Tiefling Monk Build Guide

Levels 1-4

Start as a Monk and immediately grab a Spear to use two-handed with your Martial Arts feature, giving you a d8 damage die for your main attack. At level 3, choose the Way of the Shadow subclass. This grants you Minor Illusion and the ability to cast Pass Without Trace using 2 Ki points. At level 4, you must fix your odd ability scores. Take an Ability Score Improvement (ASI) to put +1 in Dexterity (reaching 16) and +1 in Constitution (reaching 14). This bumps your AC, your to-hit, your damage, and gives you a desperately needed +4 HP boost.

Levels 5-10

Level 5 is a massive power spike. You gain Extra Attack, Stunning Strike, and your Tiefling racial trait unlocks a free daily casting of the Darkness spell. At level 6, Shadow Step allows you to teleport 60 feet between dim or dark spaces—your Tiefling Darkvision ensures you can actually see your destination. At level 7, Evasion comes online. Stacked with your Fiendish Legacy's Fire Resistance, you will take a quarter damage on a failed dexterity save against fire, and absolutely zero on a success. At level 8, use your ASI to push Dexterity to 18.

Levels 11-16

At level 11, Cloak of Shadows allows you to become invisible in darkness as an action. By level 12, max your Dexterity to 20 to ensure your Unarmed Strikes hit consistently and your AC stays competitive. Level 14 brings Diamond Soul, granting proficiency in all saving throws. At this point, between Diamond Soul, Evasion, Fire Resistance, and Purity of Body (immunity to poison at level 10), you are a defensive nightmare for enemy spellcasters. At level 16, bump Wisdom to 16 to scale your Stunning Strike DC.

Levels 17-20

Level 17 grants Opportunist, letting you use your reaction to make a melee attack when a creature is struck by an ally. Note that this competes with your Tiefling Hellish Rebuke and your Deflect Missiles, so use it only when you are safe from incoming damage. At level 18, Empty Body gives you resistance to all damage except force. This unfortunately makes your Tiefling Fire Resistance completely redundant, but surviving 18 levels as a melee Monk is an achievement in itself. Finish off with another Wisdom bump at level 19.

Infernal Constitution

This Tiefling-exclusive feat from Xanathar's Guide to Everything is a phenomenal pick at level 8 if your Constitution is odd. It grants Cold and Poison resistance, plus advantage on saves against being poisoned. When stacked with your innate Fire Resistance and Monk's Evasion, you become a premier anti-caster striker who can sprint through elemental hazards unscathed.

Mobile

The Monk's biggest weakness is taking hits in melee with a d8 hit die. Mobile allows you to strike a target and walk away without provoking opportunity attacks, saving you from spending a Ki point on Step of the Wind. It also adds 10 feet of movement, allowing your Tiefling to reposition perfectly for a tactical racial Darkness placement.

Crusher

If you want to lean into battlefield control, Crusher lets you move an enemy 5 feet once per turn when you hit them with bludgeoning damage (your unarmed strikes). You can punch an enemy into an ongoing area-of-effect spell, then use your Tiefling Hellish Rebuke if they manage to chase you down and hit you.

Tier 1 (Levels 1-4)

Monks don't need much early on. Secure a Spear to use with two hands for 1d8 bludgeoning damage. Keep a few Darts on hand for ranged attacks when you can't close the gap. Your unarmored defense relies on your 15 DEX and 14 WIS, giving you an AC of 14—so rely on positioning rather than tanking.

Tier 2 (Levels 5-10)

Seek out an Eldritch Claw Tattoo. It gives your unarmed strikes a +1 to hit and damage, and the Eldritch Maul activation gives you 15-foot reach, letting you strike from safely behind your front line. Boots of Elvenkind are also phenomenal here; combined with Pass Without Trace from your Shadow Monk toolkit, your stealth rolls will be mathematically impossible for most monsters to detect.

Tier 3 (Levels 11-16)

You desperately need a Dragonhide Belt +2. This monk-specific item from Fizban's Treasury of Dragons boosts the saving throw DC of your Stunning Strike, making up for your relatively low Wisdom score. Bracers of Defense are also mandatory to boost your AC by +2 since you cannot wear armor.

Tier 4 (Levels 17-20)

The ultimate Monk item is the Gloves of Soul Catching. They boost your Constitution to 20, add 2d10 force damage to every unarmed strike, and let you heal yourself for the damage dealt. With your four attacks via Flurry of Blows, you become an unkillable engine of destruction.

As a Tiefling Shadow Monk, your role is a skirmishing Striker and anti-caster disruptor. You want to dive the enemy backline, attempt a Stunning Strike on the enemy wizard, and lock down their ranged damage dealers while trusting your Evasion and Fire Resistance to protect you from collateral damage.

You pair perfectly with a Paladin. Standing in their Aura of Protection at higher levels combined with your Diamond Soul makes you virtually immune to saving throw effects. A Twilight Cleric is also a godsend; their Twilight Sanctuary provides a constant stream of temporary hit points that drastically improves the survivability of your d8 hit die.

Finally, consider pairing with a Warlock who has the Devil's Sight invocation. You can drop your Tiefling racial Darkness on a group of enemies, and the Warlock can freely blast them with Eldritch Blast at advantage while you use Shadow Step to teleport around the perimeter of the magical darkness.

Fighter 1-2 Dip

Taking one level of Fighter is incredibly optimal for a Tiefling Shadow Monk. Choose the Blind Fighting fighting style. This allows you to see normally within 10 feet, meaning you can drop your Tiefling racial Darkness directly on yourself and beat enemies to a pulp with advantage while they attack you with disadvantage. A second level for Action Surge lets you burst down a priority target with up to six attacks in one turn when combined with Flurry of Blows.

Rogue 3 (Assassin)

If you want to capitalize on the Shadow Monk's stealth, taking three levels of Rogue for Assassin grants you Sneak Attack (which works with a Monk weapon like a shortsword or daggers) and Assassinate. Your Tiefling Darkvision and Shadow Step allow you to consistently get the drop on enemies, ensuring you trigger those critical hits during the first round of combat.

• Wasting Ki on Darkness: You get Darkness once per day for free via your Tiefling Fiendish Legacy. Do not spend your precious 2 Ki points on the Shadow Monk version until you have exhausted your racial freebie.
• Casting Tiefling Spells Offensively: Because your Charisma is dumped to 8, your spell save DC is abysmal. Never use your action to cast an offensive spell that requires a save; stick to Hellish Rebuke because it's a reaction that still does half damage on a success.
• Forgetting Reaction Economy: You only get one reaction per round. If you use Hellish Rebuke, you cannot use Deflect Missiles or Slow Fall until your next turn. Prioritize mitigating massive ranged damage over dealing a petty 2d10 fire damage.
• Ignoring Blind Fighting: If you cast your Tiefling Darkness in melee without the Blind Fighting style (via a feat or Fighter dip), you give yourself disadvantage to hit and hinder your own party. Only use it defensively to cover a retreat unless you have the fighting style.