Can a Way of the Astral Self monk grapple with its Arms of the Astral Self?

Question

In the Unearthed Arcana version of the Way of the Astral Self, the monk's Astral Arms were treated as monk weapons.

Under that wording, the monk probably couldn't grapple/shove with them because weapon reach and the reach of the character's hand that could make the grapple/shove are different things.

That is, it's hard to see how you could grapple with the end of a polearm, for example (through a lenient DM might allow a shove).

However, in the official release, the wording was changed then from monk weapons to unarmed strikes:

• You can use the spectral arms to make unarmed strikes.

• When you make an unarmed strike with the arms on your turn, your reach for it is 5 feet greater than normal.

Under this revised wording, it seems like the monk could grapple/shove with its Astral Arms.

But can it?

Answer 1

An unarmed strike is not a grapple or shove.

The Astral Arms ability says:

When you make an unarmed strike with the arms on your turn, your reach for it is 5 feet greater than normal.

An unarmed strike is defined as:

Instead of using a weapon to make a melee weapon attack, you can use an unarmed strike: a punch, kick, head-butt, or similar forceful blow (none of which count as weapons). On a hit, an unarmed strike deals bludgeoning damage equal to 1 + your Strength modifier. You are proficient with your unarmed strikes.

This is the only time your reach is extended. Grapple and Shove are not unarmed strikes, so your reach is not extended for a grapple or shove.

The ability description tells us everything we can do.

Having established that an unarmed strike is not a shove, nor is it a grapple, we review what we are able to do with the Astral Arms. The ability description says:

While the spectral arms are present, you gain the following benefits:

• You can use your Wisdom modifier in place of your Strength modifier when making Strength checks and Strength saving throws.
• You can use the spectral arms to make unarmed strikes.
• When you make an unarmed strike with the arms on your turn, your reach for it is 5 feet greater than normal.
• The unarmed strikes you make with the arms can use your Wisdom modifier in place of your Strength or Dexterity modifier for the attack and damage rolls, and their damage type is force.

Nowhere is it stated that we may grapple or shove, only that we may make unarmed strikes with the arms, which is not grappling or shoving.

Answer 2

Technically, it's a yes, but the +5-foot reach doesn't apply.

The answer is a yes, if we simply look and disregard the benefits that you've shown. If we try to look at the other benefit of the feature, other than those two, one of which says:

• You can use your Wisdom modifier in place of your Strength modifier when making Strength checks and Strength saving throws.

Grapple and shove use Strength checks (specifically, Athletics). This benefit assumes that we can freely do it with the Astral Arms.

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But,

if you asked that with respect to the wording, then the answer is using your Astral Arms for anything other than unarmed strike won't give you the bonus 5 feet range.

Answer 3

I disagree with the approved answer and as this is the first link to show up on google, I think the discussion is still relevant.

PHB p195

When you want to grab a creature or wrestle with it, you can use the Attack action to make a special melee attack, a grapple. If you're able to make multiple attacks with the Attack action, this attack replaces one of them. The target of your grapple must be no more than one size larger than you, and it must be within your reach.

The reach for the unarmed strike you replaced is 5 feet greater, so the grapple will be within that extended reach too.

I figure the argument is, that you never execute the unarmed strike itself, which is fairly reasonable. I just found it incomprehensible how the counter argument did not come up on this threat, as this is more than unclear and DMs that are unsure about allowing an extra 5 ft range on grapples should take this into consideration.

Also, for said DMs, Bugbears get that added bonus anyways. If you allow those at your table and your player is not stacking both things, there is no real balancing issue imposed in the first place by allowing the extra range.