Weekly Waffle # 350 – Fists, Focus & Stuns
31 October 2026
The Mojo
For this week’s weekly waffle, I have stayed firmly in the fantasy realms. And it feels like that statement carries over into work because this week has once again been manic on that front. But I do now feel like we have crested the hill and things should start to get a little less manic. We only have a couple of thousand users to move onto the new platform, but they are some of the most challenging. We are all working with that mythical phase that it will all be done by Christmas.
But even though it’s been busy I’ve used the hobby time I have had wisely to help me hang onto what little sanity I still poses. Although anyone who really knows me may disagree with that and say that I lost it years ago.
On The Work Bench
For this week I have stayed in the world of D&D and I can’t decide if I have been inspired by a bad cheap razor or the nobility of a Shaolin monk. I fell in love with this mini as soon as I saw it and it’s just been sitting there waiting for a lick of paint.
That lick of paint ended up being a very limited palette which I think really works for this mini. Nice and simple with the orange for the clothing but I have tried to get some real contrast between the highlights and the shadows which I think works. And it means that the monotone works well. Proof I don’t always need a hundred colours to make something look nice.
The skin tone was done in a similar way just trying to get some contrast between the light and shadow areas. I don’t think this is a strong as the cloth areas, but it looks good to me. And I like the extra bit of work I did on the scaring to make it stand out without going to over the top.
For the chains I didn’t do anything fancy and just went with metallics. Partly because I’m still rubbish at non metallic metal and also because it was quicker. I did add a little bit of weathering to try and make them a little more interesting but overall, just a simple approach.
The final touch was to dig out a nice base and then keep that simple. The stone effect with a little bit of weathering makes the monk the star of the show.
But what do you think?
If you like this guy you can find more of my D&D inspired minis in the Gallery.
Tactical deep dive
Last week’s Ranger clearly didn’t get D&D out of my system. The character sheets on D&D Beyond keep multiplying. So, this week we’re sticking with the elves but leaving the longbow at home. In fact, we’re leaving every weapon at home. This Tactical Deep Dive is all about the elven unarmed monk: a Wood Elf who walks into a fight with bare hands, bare feet and an annoyingly calm expression.
The Lore Bit
Elves live for centuries, and that gives them the one thing a monk needs more than anything: time. A human might give twenty years to the monastery and call it a life’s work. An elf can give a hundred and still have time for a gap year.
It suits them in other ways too. Elves don’t sleep. They trance, sitting in quiet meditation for four hours instead. For most adventurers that’s a quirk on the character sheet. For a monk it’s a morning routine built into the species.
The Ranger looks outward, at the tree-line and whatever is moving in it. The monk looks inward. Her weapon is discipline, honed until a single strike lands exactly where it needs to. As for the backstory, take your pick. Maybe she took a vow never to carry a blade after seeing what one did to her village. Maybe she’s an exile from a monastery hidden in the forest canopy. Or maybe she just kept missing with the bow and decided to cut out the middleman.
The Stat Line
Edition matters again. The 2014 Player’s Handbook and the 2024 revision handle the monk quite differently, so I’ve flagged where they split.
- Speed: 35 ft (Wood Elf), plus +10 ft from Unarmored Movement at level 2. That’s 45 ft before she’s even tried.
- Key stats: Dexterity and Wisdom. In 2014 the Wood Elf gives +2 Dex and +1 Wis, which are exactly the two stats a monk wants. In 2024 your ability bonuses come from your background instead.
- Hit Die: d8, with no armour and no shield. Unarmored Defence makes her AC 10 + Dex + Wis.
- Unarmed strike: Martial Arts die plus Dex. That die is 1d4 at level 1 in 2014 (scaling to d10), and 1d6 in 2024 (scaling to d12).
- Ki / Focus Points: one per monk level from level 2. The 2024 rules rename ki to Focus.
- Flurry of Blows: 1 point for two unarmed strikes as a bonus action.
- Stunning Strike (level 5): 1 point, Con save or the target is stunned. In 2024 it’s once per turn and lasts until the start of your next turn. Even on a successful save, the target’s speed is halved and the next attack against it has advantage.
- Deflect Missiles (2014) / Deflect Attacks (2024): a reaction that cuts damage by 1d10 + Dex + monk level. In 2014 it only works on ranged weapon attacks. In 2024 it also covers melee hits that do bludgeoning, piercing or slashing damage.
Treat exact numbers as a snapshot. Always double-check current rules against D&D Beyond or your own Player’s Handbook before you build a character around them.
Class Feature Interactions
The Flurry. In 2014, the free bonus action punch only comes after you’ve taken the Attack action. The 2024 rules drop that requirement. Either way, spend a point on Flurry and you get two strikes instead of one. Add Extra Attack at level 5 and she’s throwing four punches a turn. Small dice, lots of them.
The Open Hand. Way of the Open Hand (2014) or Warrior of the Open Hand (2024) at level 3 is the purist’s choice for an unarmed build. Every Flurry hit can knock the target prone, shove it 15 ft, or stop it reacting. In 2014 that means no reactions at all. In 2024 it means no opportunity attacks. A prone enemy gives every melee ally advantage, so the fighter will love you for it.
The Stun. Stunning Strike is the monk’s party piece. A stunned enemy automatically fails Strength and Dexterity saves, and every attack against it has advantage. Land one on the enemy spellcaster and you’ve basically switched them off for a round.
The catch. Everything above runs on the same small pool. At level 5 she has five points to share between Flurry, Stunning Strike, Patient Defence and Step of the Wind. They come back on a short rest, and 2024 adds Uncanny Metabolism to refill them once per long rest when you roll initiative. But blow the lot on round one and she’s just an elf in pyjamas. And with a d8 Hit Die and no armour, her AC depends on keeping both Dex and Wis high. There’s no dump stat here.
Tactics Corner
Go for the back line At 45 ft she can reach the archer or the caster most other characters can only look at. Step of the Wind lets her Dash and Disengage, so she can get past the front line without being punched on the way.
Stun the brains, not the brawn. Big lads with high Constitution shrug off Stunning Strike. Wizards and priests usually don’t. Pick your targets.
Hit and don’t hang about. In 2024, Patient Defence gives her a free Disengage as a bonus action. That means giving up the bonus action punch, but it’s worth it when she’s surrounded. Strike, step away, and let the tank soak.
Set up the party. Flurry plus Topple puts the target on the floor. Do it before the rogue’s turn and you’ve just handed out advantage for Sneak Attack.
Out of combat, she’s the scout. Elves have proficiency in Perception (2014) or a choice of Perception, Insight or Survival (2024). In 2014, Mask of the Wild lets her hide in light foliage, rain or mist. In 2024, the Wood Elf gets Pass without Trace at level 5, and that helps the whole party sneak around.
The Verdict
The elven monk isn’t a damage monster. She’s a controller who happens to punch things. She’s fast, she’s sticky, and Stunning Strike can win a fight on its own. Being an elf adds speed, the right stats in 2014 and a backstory that writes itself. The price is a fragile early game and a lot of resource management. Spend your points wisely and she’ll run rings round the enemy. Spend them all on round one against goblins and she’ll be in trouble.
So, over to you: have you played a monk, and did you go fists or quarterstaff? Did Stunning Strike ever land when it really mattered? Let me know in the comments.
The Wrap Up
That’s all I have for you this week. I will be back again next week and I think I’m going to carry on with a couple more D&D builds. But for you wolf fans out there I haven’t given up on the pack and there will be on that front soon. I just needed to change things up a bit to keep the mojo flowing.
So until next week keep safe and I hope to see you all again soon.
