Starting out at 5th level, and I am not sure how to calculate attack bonus. The reason I have this question is because with the Martial Arts class feature it says that I would use DEX instead of STR for attack and damage rolls: do I use DEX when calculating my attack bonus, or, do I still use STR for calculating my attack bonus (for an unarmed strike)?
Strength is 11, so the STR modifier is 0 whereas Dexterity is 18, so the DEX modifier is 4. Proficiency bonus is 3.
So would my unarmed attack bonus be 3 or 7? Or am I missing something completely?
Best Answer
Your attack bonus is +7.
The Martial Arts feature states:
(emphasis mine)
Attack rolls determine if you hit, and damage rolls determine how much damage a hit deals.
The Martial Arts feature applies to both.
It is optional, but there is rarely any reason to choose the lower ability.
attack roll
d20 + ability modifier + proficiency bonus
d20 + 4 + 3
damage roll
damage dice + ability modifier
d6 + 4
Thus, you have a +7 bonus to attack rolls, and a +4 bonus to damage rolls with your unarmed strikes and monk weapons.