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The New Shadow Monk! D&D Ep #206

d4: D&D Deep Dive

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Shadow Monks: better than ever and harder hitting than I had thought :).

Table of Contents of all D&D Builds to date: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...

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Intro 0:00
Level 1 5:16
Level 2-6 10:27
Level 7-9 23:09
Level 10-13 29:16
Level 14-17 35:04
Final Thoughts 42:58
Outtakes 46:34

Math/Graph for this episode:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...

Master Sustained Damage Comparison:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...

Thanks to LudicSavant for the amazing DPR calculator! https://forums.giantitp.com/showthrea...)

Music Credits:
Achaidh Cheide - Celtic by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/...
Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-...
Artist: http://incompetech.com/
Angevin 120 loop by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/...
Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-...
Artist: http://incompetech.com/
Celtic Impulse - Celtic by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/...
Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-...
Artist: http://incompetech.com/
Fiddles McGinty by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/...
Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-...
Artist: http://incompetech.com/
Lord of the Land by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/...
Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-...
Artist: http://incompetech.com/
Master of the Feast by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/...
Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-...
Artist: http://incompetech.com

20 Comments

@DnDDeepDive Creator 1 year ago Pinned

A little Errata: I talk near the end about getting menacing attack but, alas, frightened ends when the enemy can't see you, and if they're in darkness... bleh! I still like Battle Master, and the maneuver is good if you're not using darkness or they can see you anyway but yeah, not as cool!

@andrewhalmo656 1 year ago

Colby eating Colby cheese in Colby Kansas wearing his Colby collage shirt!

@robbiea14 1 year ago

Me looking at the Shadow Monk build I made last week: 👀

Me after Colby's second half feat that wasn't Sentinel: 😔

Me after Colby finally took Sentinel: :_happy:

Me when Colby said he wouldn't go Gloomstalker, but my build definitely did: :_sad:

@ozzysmith2571 1 year ago (edited)

As a martial artist, I just wanna give an extra shout out to your artist for having a Sai and a Tonfa as the weapons. Brought back a lot of fond memories of training. I love those weapons. Especially the Sai. Raphael was always my favourite turtle growing up haha

EDIT: Just got there when Colby mentioned the flavour so also shout out to Colby for his exquisite taste!

@BLynn 1 year ago

The New Shadow Monk! D&D Ep #206
Level 01 (see above) [fighter 1, species, background, fighting-style & weapon masteries]
Level 02 (see above) [monk 1]
Level 03 (@12:22) [monk 2]
Level 04 (@13:29) [monk 3 & subclass]
Level 05 (@18:36) [monk 4 & feat]
Level 06 (@19:34) [monk 5]
Level 07 (see above) [monk 6]
Level 08 (@24:51) [monk 7]
Level 09 (@25:04) [monk 8 & feat]
Level 10 (see above) [monk 9]
Level 11 (@29:44) [monk 10]
Level 12 (@31:02) [monk 11]
Level 13 (@32:43) [monk 12 & feat]
Level 14 (see above) [fighter 2]
Level 15 (@37:35) [fighter 3 & subclass]
Level 16 (@40:58) [fighter 4 & feat]
Level 17 (@41:17) [monk 13]

@mattfitzgerald7836 1 year ago (edited)

5:42 That book being "Colby's Big Book of Fighter Dip Builds", one presumes? :)

@lighthadoqdawg 1 year ago (edited)

I noticed a lot of people swear by using using scimitars on monks, but on a monk it's actually better to go with a dagger IMO. your martial arts scale daggers up to meet scimitars, they both have nick property, but daggers have one thing that scimitars don't that might get a lot of use and that's the thrown property.

so the only real difference between them on a monk is that daggers would give you a ranged option that you can apply stunning strike to. and you can start with like 4-5 daggers on a monk. so with equipping rules, you can be an effective dagger thrower/stabber. that mixed in with shadow's darkness and you're even more deadly. and of course you either take a 1 level fighter dip of grab weapon mastery at 4.

@milesweckerle 1 year ago

Hampton's art on this one really stands out to me. It almost tells a story

@TheDuckMaster12 1 year ago

Paladins and Barbarians are fearsome opponents. Monks are frustrating opponents.

@nikcantsnipe 1 year ago

Give this monk some spinach (potion of pugilism) and watch them go.

@rockman_zeta 1 year ago

5:00 She's wielding a tonfa!!

@alarin612 1 year ago

A squad of these guys would make scary NPC enemies. Tweak the monster stat block to say they can see in each other's darkness and you've got a very tough fight on your hands.

@the.dirt.man. 1 year ago (edited)

It’s cold outside but Colby’s big brain will keep me warm🧡

also my central heating unit

@druidsflame 9 months ago

I know I am late to comment on this video, but I was making a Shadow Monk build and thought "I wonder if Colby did one, and if so how different would it be?"
One major thing that I did differently was choose Owlin as my race. Proficiency in stealth and fly speed = walking speed.
lvl4 Monk take Grappler feat. Now you can grapple your enemy with one of your flurry of blows and then, if you are already right next to them, fly 40 feet straight up.
They now have 2 option on their turn, attempt to attack you at disadvantage or attempt to break the grapple and take 4d6 falling damage.
Also, Darkness says you can't cast it on an object that is being worn or carried, it says nothing about carrying it after. Cast it on the blade of your sword and you have a darkness lantern that you can put out when you sheath it, and always be surrounded by a 15 foot bubble of darkness when you move. Nothing will be able to hit you out of the sky because they won't be able to see through your darkness.
People on the ground just see bodies falling from a the darkness.

@adammorley9233 1 year ago

My go to with my players for avoiding the darkness frustration for other players at the table is to allow the darkness spell be cast at any size up to 30 feet. Allows the players a lot more creativity with darkness placements and is especially fun for a shadow monk because they can move it around for free, and thus co stantly be changing the size of the darkness to suit the needs of the party

@coyotelearnstofly 1 year ago

Hi Colby, longtime listener. Since when you first started, I think. Had some rough times—and some wonderful ones—over those years. But you’re one of the few content creators I always return to for comfort and humor.

A means a lot to me that you end every video by reminding us that you care, too. And that we should keeping going on, too.

@minikawildflower 1 year ago

Colby shirt goes hard

@kingtickeler 1 year ago

Shadow Monk gives me those Symbiote Spider-Man vibes. "SHOCKER!!!!" "You can't hide from ME!!!!" "I'll chase you to the end's of the EARTH!!!!!!!!!!!!" That's cartoon was great when I was a kid.

@ashees_lol 11 months ago

i mean this is basically just a batman build if you think about it. a warrior in the dark. trains with tibetan MONKS. and he is literally a master in battle

@erenerikci3263 1 year ago

Funny thing is that shadow monks can only see through magical darkness if they cast it for 1 ki. So a drow shadow monk casting darkness for free can't see through it! This can be remedied through blind fighting style through fighter 1. It's a toss up to give up twf style for 1 free casting of darkness per long rest. Faerie fire is also a decent buff for the party that we can benefit from.