Dungeons & Dragons: How to Build A Way Of The Cobalt Soul Monk

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• Way Of The Cobalt Soul Monk Features

• Best Species For A Way Of The Cobalt Soul Monk

• Best Ability Scores For A Way Of The Cobalt Soul Monk

• Best Starting Equipment For A Way Of The Cobalt Soul Monk

• Best Feats For A Way Of The Cobalt Soul Monk

In Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Editions, monks aren’t usually the smart ones in the party. A lifetime of honing their bodies and minds to become living weapons usually means a lack of book-fed education. Not the Way of the Cobalt Soul. Followers of this path lead lives that investigate the history and lore of the world, providing them with useful insights into both themselves and their enemies.

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If you’re looking for a monk that lets you be the brains of the party, follow the Way of the Cobalt Soul. Read on to find out how to do just that.

Way Of The Cobalt Soul Monk Features

Following the Way of the Cobalt Soul means understanding the connection between all things, and using that connection to glean valuable insights. Upon starting the Way at level three, Extract Aspects allows you to analyze a creature whenever you strike it with your Flurry of Blows ability.

You learn all damage vulnerabilities, resistances, and immunities for that creature. You also gain the ability to use your reaction to make an unarmed strike against that creature whenever it misses you with an attack.

At level six, you learn to Extort Truth from unwilling creatures. When you touch a creature, you may spend a ki point and have it make a Charisma saving throw. On a failed save, the creature can't tell a lie, and you gain advantage on all Charisma checks directed at the creature for 10 minutes. You also know if it succeeds or fails its saving throws.

Mystical Erudition, also at level six, provides you with proficiency in either Arcana, History, Investigation, Nature, or Religion. If you already have proficiency in the chosen skill, you double your proficiency bonus. You also add another skill proficiency from the above list at level 11 and level 17.

Mind of Mercury at level 11 lets you spend a ki point to take an additional reaction if you've already used yours that turn, and at level 17, Debilitating Barrage lets you spend three ki points to impose vulnerability to a damage type against an enemy you've hit with an unarmed strike.

Best Species For A Way Of The Cobalt Soul Monk

Followers of the Way of the Cobalt Soul are generally the same as most other monks, so any species that works as a monk will do great here. Below are a few species that make excellent monks.

Bugbear

Bugbears make great monks. Five extra feet of reach for your melee attacks provides significant flexibility. High Dexterity means you're more likely to go earlier in the turn order, making Surprise Attack more effective. Stealth proficiency, charm resistance, and Darkvision are all great perks.

Duergar

The poison resistance isn't too useful since monks eventually gain immunity, but advantage against being charmed and stunned are still good. Enlarge/Reduce is a great spell for a monk to know as it can increase your damage, and Invisibility provides interesting sneaking options.

Goblin

Fury of the Small can really help your damage output. Darkvision, charm resistance, and hiding as a bonus action are also nice to have.

Goliath

Monks don't get nearly as many hit points as their melee-focused combat requires. Stone's Endurance helps with that. Cold resistance and Athletics proficiency are also good perks.

Half-Orc

Monks make a lot of attacks, and that means they're making critical hits more often than most classes. Savage Attacks makes those crits deal more damage, while Relentless Endurance keeps a monk fighting when their hit points hit zero. Darkvision is also nice too.

Half-Elf

Monks in general--but especially Way of the Cobalt Soul monks--want a lot of stats to be effective. Half-elves get three stat boosts, Darkvision, and even more skills to add to your burgeoning repertoire.

Human

If it's stats you want, humans got it. You can also go variant human to get a feat off the jump.

Owlin

Monks struggle against flying things. Owlin can fly, making it easy to hit other flying things. Neither monks nor owlin like wearing armor, which also works in this species' favor. Darkvision and stealth proficiency are nice to have.

Shifter

Shifters help with a monk's poor HP pool by providing a bunch of temporary hitpoints whenever they shift. Extra armor, movement speed, a skill proficiency, and Darkvision are all good to have.

Tabaxi

Monks don't use claws, but Feline Agility means you never have to worry about being too far away to get into combat. Climbing speed helps with those pesky flying critters a bit, and Darkvision is always a boon.

Feel free to play as any species you like. Although the above species synergize well with the capabilities of a monk, any species can become a follower of the Way and still be reasonably effective.

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Best Ability Scores For A Way Of The Cobalt Soul Monk

Like other monks, followers of the Way of the Cobalt Soul want Dexterity, Wisdom, and Constitution to be effective. Dexterity empowers your strikes, both Dexterity and Wisdom provide armor class, and Constitution provides much-needed hit points.

Strength, Intelligence, and Charisma can largely be ignored, although having a few points in any of them will help improve you skill checks.

If you're using D&D's point buy system, a good starting ability score spread might look something like this:

Strength

Dexterity

Constitution

Intelligence

Wisdom

Charisma

10(0)

16(+3)

14(+2)

8(-1)

16(+3)

10(0)

Best Starting Equipment For A Way Of The Cobalt Soul Monk

A monk's body is their weapon, which means you're not likely to require much in terms of equipment. You can choose either a shortsword or another simple weapon, but most of your abilities require unarmed strikes to use, so don't expect to use either weapon much.

A dungeoneer's pack is a little more useful than an explorer's pack, and 10 darts can help you engage flying targets.

Since your armor class is based on both your Dexterity and Wisdom modifiers while you're not wearing armor, you don't get any armor to start, and you're not likely to ever need it.

Related: Dungeons & Dragons: How To Build A Way Of The Drunken Master Monk

Best Feats For A Way Of The Cobalt Soul Monk

Followers of the Way of the Cobalt Soul aren't likely to take a feat as they're so stat-hungry that you're probably going to opt for two ability score increases whenever the option arises.

That said, if you somehow stumble across a free feat over the course of your campaign, here are a few good ones to consider.

Alert

Never get ambushed again. Alert prevents you from being surprised, can't gain advantage against you if they attack while hidden, and you get an additional five to your initiative score. If you can combine this with the bugbear's Surprise Attack, you've got a potent combo.

Athlete

Climbing speed equal to your movement speed can be very helpful if you don't already fly or are a tabaxi. Getting up from prone without using half your movement can also be good too. Take the Dexterity score increase here.

Lucky

Nobody likes to fail their rolls. Lucky provides you with extra d20s to spend on your most important moments. You can also use Lucky d20s to prevent damage to your squishy monk.

Mobile

Mobility matters for melee classes. An extra 10 feet of movement helps get you into combat faster, while dash actions that ignore difficult terrain keep you free of crowd control effects. Avoiding attacks of opportunity is also nice.

Skill Expert

Complement your skills by having more of them. You can also gain expertise in a skill you already have.

Tough

Monks are squishy. Tough makes things less squishy by giving them two extra hitpoints per level.

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