[RPG] Can a monk use a shortsword for the bonus action attack of Martial Arts

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Could a mutli-class monk/arcane trickster using two short swords, use two weapon fighting for his bonus action instead of making an unarmed strike while also still using the dex modifier for the bonus attack? Build is Monk1/Rogue4, plan is Monk16/Rogue6.

Martial Arts

  • You can use Dexterity instead of Strength for the attack and damage rolls of your unarmed strikes and monk weapons.
  • …
  • When you use the Attack action with an unarmed strike or a monk weapon on your turn, you can make one unarmed strike as a bonus action. For example, if you take the Attack action and attack with a quarterstaff, you can also make an unarmed strike as a bonus action, assuming you haven’t already taken a bonus action this turn.

Best Answer

No attribute-to-damage with the second weapon, unless you have the appropriate fighting style.

I suspect you're seeing the first bullet point of Martial Arts...

You gain the following benefits while you are unarmed or wielding only monk weapons and you aren’t wearing armor or wielding a shield:

  • You can use Dexterity instead of Strength for the attack and damage rolls of your unarmed strikes and monk weapons.

...and thinking it overrides this clause in Two Weapon Fighting:

[...] You don't add your ability modifier to the damage of the bonus attack, unless that modifier is negative.

Martial Arts allows you to use Dexterity for a specific selection of things that are normally Strength based. However, it doesn't have any text that overrides the two-weapon fighting rule saying you only apply negative ability modifiers to the second attack's damage. There are no secret rules, no hidden combinations. If Martial Arts was meant to override the lack of an ability modifier on damage specifically cited in two-weapon fighting, it would say so... like the Two Weapon Fighting style does. The

When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack.

To put it another way/in summary... If you want to get the benefit of something (Two-Weapon Fighting Style), you have to actually take that thing.

Two-Weapon Fighting Style and elements of Martial Arts can be used together, but not by a Monk/Rogue.

If the character was a Monk/Fighter1 with Two Weapon Fighting style and the Dual Wielder Feat (because a quarterstaff is not light), using a quarterstaff as the second weapon they could use Dexterity on the second attack (via Martial Arts) and add Dexterity to damage (via Two Weapon Fighting Style).

...of course, I'm not sure why you'd want to make such an investment for very little gain, but you could.

Extra Attempts at Sneak Attack

I suspect you're trying to get more attack rolls that can potentially trigger a Sneak Attack. Good on you if you're trying to using a finesse weapon because you realize Martial Arts is not the same thing as a weapon having finesse, even if the effect is very much similar. Just remember that Sneak Attack is only once per turn. They won't all be Sneak Attacks.

Note that you don't have to decide which bonus action to take ahead of time.

  • If the initial shortsword attack misses, you can use the second shortsword to take a swing as a bonus action via two-weapon fighting. It won't get attribute-to-damage as explained above, but it does give you a second chance to trigger Sneak Attack. With enough rogue levels2, it's worth the sacrifice.
  • If the initial shortsword attack hits and triggers Sneak Attack, you can use Martial Arts to make an unarmed attack with your bonus action, which would get attribute-to-damage. By having a shortsword in both hands, your initial attack does not violate the conditions of Martial Arts.

1...or Ranger or College of Swords Bard

2One rogue level gets you an average of 3.5 damage, which would be better than the 3 damage from DEX 16.

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