Dragonborn Monk Build Guide

Levels 1-4

Start with the recommended stats: STR 12, DEX 15, CON 13, INT 10, WIS 14, CHA 8. You are relying on a two-handed Quarterstaff for 1d8 bludgeoning damage. At level 3, take the Way of the Ascendant Dragon subclass. Yes, the elemental overlap seems redundant, but it gives you Draconic Strike to change your unarmed damage type, letting you bypass non-magical bludgeoning resistance early. At level 4, skip feats and take an Ability Score Improvement of +1 Dexterity and +1 Constitution to round out your odd stats, bumping your AC to 15 and improving your HP scaling.

Levels 5-10

Level 5 is where this specific build explodes. You gain Extra Attack, Stunning Strike, Unarmored Movement (+15 ft), and your species' Gem Flight trait. In combat, activate Gem Flight, fly 45 feet over a group of enemies, swap your first attack for your Breath Weapon to deal 2d10 elemental damage, and use your second attack to attempt a Stunning Strike. At level 8, take another ASI to push your Dexterity to 18, maximizing your hit chance, AC, and Deflect Missiles reduction.

Levels 11-16

At level 11, your Martial Arts die increases to a d8, and your Breath Weapon scales up to 3d10 damage. Ascendant Dragon Monks also get Aspect of the Wyrm, granting a 10-foot aura of resistance. Between your innate Dragonborn Damage Resistance and this aura, you become incredibly resilient against elemental spells like Fireball or Cone of Cold. At level 12, push your Dexterity to 20. At level 16, start heavily investing in Wisdom with your ASI to increase your Ki save DC for Stunning Strike and your Breath Weapon.

Levels 17-20

Level 17 brings your Martial Arts die to a d10 and upgrades your Breath Weapon to 4d10. You also gain Augment Breath from your subclass, letting you spend 1 Ki point to increase your subclass breath weapon's cone to 60 feet. At level 18, Empty Body grants you resistance to all damage except force, and invisibility. Use your level 19 ASI to cap your Wisdom at 20. You end the game as an invisible, flying dragon-monk dropping massive AoE cones and locking down ancient liches.

Dragon Fear

If you don't mind delaying your Dexterity progression, take Dragon Fear at level 4. Because you can replace a single attack with your Breath Weapon, you can instead replace it with a terrifying roar. Enemies frightened by this feat cannot willingly move closer to you, allowing you to use your Unarmored Movement to kite them effortlessly while pelting them with darts.

Mobile

While Gem Flight gives you a flying speed, it doesn't protect you from opportunity attacks when you fly away. Mobile increases your speed by another 10 feet (stacking with Unarmored Movement) and prevents enemies you've attacked from taking opportunity attacks. You can dive in, Flurry of Blows, and fly 50 feet straight up out of melee reach.

Crusher

Since your Quarterstaff and Unarmed Strikes deal bludgeoning damage, Crusher lets you move an enemy 5 feet once per turn. If you are using Gem Flight, you can fly above an enemy, hit them, and pull them 5 feet into the air. When your turn ends, they fall, take 1d6 bludgeoning damage, and land prone, granting you advantage on your subsequent Flurry of Blows attacks.

Tier 1 (Levels 1-4)

Secure a mundane Quarterstaff immediately to utilize its versatile 1d8 damage die. Look for an Eldritch Claw Tattoo early to extend your unarmed strike reach to 15 feet, which synergizes beautifully with your Breath Weapon cone positioning.

Tier 2 (Levels 5-10)

Your primary goal is acquiring a Dragonhide Belt +1. This item is absolutely mandatory for Monks, as it boosts your Ki save DC, directly increasing the success rate of your Stunning Strike and Way of the Ascendant Dragon breath attacks. Also, seek out an Insignia of Claws to give your unarmed strikes a +1 to attack and damage rolls.

Tier 3 (Levels 11-16)

Upgrade to a Dragonhide Belt +2. Additionally, hunt down Bracers of Defense. Since you cannot wear armor to benefit from Unarmored Movement, the +2 AC from the bracers is crucial to surviving in melee when your Gem Flight is on cooldown.

Tier 4 (Levels 17-20)

The crown jewel for this build is the Gloves of Soul Catching. They set your Constitution to 20, completely solving your d8 hit die squishiness, and add 2d10 force damage to every unarmed strike. Combined with your Breath Weapon and Flurry of Blows, your burst damage will rival a Fighter's Action Surge.

As a Dragonborn Monk, your role is a highly mobile Striker and skirmisher. You lack the AC to be a primary tank, so you need to operate alongside a sturdy frontline while you harass the enemy backline. Your Gem Flight and Breath Weapon allow you to bypass chokepoints that normally limit martial characters.

This build shines brightest when paired with a Grave Domain Cleric. Their Path to the Grave Channel Divinity inflicts vulnerability to all damage from the next attack. While normally reserved for Rogues or Paladins, you can capitalize on this by using your Flurry of Blows to ensure multiple high-damage hits, or by coordinating a max-damage Breath Weapon on a clustered group.

You also pair flawlessly with a Druid or Ranger casting Spike Growth. With your high Athletics (if proficient) and Unarmored Movement, you can Grapple an enemy, activate Step of the Wind to double your speed, and drag them like a cheese grater across the Spike Growth for massive, unavoidable piercing damage.

Fighter 2 Dip

Taking two levels of Fighter grants you the Dueling fighting style (adding +2 damage to your Quarterstaff attacks) and the legendary Action Surge. Action Surge allows you to take the Attack action twice. Since the Fizban's Dragonborn Breath Weapon can replace one attack per Attack action, you can unleash two Breath Weapons and four melee attacks in a single turn at level 7.

Peace Domain Cleric 1 Dip

A single level of Cleric grants you Emboldening Bond and the Bless spell. Monks desperately need high attack rolls to land Stunning Strike. Stacking the 1d4 from Bless and 1d4 from Emboldening Bond almost guarantees your punches land, and it doesn't require any Ki points to set up.

• Wasting your whole action on the Breath Weapon: If you use the old Player's Handbook Dragonborn, the Breath Weapon takes a full Action, meaning you cannot use Martial Arts or Flurry of Blows. Always use the Fizban's version so it only replaces a single attack.
• Forgetting your lack of Darkvision: Dragonborn do not have Darkvision. If you rush ahead of your party using Unarmored Movement in a dark dungeon, you will have disadvantage on all your attacks. Carry a torch or beg your Wizard for the Light cantrip.
• Using Step of the Wind while Gem Flight is active: Gem Flight already gives you a flying speed equal to your walking speed. Don't waste your precious Ki points on Step of the Wind to disengage if you can simply fly out of reach using the Mobile feat.
• Overestimating your d8 hit die: Even with Damage Resistance, you only have 69 HP at level 11. Do not end your turn surrounded by enemies. Always use your movement to retreat behind your Paladin or Barbarian after delivering your Flurry of Blows.