While the bard was having premarital sex, the kensei studied the blade.

Didn't even mention Paladins once. Good job, Mike!

The dojo fight between Michelle Yeoh and Zhang Ziyi in Crouching Tiger is just perfection on so many levels.

Its interesting that its a “weapon focused” subclass when it has two abilities that encourage you to not use a weapon.

I always thought of the Monk as a Paladin that uses his fists.

You should really be able to use a polearm, Naginata or similar.

Am the I only one who thought of Master Piando (Sokka's sword fighting master), from Avatar the Last Airbender?

I’m honestly interested in the Kensai Monk / Ranger combo for a Zen Archer. Glad this subclass supports ranged weapons as well.

Lots and lots and lots of examples of martial arts styles/masters both historical and modern that use two handed weapons exclusively, too many to mention even but just off the top of my head: spear, pole arm (many many types), staff/Bo, naginata, mace, lion sword etc etc etc!!!

I have been in love the Kensei monk since our 2nd edition games a few years ago. It was the only other class I preferred melee to a paladin (then again monk & paladin were OP to begin with in 2e). I just love the idea of crouching tiger hidden dragon... and my Kensei monk in 2e had boots of flying so it was totally Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. It was so awesome.

One of my players is a 1 foot tall senile 1000yr old kitsune fox that weilds a 6ft staff that extends to a naginata. However hes forgotten it extends. My favourite character by far. Think yoda from empire strikes back kind of senile. He occasionally fights our own party if he takes friendly fire dmg. I also gave him an all knowing sentient book that can talk. How ever these two old geezers spend all their squabbling instead of discovering all the lore thats tucked into the book. I love DnD.

Been waiting for 2 weeks to hear this.

I'm stoked Shaw Brothers got a shoutout, love that stuff.

I really wanna play a Dragonborn Kensei

iajitsu master + this = win

When he asked the question about reference material, my mind immediately went to The Swordsman (Tsui Hark, 1990). CTHD is OK, I guess...

I would have chose the movie "Hero", as the mastery of the weapons themselves took on both a spiritual and political overtone that affected the whole narrative.

Hill Dwarf Kensei from a Russian Orthodox inspired monastery is going to be my next character

I can understand why they made their choice with the weapon restrictions, after all a d10 or d12 is like the max of your fists, so you'd have your full damage on attacks at a way earlier level then you are supposed to be. It just sucks that we can't use Naginatas or Guandaos with our monks. Still, at least we get more weapons than Shortswords and Spears.

This is my future class!

Darts make for an interesting "ranged" monk weapon... Since they are considered "ranged", they make for solid shuriken-esque weapons. Add the "Sharpshooter" feat, and they become heavy-hitting throwing weapons. It's a good warm-up until the swords come out. : )

My mind went to House of Flying Daggers. I hope I can make a throwing blade monk. Possibly multi class with rogue for Assassin's Creed style.

Im hyped for xanathars. hi mike!

Sounds like Samurai Jack

Are we getting bladed chain swords from the Shadar-kai for our new monks? Those weapons are sweet.

Makes me think of Zatoichi more than anything.

I know I'm going to allow ANY Martial weapons, including Greataxe, because it just doesn't make sense (besides balancing issues) for it NOT to work. If you had a guy train all his life with swords, it'd be the same as the guy training all his life with an axe, I would definitely restrict, like give it a rule where you have to either have a STR score that meets or exceeds 14-15 or a DEX score that meets or exceeds 18-19 to balance the usage of Heavy Weapons (or make it so they can only use special designed/magic heavy weapons)

I’m trying to build a PC with levels in (warlock fiend)+(fighter battle master)+(monk kensei)

I based my Kensei Monk off of a Wudang Daoshi. It just made me think of the movie Hero.

You can flavor this monk as a samurai, considering most swordsmen who were consider kensei were samurai

Why is a Twitch account manditory to see anything store-related on your website?

Really hoping there's some leeway to allow a Kensei to wield a Naginata. If not, I will be highly disappointed.

How about mithral weapons? Does this make them lighter?

Kensei or Sun Soul, I can't decide.

What a nice beard.

Bring back the swordsage

I would have loved to see a mention of the change from Kensei being fighters to monks.

Imagine this monk, but they use a gun.

Time to cross-class with a sorcerer (Shinigami) and wield a Zanpakutō~ :)

So... what about Staffs, Naginata, Guan Dao, Glaives, Kanabo and Long Swords or Katana? Those usually 2 Handed Weapons. Unless they mean "no Heavy 2 Handed Weapons"

Are guns legal Kensei weapons? Can you be a Gunsei Monk?

No more class option? Use to getting a new video

Wait, can't be two handed? So no Naginata wielders? That's really disappointing!

@D&D Beyond will there be new weapons in XGE? There is still tons of design space for new weapons and the base set has become somewhat stagnant. Exotic weapons mby? :P

Hoping the wording is less strict because monk's should be more than the punching or 'monk' weapon guy when in reality warrior monks used more than sticks and fists. I felt this was more like another version of a samurai because of the name and the whole way of the sword motif but the video makes it sound more like a Chinese martial arts film inspired class which is really confusing. Again, hoping the written format makes more sense and isn't restricting for the sake of 'themes' and being a restriction.

Is it key or chi?

To everyone talking about not being able to use two handed weapons as a Kensei Monk; I think Mike Mearls meant to say "two handed and heavy." Not "or heavy", like great swords. Since he used longswords as an example, which are versatile and therefore both one handed and two handed.

Hopefully whips will be allowed this time unlike the base monk. Kobold whip-monks sound cool.

First class that I feel is too similar to another class in the book.samurai

Great, now we have a sword fighting option for people who don’t want to play a monk. Now DND is finally complete.

I still don't understand why they didn't make monk weapons an exception to the "not heavy" rule. Like, I'm a monk who started with a bo staff, but I have to change weapon to something my character doesn't have much proficiency with in his background to be a Kensei

Kudos on pronouncing 'Kensei" correctly!

As someone who always wanted to play a character who wields a variety of swords with the grace and manueverability of a martial artist; this subclass has been the biggest disappointment in the game. Now I know that I'm never going to get another subclass that actually DOES do what I want, since it'll be thought of as too similar to Kensei. For a "Way of the Sword" monk, it's incredibly jarring that, not only can monks' signature Flurry of Blows not use their kensei weapon, but benefiting from the AC gain also requires not using the weapon. And the bonus d4 damage only applies to ranged weapons. And now with Tasha's, every monk with the right feat, multiclass or legacy race has the same variety of melee weapons that formerly were exclusive to Kensei, and can use them as a bonus action just as effectively. If someone wants to play a monk with a shield or a bow, this is the subclass. If you want your character to follow the Way of the Sword; probably just multiclass at about 5th, or go look for homebrew.

I'm probably going to be asking my DM if he minds if I just use the Unearthed Arcana version of the Kensei. I've got a character that I designed who I was really looking forward to playing, who will not work at all if he can't use 2 handed weapons.

Taking out the heavy weapons... thank you...

If you ain't first you're last....like me. 😩

Not being able to use two handed weapons is the dumbest most unnessacary restriction ever. This class sounds like a straight rip from that useless water down Pepsi joke of bland crap in UA. The concept is so cool how did they make it so mundane!?

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