So, Uhh. How Many Attacks Can A Monk Do In One Turn? - D&D Beyond

• Keeper
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I've never played nor made a monk before but I'm curious, how many attacks can a monk do in one turn?

She/They/it

Keep in mind I'm in the UK so my time zone's GMT.

Definitely not an undead.

• (Perfect)
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Depends on the level if you have Ki to spend flurry of blows at 3rd level you can make one attack, then bonus action flurry of blows with two unarmed strikes.

• Adventurer
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4

It depends on what you're willing to spend on attacks. One attack base, one if you're level 5 or higher, one if you're spending a bonus action and one if you're spending a bonus action plus ki. This gives you a normal maximum of 4 attacks. Sometimes you'll want to spend a bonus action on dodge or disengage/dash, other times you'll want to save ki for stunning strike, so the actual number of attacks you make will vary.

• Keeper
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huh, I was curious in a way of a turn to use everything to attack, would it still be 4?

She/They/it

Keep in mind I'm in the UK so my time zone's GMT.

Definitely not an undead.

• Master Trickster
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A level 17 Drunken Master Monk can make 7 attacks as long as they're hitting 5 different creatures. They get their 2 attacks from Extra Attack, and then their flurry of blows can hit 5 times if each of those 5 hits a different creature (Intoxicated Frenzy).

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• Adventurer
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Quote from BluePhoenix710 >>

huh, I was curious in a way of a turn to use everything to attack, would it still be 4?

Under normal circumstances, 4 is the limit. There are things that can change that, such as haste or the mentioned level 17 drunken master's intoxicated frenzy.

• Keeper
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ok so it is memed up.

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Keep in mind I'm in the UK so my time zone's GMT.

Definitely not an undead.

• Adventurer
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Quote from BluePhoenix710 >>

ok so it is memed up.

True to an extent, but 4 is a lot of attacks per round at level 5.

• Adventurer
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As a monk from lvl 5 onwards: 4 attacks (2 from Attack action + 2 from FoB bonus action) or 3 attacks (2 from Attack + 1 from Martial Arts free bonus action) without expending Ki points.

Depending on your subclass, this may change at level 17:

- Astral Self: gains an additional attack as part of the Attack action if using the Awakened Astral Self, so: 5 attacks (3 from Attack action + 2 from FoB) or 4 attacks (3 from Attack action + 1 from Martial Arts).

- Drunken Master: gains additional FoB attacks as long as they are against different targets, so: 4-7 attacks (2 from Attack action + 2-5 from FoB) or 3 attacks (2 from Attack action + 1 from Martial Arts).

• Rhymer
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Quote from Lunali >>

Quote from BluePhoenix710 >>

ok so it is memed up.

True to an extent, but 4 is a lot of attacks per round at level 5.

The closest to that I think is Crossbow Expert Ranger level 5 with 3 attacks.

Or VHuman Gloom Stalker Ranger Crossbow Expert level 3 with 3 attacks (turn one).

Edit: If Gloom Stalker and extra attack and Crossbow Expert stack, that's 4 for them as well at level 5 (turn one).

• Aspirant
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Quote from Animorte >>

Quote from Lunali >>

Quote from BluePhoenix710 >>

ok so it is memed up.

True to an extent, but 4 is a lot of attacks per round at level 5.

The closest to that I think is Crossbow Expert Ranger level 5 with 3 attacks.

Or VHuman Gloom Stalker Ranger Crossbow Expert level 3 with 3 attacks (turn one).

Edit: If Gloom Stalker and extra attack and Crossbow Expert stack, that's 4 for them as well at level 5 (turn one).

Crossbow expert ignores loading property but not the ammo property. Throw in an artificer repeating crossbow.

• Adventurer
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Quote from Discfan2 >>

Crossbow expert ignores loading property but not the ammo property. Throw in an artificer repeating crossbow.

You don't need to ignore the ammo property unless you want to have something in your other hand. Also, the repeating shot infusion technically doesn't remove the ammo property either.

• Aspirant
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Quote from Lunali >>

Quote from Discfan2 >>

Crossbow expert ignores loading property but not the ammo property. Throw in an artificer repeating crossbow.

You don't need to ignore the ammo property unless you want to have something in your other hand. Also, the repeating shot infusion technically doesn't remove the ammo property either.

For Crossbow Expert Ranger level 5 with 3 attacks

If you want sustain that number of attacks beyond the first, you have to overcome the ammo property, . If you only care about the alpha round then two hand crossbows is the way to go.

As for repeating shot, it does overcome the ammo property, especially since that's a third of the benefit of the infusion. Relevant text from each below.

