Does Stunning Strike Work with Unarmed Strikes? A Comprehensive Guide
Yes, Stunning Strike absolutely works with unarmed strikes. This is a crucial point for any monk player in D&D 5th Edition and understanding why is paramount to playing the class effectively. The ability to deliver a stunning blow with your bare hands is a cornerstone of the monk’s combat prowess, making them a dangerous force in close quarters. Let’s delve into the specifics and explore the nuances of this powerful ability.
Understanding Stunning Strike
The Core Mechanic
The Stunning Strike feature, available to monks at 5th level, states: “When you hit another creature with a melee weapon attack, you can spend 1 ki point to attempt a stunning strike. The target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or be stunned until the end of your next turn.”
The key phrase here is “melee weapon attack“. Many players often misunderstand this to mean an attack made with a weapon. However, the rule specifies an attack that is a weapon attack, specifically one in melee range.
The Critical Role of Unarmed Strikes
An unarmed strike is specifically defined in the rules as a special type of melee weapon attack. It is not an attack with a weapon, but it falls within the category of melee weapon attack. Think of it like this: an unarmed strike is a weapon attack made with a part of your body, your fist, elbow, foot, or even head. Thus, an unarmed strike satisfies the requirement for the monk’s stunning strike.
Why This Matters
Understanding this interaction is essential for two primary reasons:
- Monk’s Core Combat: It reinforces the monk’s unique ability to be a powerful combatant without relying on traditional weapons. They are martial artists who use their bodies as weapons, and Stunning Strike is a key part of that identity.
- Tactical Advantage: The ability to stun an enemy can drastically change the course of a fight. Rendering an opponent incapacitated can give the monk and their allies a significant edge, creating opportunities for follow-up attacks and strategic maneuvers.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
To further clarify and expand on this topic, here are 15 frequently asked questions:
1. Are Unarmed Strikes Considered Finesse Weapons?
No, unarmed strikes are not finesse weapons. They don’t use Dexterity by default, they use Strength. However, monks have the unique class feature that allows them to use their Dexterity modifier for attack and damage rolls with unarmed strikes. This is a class feature, not a weapon property, and thus not the same as finesse.
2. Can I use maneuvers with unarmed strikes?
Yes, most maneuvers from feats or other class features can be used with unarmed strikes because they are melee weapon attacks. The exception is that any maneuver that specifically mentions a weapon by name (such as the Battle Master fighter’s Brace maneuver), cannot be used with unarmed strikes since your fists aren’t considered weapons.
3. Does the Crusher feat work with unarmed strikes?
Absolutely. The Crusher feat specifically mentions that it works with “a bludgeoning weapon (which counts for unarmed combat)”. Therefore, unarmed strikes qualify for the feat’s effects. This allows for a 5ft movement after striking an enemy with your fists.
4. Can I use Hunter’s Mark with unarmed strikes?
Yes. While an unarmed strike is not a weapon per se, it is a weapon attack. Thus, Hunter’s Mark which targets creatures that are being attacked with a weapon attack, works perfectly well with unarmed strikes.
5. Do unarmed strikes count for two-weapon fighting?
No. Two-weapon fighting requires wielding two light weapons. Unarmed strikes are not weapons, do not have the light property, and thus do not qualify for two-weapon fighting rules.
6. Can you use Stunning Strike twice on the same creature?
Yes, you can attempt Stunning Strike on a target multiple times, even if they are already stunned. The stunned condition itself has no rule to prevent it. If your initial stunning strike succeeds, and the opponent ends up still being within reach, then you can attempt another stunning strike on the next attack (if you have the Ki points to spend).
7. Can you stun a creature that is already stunned?
Yes. There is nothing in the rules to prevent you from using stunning strike on a stunned creature. You’ll also have advantage due to the stunned condition, increasing the likelihood of landing the next attack, so long as they’re still within your range.
8. How can I improve my stunning strike chance?
Improving your Wisdom score will increase your monk’s Stunning Strike DC (Difficulty Class) making it harder for enemies to resist. Additionally, feats like Resilient, Observant, or Prodigy can boost your saving throws or your skills, which indirectly support your stunning strike ability.
9. What Spells can negatively affect target’s Constitution saving throw?
Spells that impose a penalty to a creature’s saving throw will directly help your stunning strike land. Spells like Bane, Bestow Curse, Contagion, and Glyph of Warding (indirectly) can lower a target’s Constitution saving throws, increasing the chances that your Stunning Strike will be successful.
10. Does weapon finesse work with unarmed strikes?
No, weapon finesse is a weapon property, and unarmed strikes are not weapons. The Monk’s ability to use Dexterity is granted by the class, making it function similarly but not making it a “finesse” attack.
11. Can an unarmed strike do zero damage?
Yes, if your Strength modifier is negative, and the roll for damage (in certain situations like using certain feats) does not equal any positive numbers, then the result of your damage roll will be zero. Unarmed strike damage is not considered a “minimum of 1” damage.
12. Does Rage add damage to unarmed strikes?
Rage does not typically add damage to unarmed strikes. Rage adds damage to damage rolls. Since the damage of a regular unarmed strike is 1 + your Strength modifier, that’s not a damage roll, so rage does not apply. However, certain monk features such as their “martial arts” ability make them roll for damage (such as the d4, d6 etc), which means that the Rage bonus would apply to that damage roll.
13. Can I use unarmed strike as a bonus action?
Yes, if you have used the attack action with an unarmed strike or a monk weapon on your turn, you can then make an unarmed strike as a bonus action. This is a core feature of the monk class and allows for multi-attack potential.
14. Can you use Booming Blade with unarmed strike?
No. The Booming Blade and Green-Flame Blade spells require you to make an attack using a weapon. Since an unarmed strike is not considered a weapon, the spells can not be cast with unarmed strikes.
15. Does Savage attacker work with unarmed strikes?
No, the Savage Attacker feat does not work with unarmed strikes, as it specifies “when you roll damage for a melee weapon attack” and unarmed strikes are not considered weapons.
Conclusion
The synergy between Stunning Strike and unarmed strikes is a defining characteristic of the monk class. It allows monks to be incredibly effective combatants, delivering debilitating blows with their bare hands. By understanding these rules and interactions, monk players can maximize their character’s potential, making them a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield.