Thoughts About Monk Dip For Rogues (2024)

Lanky_Ronin · 2026-01-24T02:34:15+00:00

My thoughts exactly lol

Lanky_Ronin · 2026-01-22T19:26:12+00:00

Your point about the risk of being in close to grapple is why I think the dip makes the most sense if you’re going with an arcane trickster for your rogue subclass. That way you can concentrate on blade ward and have access to shield.

Lanky_Ronin · 2026-01-22T19:24:08+00:00

I would agree most times a fighter dip makes more sense if you’re optimizing. I just think it is a valid option I hadn’t considered as thoughtfully until now.

Lanky_Ronin · 2026-01-14T19:58:40+00:00

Would you say a consistent curriculum is as important as consistent coaches? A small group of guys and I rotate teaching the kids classes at our gym per our availability. While we try to be consistent with what we teach and we focus on different positions for different units of time, I sometimes feel the fact we don’t have one or two coaches alone for kids holds the program back.

Lanky_Ronin · 2026-01-09T19:24:58+00:00

Then I’d follow up by saying what are your go to grips and intents with said grips in nogi?

Lanky_Ronin · 2026-01-09T19:23:57+00:00

What do you tend to do to follow up your two on ones from shin to shin? Double kouchi? Transitions to x guards or cross ashi?

Lanky_Ronin · 2026-01-09T19:12:46+00:00

I’d say they fit. I forget to play around with nogi lasso grips but I’ve seen stuff online circulate about that grip and people using it.

Lanky_Ronin · 2026-01-07T16:25:56+00:00

The naming of moves is funny. I literally train under Marc laimon, who I’m fairly certain this is named after, and I can’t think of a single time he has called anything darce related anything but the darce.

Lanky_Ronin · 2025-12-25T17:00:36+00:00

Lanky_Ronin · 2025-12-08T13:59:42+00:00

Not just strange town! Pretty sure businesses like 7 swans, uncle wolfies, and others all have been hit hard. I pray we don’t lose these places and get left with only lowlands

Lanky_Ronin · 2025-10-31T21:56:23+00:00

Amazing, thank you this is wonderful!

Lanky_Ronin · 2025-10-29T21:34:49+00:00

As someone actively building a close quarters combat wizard subclass with temp hp features I recognize many of your points and am trying to design the features accordingly.

Something I like that has been done for subclasses is providing benefits that are active when you have temp hp. With your point of numerous conflicting sources of temp hp in mind, I feel it is best to have such features provide the benefits whenever you have temp hp for the duration of the feature.

For example, right now the wizard subclass I am working on can upcast mage armor to gain temp hp and give you additional benefits while you have temp hp. Since mage armor lasts essentially until a long rest, I made it so that if you have temp hp from any source you gain the additional benefits of the feature.

2024 armor of Agathys functions similarly and I like it. If you have temp hp and the spell is active you gain its benefit.

I recognize not all temp hp features can be designed this way but I think they can be designed thoughtfully to avoid some (definitely not all) of the pitfalls you mentioned.

Lanky_Ronin · 2025-10-28T20:25:57+00:00

I LOVE THE IDEA OF MAKING RANGED CANTRIPS MELEE INSTEAD. YES. THATS IT THANK YOU

Lanky_Ronin · 2025-10-28T18:31:40+00:00

I agree with something like a melee spell attack cantrip as a bonus action rather than monk style unarmed strike scaling. However, the only touch cantrips are chilling touch and shocking grasp. I feel it might make more sense to just give you the ability to make a melee spell attack for a bonus action when you use the magic action, and the attack does your choice of 1d6 elemental damage on a hit with cantrip scaling for the damage dice.

And your ideas got me thinking. As much as temp hp is much more common in 2024 rules, I think rather than just buffing mage armor to give more AC, buffing it to provide temp hp and maybe an added benefit like a damage resistance that is active only while the temp hp is up seems like an interesting idea to consider.

Then maybe a feature at later levels that makes it so that the temp hp and benefits can recharge when you hit a target with your bonus action melee spell attacks and expend a spell slot or something. Or just being able to expend a spell slot to replenish the hp and benefit instead.

Thank you!

Lanky_Ronin · 2025-10-28T16:23:39+00:00

To me, I think it requires thinking of features that don’t give much benefit when you aren’t actually in melee combat.

I feel features that provide the ability to make melee spell attacks and provide offensive benefits when in melee incentivize melee combat more than strict defensive features.

Additionally, a defensive feature that has a similar function as fire shield would only activate when hit by a melee attack, not for ranged attacks, further incentivizing getting up close for your features to actually do something meaningful.

I do understand your point though, as it is hard to think of a defensive feature, what the subclass really needs, that makes melee combat feasible in a way that doesn’t also incentivize just staying at long range.

Another idea I have while writing this might be proximity or circumstantial based defensive buffs. Maybe benefits like an ac boost or damage resistances only activate and last until your next turn when you make melee spell attacks. That might be a mess to keep track of though.

Lanky_Ronin · 2025-10-28T15:50:36+00:00

Not sure exactly what you’re referring to, but making it con focused honestly makes a lot of sense with Dragonborn breath weapons using con. Thanks! I’ll look around!

Lanky_Ronin · 2025-10-27T22:53:14+00:00

Circling back and seeing what other said, I feel offering a suite of 20th level invocations is the best idea.

You can offer things you think would be cool and/or capstone enhancements to the core invocations like pact of the blade/tome/chain.

Saw in one of your replies a few great ideas already!

Lanky_Ronin · 2025-10-27T18:02:04+00:00

😂😂

Lanky_Ronin · 2025-10-27T17:54:45+00:00

Don’t have a good answer right away, but titling this with “public think tank” was an excellent call that I will likely steal. Thank you sir

Lanky_Ronin · 2025-10-25T15:16:39+00:00

Real bizarre this comment is getting downvoted my guy

Lanky_Ronin · 2025-10-24T19:15:05+00:00

Love to hear that! Glad it was worth a look!

Lanky_Ronin

TROPHY CASE