Gnome Monk Build Guide

Levels 1-4

Start with 15 DEX and 14 WIS using Tasha's flexible racial rules. Grab a Spear for two-handed 1d8 attacks using Martial Arts. At level 3, pick Way of Mercy. Hand of Harm gives a desperately needed necrotic damage boost to your pitiful baseline DPR, and Hand of Healing adds utility. At level 4, take the Squat Nimbleness feat. It bumps your DEX to 16, increases your walking speed by 5 feet (stacking perfectly with Unarmored Movement), and gives you Acrobatics proficiency.

Levels 5-10

Level 5 brings Extra Attack and Stunning Strike. Because your WIS is only 14, your Stunning Strike DC is a low 13—don't spam it on high-CON monsters. Focus on Flurry of Blows with Hand of Harm to auto-poison enemies without a save at level 6. At level 7, Evasion comes online. Combined with Gnomish Cunning, you take zero damage from Fireball (DEX save + Evasion) and easily pass saves against Hypnotic Pattern (WIS save advantage). At level 8, take the ASI for +2 DEX to hit 18, finally improving your hit rate and Unarmored Defense AC.

Levels 11-16

Level 11 is huge for Way of Mercy. Flurry of Healing and Harm lets you replace Flurry of Blows strikes with healing and necrotic damage without spending extra Ki. Your martial arts die is now a d8. At level 12, max your DEX to 20. At level 14, Diamond Soul breaks the game for you. You now have proficiency in all saving throws. Combined with Gnomish Cunning, you roll INT, WIS, and CHA saves against magic with both proficiency and advantage. You are functionally immune to spells. Level 16 goes into +2 WIS for better AC and Ki save DCs.

Levels 17-20

Level 17 gives you Hand of Ultimate Mercy, allowing you to revive a downed ally with 5 Ki points. Your martial arts die finally hits a d10. At level 19, cap your WIS at 18 or take the Tough feat to pad your low 105 HP. The Level 20 Perfect Soul capstone is famously underwhelming, giving you 4 Ki if you roll initiative with none. You're better off multiclassing earlier, but if you stay pure Monk, your capstone is just more fuel for Hand of Harm.

Squat Nimbleness

Take this at level 4. It fixes your odd 15 DEX, gives you a 5-foot speed boost that offsets the Gnome's sluggish 25-foot base speed, and grants advantage on Acrobatics checks to escape grapples. Essential for a Small Monk.

Fade Away

A Gnome-specific half-feat from Xanathar's Guide. If you start with 15 DEX, this bumps it to 16 and lets you turn invisible as a reaction when you take damage. It's a fantastic panic button to prevent multiattack chains from ripping through your squishy d8 Hit Dice.

Mobile

Take this at level 8 or 12 if you feel too fragile in melee. It adds 10 feet of movement, pushing your speed to absurd levels (55 feet at level 10), and lets you ignore opportunity attacks from targets you swing at. Perfect for darting in, using Hand of Harm, and darting out.

Crusher

If you prefer bludgeoning weapons (like your unarmed strikes or a quarterstaff), taking Crusher lets you punt enemies 5 feet on a hit. It's excellent for disengaging without spending a Ki point on Step of the Wind.

Tier 1 (Levels 1-4)

Start with a Spear and no armor. Use the spear two-handed for 1d8 damage, bypassing your weak early Martial Arts die. Pick up Darts for ranged options. Seek out an Eldritch Claw Tattoo as early as possible to boost unarmed strike damage and give a 15-foot reach option for 1 minute.

Tier 2 (Levels 5-10)

An Insignia of Claws is mandatory here, stacking with the Eldritch Claw Tattoo for +2 to unarmed strikes. You also desperately want Bracers of Defense to patch your AC, since a Gnome Monk's WIS will likely lag behind DEX, leaving your Unarmored Defense at a mediocre 16 or 17.

Tier 3 (Levels 11-16)

Look for a Dragonhide Belt. A +2 belt increases your Ki save DC, which is desperately needed since your base WIS is stuck at 14 or 16. It also lets you regain Ki points as an action, keeping your Stunning Strikes fueled during long dungeon crawls.

Tier 4 (Levels 17-20)

Gloves of Soul Catching are the holy grail for high-level Monks. Setting your CON to 20, adding 2d10 force damage to every unarmed strike, and healing you for the damage dealt entirely fixes the Gnome Monk's low DPR (stagnating at 7.15) and frail d8 hit points.

The Gnome Monk is a skirmishing Striker and a dedicated mage-hunter. You aren't the primary frontline tank due to your d8 hit die, nor are you the primary damage dealer. You excel at bypassing the frontline with Unarmored Movement to harass enemy spellcasters, relying on Gnomish Cunning to survive their magical retaliation.

Pair this build with a control-heavy caster like a Wizard or Druid. When a Druid casts Spike Growth or Entangle, your high mobility allows you to skirt the edges and push enemies back in with Crusher or Open Hand techniques.

You also desperately need a heavy-hitting martial like a Paladin or Barbarian. Since your DPR falls off a cliff after level 5, you need someone else to capitalize on your Stunning Strikes. When you stun an enemy, the Paladin can step in and auto-crit with Divine Smite, masking your own offensive shortcomings.

Fighter 2 Dip

Action Surge is incredible on any martial, but taking the Unarmed Fighting style at Fighter 1 allows your unarmed strikes to deal 1d8 damage immediately, bypassing the Monk's slow Martial Arts die progression. It gives your Gnome early-game brawn.

Cleric 1 (Peace Domain)

Emboldening Bond is broken. Adding 1d4 to attacks and saves stacks hilariously well with Gnomish Cunning and Diamond Soul. It also gives you Shield of Faith to bump your AC, and Bless, which you can cast before sprinting into the fray.

Rogue 2 Dip

Cunning Action overlaps with Step of the Wind, but doing it for free instead of spending precious Ki points is a massive upgrade. Expertise in Stealth capitalizes on your Gnome size and high Dexterity.

• Overestimating Stunning Strike: With a starting WIS of 14, your Ki save DC is going to be terrible against high-CON monsters. Don't waste all your Ki trying to stun a Dragon; save it for low-CON targets like enemy mages.
• Trying to use heavy weapons: As a Small creature, Gnomes have disadvantage with Heavy weapons. Don't try to use the Dedicated Weapon optional feature to wield a Glaive or Greataxe. Stick to Spears and Quarterstaffs.
• Ignoring your ranged limitations: Monks have abysmal ranged options, and Gnomes with 25ft base speed can struggle on turn one. If you don't use Unarmored Movement wisely, you'll spend whole turns just dashing. Buy Darts.
• Forgetting Gnomish Cunning only applies to magic: Advantage on mental saves is great, but it specifically calls out magic. A Dragon's Frightful Presence or a Mind Flayer's Mind Blast aren't spells, so check if your DM rules them as magical effects.