to the other weapons. Otherwise, you will break the game. It allows it to be used as a monk weapon in 5e dnd.
Suppose Magical hands are used. Can it be considered a Monk weapon?
Monks do not have magical hands, but most do. However, you might be able to have one replaced by a magical hand in a specific campaign. Unarmed attacks, starting at level 6, count as magic to overcome resistances/immunities. That is because D&D rules require particular terms when it comes to Monk weapons 5e. Even their unarmed attacks do not constitute weapons. They can’t be disarmed by spells or enchanted with different spells, just as you can weapons.
They are still considered melee weapon attacks, as many rules refer to. It is confusing because specific rules say “when you attack using melee weapons” instead of “when you make a melee weapon attack.” It almost looks the same, but D&D 5e makes it clear that this subtle distinction is important.
If you are multi-classing with Paladin, you can use divine strike with unarmed attacks. The phrase is “when you hit with melee weapon attacks.” You can’t use a Devotion Paladin’s Sacred Weapon channel divinity because it works only on a weapon and not a melee weapon attack.
Although Unarmed Strikes are not in Monk Weapons in 5e d&d, they can be used to attack Melee Weapons mechanically. Monks can now gain Ki-Empowered strikes, which says, “Starting at 6th level, your unarmed strike count as magical for overcoming resistance to nonmagical attacks or damage.”
Their body does not become magical. However, monks can create defenses that require magic weapons to defeat. Monk weapons are short swords and simple weapons that don’t have heavy or two-handed properties. There are weapons a Monk is proficient in that are not Monk weapons in 5e d&d. Being gifted with a weapon does not change that weapon’s properties.
Read Campaign setting Creation 5e