# Monk Her fists a blur as they deflect an incoming hail of arrows, a half-elf springs over a barricade and throws herself into the massed ranks of hobgoblins on the other side. She whirls among them, knocking their blows aside and sending them reeling, until at last she stands alone. Taking a deep breath, a human covered in tattoos settles into a battle stance. As the first charging orcs reach him, he exhales and a blast of fire roars from his mouth, engulfing his foes. Moving with the silence of the night, a black-clad halfling steps into a shadow beneath an arch and emerges from another inky shadow on a balcony a stone’s throw away. She slides her blade free of its cloth-wrapped scabbard and peers through the open window at the tyrant prince, so vulnerable in the grip of sleep. Whatever their discipline, monks are united in their ability to magically harness the energy that flows in their bodies. Whether channeled as a striking display of combat prowess or a subtler focus of defensive ability and speed, this energy infuses all that a monk does. ### The Magic of Ki Monks make careful study of a magical energy that most monastic traditions call **ki**. This energy is an element of the magic that suffuses the multiverse — specifically, the element that flows through living bodies. Monks harness this power within themselves to create magical effects and exceed their bodies' physical capabilities, and some of their special attacks can hinder the flow of ki in their opponents. Using this energy, monks channel uncanny speed and strength into their unarmed strikes. As they gain experience, their martial training and their mastery of ki gives them more power over their bodies and the bodies of their foes. ### Training and Asceticism Small walled cloisters dot the landscapes of the worlds of D&D, tiny refuges from the flow of ordinary life, where time seems to stand still. The monks who live there seek personal perfection through contemplation and rigorous training. Many entered the monastery as children, sent to live there when their parents died, when food couldn't be found to support them, or in return for some kindness that the monks had performed for their families. Some monks live entirely apart from the surrounding population, secluded from anything that might impede their spiritual progress. Others are sworn to isolation, emerging only to serve as spies or assassins at the command of their leader, a noble patron, or some other mortal or divine power. The majority of monks don't shun their neighbors, making frequent visits to nearby towns or villages and exchanging their service for food and other goods. As versatile warriors, monks often end up protecting their neighbors from monsters or tyrants. For a monk, becoming an adventurer means leaving a structured, communal lifestyle to become a wanderer. This can be a harsh transition, and monks don't undertake it lightly. Those who leave their cloisters take their work seriously, approaching their adventures as personal tests of their physical and spiritual growth. As a rule, monks care little for material wealth and are driven by a desire to accomplish a greater mission than merely slaying monsters and plundering their treasure. ### Creating a Monk As you make your monk character, think about your connection to the monastery where you learned your skills and spent your formative years. Were you an orphan or a child left on the monastery's threshold? Did your parents promise you to the monastery in gratitude for a service performed by the monks? Did you enter this secluded life to hide from a crime you committed? Or did you choose the monastic life for yourself? Consider why you left. Did the head of your monastery choose you for a particularly important mission beyond the cloister? Perhaps you were cast out because of some violation of the community's rules. Did you dread leaving, or w ere you happy to go? Is there something you hope to accomplish outside the monastery? Are you eager to return to your home? As a result of the structured life of a monastic community and the discipline required to harness ki, monks are almost always lawful in alignment. ##### Quick Build You can make a monk quickly by following these suggestions. First, make Dexterity your highest ability score, followed by Wisdom. Second, choose the hermit background. ## Class Features As a Monk, you gain the following class features #### Hit Points ___ - **Hit Dice:** 1d8 per Monk level - **Hit Points at 1st Level:** 8 + your Constitution Modifier - **Hit Points at Higher Levels:** 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution Modifier per monk level after 1st #### Proficiencies ___ - **Armor:** None - **Weapons:** Simple Weapons, Shortswords - **Tools:** Choose your type of artisan's tools or one musical instrument ___ - **Saving Throws:** Strength, Dexterity - **Skills:** Choose two from Acrobatics, **Animal Handling** Athlets, History, Insight, Religion, and Stealth \pagebreakNum <div class='classTable wide'> ##### Monk | Level | Proficiency Bonus | Martial Arts | Ki Points | Unarmored Movement | Features | |:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:| | 1st | +2 | 1d4 | — | — | Unarmored Defense, Martial Arts, Monk Weapons, **Power Over Precision**| | 2nd | +2 | 1d4 | 2 | +10 ft. | Ki, Ki-Fueled