Of course, you can still theme these in any ways that you see fit, and I’ll include a few options a little further on in this article. You can choose any simple or martial weapon so long as it does not have the special or heavy properties or a longbow.ĭropping the two-handed and martial limitations of the regular monk weapons means that you can have a weapon to use all of your ki features with that start off dealing up to 1d10 of damage if you choose to use the longsword as a two-handed weapon.
What makes these weapons so special is that they are not restricted to the simple weapons. You gain two immediately, one ranged weapon and one melee weapon, and gain an additional weapon at 6th, 11th, and 17th levels, or whenever you gain another subclass feature. The entirety of this subclass is built around the kensei weapons that you choose when you take this tradition at third level. This honorary title denotes a level of mastery and perfection over swordsmanship that is far beyond that of a “Kengo” (sword master) or “kenshi” (swordsman). It is for all these reasons and more that a monk who studies in this tradition is truly deserving of the title “Kensei” which means “sword saint” in Japanese. They use their ki to deal massive damage and strike with incredible accuracy. As they do so they develop the ability to attack swiftly whether they are wielding a melee weapon or a ranged weapon. These monks study to use not just simple, but martial weapons as well. Monks who take this path do not simply use weapons, they develop a connection with their weapons akin to the connection between a painter and his brush.
While all monks are artists in some way, perhaps none is more consciously aware of their art than the kensei monk.
This is evident in the many abilities they get, all benefits of the practice of meditation and the urge to strive towards mastery over one’s own body. No monk forgets that their martial abilities are an art form. It can be easy to forget the second part of the term, art. That term, martial arts, is one that’s often used to describe nothing more than fighting. A monk is a graceful combatant practiced in the martial arts.