The 5 Best Races For Monks 5e D&D

Monks are the closest thing to ninjas in D&D, fighting only with very specific weapons and mainly using their hands as their main weapons.

Their best races are those who seek Wisdom, have Dexterity, and gain Feats, as Monks have gotten the short end of the stick for quite some time now.

Best Races for Monks 5e D&D

5. Lizardfolk

Ability Score Increase – One score by 2 and a different one by 1 OR Three different scores by 1.

Age – Lizardfolk reach maturity at age 14, rarely living longer than 60 years.

Alignment – Lizardfolk are mainly Neutral, and their brutal natures are not due to Evil, only an animalistic instinct to survive.

Creature Type – Humanoid

Size – Medium, Lizardfolk are slightly taller and bulkier than Humans, with colorful frills that make them look even bigger.

Speed – Base walking speed of 30 feet and a swimming speed of 30.

Racial Features – Bite, Cunning Artisan, Hold Breath, Hunter’s Lore, Natural Armor, and Hungry Jaws.

Languages – Speak, read, and write, Draconic and Common.

Lizardfolk make excellent Monks, as most of their features fit with those of a Monk, like Bite and Hungry Jaws, which gives you the ability to make a bite that damages enemies and is only empowered when used as Hungry Jaws.

You even have natural armor, but I prefer the Unarmored Defense Monks get, but it’s not bad.

4. Bugbear

Ability Score Increase – One score by 2 and a different one by 1 OR Three different scores by 1.

Age – Bugbears mature at 16 years of age and live up to 80 years old.

Alignment – Bugbears are mainly Chaotic Evil due to their harsh demands and a need to stay self-sufficient.

Creature Type – Humanoid (Also a Goblinoid for any prerequisite effect requiring you to be a Goblinoid).

Size – Medium, ranging between 6 and 8 feet tall and weighing around 250 and 280 pounds.

Speed – Base walking speed of 30 feet.

Racial Features – Darkvision, Fey Ancestry, Long-Limbed, Powerful Building, Sneaky, and Surprise Attack.

Languages – Speak, read, and write Common and one other language deemed appropriate by your DM.

I love Bugbear Monks, as they give a few powerful features that fit with the playstyle of a Monk.

Long-Limbed is great if you choose to use melee weapons as a Monk, Sneaky is perfect if you want to take up the role of your party’s Rogue/Ranger, and Surprise Attack benefits from high initiative scores.

3. Mountain Dwarf

Ability Score Increase – Constitution by 2.

Ability Score Increase (Mountain Dwarf) – Strength by 2.

Age – Dwarves mature at the same pace as Humans, yet are considered young until reaching 50 and living around 350 years.

Alignment – Dwarves are mostly Lawful, believing in a well-ordered society. Dwarves are usually Good and would like everyone to share in the benefits that order brings about.

Creature Type – Humanoid

Size – Medium, ranging between 4 and 5 feet tall and averaging 150 pounds.

Speed – Base walking speed of 25 feet, though your speed will not be reduced by wearing heavy armor.

Racial Features – Darkvision, Dwarven Resilience, Dwarven Combat Training, Tool Proficiency, Stonecunning, and Dwarven Armor Training (Mountain Dwarf).

Languages – Speak, read, and write Dwarvish and Common.

Monks struggle a lot with ability scores, but with the Mountain Dwarf, your life is made a bit easier since you get +2 to both Constitution and Strength from it.

Not to mention the added durability gained from Dwarven Resilience and the added weapon options from Dwarven Combat Training.

2. Aarakocra

Ability Score Increase – One score by 2 and a different one by 1 OR Three different scores by 1.

Age – Aarakocra mature by 3 years of age and usually don’t live longer than 30 years.

Alignment – Aarakocra are mainly Good but rarely choose sides between Law and Chaos.

Creature Type – Humanoid

Size – Medium, around 5 feet tall, and weighing between 80 and 100 pounds.

Speed – Base walking speed of 25 feet.

Racial Features – Flight and Talons.

Languages – Speak, read, and write Auran, Aarakocra, and Common.

Monks already have insane speed, but as an Aarakocra Monk, you can cover large distances on land, but you can also cover a distance over land using its Flight feature.

You even have Talons that you can strike enemies with and Wind Caller that lets you use the Gust of Wind spell.

1. Tabaxi

Ability Score Increase – One score by 2 and a different one by 1 OR Three different scores by 1.

Age – Tabaxi mature similarly to Humans and live around 100 years.

Alignment – Tabaxi tend to lean towards Choas, but they are rarely Evil, mostly driven by curiosity.

Creature Type – Humanoid

Size – Medium or Small, ranging from slightly below 5 feet to more than 6 feet.

Speed – Base walking speed of 30 feet and a climbing speed equaling it.

Racial Features – Cat’s Claws, Cat’s Talent, Darkvision, and Feline Agility.

Languages – Speak, read, and write Common and one other language deemed appropriate by your DM.

Tabaxi fit perfectly into the mold of a Monk, having its own unarmed attack, Cat’s Claws, and proficiency with Perception and Stealth because of Cat’s Talent (great if you want to play the role a Ranger/Rogue normally plays).

Feline Agility also fits well with the speed of a Monk, letting you move double the speed you usually can, which is insane.

Final Thoughts

Monks aren’t an easy class to master, and its best races aren’t the easiest to find or escape, especially the Mountain Dwarf with its stubby legs!

All jokes aside, the races mentioned above give players excessive freedom to create interesting characters that will also provide gameplay benefits for the Monk class, making a character even more enjoyable to play.