Strikes, Unarmored Movement | | 3rd | +2 | 1d4 | 3 | +10 ft. | Monastic Tradition, Deflect **~~Missiles~~ Attacks, Robust Body** | | 4th | +2 | 1d4 | 4 | +10 ft. | ASI/Feat, Prof. Versatility, Slow Fall, **Quickened Healing** | | 5th | +2 | 1d6 | 5 | +10 ft. | Extra Attack, **Slowing Strike**, Stunning Strike | | 6th | +2 | 1d6 | 6 | +15 ft. | Ki-Empowered Stricks, Monastic Tradition feature | | 7th | +2 | 1d6 | 7 | +15 ft. | Evasion, Stillness of Mind | | 8th | +2 | **1d8** | 8 | +15 ft. | ASI/Feat, Prof. Versatility | | 9th | +2 | **1d8** | 9 | +15 ft. | Unarmored Movement improvement | | 10th | +2 | **1d8** | 10 | +20 ft. | Purity of Body, **ASI/Feat** | | 11th | +2 | **1d10** | 11 | +20 ft. | **Improved Martial Arts, Improved Monk Weapon**, Monastic Tradition feature | | 12th | +2 | **1d10** | 12 | +20 ft. | ASI/Feat, Prof. Versatility | | 13th | +2 | **1d10** | 13 | +20 ft. | Tongue of the Sun and Moon | | 14th | +2 | **1d10** | 14 | +25 ft. | Diamond Soul | | 15th | +2 | **1d10** | 15 | +25 ft. | **Perfect Body**, Timeless Body | | 16th | +2 | **1d10** | 16 | +25 ft. | ASI/Feat, Prof. Versatility | | 17th | +2 | **1d12** | 17 | +25 ft. | Monastic Tradition feature | | 18th | +2 | **1d12** | 18 | +30 ft. | Empty Body | | 19th | +2 | **1d12** | 19 | +30 ft. | ASI/Feat, Prof. Versatility | | 20th | +2 | **1d12** | 20 | +30 ft. | **~~Perfect Self~~ Ki Master** | </div> #### Equipment You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background: - *(a)* a shortsword or *(b)* any simple weapon - *(a)* a dungeoneer's pack or *(b)* an explorer's pack - 10 barts ### Unarmored Defense Beginning at 1st level, while you are wearing no armor and not wielding a shield, your AC equals 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Wisdom modifier. \columnbreak ### **Power Over Precision** ***Replaces the Unarmored Defense feature*** **Beginning at 1st level, while you are wearing no armor and not wielding a shield, your AC equalts 10 + your Constitution modifier + your Wisdom modifier.** **Additionally you may change any feature that uses your Dexterity to instead use your Strength (except saving throws).** \pagebreakNum ### Martial Arts At 1st level, your practice of martial arts gives you mastery of combat styles that use unarmed strikes and monk weapons, which are shortswords and any simple melee weapons that don't have the two-handed or heavy property. You gain the following benefits while you are unarmed or wielding only monk weapons and you aren't wearing armor, wielding a shield, **wielding a weapon with the *heavy* or *special* properties, or using the Blade Song** feature: * You can use Dexterity instead of Strength for **athletics checks, and** the attack and damage rolls of your unarmed strikes and monk weapons. * You can roll a d4 in place of the normal damage of your unarmed strike or monk weapon. This die changes as you gain monk levels, as shown in the Martial Arts column of the Monk table. * **~~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. Certain monasteries use specialized forms of the monk weapons. For example, you might use a club that is two lengths of wood connected by a short chain (called a nunchaku) or a sickle with a shorter, straighter blade (called a kama). Whatever name you use for a monk weapon, you can use the game statistics provided for the weapon in chapter 5 of the *Player's Handbook*. #### Monk Weapons You have practiced your martial arts with weapons chosen specifically by you, learning how to fight with them as a monk weapon. You can choose a number of weapons equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of 1). You gain proficiency with that weapon and treat it as a monk weapon so long as it meets the following criteria: * The weapon must be a simple or martial weapon. * The weapon must lack these properties: *heavy* or *special*. \columnbreak ### Ki Starting at 2nd level, your training allows you to harness the mystic energy of ki. Your access to this energy is represented by a number of ki points. Your monk level determines the number of points you have, as shown in the Ki Points column of the Monk table. **In addition to the number shown in the Ki Points column, you gain an additional number of Ki Points equal to your proficiency bonus.** You can spend these points to fuel various ki features. You start knowing three such features: Flurry of Blows, Patient Defense, and Step of the Wind. You learn more ki features as you gain levels in this class. When you spend a ki point, it is unavailable until you finish a short or long rest, at the end of which you draw all of your expended ki back into yourself. You must spend at least 30 minutes of the rest meditating to regain your ki points. Some of your ki features require your target to make a saving throw to resist the feature’s effects. The saving throw DC is calculated as follows: **Ki save DC** - 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier ##### Distant Eye When you make a ranged weapon attack, you can spend 1 ki point to prevent attacking at long range from imposing disadvantage on your attack rolls until the end of the current turn. ##### Flurry of Blows **~~Immediately after you take the Attack action on your turn,~~** you can spend 1 ki point to make two unarmed strikes as a bonus action. ##### Patient