Does defensive duelist work?
On tabletop I play a Way of the Astral Self Monk with defensive duelist. I thought I'd try that in the game and switched Astarion to open hand Monk. I'm not sure if I'm doing something wrong but it never seems to activate.
15 replies
I don't have an answer for you, but would defensive duelist work with a monk? Doesn't it require a weapon in the main hand and an empty off hand?
Monks can use weapons, but not Open Hand. Elemental monk works better with weapons than bare-handed in BG3. I don't think any martial weapons are also finesse weapons, though.
Why do you think open hand monks can't use weapons?
Poor phrasing in my part. It's not that they can't, it just wouldn't be useful since the main abilities do require you to be unarmed in at least 1 hand.
I don't want to be a contrarian, but I can't find anything in the PHB that says you can't wield a weapon. Unarmed strikes don't even need to be made with your hands. Is it a sage advice that I'm unaware of or something?
They are talking about BG3. There you cannot make a regular unarmed strike while holding a weapon.
There are many significant differences in the rules between BG3 and 5e.
I'm realizing this more as I play the game. Shield Master not allowing you to shove people prone is one that really annoyed me.
I was aware monks can (at the very least I was aware of Kensei), I'd just never considered it as advantageous enough to go Defensive Duelist, I guess.
In an MP save I'm in, I'm playing an open hand monk and am currently using that staff you can buy from Auntie Ethel in the grove because of the bonuses to unarmed damage.
Defensive duelist only requirements are a finesse weapon with which you are proficient. No mention is made of an empty off-hand.
I genuinely thought it did. Interesting.
Your fists aren’t finesse weapons so it can’t possibly work. Also fists aren’t considered weapons for feats so second point for it not working for monks.
I have a +1 short sword for the weapon requirement
If that’s the case it should work. Are you actively wielding the sword when you’re hit? Having your bow out will cause melee reactions not to trigger.
Also is the reaction actually turned on? Go to the reactions section of your character page and make sure it’s actually set to trigger.
Having the bow out might be the problem since I usually start combat with him shooting someone at long range. I'll check on that
I bet that's it. I used to have the same problem with opportunity attacks not triggering on my gloomstalker for the same reason. I had to train myself to always swap back to his swords at the end of his turn.