"Ammunition. You can use a weapon that has the ammunition property to make a ranged attack only if you have ammunition to fire from the weapon. Each time you attack with the weapon, you expend one piece of ammunition. Drawing the ammunition from a quiver, case, or other container is part of the attack (you need a free hand to load a one-handed weapon)."

"Repeating Shot. If you load no ammunition in the weapon, it produces its own, automatically creating one piece of magic ammunition when you make a ranged attack with it. The ammunition created by the weapon vanishes the instant after it hits or misses a target."

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Quote from Discfan2 >>

Quote from Lunali >>

Quote from Discfan2 >>

Crossbow expert ignores loading property but not the ammo property. Throw in an artificer repeating crossbow.

You don't need to ignore the ammo property unless you want to have something in your other hand. Also, the repeating shot infusion technically doesn't remove the ammo property either.

For Crossbow Expert Ranger level 5 with 3 attacks

If you want sustain that number of attacks beyond the first, you have to overcome the ammo property, . If you only care about the alpha round then two hand crossbows is the way to go.

As for repeating shot, it does overcome the ammo property, especially since that's a third of the benefit of the infusion. Relevant text from each below.

Unlike with throwing weapons, you aren't limited to drawing one piece of ammunition per turn.

• Aspirant
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Quote from Lunali >>

Quote from Discfan2 >>

Quote from Lunali >>

Quote from Discfan2 >>

Crossbow expert ignores loading property but not the ammo property. Throw in an artificer repeating crossbow.

You don't need to ignore the ammo property unless you want to have something in your other hand. Also, the repeating shot infusion technically doesn't remove the ammo property either.

For Crossbow Expert Ranger level 5 with 3 attacks

If you want sustain that number of attacks beyond the first, you have to overcome the ammo property, . If you only care about the alpha round then two hand crossbows is the way to go.

As for repeating shot, it does overcome the ammo property, especially since that's a third of the benefit of the infusion. Relevant text from each below.

Unlike with throwing weapons, you aren't limited to drawing one piece of ammunition per turn.

Technically you do, but I can easily undstand grabbing a handful of sling bullets or arrows. However that doesn't address

"(you need a free hand to load a one-handed weapon)".

With crossbow expert for a level 5 ranger armed with 2 normal (non-repeating shot) hand crossbows.

Both Hand crossbows ready and loaded.

Shoot (1), shoot (2) offhand, drop offhand to free up hand, reload 1st crossbow (feat ignores reload liimit of fiiring 1/round but not ammo property which requirs a free hand) and shoot (3).

Second round: you can continue shooting twice per round but you won't get that third shot.

Add in repeating crossbows and you don't even need the feat.

• Adventurer
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Quote from Discfan2 >>

With crossbow expert for a level 5 ranger armed with 2 normal (non-repeating shot) hand crossbows.

Ah, there's the problem, crossbow expert doesn't specify that the bonus action attack has to be with a different weapon than the one handed weapon you make the main attack with. Typically when talking about characters using crossbow expert we assume they're using a hand crossbow with their other hand free.

• Aspirant
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Quote from Lunali >>

Quote from Discfan2 >>

With crossbow expert for a level 5 ranger armed with 2 normal (non-repeating shot) hand crossbows.

Ah, there's the problem, crossbow expert doesn't specify that the bonus action attack has to be with a different weapon than the one handed weapon you make the main attack with. Typically when talking about characters using crossbow expert we assume they're using a hand crossbow with their other hand free.

RAW I think that's a valid case due to how it's written.

RAI They're allowing you to attack with a light melee weapon as a primary attack and then the feat allows that bonus attack to be used for a ranged attack. Which then extends to using a ranged attack as primary (although you have a very limited non-2H ranged weapon selection) and a ranged attack as a bonus action.

• Lyrist
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If you spend ki to use flurry of blows, Monks get four attacks at level 5. Otherwise 3.

All other melee classes at level 5 (apart from spellcaster melee that get extra attack at level 6) get 3, if they use two-weapon fighting.

Basically Monks get two-weapon fighting with an unarmed strike, even if they're using their staff/spear two-handed, which is nice up until it's competing with other bonus actions (which is one of the reasons people don't favour two-weapon fighting).

Fighter gets a third attack at level 11, and a fourth at level 20 (if you ever reach that).

Monks are fine in tier 1 and 2, indeed pretty strong in tier 1, and stunning strike carries them through tier 2, but in tier 3 and 4 casters dominate the game, and melee characters have to really pile on the features to keep up.

• Acolyte
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At lev 9 can I make 4 attks using action and bonus action without using ki points? Sorry a bit confused