The Monk has a reputation as one of Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition‘s weakest classes. It lacks the hit points and damage of a Fighter, the utility of a Rogue, or the spellcasting of half the game’s classes.

More than being weak, the D&D 5e Monk is hard to build and pilot. The class can be lethally effective at ambushing weak enemies, avoiding direct combat, and maintaining a constant bag of combat tricks. However, this requires the player to be switched on throughout the building process.

Aside from picking the best subclasses and juggling multiple ability scores, it’s important to choose the best race for the D&D 5e Monk. There are many high-power possibilities, but a worrying number who do nothing to make the class better at what it does.

Variant Human and Custom Lineage Rear Their Head Again

Unsurprisingly, two of the best (and very similar) lineage options in D&D 5e are excellent choices to prop up a Monk build. Variant Human and Custom Lineage are excellent races for any class in D&D 5e, largely due to their free feat.

However, they’re weaker for the D&D 5e Monk than any other class. This is for two reasons. One, Monks lack natural synergy with D&D 5e‘s best feats. They often lack suitable weapons for Great Weapon Master or Sharpshooter and don’t have enough spellcasting for feats like War Caster.

For another, the best Monk builds in D&D 5e need to juggle Dexterity, Constitution, and Wisdom. A full feat and only two ability score bonuses will leave at least one of these stats floundering.

That said, Variant Human is still one of the best races for Monk in D&D 5e. You just have to choose your feat carefully. Emphasise half-feats that boost ability scores while either providing new combat tricks or out-of-combat utility.

Skill Expert is a welcome choice for a Monk, helping them excel in specific non-combat roles. Alternatively, Crusher can boost Constitution while synergising very well with unarmed strikes. Fey Touched, Telepathic, and even Chef can also work well.

Given how Monks make good scouts in D&D 5e, I’d recommend Custom Lineage with Darkvision. However, a free skill is by no means a poor choice.

Hill Dwarf Solves One Glaring Issue

Despite being almost exclusively melee (outside of specific builds), D&D 5e Monks have one significant drawback. They only have a d8 hit die, equivalent to Druids, Rogues, and Warlocks. Furthermore, their multiple ability scores mean they often lack top-tier Constitution.

Even if you play your Monk as a skirmisher, they’re still at risk if the wrong enemy so much as looks at them.

Hill Dwarf is one of the best D&D 5e Monk races because it remedies this. Dwarven Toughness is a simple ability that provides one bonus hit point per level. This may not sound like much, but it’s almost enough to bring a Monk on par with a Fighter, Ranger, or Paladin. Dwarven Resilience also helps with durability, providing resistance to one of D&D 5e‘s most common damage types.

The Hill Dwarf also provides proficiency in certain weapons, including the Battleaxe and Warhammer. This may seem unnecessary for the D&D 5e Monk with its Unarmed Combat, but it’s far from redundant.

With Dedicated Weapon from Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything, a Monk can wield either a Battleaxe or Warhammer as a Monk Weapon. Even this small damage boost (a d10) is hugely beneficial. It also opens up a greater range of magic items.

The only real downside is a lowered movement speed. This can be harsh for a mobility-oriented character like the best D&D 5e Monks. However, their bonuses soon overcome it.

Tabaxi is Lightning-Quick and Mobile

The ideal way to play a Monk in D&D 5e is by ignoring the enemy’s frontline and targeting the more isolated or vulnerable enemies at the back. A Monk who picks their targets can dominate a one-on-one fight with an archer or spellcaster.

One reason why the Tabaxi is such a good Monk race in D&D 5e is because of how mobile they are. Apart from anything else, they have an innate climb speed. This doesn’t come up in every combat but is perfect for bypassing many obstacles between the Monk and their prey.

Feline Agility is a godsend. Doubling your Monk’s movement speed is the ideal way to begin combat and reach the enemy’s back line. It’s easy to recharge, particularly if the Monk gets a turn whaling on a stunned foe.

Tabaxi reinforce their place as one of the best races for a Monk in D&D 5e with Cat’s Claws. A 1d6 unarmed strike does eventually become redundant, but it’s a nice damage boost when the Monk struggles most. The option to switch to Slashing damage is also very situationally useful.

Cat’s Talent is an ideal D&D 5e Monk racial ability outside combat. Monks make effective scouts, infiltrators, and tails (particularly the Way of Shadow). Stealth and Perception synergise perfectly with these roles and the Monk’s stats. They’re also among D&D 5e‘s best skill proficiencies regardless.

Bugbear Adds Some Literal Punch to a D&D 5e Monk

The Bugbear is almost as frequent a guest on lists of the best races in D&D 5e as Variant Human and Custom Lineage. This is due to a grab-bag of valuable abilities and one immense standout.

Surprise Attack is one of D&D 5e‘s best lineage features that suits a Monk even more. It rewards going early in combat and making many attacks, both of which are Monk specialities. Monks often struggle with low damage. An extra 2d6 on four hits, even if only in the first turn of combat, makes that a non-issue.

This isn’t the only reason Bugbear is among the best Monk races in D&D 5e. All their other features work well for the class.

Long-Limbed is invaluable for a skirmisher like the Monk. They can close in on enemies, deal damage, and stun them without getting close enough to risk opportunity attacks. This doesn’t help skirmish against larger enemies (or those with polearms), but it prevents counterplay from a lot of standard foes.

Sneaky provides free Stealth proficiency. With a Monk’s high Dexterity, this makes them very hard to detect. It also opens up possible party roles outside combat.

Fey Ancestry is more situational, but still synergistic with high Wisdom saves. Given how devastating Stunning Strike is, your D&D 5e party don’t want you turning against them after a Dominate Creature.