Defense You can spend 1 ki point to take the Dodge action as a bonus action on your turn. ##### Step of the Wind You can spend 1 ki point to take the Disengage or Dash action as a bonus action on your turn, and your jump distance is doubled for the turn. \pagebreakNum ### Unarmored Movement Starting at 2nd level, your speed increases by 10 feet while you are not wearing armor or wielding a shield. This bonus increases when you reach certain monk levels, as shown in the Monk table. At 9th level, you gain the ability to move along vertical surfaces and across liquids on your turn without falling during the move. ### Monastic Tradition When you reach 3rd level, you commit yourself to a monastic tradition: * Way of the Drunken Master * Way of the Four Elements * Way of the Kensei * Way of the Long Death * Way of the Open Hand * Way of Shadow * Way of the Sun Soul All of these are detailed at the end of the class description. Your tradition grants you features at 3rd level and again at 6th, 11th, and 17th level. ### Deflect **~~Missiles~~ Attacks** Starting at 3rd level, you can use your reaction to deflect or catch the **~~missile~~ a strike** when you are hit by a **~~ranged~~** weapon attack. When you do so, the damage you take from the attack is reduced by 1d10 + your Dexterity modifier + your monk level. **If you reduce the damage of a melee attack to 0, as part of the same reaction you can spend 1 ki point to make an unarmed attack against the creature if it's within range.** If you reduce the damage **of a ranged attack** to 0, you can catch the missile if it is small enough for you to hold in one hand and you have at least one hand free. If you catch a missile in this way, you can spend 1 ki point to make a ranged attack with the weapon or piece of ammunition you just caught, as part of the same reaction. You make this attack with proficiency, regardless of your weapon proficiencies, and the missile counts as a monk weapon for the attack. **At level 8, you can use your reaction to deflect an attack and to put yourself in a defensive stance. In this stance, you can deflect an additional attack as noted above. This stance lasts until the beginning of your next turn. At level 13 you can deflect two additional attacks, bringing the total you can deflect to three.** ### **Robust Body** **Starting at 3rd level, you're awareness of the energies that permeate your body grant you a resilience to natural afflictions, contagions, and toxicants. You have advantage on saving throws against poison and disease and resistance to poison damage.** \columnbreak ### Ability Score Improvement / Feat When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, **10th**, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature. Alternatively, you can chose to take a Feat from one of the options found [here](https://www.gmbinder.com/share/-LMhPMjnL5LIDK4kuOSw). ### Proficiency Versatility Whenever you gain the Ability Score Improvement feature from your class, you can also replace one of your skill proficiencies with a skill proficiency offered by your class at 1st level (the proficiency you replace needn’t be from the class). This change represents one of your skills atrophying as you focus on a different skill ### Slow Fall Beginning at 4th level, you can use your reaction when you fall to reduce any falling damage you take by an amount equal to five times your monk level. ### Quickened Healing **~~As an action, you can spend 2 ki points and roll a Martial Arts die. You regain a number of hit points equal to the number rolled plus your proficiency bonus.~~ Starting at 4th level When you regain hit points, you add your Wisdom modifier to the total amount, up to your hit point maximum.** ### Extra Attack Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn. ### Stunning Strike Starting at 5th level, you can interfere with the flow of ki in an opponent’s body. When you hit another creature with a melee weapon attack, you can spend 1 ki point to attempt a stunning strike. The target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or be stunned until the end of your next turn. **You can use this feature once per turn.** ### **Slowing Strike** ***Replaces the Stunning Strike feature*** **When you hit another creature with a melee weapon attack, you can spend 1 ki point to attempt a slowing strike. The target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or be subjected to the effects of the *Slow* spell until the end of your next turn. You do not need to concentrate on this effect.** ### Ki-Empowered Strikes Starting at 6th level, your unarmed strikes count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage. \pagebreakNum ### Evasion At 7th level, your instinctive agility lets you dodge out of the way of certain area effects, such as a blue dragon’s lightning breath or a *Fireball* spell. When you are subjected to an effect that allows you to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, you instead take no damage if you succeed on the saving throw, and only half damage if you fail. ### Stillness of Mind Starting at 7th level, you can use your action to end one effect on yourself that is causing you to be charmed or frightened. **You can chose to use this action even if the conditions of the charm or frightened condition would otherwise prevent you from doing so, such as a Harpy's *Luring Song* action which also applies the *incapacitated* condition or a Cambion's *Fiendish Charm* action which allows the Cambion to control the target's actions.