Is this REALLY how open-palm monks are supposed to work?

[Probably Apocryphal]

A few hours into act 3, so most of the way into the game, and while I'm not complaining about power, I certainly do plenty of damage, there are a lot of awkward interactions.

Very early into the game you can get what is clearly supposed to be a monk weapon, a staff that gives you better unarmed strikes. It still seems like the best monk weapon (from what I've found). But, it seems like you CAN'T choose to make an unarmed attack if you have a weapon equipped. So early on that will only apply to either your bonus unarmed attack or flurry of blows.

You get stunning strike eventually, which you can use with a weapon equipped, but that costs a ki point. Then you get Ki resonating strike, which doesn't cost a ki point (yay) BUT, you have extra attack by that point and if an enemy has the resonating ki status already, you can't target them with it a second time, even to just do damage. So you can't use both attacks to make unarmed attacks unless you spend a ki point.

So, you might ask, why not just go weapon-less? Apart from just missing out on the bonus hit chance there's a big downside to that. I don't know if this is intended or not but with no weapon equipped you don't make opportunity attacks. So i can run up on a backline caster or ranged attacker easily with all my movement, but if stunning strike fails and i don't kill them immediately they can just move away from me no problem.

Again, power-level feels good, there's just a lot of really awkward times where I can't make an unarmed attack when as an open-palm monk, that's my whole thing. Am I missing something obvious here? Is there a way to make an unarmed attack with a weapon equipped?

Edit: To preempt more snark, in tabletop 5e, you absolutely can make an unarmed attack with a weapon equipped. So the fact that you can't in bg3 is a change. That's why I thought I was just missing something.

[Zeel Ara]

It's almost like the "OPEN PALM" class can't hold anything without compromising themself. Who could possibly have seen that coming? If only there was some kind of hint. But I'm sure it's just a bug. Surely that's not exactly as intended.

[Vim]

Originally posted by Ratley:

It's almost like the "OPEN PALM" class can't hold anything without compromising themself. Who could possibly have seen that coming? If only there was some kind of hint. But I'm sure it's just a bug. Surely that's not exactly as intended.

If all you have to contribute to a genuine question is extremely moronic sarcasm, then please just don't.

[KocLobster]

Originally posted by Ratley:

It's almost like the "OPEN PALM" class can't hold anything without compromising themself. Who could possibly have seen that coming? If only there was some kind of hint. But I'm sure it's just a bug. Surely that's not exactly as intended.

That's fair, but then why is there a weapon in the game that improves unarmed attacks in some capacity? lol

[PaloG]

The way Open Hand is designed in BG3 is indeed meant to be play unarmed. The reason you find that quarterstaff so early in the game is because at that early levels your build hasn't come together yet and it outperforms unarmed in that short window. As soon as you hit lvl 5 and you improve your unarmed strikes from 1d4 to 1d6 while also having your first feat that staff drops off

Edit: Opportunity attacks should work even unarmed. check your reactions tab to see if you have it disabled for some reason

[Quillithe]

Originally posted by cookie!:

That's fair, but then why is there a weapon in the game that improves unarmed attacks in some capacity? lol

Because monks get bonus unarmed attacks after melee weapon attacks? And the non-open hand classes exist and are much more likely to use a weapon.

Open hand is just the specific unarmed focused monk.

[Probably Apocryphal]

Originally posted by PaloG:

The way Open Hand is designed in BG3 is indeed meant to be play unarmed. The reason you find that quarterstaff so early in the game is because at that early levels your build hasn't come together yet and it outperforms unarmed in that short window. As soon as you hit lvl 5 and you improve your unarmed strikes from 1d4 to 1d6 while also having your first feat that staff drops off

Edit: Opportunity attacks should work even unarmed. check your reactions tab to see if you have it disabled for some reason

I'm pretty sure I've never even touched that menu but I'll double-check tonight. Thanks for the info!

[Irrumatio]

Because druid in animal forms (non-elemental forms) qualify as “unarmed” attacks, and thus that staff is meant for moon druids

Originally posted by cookie!:

Originally posted by Ratley:

It's almost like the "OPEN PALM" class can't hold anything without compromising themself. Who could possibly have seen that coming? If only there was some kind of hint. But I'm sure it's just a bug. Surely that's not exactly as intended.

That's fair, but then why is there a weapon in the game that improves unarmed attacks in some capacity? lol

[Rabbit]

Open palm monks are best without a staff at all (and honestly strength build with tavern brawler if you want to be a glass cannon or do some multiclassing mess to get armor but I like it pure and squishy). The staff and fist combat style suits the other subclasses better in my opinion