Owlin Adds a New Dimension of Mobility

Monks want to be as mobile as possible in D&D 5e, given how ill-suited they are to standing and fighting. However, it’s very rare for Monks to get the innate ability to fly, and only a handful can cast the spell.

The solution: find another way to fly. The Owlin is undoubtedly the best flying race for the Monk in D&D 5e. It really has two features (and Darkvision), but both of these work well.

Flight is a powerful tool for any skirmisher. The Monk can bypass melee enemies with ease (whilst ranged attackers have to fear Deflect MIssiles). It also makes it far harder for enemies to avoid the Monk. Hazards, high ground, and their own flight will do little to help them.

One particularly cruel combo for a D&D 5e Owlin Monk is to Stunning Strike a medium or large enemy. The Owlin can then grapple them (and auto-succeed) and fly into the air. Even if they break the grapple, they take falling damage.

Aside from that, the Owlin reinforces itself as a top-tier D&D 5e lineage choice for Monk with Silent Feathers. As discussed above, Stealth proficiency just works.

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Half-Elf Excels at Juggling Stats

Ability score balance is one of the hardest things about building an effective Monk in D&D 5e. Monks need Dexterity for their attacks, Wisdom for their Armor Class and Ki abilities, and Constitution to not die. They also need all of them more pressingly than most other classes with similar issues.

The Half-Elf is unique among D&D 5e races for its ability score spread. With Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything, they can put +2 in any one ability score, and +1 in two more. Just like that, you have Dexterity, Constitution, and Wisdom sorted out.

Half-Elf also gets Fey Ancestry, with its aforementioned synergies with high Monk Wisdom saving throws.

Fitting the Half-Elf’s flexibility, it can choose from a range of options for its other lineage ability. However, the default Skill Versatility remains the best.

Despite fighting similarly to Rogues in combat, D&D 5e Monks lack their broad skill base outside of it. Two free skill proficiencies help make up that shortfall significantly.

The Half-Elf doesn’t get flashy unique features. Instead, it’s the best race for a D&D 5e Monk who wants broad versatility to help with such a demanding class.

Goblin Excels at Hit-and-Run

As this article discusses many times, D&D 5e Monks want to stay mobile in combat. They don’t win if they’re pinned down by a melee enemy, slugging away. They win by constantly moving to the weakest link and hammering it.

Monks get Step of the Wind to help with this, a bonus action Disengage. However, this costs 1 Ki every time. This adds up, reducing potential Flurries of Blows or Stunning Strikes.

Goblin is one of the best D&D 5e Monk races because of Nimble Escape. This gives bonus action Disengage and Hide for free, with no limits on their use.

Notably, you don’t want to be using Nimble Escape every turn. D&D 5e Monks deal significant damage with their bonus action. You want it most turns. However, Nimble Escape means you can Disengage without fear when it’s the most effective thing to do.

A bonus action Hide can also be an invaluable last-ditch escape tool.

Fury of the Small isn’t a significant bonus, dealing proficiency bonus damage a handful of times per day. At the same time, any extra damage helps a D&D 5e Monk pack a punch.

Like almost every good race for Monks in D&D 5e, the Goblin also has Fey Ancestry and Darkvision.

Yuan-Ti Eventually Makes Magic Irrelevant

As well as low hit points and (initially) mediocre Armor Class, the D&D 5e Monk has to grapple with some weak saving throws.

Dexterity is fine for avoiding damage, while Strength is far more situational. However, the Monk has to rely on their base stats to protect them from effects like Charm, possession, and banishment. Any one of these can spell trouble for the party.

Yuan-Ti mark themselves as the best D&D 5e race for Monks who fear these effects with Magic Resistance. This provides advantage on saving throws against spells. Initially, this merely counteracts shortfalls.

At higher levels, however, the D&D 5e Monk gets proficiency in every saving throw. Proficiency, several high stats, and advantage make it very difficult for a Monk to fail against most spells. You can walk through an army of Wizards with near-impunity.

Poison Resistance is another invaluable feature to help with Monk durability. Poison is incredibly common in D&D 5e monsters. Resistance to both the condition and damage is a huge help.

Serpentine Spellcasting is more situational for a Monk, but far from useless. It can use their high Wisdom as well, sharing a DC with their Ki abilities.

Duergar Has the Complete Package

The Duergar doesn’t have individual standout abilities like many of the best Monk races in D&D 5e. Instead, it simply has a diverse roster of reliable features that help in almost every area of a Monk’s toolkit.

For one, it combines the strengths of many other D&D 5e Monk races. Duergar gives resistance to Poison damage, and advantage on saving throws against the Poisoned, Charmed, and Stunned conditions.

On top of that, the D&D 5e Duergar has superior Darkvision and a greater walking speed than most Dwarves.

Duergar Magic is the best spellcasting feature in D&D 5e a lineage can give a Monk. Enlarge/Reduce is a reliable (small) damage increase, particularly if the party has time to buff before a fight. Invisibility helps with ambushing foes, bypassing detection, and becoming unhittable by spells.

Without spell slots, Duergar Magic loses some of its lustre. Nonetheless, it adds to a very well-rounded suite of abilities for any Monk in D&D 5e.

These have been nine of the best D&D 5e races for a Monk, ones that can help ease the infamously difficult class. Please do leave a like, share this article with your friends, and check out more Artificial Twenty content like the suggestions below.

If you want more race and lineage guides for characters, check out this on the best Warlock races in D&D 5e, or this one that tackles D&D 5e‘s best Paladin races.

For players considering something more esoteric, ‘Unusual D&D 5e Build Ideas‘ might offer invaluable inspiration.