Can Monks Work as D&D Villains?

Monks get a bad rep in D&D, being considered a generally weak class. Liches, on the other hand, are one of the most iconic DnD monsters. Can the Monk and the Lich concepts be mixed together to create something better than the sum of it's parts?

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* I'll be at the CRWN booth (booth 2543) friday 2nd from 1-2pm and saturday 5-6pm. Come meet me and get some merch!
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Check out the Soul Incarnate HERE!

[aaronpapke]

I just want to say that I have literally invented a council of liches simply to use every one of your designs. Thank you so much for creating all of these.

[korbinkepner]

POV: me explaining to the Medical Directors why they need to fund my expedition to the unexplored archipelago so i can learn the secret technique of punching cancer into gold.

[MikadoRyugaminae]

When I saw lich monk, I hoped it was going self mummification and I was not disappointed

[pedrostormrage]

I like how the ethereal lich is basically a natural consequence of the monk trying to transcend the limits of their body (etherealness is even a part of the 18th level monk feature called Empty Body, allowing them to cast Astral Projection). Really cool concept (I didn't even know the Buddhist self-mummification was a thing)!

[dantekirenryu]

This is why I like DnD so much as a community because so many people can come up with cooler and refreshing ideas that’s not from the mouths of the Hasbro and Wizards. You can have fun with these homebrew and be really creatives with the stuff you make.

[_somerandomguyontheinternet_]

Immortality through the power of tea? Hmm…

*Uncle Iroh has entered the chat.*

[riverosgood]

Lore: pointy hat was originally the hat that borough Frosty the snowman alive

[ratoh]

The leader of the Githzerai is kind of already a monk lich. He went so deep into meditation that his mind surpassed his body, leaving him in a state of neither life, death, or undeath. I think of him as maybe the logical next step of an Astral Self monk

[mikymon]

I love the fact that Pointy Hat keeps adding to the PC’s he has made and keeps adding bits of lore with them and adding updates to their designs. It would be cool to see and or play all these characters in a campaign. THEY NEED A TEAM NAME!!!

[Nizati]

I still think the sorcerer litch is my favorite. The idea of having a family of sorcerers all feeding into one powerful litch just so much story and world potential it's too good to ignore.

[justinmargerum]

So Bao is basically Kung Fu Panda, but with a warlock-esque patron. At least Pointy Hat fessed up to it, so respect.

[Crazor]

I like that you took inspiration of the self mummification that real life monks have done.
It also kinda makes sense that this monk doesn't need to substain itself with souls, since essentially the have reached a form of enlightenment

[Grugh]

18:50 Wealth, fame, power.
You want my treasure? You can have it! I left everything I gathered together in one place. Now you just have to find it

[greenflame]

The body as the phylactery is SUCH a cool idea I love it. I’m thinking like whenever the ki form is defeated and it remanifests inside the body you can see the body glow a bit and attendants to it are all “Master?!?!”

[szandorkane]

Absolutely. I have not watched the video but will comment with two words that 100% prove that monks can be villains, compelling ones at that: Za-heer.

[alexi]

I love the idea of Pointy Hat making his human familiar wear the merch in the same manner that people dress up their pets

[benjaminstiles]

Dropping the “soul Tupperware” bit verbally, just to keep it visually, was excellent

[MakinItRain-]

You can tell from the Thumbnail it's gonna be a good video

[randomyoutuber]

7:50 “it’s at this stage of the ritual that the monk’s control of ki will play a key role in whether the monk survives the ritual or doesn’t” 🔥🔥🔥✍️

[Ravenovia]

I imagine Warlock liches playing with the whole “gains their power from someone else” thing, where instead of having a singular Patron, they mark random passerby to turn them into their phylacteries, and as time goes on, the phylactery-person slowly has their energy drained to fuel the Warlock, whether they know it or not. Eventually, this kills the phylactery, forcing the Warlock-Lich to continually create new ones in order to stay both powerful and undead.