Aasimar Warrior of the Open Hand Monk Build Guide
Combine the flight of your Aasimar's Celestial Revelation with Open Hand Technique to drop prone enemies from the sky with devastating precision.
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Why Warrior of the Open Hand?
The Warrior of the Open Hand is the quintessential martial arts controller. While other Monks rely on gimmicks or magic, you manipulate the battlefield with raw kinetic force. When you pair this subclass with the Aasimar species, you elevate a standard ground-level skirmisher into an aerial menace that disrupts enemy formations with terrifying efficiency.
The core of this synergy revolves around Open Hand Technique and Celestial Revelation. Once you sprout your ethereal wings, you can bypass the enemy frontline entirely. Dive-bombing an enemy spellcaster, hitting them with Flurry of Blows, and forcing them prone or pushing them 15 feet away completely dismantles their positioning. Because Open Hand Technique also allows you to strip an opponent's reaction, you can execute these hit-and-run tactics without provoking Opportunity Attacks, saving your Focus points for offense rather than Step of the Wind.
Furthermore, Monks are notoriously fragile in the mid-game. The Aasimar's Celestial Resistance halves incoming necrotic and radiant damage, while Healing Hands provides an emergency localized heal. Combined with the Open Hand's level 6 Wholeness of Body, this build boasts a deep well of self-sustain, allowing you to stay in the pocket and brawl far longer than a typical Monk.
Warrior of the Open Hand Features
Open Hand Technique
Level 3You can manipulate your enemy's body using your Unarmed Strikes. Whenever you hit a creature with an Unarmed Strike as part of the Attack action on your turn, you can spend 1 Focus Point to trigger one of the following effects on that creature: It must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or be Knocked Prone. It must succeed on a Strength saving throw or be pushed 5 feet away from you. It can't take Reactions until the end of the next turn.
Wholeness of Body
Level 6As an action, you can spend Focus Points to restore hit points to yourself. The number of hit points you restore equals 4 × the number of Focus Points spent. You can't use this feature if you don't have Focus Points remaining.
Fleet Step
Level 11When you use your action to Dash, you gain the following benefits until the end of the turn: Your Speed increases by 10 feet, difficult terrain costs no extra movement, and you have Advantage on Dexterity (Acrobatics) checks.
Quivering Palm
Level 17You gain the ability to set vibrations in a creature's body. When you hit a creature with an Unarmed Strike, you can spend 3 Focus Points to set the vibrations in that creature. The vibrations last for a number of days equal to your Monk level. At any point during that duration, you can use an action to end the vibrations and require that creature to make a Constitution saving throw. If the creature fails the save, it takes 10d10 necrotic damage. If it succeeds, it takes half as much damage.
Recommended Ability Scores
Aasimar Traits That Benefit Warrior of the Open Hand Monk
Celestial Revelation
Flight provides incredible mobility, letting the Monk reach otherwise inaccessible positions.
Celestial Resistance
Built-in damage resistance reduces incoming damage, keeping your Monk alive longer in combat.
Darkvision
Aasimar Darkvision helps Monks scout ahead and fight in darkness without needing a torch.
Healing Hands
Additional healing ability supplements the Monk's support capabilities.
Combat Effectiveness
| Level | HP | Melee DPR | Ranged DPR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level 5 | 33 | 7.8 | 7.8 |
| Level 11 | 69 | 7.15 | 7.15 |
| Level 17 | 105 | 7.15 | 7.15 |
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Build Path (Levels 1-20)
Levels 1-4
Your early levels are about surviving the squishy tier 1 phase. Rely on Unarmored Defense and your Martial Arts die. At level 3, the build comes online with Open Hand Technique. Stop using Step of the Wind to disengage; instead, spend that Focus point on Flurry of Blows. You get two attacks, and you can use the Open Hand Technique rider to remove the target's reaction, allowing you to walk away completely unscathed while dealing damage.
At Level 4, take your first Ability Score Improvement. With the provided array of STR 12, DEX 15, CON 13, INT 10, WIS 14, CHA 8, you desperately need to round out your odd stats. Take a half-feat like Crusher to bump your Constitution to 14, enhancing your survivability. The 5-foot push from Crusher also stacks beautifully with Open Hand Technique's 15-foot push.
