Rules edition: This speed guide uses the revised 2024 Monk with the Tabaxi from Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse. D&D Beyond labels the revised rules as 5.5e. Tabaxi is a compatible older species rather than a 2024 Player’s Handbook species. The original Volo’s Guide to Monsters Tabaxi is a separate legacy version.
A Tabaxi Monk has 40-foot Speed at Monk level 2. Feline Agility doubles that to 80 feet for the turn. Moving once and using one Dash provides up to 160 feet of movement; moving, taking the Dash action, and using Step of the Wind for a Bonus Action Dash provides up to 240 feet. The last option consumes both the action and Bonus Action, so it is a rescue, escape, or objective-taking turn rather than a normal attack routine. Feline Agility then requires a turn of moving 0 feet before it can be used again.
Tabaxi Monk Speed Table
This table assumes a 30-foot Tabaxi base Speed, the revised Monk’s Unarmored Movement bonus, no armor or Shield, and no magic items or spells. “One Dash” means either the action or Step of the Wind. “Two Dashes” uses both.
| Monk level | Normal Speed | Feline Agility Speed | Move + one Dash | Move + two Dashes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 30 ft. | 60 ft. | 120 ft. | Not normally available |
| 2–5 | 40 ft. | 80 ft. | 160 ft. | 240 ft. |
| 6–9 | 45 ft. | 90 ft. | 180 ft. | 270 ft. |
| 10–13 | 50 ft. | 100 ft. | 200 ft. | 300 ft. |
| 14–17 | 55 ft. | 110 ft. | 220 ft. | 330 ft. |
| 18–20 | 60 ft. | 120 ft. | 240 ft. | 360 ft. |
These figures are movement available during one turn, not the distance automatically traveled. Terrain, occupied spaces, grapples, hazards, and the need to change direction can reduce the useful total. The Monk must also meet Unarmored Movement’s restriction against wearing armor or wielding a Shield.
How the Movement Math Works
Feline Agility Changes Speed
The updated Tabaxi can double its Speed until the end of the turn. At level 2, Unarmored Movement changes a 30-foot Speed to 40 feet; Feline Agility then makes the character’s Speed 80 feet for that turn. This matters because Dash refers to the character’s current Speed.
Dash Adds Movement Equal to Speed
Dash does not say “double the distance already moved.” It gives additional movement equal to Speed after modifiers. With 80-foot Speed, one Dash adds 80 feet, producing 160 feet of total movement. A second Dash adds another 80 feet, producing 240 feet. If difficult terrain costs an extra foot for each foot moved, a large movement pool still gets consumed more quickly.
Step of the Wind Supplies the Bonus Action Dash
The revised Monk can use Step of the Wind to Dash as a Bonus Action without spending a Focus Point. Spending 1 Focus Point allows the character to Dash and Disengage with that Bonus Action. That is different from the 2014 feature, which requires ki for the Bonus Action Dash or Disengage. Use the wording for the edition being played.
Feline Agility Has a Real Recharge Cost
After using Feline Agility, the character must spend one of its turns moving 0 feet before using the trait again. Ending the burst turn without movement remaining does not refresh it. Being unable to move is not the same as voluntarily planning a useful stationary turn; the exact trait requires moving 0 feet on one of the character’s turns.
Practical Speed Routines
| Situation | Movement plan | Action economy |
|---|---|---|
| Reach and attack | Use Feline Agility only if normal movement cannot reach the target. | Keep the action and Bonus Action for attacks or subclass features. |
| Reach, strike, and leave | Budget enough movement for both directions before committing. | Use the revised free Patient Defense to Disengage, or spend Focus through Step of the Wind for Dash plus Disengage. |
| Cross the map | Use Feline Agility and one Dash for 160 feet at level 2. | Choose either the action Dash or Bonus Action Step of the Wind based on what must remain available. |
| Emergency maximum | Use Feline Agility, action Dash, and Bonus Action Step of the Wind. | No ordinary attack action or Martial Arts Bonus Action attack remains. |
| Recharge | Move 0 feet while holding a defensible position. | Attack an adjacent target, Dodge, use a ranged option, Ready an action, or interact with an objective when appropriate. |
What Speed Is Actually Good For
Reaching a Priority Target
A Monk can pressure an archer, spellcaster, or enemy controlling an objective without waiting for the front line to clear. Reaching the target is only the first half of the decision: identify cover, an exit route, or allied support before ending far from the party.
Rescuing an Ally
Speed can reach a fallen ally, carry an item, activate a mechanism, or occupy a space that blocks pursuit. The Monk may not be able to solve the entire problem alone, but arriving one round earlier can change an encounter.
