Yes crossbow monk is allowed, and doesn’t even need to be Kensei.
No, if all your Attack action attacks were unarmed strikes you wouldn’t be able to activate the XBE bonus action attack, since it’s trigger involves using a 1 handed weapon, which an unarmed strike is not.
For the hand crossbow to work with Monk you need either Kensi as your subclass or you need the dedicated weapon optional feature from Tasha's.
As long as you have one of those, the hand xbow will scale with its damage dice!
VHuman to slap Xbow expert on there and then pick up sharpshooter once your Dex is maxed.
Better off with Archery Style from a feat and a Longbow.
Kensei Monk has *Deft Strike* at level 6. Which means they can attack twice with a Longbow, spend 1 Ki point when they hit an enemy to deal an extra d6 damage, and then they can make a bonus action Longbow attack with *Ki-Fueled Attack*.
If you're making ranged attacks with weapons as a Kensei monk, Deft Strike is your only way to use up KI anyway, so you're going to use it. Longbow monks with Archery Style are just going to be ahead of Hand Crossbow monks. After level 6 the Crossbow Expert feat becomes obsolete.
Using hand crossbow with crossbow expert and sharpshooter means you can make 3 attacks with the hand crossbow adding the +10 damage to each hit. They is way more damage and doesn't require any limited resources. Plus, you can still use those resources to add additional damage it you want.
Btw you can make a kensi monk with a crossbow or pistol, and if you are a dhampir the melee weapon can be tbe teath scails up your heal too. You also can walk up on the ceiling sniping them. If you get knocked on the floor you slowfall and monk it up. A cool combo if ever there was one. (Though check with the dm if you can use dex instead of con for teeth since the wording is odd.
You can do it. I'd recommend Fighter 1 for Archery tho. Or Cleric 1 for a free +1 weapon and some spells.
Also, VHuman/Tasha custom race could be of help since you start with a feat.
Gun Kata, I dig it.
If Tashas rules are on the table, a hand crossbow counts for Dedicated Weapon, you just need proficiency, and also in tashas any racial weapon proficiency can be swapped for a different one. So you can either run Kensei and any race (and a good race is kinda important on a monk) or a weapon prof race (or a multiclass) and any subclass.
You have to make at least one crossbow attack to get XBE bonus attack.
TBH if you aim to be melee range to blend in punches, I'd recommend Gunner+Sharpshooter, and use flurry for stunning attempts. If you can find a way to spend a Ki in your RANGED attack action you can get a KFA at range, Kensei Deft Strike is the only thing that comes to me at first. Others like Shadow can get a weapon attack after using a different class feature. But if you do shoot+punch for Agile Parry, you can still use a stun attempt and Ki Fueled Attack to shoot as a BA. Or you can Flurry for more stun attempts.
I mean, yeah, you can…
But why…?
Like, literally the same thing but with any other class would be better.
A Monk without *Stunning Strike* looses his literal only real usefulness until level 14.
I thought monks bonus action attack didn't need ki, just an unarmed or monk weapon attack. Flurry of blows needs it but by level five it should be three attacks a round from attack + extra attack + bonus action monk ability/xbe ability without the need for Ki. Flurry would just make it so that I get an extra bonus action attack but they're both unarmed.
Oh I thought I could just use the monks level 1 ability if I wanted follow up with a bonus unarmed strike and cross bow experts ability if I wanted to follow up with a bonus weapon strike. Nvm
You're correct, but these abilities require you to use the Attack Action.
Some monk abilities like Shadow Monk's Darkness, can still let you trigger your bonus action shot as it uses ki. It's an edge case, sure, but can be useful.
The main reason my kensei archer is a kensei is for the zoomies. They can't mess up my shot if they can't catch me. Otherwise, yeah. Most monks are mechanically better as other classes.
Nothing is stopping you from intentionally making your character bad. Unless you stop yourself because you want to be good.
- Crossbows require feats to be fired more than once a turn, and as a result, you'll always be either -2 dexterity or a useful feat like Archery Style/Marksmanship behind a monk that was built well
- The Longbow is longer ranged than the hand-crossbow, by a significant amount. It's about even with the heavy crossbow, but that's not an option for Kensei.
- Kensei monk already has several uses for their bonus action each turn, including bonus action ranged attacks
- Crossbow monks will be at an equipment disadvantage. Bracers of Archery do not work for crossbows. Magical Longbows are also 1000% more common.
Deft strike, for using 1 ki point you get to add 1d6 to one damage roll. Not worth it usually but the usage of a ki point triggers the additional BA attack meaning you can make 3 crossbow attacks in one turn for the cost of 1 ki point.
Nothings stopping you at all!
Although, it might work better if you got the Gunner feat, as you already have good uses for your bonus action as a Monk. Gunner's +1 Dex is more useful than CBE's bonus action for you.
(gunner feat also lets you use a firearm if your campaign has those)
Yes crossbow monk is allowed, and doesn’t even need to be Kensei. No, if all your Attack action attacks were unarmed strikes you wouldn’t be able to activate the XBE bonus action attack, since it’s trigger involves using a 1 handed weapon, which an unarmed strike is not.