Levels 5-10
Level 5 brings Extra Attack and Stunning Strike. A stunned creature automatically fails Strength and Dexterity saving throws, meaning your Open Hand Technique pushes and prone effects are guaranteed to land on a stunned target. At level 6, Wholeness of Body gives you a crucial self-heal. Since it costs an action, use it between combat encounters to save your party's spell slots, or when hiding behind cover.
At Level 8, use your ASI to bump your Dexterity to 17 (or 18 if you adjusted your starting stats). You need every point of accuracy to ensure your Flurry of Blows connects, which is the prerequisite for triggering Open Hand Technique.
Levels 11-16
Level 11 grants Fleet Step. When you use your action to Dash, your speed increases by 10 feet and difficult terrain costs nothing. If you activate your Aasimar flight via Celestial Revelation, you become a supersonic missile. You can cross the entire map, ignoring ground hazards, to reach the exact target that needs to be punched.
Take +2 Dexterity at Level 12 to cap it at 20, maximizing your AC, attack rolls, and damage. At Level 16, start pumping your Wisdom to 16. This increases your Ki save DC, which is vital because enemies will have high saving throws against your Open Hand Technique by this tier.
Levels 17-20
Level 17 unlocks the legendary Quivering Palm. For 3 Focus points, you set up a save-or-die scenario. The best tactic is to use your Aasimar flight to reach the enemy commander, apply Quivering Palm with an Unarmed Strike, and then fly out of range. On your next turn, detonate it from total safety.
At Level 19, push your Wisdom to 18. This maximizes your Unarmored Defense AC to 19 and pushes your saving throw DC as high as possible so that Quivering Palm and your Open Hand Technique pushes land reliably against endgame bosses.
Recommended Feats
Crusher
Take this at level 4 to bump your odd Constitution score. Crusher allows you to move a creature 5 feet once per turn when you deal bludgeoning damage. If you hit a target with Flurry of Blows and apply the 15-foot push from Open Hand Technique, you can combine it with Crusher to punt an enemy 20 feet in a single turn. It's the ultimate tool for knocking enemies off cliffs or into your Wizard's Wall of Fire.
Mobile
While Open Hand Technique can remove reactions, you have to hit the target first. Mobile guarantees you don't provoke Opportunity Attacks from any creature you make an attack against, hit or miss. This guarantees your safety when diving the backline with your Celestial Revelation flight, and the extra 10 feet of movement stacks nicely with Unarmored Movement.
Skill Expert
Take this to gain Expertise in Athletics and +1 to Wisdom or Dexterity. Even with dumped Strength, Athletics Expertise makes you a competent grappler. You can grapple an enemy, activate your Aasimar flight, drag them straight up into the air, and drop them for guaranteed falling damage and the prone condition.
Gear Progression
Tier 1 (Levels 1-4)
Start with a Spear or Quarterstaff to use two-handed for a d8 damage die, keeping your Unarmed Strikes for your bonus action. Secure some Goggles of Night if you end up in a party without Darkvision, though your Aasimar Darkvision usually has you covered. Look for an Eldritch Claw Tattoo to give your unarmed strikes a +1 bonus and 15-foot reach.
Tier 2 (Levels 5-10)
Your absolute highest priority is a Dragonhide Belt +1 or +2. This item boosts the saving throw DC of your Monk features. Since Open Hand Technique relies heavily on the enemy failing Dexterity and Strength saves, this belt is mathematically superior to almost any other item. Bracers of Defense are also excellent for bumping your AC.
Tier 3 (Levels 11-16)
Upgrade to a Dragonhide Belt +3 as soon as possible. Pick up a Ring of Protection or Cloak of Protection to stack with your Diamond Soul feature at level 14, making your saving throws practically unbeatable. You don't need Winged Boots thanks to your Aasimar traits, so grab Boots of Speed to double your already absurd movement speed.
Tier 4 (Levels 17-20)
Seek out the Gloves of Soul Catching. They boost your Constitution to 20, add 2d10 force damage to every unarmed strike, and let you heal for the damage dealt. Combined with your Aasimar resistances and Wholeness of Body, these gloves make you an immortal martial arts god capable of walking through ancient dragons to deliver a Quivering Palm.
