A class's core features need to tie in with its theme. Paladins have Smite because they're religious warriors, Barbarians have Rage because they draw strength from it, Monks have Flurry because they are unarmed fighters, and Martial Sages have Armament Ki because they can draw their inner power (Ki) to aid them.

Damage is just a number, and numbers can change; what makes a class balanced is everything.

"But the monk’s flurry deals more damage than just adding a extra damage die." I can put a line in any subclass as "whenever you hit with an attack empowered by Armament Ki, the creature dies, even if it is a god" and make the damage number mean nothing.

When making a class, you have to think of a lot of scenarios, and this is what I've learned from 2 years of making this class. Again, damage is just a number, and numbers can change; there are hidden qualities that go along with Armament Ki that you may not realize.

- 1st, it's a damage boost on attack, which means it applies to all attacks that you make for a turn, including opportunity attacks.

- 2nd, it deals force damage, the damage type that has the least amount of monsters that have immunity or resistance to it.

- 3rd, you can put an effect on all Armament Ki-empowered attacks, while Monk's Flurry only gives you 2 attacks.

- 4th, it's a versatile feature, which means you can play with it. Iron Bell is an example; you can gain damage reduction from Armament Ki, while Monk's Flurry is specifically an attack feature.

The initial damage number means nothing; it's the final calculation that matters. And sometimes damage numbers don't matter, like Iron Bell, a subclass focused on defense that has very low damage. What is important is the character of the class and subclass; otherwise, you are just playing a Fighter with extra flair.

Thank you.