Using Vertical Terrain
The updated Tabaxi has a climbing speed equal to its walking speed. That provides vertical routes from level 1. At Monk level 9, Acrobatic Movement expands how Unarmored Movement works across vertical surfaces and liquids during the turn. Neither feature makes the character immune to falling, lets it remain on a ceiling, or makes an impossible surface automatically climbable.
Forcing Enemies to Spend Actions
A melee enemy that must Dash to approach is often giving up its attacks. This tactic works best in open spaces and against creatures with limited ranged options. It becomes weaker in tight rooms, against readied attacks, around dangerous Opportunity Attacks, or when the enemy can simply attack a slower ally.
How to Recharge Feline Agility Without Wasting a Turn
- Hold an objective: remain on a control point, doorway, or other valuable space.
- Fight in place: moving 0 feet does not prevent attacks, Flurry of Blows, or many subclass features.
- Dodge: when several enemies can attack, defense can be more valuable than another risky sprint.
- Use a ranged option: a dart or other legal ranged attack can contribute without movement, though it may not benefit from every melee feature.
- Ready for an approach: this uses the reaction when the trigger occurs, so compare it with keeping Deflect Attacks available.
- Support an ally: administer an item, manipulate an object, or use an available subclass feature while stationary.
Speed Traps to Avoid
- Calling Feline Agility a Bonus Action: the updated trait does not consume a Bonus Action.
- Treating Step of the Wind as another speed multiplier: it supplies Dash; Dash adds movement equal to current Speed.
- Using 55 feet at level 10: a 30-foot Tabaxi with the revised level-10 bonus has 50-foot Speed, not 55.
- Ignoring the recharge: Feline Agility cannot be used every round unless an effect explicitly changes its recharge.
- Assuming fast movement is safe: Opportunity Attacks, hazards, difficult terrain, grapples, and enemy reactions still apply.
- Overextending: moving 200 feet away can also put the Monk 200 feet away from healing, protection, and help.
- Optimizing only a theoretical maximum: a huge number that consumes the action and Bonus Action may contribute less than moving 40 feet and attacking.
Do Subclasses or Feats Need to Increase Speed?
No. A Tabaxi Monk already has more movement than most encounters require. Subclasses are usually better chosen for what the character does after arriving. Warrior of the Open Hand adds control, Warrior of Shadow supports infiltration and repositioning, Warrior of the Elements adds reach and forced movement, and Warrior of Mercy can deliver support to distant allies. See the full Tabaxi Monk 5.5e build guide for ability scores, backgrounds, subclasses, and leveling priorities.
Likewise, a feat should solve a real problem rather than merely inflate a number. Alert can improve Initiative, Tough can address durability, and an ability-score increase can improve Dexterity. A legacy feat or option may still be usable with DM approval, but label its source and check how the table handles older material before building around it.
Once the movement plan is easy to track, keep the table readable with markers for the start position, available movement, and the Feline Agility recharge. For a tactile set suited to a quick skirmisher, browse our handmade ceramic dice sets.
Tabaxi Monk Speed FAQ
How fast is a level-2 Tabaxi Monk?
It has 40-foot Speed from Unarmored Movement. Feline Agility raises that to 80 feet for the turn. One Dash allows up to 160 feet of movement, while an action Dash plus a Bonus Action Step of the Wind allows up to 240 feet.
Does Step of the Wind double a Tabaxi Monk’s Speed?
No. Step of the Wind provides the Dash action as a Bonus Action. Dash adds movement equal to the character’s current Speed; it is not worded as another multiplication of Speed.
Can a Tabaxi Monk use Feline Agility every turn?
No. After using it, the Tabaxi must spend a turn moving 0 feet before the trait can be used again.
Does Feline Agility require a Bonus Action?
No. The updated Monsters of the Multiverse trait can be used when the Tabaxi moves on its turn and does not consume an action or Bonus Action.
Does a climbing speed ignore difficult surfaces?
Not automatically. A climbing speed prevents the normal extra movement cost for climbing, but unusually slippery or hazardous surfaces can still require a check, and environmental difficult terrain can still matter.
Official Rules Sources
- D&D Beyond: Revised Monk class
- D&D Beyond: Tabaxi from Monsters of the Multiverse
- D&D Beyond: 2024 Monk versus 2014 Monk
- D&D Beyond: Updating a campaign to 5.5e
Rules reviewed September 26, 2026. Distances above use the revised 2024 Monk, a 30-foot Monsters of the Multiverse Tabaxi, and no external spells or magic items.
