What is a Monk in D&D?

A Monk is a martial class that turns physical discipline and supernatural inner focus into speed, precision, mobility, and control. The 2014 Monk is not built like a Fighter in lighter clothing. It uses a different defensive model, a different resource system, and a different action economy. Rather than relying on heavy armor and large weapons, the Monk combines Dexterity, Wisdom, Martial Arts, ki, Unarmored Movement, and several defensive features.

Core class profile

The 2014 Monk uses a d8 Hit Die.

Dexterity and Wisdom are the two most important ability scores for most Monks.

The class is proficient in Strength and Dexterity saving throws at 1st level.

Monks normally fight without armor or shields because several core features require them to remain unarmored.

They are proficient with simple weapons and shortswords in the 2014 base class.

Unarmored Defense

At 1st level, Unarmored Defense allows the Monk to calculate Armor Class as:

10 + Dexterity modifier + Wisdom modifier

while not wearing armor and not wielding a shield.

This is one reason both Dexterity and Wisdom matter.

Dexterity improves both offense and defense.

Wisdom improves defense and also powers the saving throw DC used by many ki features.

Martial Arts

Martial Arts defines the Monk's basic weapon and unarmed combat.

While satisfying the feature's equipment restrictions and using unarmed strikes or monk weapons, the Monk gains several benefits.

These include the ability to use Dexterity instead of Strength for qualifying attacks, a scaling Martial Arts damage die, and a bonus-action unarmed strike after taking the Attack action with an unarmed strike or monk weapon.

The Martial Arts die begins at d4 and increases as Monk level rises.

This means an unarmed strike is not stuck at the normal base damage used by characters without Martial Arts.

Ki

At 2nd level, the Monk gains ki points.

The number of ki points equals Monk level in the 2014 progression.

Ki returns after a short or long rest, provided the Monk meets the rest requirement described by the feature.

The class begins with three major ways to spend ki:

Flurry of Blows;
Patient Defense;
Step of the Wind.

Flurry of Blows increases the number of unarmed strikes made with the bonus action.

Patient Defense allows the Monk to take the Dodge action as a bonus action.

Step of the Wind supports rapid movement through Dash or Disengage and improves jumping for the turn.

These three choices already show the core Monk tension: the same resource can be spent on offense, defense, or mobility.

Unarmored Movement

Also at 2nd level, the Monk's speed increases while not wearing armor or using a shield.

The bonus improves as Monk level rises.

At 9th level, Unarmored Movement gains an additional capability that lets the Monk move along vertical surfaces and across liquids during the move without falling during that movement.

This makes movement one of the class's defining advantages.

Stunning Strike

At 5th level, Stunning Strike becomes one of the Monk's most important control features.

When the Monk hits another creature with a melee weapon attack, the Monk can spend 1 ki point to force a Constitution saving throw.

On a failure, the target is stunned until the end of the Monk's next turn.

Stunned is a powerful condition, so the feature can be encounter-changing when it works.

However, it competes with every other ki expenditure and many monsters have strong Constitution saves.

Good Monk play therefore does not assume every ki point should automatically become another Stunning Strike attempt.

Defensive progression

The Monk gains several defensive and resilience features as levels increase.

Deflect Missiles can reduce damage from ranged weapon attacks and may allow the projectile to be thrown back.

Slow Fall reduces falling damage.

Evasion improves the Monk's results against many Dexterity-save area effects.

Stillness of Mind can end one effect causing the Monk to be charmed or frightened.

Purity of Body grants immunity to disease and poison.

Diamond Soul eventually grants proficiency in all saving throws and allows the Monk to spend ki to reroll a failed save.

These features do not create a conventional tank.

They make the Monk increasingly difficult to disable or catch with certain forms of danger.

Monastic Tradition

At 3rd level, the Monk chooses a Monastic Tradition.

The Tradition is the subclass.

The 2014 Monk receives subclass features at 3rd, 6th, 11th, and 17th level.

Way of the Open Hand emphasises martial control.

Way of Shadow adds stealth and supernatural infiltration.

Way of the Four Elements spends ki on elemental disciplines.

Later pre-2024 books add other Traditions with themes such as weapons, drunken movement, death, sunlight, mercy, astral power, or dragons.

Party role

A Monk normally works best as a mobile skirmisher and controller.

The class can:

reach vulnerable enemies;
leave or change positions quickly;
pressure ranged attackers and spellcasters;
attempt Stunning Strike on priority targets;
use defensive ki when survival matters;
contribute several attacks per turn;
scout or traverse difficult terrain more effectively than many other martial characters.

The Monk's job is not necessarily to stand still and absorb every attack.

Its mobility is most useful when the player actually uses it.

In short

A Monk is a fast, unarmored martial class built around Dexterity, Wisdom, Martial Arts, and ki.

The class rewards active decisions about whether a turn needs damage, control, defense, or movement.

A Monk that spends every ki point the same way and remains stationary beside the largest enemy is ignoring much of what makes the class distinctive.