#i love asa so i just wanted to share her build haha :') playing a monk is so much fun

[wyllzel]

This is my Tav, Asa, whom I beat Honor Mode 🏆 with! She's my take on the Tavern Brawler Open Hand Monk (TB OH Monk).

I didn't take a dip in Thief Rogue for the Extra Bonus Action, and I took her Strength to 20 instead of relying on potions for the whole game – so her damage could definitely be improved. However, I was already more than happy with her combat performance. 🫡

(More details below!)

Summary

Class: Level 12 Monk (Way of the Open Hand)

Ability Scores: 20 Strength, 14 Dexterity, 23 Constitution, 8 Intelligence, 16 Wisdom, 10 Charisma

Saving Throws: +9 Strength, +6 Dexterity, +6 Constitution, -1 Intelligence, +3 Wisdom, 0 Charisma

Race: Seldarine Drow

Background: Criminal

Hit Points: 135

I created Asa as a Drow for the Darkvision and to easily pass a lot of the Act 1 checks (the goblin camp). She took the Criminal Background for the proficiency in Stealth (my parties are usually designed around Stealth and Surprise rounds).

Other

Skills: Athletics (+9), Stealth (+6), Insight (+7), Perception (+7), Deception (+4)

Feats: Tavern Brawler, Alert, ASI

Tavern Brawler is one of the most broken feats in the game. 😁 Alert is pretty crucial for Honor Mode, as you can easily take the upper-hand in combat by just having high initiative.

Equipment

Headwear: Haste Helm

Smooth Start: At the start of combat, the wearer gains Momentum for 3 turns.

Monks are a very melee-dependent class, so it's important to make sure that your Monk is able to zip around the combat zone.

Cloak: Fleshmelter Cloak

Caustic Reprisal: Whenever a creature deals melee damage to the wearer, that creature takes +1d4 Acid Damage.

Monks will almost always be in melee combat.

Armor: Helldusk Armor

You are considered Proficient with this armor while wearing it. (This is the only Heavy Armor I know of that offers this passive.)

Infernal Retribution: When you succeed a Saving Throw, the caster receives Burning for 3 turns.

Prime Aegis of Fire: You have Resistance to Fire Damage and cannot be Burned. You take 3 less damage from all sources.

Fly: Grants the ability to Fly.

As of Patch #6, Hotfix #21, the extra movement speed granted to Monks by Unarmored Movement is not lost when wearing this armor.

Because Monks don't have any armor proficiency (earning them the "glass cannon" nickname), I put Asa in the best "grants proficiency" armor in the game.

Handwear: Gloves of Soul Catching

Soul Fist: Your unarmed attacks deal an additional +1d10 Force damage.

Soul Catching: Once per turn, on an unarmed hit, you regain 10 HP. Alternatively, you may forego healing to gain Advantage on Attack rolls and Saving throws until the end of your next turn.

Constitution +2, up to 20.

Footwear: Boots of Uninhibited Kushigo

Experienced And Deadly: The wearer deals additional damage equal to their Wisdom Modifier with Unarmed Strikes.

Amulet: Amulet of Greater Health

Sets the wearer's Constitution score to 23. The enchantment has no effect if their Constitution score is higher without it.

Advantage on Constitution Saving throws.

After getting this amulet, I dumped Asa's Constitution score and put those points towards Wisdom instead (for the Boots of Uninhibited Kushigo and Manifestation Passive (Way of the Open Hand)).

Ring A: Ring of Flinging

Throwing Boost: The wearer gains a +1d4 bonus to Throw Damage.

Ring B: Burnished Ring

Paralyzing Ray: Cast as a Level 3 spell (Recharge: Long Rest).

I don't think I ever used this spell, but it was nice to have just in case!

Main Hand (Melee): N/A

Unarmed Strikes all the way. 😎

Main Hand (Ranged): Bow of the Banshee

I don't think I ever used the bow (instead relying on Throwing Weapons), but like the Burnished Ring, it was nice to have just in case.

Combat Performance

Melee Damage: Unarmed Strike

Attack Roll Bonus: +14

Damage (Bludgeoning, +1d4 Radiant, +1d10 Force): 19-38

Flurry of Blows Damage: 38-76

Stunning Strike Save: 17 DC

Flurry of Blows (Condition) Save: 17 DC

Ranged Damage: Thrown Dagger

Attack Roll Bonus: +14

Damage (Piercing): 12-18

Most of the time, I would have Asa land two Unarmed Strikes (often a Stunning Strike) and a Flurry of Blows on a high HP target. Because her Attack Roll Bonus is so high, she was almost always doing 76-228 Damage per round.