Gnome Warrior of the Open Hand Monk Build Guide

Combining the clever resilience of a Gnome with the battlefield-controlling strikes of the Open Hand creates an elusive, magically-shielded martial artist.

4/10 Synergy Striker Role Hard Difficulty

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Why Warrior of the Open Hand?

The Gnome Warrior of the Open Hand is a brilliant skirmisher that defies expectations. While Monks are known for their physical agility, Gnomes bring a vital layer of mental defense. Thanks to Gnomish Cunning, you gain advantage on mental saving throws against magic, meaning enemy spellcasters will struggle to shut you down with spells while you slip through their front lines.

Once you close the distance, your Open Hand Technique transforms your quick strikes into a crowd-control engine. Every time you use your Flurry of Blows, you can knock enemies prone, push them back, or prevent them from taking reactions. As a Striker, your job is to dart in, disrupt the most dangerous foes, and slip away safely. Your high Dexterity and Wisdom ensure your strikes land and your control effects are hard to resist.

Your small size and natural Darkvision also make you an exceptional scout. You can navigate pitch-black dungeons undetected to ambush foes. If you do take a hit while diving into enemy territory, features like Wholeness of Body let you restore your own hit points on the fly, keeping your nimble Gnome in the fight without needing to beg the party healer for help.

Warrior of the Open Hand Features

Open Hand Technique

Level 3

You 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 6

As 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 11

When 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 17

You 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

Strength

12(+1)

Dexterity★

15(+2)

Constitution

13(+1)

Intelligence

10(+0)

Wisdom★

14(+2)

Charisma

8(-1)

HP (Lv1)

Initiative

Passive Per.

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Gnome Traits That Benefit Warrior of the Open Hand Monk

Darkvision

Gnome Darkvision helps Monks scout ahead and fight in darkness without needing a torch.

Gnomish Cunning

Extra saving throw advantages protect against debilitating spells and effects.

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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Strengths & Weaknesses

Strengths

♦ Warrior of the Open Hand grants Open Hand Technique at level 3
♦ Darkvision for dungeon exploration
♦ Good armor class and initiative

Weaknesses

♦ Low Charisma limits social interactions
♦ Limited ranged and magical options without multiclassing
♦ Small size limits heavy weapon usage

Pro Tips

Use Open Hand Technique to knock enemies prone, giving your melee allies advantage on their attacks against that target.

Leverage your Gnomish Cunning to confidently target enemy spellcasters, knowing you have a strong defense against their mental magic.

Activate Wholeness of Body as a bonus action when your health runs low, keeping your small striker alive in the heat of battle.

Combine Darkvision with your high speed to scout dark corridors ahead of the party, striking from the shadows before enemies can react.

Other Monk Subclasses for Gnome

Gnome Warrior of Mercy Monk Support Gnome Warrior of Shadow Monk Striker Gnome Warrior of the Elements Monk Blaster

Other Races for Warrior of the Open Hand Monk

Aasimar Warrior of the Open Hand Monk 7/10 Dragonborn Warrior of the Open Hand Monk 7/10 Tiefling Warrior of the Open Hand Monk 6/10 Dwarf Warrior of the Open Hand Monk 5/10 Halfling Warrior of the Open Hand Monk 5/10 Orc Warrior of the Open Hand Monk 5/10

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Warrior of the Open Hand a good subclass for Gnome Monk?

Yes! While Gnomes are small, they make incredibly resilient Monks. Gnomish Cunning covers the Monk's vulnerability to mental saving throws, while the Open Hand Technique lets you knock down and push around enemies much larger than yourself. It is a fantastic choice for a highly mobile, hard-to-pin-down striker who dominates the battlefield.

What makes Warrior of the Open Hand different from other Monk subclasses?

The Warrior of the Open Hand specializes in pure martial mastery and direct battlefield manipulation. Unlike magical or weapon-focused Monk subclasses, it enhances your fundamental unarmed strikes. It excels at controlling enemy movement, healing itself on the fly, and eventually delivering the devastating, game-ending Quivering Palm.

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