One of the most exciting things about building a Dungeons & Dragons character is all the options players are presented with. When choosing a class, there are so many different subclasses that allow players to truly branch out and explore a variety of different abilities. The Monk class provides several paths for players to choose from, but there is none more intriguing (and macabre) than the Way of the Long Death.
Monks who follow this Tradition seek to not just understand the nature of death, but to master its mechanics so they can be manipulated. These Monks possess more than just a fascination with the macabre -- it's becomes an obsession for them that leads to bizarre, and sometimes torturous, experiments on creatures simply so they can observe and learn from their deaths.
Way of the Long Death Build Summary
Ability Scores (in order of importance) |
Wisdom, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Charisma, Strength |
Race |
Kenku |
Feats |
Athlete, Fey Touched, Shadow Touched |
Focus on Wisdom and Dexterity for the Way of the Long Death Monk
Wisdom is one of this Monk's core stats because it defines their unique skillset. Abilities like Touch of Death allow the Monk to siphon the lifeforce of their enemies, and when the target reaches zero hit points while within five feet, the Monk gains temporary HP equal to their WIS modifier plus their Monk level. Many of their other exclusive abilities rely on WIS saving throws, so the higher the Monk's WIS modifier is, the more likely they will be to succeed when they're attempting to frighten enemies using Hour of Reaping
Monks also tend to be incredibly agile, moving their bodies with speed and agility the armored warrior can't quite match, which means focusing on their Dexterity. Unarmored Monks get to add their DEX modifier to attack and damage rolls, so it's imperative to get that to 20 as quickly as possible. DEX also contributes to some of the Monk's most important skills, like Acrobatics, Stealth and Sleight of Hand.
Best Races for the Way of the Long Death Monk
One of the most intriguing races to consider for a Way of the Long Death Monk is the Kenku, which has +2 DEX and +1 WIS right out of the gate. Monks tend to be lawful in nature, but the Kenku's chaotic alignment is fitting for a character whose required to experiment with death's mechanics. They also have helpful abilities like Forgery, Mimicry and Kenku Training. Kenku Training grants them proficiency in two of the following skills: Acrobatics, Stealth, Deception and Sleight of Hand, all of which are incredibly useful to a Monk conducting secret, experimental work.
Similarly, the Aarakocra is also a good choice, as it offers the same core stat boosts. Aarakocra also have access to flight, which, regardless of class, always come in handy.
Best Feats for the Way of the Long Death Monk
When it comes to choosing feats, it's important to consider how these will aid the Monk in the field and with their work. Since taking a feat often requires sacrificing a stat increase, the ideal options are those that provide a +1 stat boost along with an additional benefit. Athlete, for example, grants +1 to either Strength or Dexterity, negates the use of extra movement to climb, increases a character's ability to make running long jumps without extra movement and decreases the amount of movement they need to expand to stand up from the prone position.
Fey Touched is a useful feat that not only increases either Intelligence, Wisdom or Charisma by one, but it grants the player access to the Misty Step spell, which can get them out of a sticky situation with just a bonus action. They can also choose one other first level spell from the school of Enchantment or Divination. These spells can be cast once per day without using a spell slot, and the spellcasting ability is determined by the stat the player chose to increase.
Similarly, Shadow Touched increases one of the previously mentioned stats by +1, and it gives the Monk the ability to use the Invisibility spell and one first level spell from either the school of Necromancy or Illusion. Considering this Monk's penchant for necromantic knowledge, having access to magic that goes hand in hand with their macabre studies will only serve to make them even more powerful.