In the realm of Dungeons & Dragons, monks stand out as quintessential unarmed and unarmored combatants, honing their skills through martial arts. Unlike many other classes, they typically carry minimal magical gear due to their unique equipment requirements. However, several magical items have been introduced that perfectly complement their capabilities.
The recent 2024 Dungeon Master’s Guide has brought forth an array of items specifically tailored for monks, enhancing their maneuverability, stealth, and unarmed combat abilities. This expansion not only reinforces the core strengths of the monk class but also introduces ten standout items that can significantly amplify a monk’s prowess in battle.
10 Wraps Of Unarmed Power Offer A Straightforward Boost
Enhanced Damage Output for Unarmed Strikes
These magical wraps serve as an effective means of increasing damage for unarmed attacks. While donned, they provide users with a +1 bonus to both unarmed attack and damage rolls starting from the uncommon variant. For more formidable monks, rare and very rare versions grant +2 and +3 bonuses, respectively.
Additionally, wearers can convert their damage type to force. This feature becomes particularly beneficial for overcoming resistance to physical damage, although monks can naturally achieve force damage starting at level six. Thus, the primary advantage of these wraps lies in the enhanced accuracy they confer.
9 Boots Of Elvenkind Improve Stealth for Monks
Augmenting Stealth Skills with Silence
As dexterity-based characters, monks thrive in stealth-oriented scenarios. The boots of elvenkind come into play here, ensuring that the wearer’s footsteps are completely silent and granting them an advantage on all stealth checks.
While the cloak of elvenkind shares similar benefits, it lacks the silence feature and may conflict with other potent cloaks more suited to monks. This highlight for stealth provides a substantial tactical advantage for shadow monks, enabling them to navigate unfazed and undetected during critical missions.
8 Cloak & Ring Of Protection Offer Defense
Improving Defense Without Armor
Monks leverage their dexterity and wisdom to form their unarmored defense; hence, donning armor reduces their speed and effectiveness. The cloak and ring of protection are ideal solutions, providing a +1 bonus to AC and saving throws without the penalties associated with armor.
While +1 may seem modest, it could prove vital in dodging a devastating blow from large foes or avoiding harmful spells. Though the ring arguably offers a cleaner choice due to its compatibility with various other coveted cloaks, both options are exceptional for boosting a monk’s defenses.
7 Potion Of Pugilism Temporarily Boosts Damage
Maximizing Damage for Dominating Fights
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The potion of pugilism, an uncommon item highlighted in the 2024 DMG, grants a temporary 1d6 bonus to force damage for ten minutes. This potion caters to monks of all levels, enabling them to enhance their unarmed strikes and stack damage with existing bonuses, such as those from the wraps of unarmed power.
Especially useful for lower-level monks, this potion becomes an invaluable asset for any character favoring unarmed combat. Although its effects are temporary, the potion’s ability to drastically increase damage output makes it a prized possession.
6 Bracers Of Defense Benefit Unarmored Characters
Successful Combat for Monks and Beyond
The bracers of defense provide an enhanced AC boost of +2, making them more effective than the cloak and ring options. While this heightens durability in combat, the drawback is that they cannot be used alongside armor or shields.
Given monks’ preference for eschewing armor, these bracers work perfectly for them and can also assist other robust characters like barbarians, wizards, and sorcerers when combined with protective spells like mage armor. For monks prioritizing defense, they are an excellent consideration.
5 Cloak Of Invisibility Enhances Monks in Battle
Functionality of Invisibility for Strategic Attacks
The legendary cloak of invisibility offers three charges, permitting its wearer to become invisible for up to an hour. Unlike other invisibility types in the game, the effect persists even when making attacks, making it exceptionally valuable in combat.
This invisibility grants advantages in initiative rolls, prevents harmful targeting, and empowers the character during attacks while compromising the hit rate for adversaries. Combining this with the monk’s multi-attack capabilities could lead to an impressive offensive advantage, potentially allowing them to unleash numerous invisible attacks while their opponents remain unaware.
4 Staff Of The Adder: A Fun Combat Option
Venomous Damage Afforded to Monks
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The staff of the adder is an exciting option for monks, especially given their affinity for quarterstaffs. Though not a standard quarterstaff, it can function similarly when activated. When the staff is in use, its animated snake head deals both piercing and poison damage, expanding a monk’s arsenal beyond typical unarmed strikes.
What makes this staff remarkable is that its attack takes advantage of the monk’s wisdom modifier instead of strength or dexterity, making it especially rewarding for monks aimed towards enhancing their wisdom. This weapon also aligns seamlessly with the mercy monk’s theme of healing and toxicity.
3 Boots Of Speed Enhance Movement and Agility
Transforming Speed into Tactical Advantage
At just level two, a monk could achieve a remarkable movement speed of 80 feet per turn. With additional feats, such as Speedy, monks could reach up to 200 feet per turn at top levels. While the duration may seem limited to ten minutes, each combat round in D&D only represents a brief six seconds, ensuring that the effect lasts long enough for an entire adventuring day.
2 Ring Of Jumping Expands Monk Horizons
Seemingly Limitless Jumping Capabilities
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The ring of jumping allows wearers to cast jump on themselves at will, enabling unprecedented matriculation capabilities for monks. Given that their Step of the Wind ability already doubles jump distances, the heightened effectiveness allows for impressive leaping—around thirty feet for every ten feet of movement.
The potential to jump distances of sixty feet makes the monk exceptionally maneuverable on the battlefield, rivaling the flying speed of many creatures. This presents strategic advantages in navigating encounters and avoiding obstacles.
1 Quarterstaff Of The Acrobat: The Ultimate Tool for Monks
Enhancing All Monk Talents in One Item
As a multifunctional weapon, the quarterstaff of the acrobat impeccably embodies the monk’s image. It operates as a +2 magical bludgeoning weapon, suitable for high-level confrontations, and can adjust in size for ease of transport while facilitating climbing opportunities.
This illustrious staff confers several abilities upon its wielders: first, it grants advantage on all acrobatics checks; second, it can be used once per short rest to cast shield, providing a +5 AC bonus when struck by an attack; and finally, it functions as a ranged weapon with a range of 30 feet that returns after a throw. In terms of versatility within the Dungeons & Dragons universe, few items align as well with the monk class as this exceptional quarterstaff.
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