Are you an athlete and a nerd at the same time? Do you want to bring your love of martial arts to your D&D game? Do you also want to add an interesting tinge of fantasy to your character’s race? 

If so, playing as a Half-Elf Monk is a great way to bring such a character to life. 

The Half-Elf race AND the Monk class can be found in the Player’s Handbook. Click here to pick up your own copy of The Player’s Handbook!

How to Make a Half-Elf Monk

The first step to making a character is to roll your stats. After you make six rolls of your die and decide that you’re good with those numbers, it’s time to assign them. Monks depend on Dexterity most, so place your highest roll under this ability score. Next, place the second-highest roll under your Wisdom ability score.

After you set your stats, decide which subclass you’ll take when you reach 3rd level. Monks train under three monastic traditions. These subclasses are the Way of Shadow, Way of the Open Hand, and Way of the Four Elements. Your decision depends on how you want to play.

The Way of Shadow Monks are practitioners of stealth and deception. Following the Way of the Open Hand is the optimal choice if you want to focus your expertise on combat skills. The last subclass, the Way of the Four Elements, lets you use your ki to harness the elements. You can also use your ki points to cast spells when you reach Monk level 3 with this subclass.

How to Play a Half-Elf Monk

Monks are masters of ki, a magical energy that flows through all living things. As a Monk, you can use ki in many interesting ways. You can use it to catch projectiles, stun enemies, escape the status of charmed or frightened, and become immune to disease and poison.

The monastic tradition will also give you unique abilities that are useful in combat. For example, the Open Hand Monk can attack with a Flurry of Blows, which can do a variety of effects. A Four Elements Monk can cast Fangs of the Fire Snake as an attack that deals extra fire damage.

Don’t forget to use your speed to flit in and out of an enemy’s range. Your high AC and martial arts abilities make you ideal for hit and run tactics.

How to Roleplay as a Half-Elf Monk

You don’t need to be an advocate of Zen and inner balance to roleplay as a Monk. The fun thing about starting as a Monk is that you’re still learning how to get there. The personal journey already offers a lot of fun and potential character development. 

Try the following example backstory for your Half-Elf Monk character:

Often, if Bren wasn’t participating in paid fights, he’d be looking for one. Despite his lineage, he was not intellectual or magically-inclined like other half-elves. It seemed that the only thing Bren was good at was fighting.

While fighting paid well, Bren’s father didn’t appreciate his chosen “work.” So, they enrolled him in a monastery, where he’d learn to hone his skill and strength properly and wisely.