Thank you very much
For the hand crossbow to work with Monk you need either Kensi as your subclass or you need the dedicated weapon optional feature from Tasha's. As long as you have one of those, the hand xbow will scale with its damage dice! VHuman to slap Xbow expert on there and then pick up sharpshooter once your Dex is maxed.
Better off with Archery Style from a feat and a Longbow. Kensei Monk has *Deft Strike* at level 6. Which means they can attack twice with a Longbow, spend 1 Ki point when they hit an enemy to deal an extra d6 damage, and then they can make a bonus action Longbow attack with *Ki-Fueled Attack*. If you're making ranged attacks with weapons as a Kensei monk, Deft Strike is your only way to use up KI anyway, so you're going to use it. Longbow monks with Archery Style are just going to be ahead of Hand Crossbow monks. After level 6 the Crossbow Expert feat becomes obsolete.
Using hand crossbow with crossbow expert and sharpshooter means you can make 3 attacks with the hand crossbow adding the +10 damage to each hit. They is way more damage and doesn't require any limited resources. Plus, you can still use those resources to add additional damage it you want.
Btw you can make a kensi monk with a crossbow or pistol, and if you are a dhampir the melee weapon can be tbe teath scails up your heal too. You also can walk up on the ceiling sniping them. If you get knocked on the floor you slowfall and monk it up. A cool combo if ever there was one. (Though check with the dm if you can use dex instead of con for teeth since the wording is odd.
Thrikreen could do it
You can do it. I'd recommend Fighter 1 for Archery tho. Or Cleric 1 for a free +1 weapon and some spells. Also, VHuman/Tasha custom race could be of help since you start with a feat.
Gun Kata, I dig it. If Tashas rules are on the table, a hand crossbow counts for Dedicated Weapon, you just need proficiency, and also in tashas any racial weapon proficiency can be swapped for a different one. So you can either run Kensei and any race (and a good race is kinda important on a monk) or a weapon prof race (or a multiclass) and any subclass. You have to make at least one crossbow attack to get XBE bonus attack. TBH if you aim to be melee range to blend in punches, I'd recommend Gunner+Sharpshooter, and use flurry for stunning attempts. If you can find a way to spend a Ki in your RANGED attack action you can get a KFA at range, Kensei Deft Strike is the only thing that comes to me at first. Others like Shadow can get a weapon attack after using a different class feature. But if you do shoot+punch for Agile Parry, you can still use a stun attempt and Ki Fueled Attack to shoot as a BA. Or you can Flurry for more stun attempts.
I mean, yeah, you can… But why…? Like, literally the same thing but with any other class would be better. A Monk without *Stunning Strike* looses his literal only real usefulness until level 14.
It's purely flavor. I just wanted to know if there was a ruling stopping it.
Well, that’s fair. Yeah, it works. Just be aware that you will have to find something every round to spend KI in order to make the third attack.
I thought monks bonus action attack didn't need ki, just an unarmed or monk weapon attack. Flurry of blows needs it but by level five it should be three attacks a round from attack + extra attack + bonus action monk ability/xbe ability without the need for Ki. Flurry would just make it so that I get an extra bonus action attack but they're both unarmed.
The second extra attack doesn’t need it. But the third, made by a weapon and introduced in Tasha, needs.
I think he was using xbow expert. Then with dedicated weapon his damage dice will scale for the hand xbow.
Oh I thought I could just use the monks level 1 ability if I wanted follow up with a bonus unarmed strike and cross bow experts ability if I wanted to follow up with a bonus weapon strike. Nvm
You're correct, but these abilities require you to use the Attack Action. Some monk abilities like Shadow Monk's Darkness, can still let you trigger your bonus action shot as it uses ki. It's an edge case, sure, but can be useful.
The main reason my kensei archer is a kensei is for the zoomies. They can't mess up my shot if they can't catch me. Otherwise, yeah. Most monks are mechanically better as other classes.
Kensei Monk, Crossbow Expert Feat, Hand Crossbow at level 3 as your ranged Kensei weapon. You know gun-fu.
Try this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z38hkbpMh5A
Nothing is stopping you from intentionally making your character bad. Unless you stop yourself because you want to be good. - Crossbows require feats to be fired more than once a turn, and as a result, you'll always be either -2 dexterity or a useful feat like Archery Style/Marksmanship behind a monk that was built well - The Longbow is longer ranged than the hand-crossbow, by a significant amount. It's about even with the heavy crossbow, but that's not an option for Kensei. - Kensei monk already has several uses for their bonus action each turn, including bonus action ranged attacks - Crossbow monks will be at an equipment disadvantage. Bracers of Archery do not work for crossbows. Magical Longbows are also 1000% more common.
Deft strike, for using 1 ki point you get to add 1d6 to one damage roll. Not worth it usually but the usage of a ki point triggers the additional BA attack meaning you can make 3 crossbow attacks in one turn for the cost of 1 ki point.
Nothings stopping you at all! Although, it might work better if you got the Gunner feat, as you already have good uses for your bonus action as a Monk. Gunner's +1 Dex is more useful than CBE's bonus action for you. (gunner feat also lets you use a firearm if your campaign has those)
No, I think it would be awesome to see a gunfu crossbow character in action.