Party Composition
As a Warrior of the Open Hand, you are a Striker and Battlefield Controller. You excel at isolating targets and forcing them into disadvantageous positions. To thrive, you need a sturdy frontline anchor—like a Cavalier Fighter or an Ancestral Guardian Barbarian—who can hold the main enemy force in place while you use your Aasimar flight to dive the backline.
This build shines brightest when paired with area-of-effect casters. A Cleric casting Spirit Guardians, a Druid with Spike Growth, or a Wizard with Sickening Radiance are your best friends. You can use Open Hand Technique's 15-foot push (combined with Crusher) to constantly shove enemies back into these lethal hazards, forcing them to take damage multiple times.
Multiclass Options
Fighter 2
A two-level dip in Fighter is incredibly potent for an Open Hand Monk, primarily for Action Surge. At level 17, Action Surge allows you to hit an enemy with an Unarmed Strike to apply Quivering Palm, and then immediately use your Action Surge to trigger the Constitution saving throw on the exact same turn, giving the enemy zero time to react or heal.
Cleric (Peace Domain) 1
Taking one level of Peace Cleric gives you Emboldening Bond. This 1d4 bonus stacks with Bless and applies to attack rolls and saving throws. Since Monks attack numerous times per turn with Flurry of Blows, that 1d4 significantly increases the chance of your Open Hand Technique landing. It also requires minimal Wisdom investment to be highly effective.
Common Pitfalls
- Ignoring the Reaction Denial: Many Open Hand Monks default to Step of the Wind to escape melee. This is a massive mistake. Using Flurry of Blows and choosing the Open Hand Technique option to deny the target's reaction is vastly superior—it lets you escape safely while dealing damage and only costs 1 Focus point.
- Wasting Actions on Wholeness of Body in Combat: Wholeness of Body requires an action. Unless you are safely behind full cover or have absolutely no way to reach an enemy, do not sacrifice your Attack action to heal. Rely on your Aasimar Celestial Resistance to mitigate damage, and save the healing for between fights.
- Misjudging Quivering Palm Targets: Quivering Palm targets Constitution. Do not waste 3 Focus points trying to instantly kill an Ancient Dragon or a Behemoth with a +15 CON save. Target the frail enemy Archmage or Assassin where the save-or-die effect is highly likely to succeed.
- Forgetting Vertical Pushes: Open Hand Technique dictates you can push a creature up to 15 feet. If you are flying via Celestial Revelation and position yourself below an aerial enemy, you can push them 15 feet straight up. This forces them to fall, taking bludgeoning damage and landing prone.
More Questions
Do Open Hand Technique effects stack on the same target?
Can I use Wholeness of Body on my allies?
Does Quivering Palm work if I am knocked unconscious?
How does Fleet Step interact with Step of the Wind?
Strengths & Weaknesses
Strengths
- ♦ Warrior of the Open Hand grants Open Hand Technique at level 3
- ♦ Strong species-class synergy enhances core abilities
- ♦ Darkvision for dungeon exploration
- ♦ Good armor class and initiative
- ♦ Built-in damage resistance improves survivability
Weaknesses
- ♦ Low Charisma limits social interactions
- ♦ Limited ranged and magical options without multiclassing
Pro Tips
Use Flurry of Blows to strip an enemy caster's reaction with Open Hand Technique, preventing them from casting Shield against your party's attacks.
Activate Celestial Revelation on turn one of boss fights so your level-scaling radiant damage applies to your Unarmed Strikes immediately.
Pair Crusher's 5-foot push with Open Hand Technique's 15-foot push to physically remove enemies from control points or knock them off ledges.
Save your Aasimar Healing Hands for picking up unconscious allies, as your Wholeness of Body feature only heals yourself.
Apply Quivering Palm with an Unarmed Strike, then use an Action Surge (if you multiclassed Fighter) to instantly trigger the lethal saving throw.
Other Monk Subclasses for Aasimar
Other Races for Warrior of the Open Hand Monk
Frequently Asked Questions
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