** ### Purity of Body At 10th level, your mastery of the ki flowing through you makes you immune to disease and poison. ### **Improved Monk Weapon** **At 11th level, if your martial arts monk weapon is magical, your ki becomes infused with the weapon's magic.** **Your unarmed strikes deal any extra damage that your monk weapon has, as well as gains any of its magical properties. For example, if you had a +1 longsword that dealt an extra 1d6 fire damage and had a chance to knock a creature prone on a hit, your unarmed strikes would act as a +1 weapon, deal an additional 1d6 fire damage, and have a chance to knock the target prone.** **If the monk weapon has charges, you can use a charge from the weapon when you use an unarmed attack, deducting the charge from the weapons pool, which remains otherwise unchanged by the extension of its effects to your unarmed strikes.** ### Tongue of the Sun and Moon Starting at 13th level, you learn to touch the ki of other minds so that you understand all spoken languages. Moreover, any creature that can understand a language can understand what you say. ### Diamond Soul Beginning at 14th level, your mastery of ki grants you proficiency in all saving throws. Additionally, whenever you make a saving throw and fail, you can spend 1 ki point to reroll it and take the second result. ### **Perfect Self** **At 15th level, when you roll for initiative and have no ki points remaining, you regain 4 ki points.** \columnbreak ### Timeless Body At 15th level, your ki sustains you so that you suffer none of the frailty of old age, and you can't be aged magically. You can still die of old age, however. In addition, you no longer need food or water. ### Empty Body Beginning at 18th level, you can use your action to spend 4 ki points to become invisible for 1 minute. During that time, you also have resistance to all damage but force damage. Additionally, you can spend 8 ki points to cast the *Astral Projection* spell, without needing material components. When you do so, you can’t take any other creatures with you. ### **~~Perfect Self~~ Ki Master** **~~At 20th level, when you roll for initiative and have no ki points remaining, you regain 4 ki points.~~** **At 20th level, your mastery of ki lets you perform basic techniques effortlessly. Your *Distant Eye*, *Flurry of Blows*, *Patient Defense*, and *Step of the Wind* abilities now cost zero ki to use.** **Additionally, your Dexterity or Strength and Wisdom scores increase by 4. Your maximum for those scores is now 24.** \pagebreakNum ## Monastic Traditions Three traditions of monastic pursuit are common in the monasteries scattered across the multiverse. Most monasteries practice one tradition exclusively, but a few honor the three traditions and instruct each monk according to his or her aptitude and interest. All three traditions rely on the same basic techniques, diverging as the student grows more adept. Thus, a monk need choose a tradition only upon reaching 3rd level. \columnbreak ### Way of the Drunken Master The Way of the Drunken Master teaches its students to move with the jerky, unpredictable movements of a drunkard. A drunken master sways, tottering on unsteady feet, to present what seems like an incompetent combatant who proves frustrating to engage. The drunken master’s erratic stumbles conceal a carefully executed dance of blocks, parries, advances, attacks, and retreats. A drunken master often enjoys playing the fool to bring gladness to the despondent or to demonstrate humility to the arrogant, but when battle is joined, the drunken master can be a maddening, masterful foe. ##### Way of the Drunken Master features | Monk Level | Feature | |:---:|:-----------| | 3rd | Bonus Proficiencies, Drunken Technique | | 6th | Tipsy Sway | | 11th | Drunkard's Luck | | 17th | Intoxicated Frenzy | #### Bonus Proficiencies When you choose this tradition at 3rd level, you gain proficiency in the Performance skill if you don't already have it. Your martial arts technique mixes combat training with the precision of a dancer and the antics of a jester. You also gain proficiency with brewer’s supplies if you don't already have it. #### Drunken Technique At 3rd level, you learn how to twist and turn quickly as part of your Flurry of Blows. Whenever you use Flurry of Blows, you gain the benefit of the Disengage action, and your walking speed increases by 10 feet until the end of the current turn. #### Tipsy Sway Starting at 6th level, you can move in sudden, swaying ways. You gain the following benefits. **Leap to Your Feet.** When you're prone, you can stand up by spending 5 feet of movement, rather than half your speed. **Redirect Attack.** When a creature misses you with a melee attack roll, you can spend 1 ki point as a reaction to cause that attack to hit one creature of your choice, other than the attacker, that you can see within 5 feet of you. #### Drunkard's Luck Starting at llth level, you always seem to get a lucky bounce at the right moment. When you make an ability check, an attack roll, or a saving throw and have disadvantage on the roll, you can spend 2 ki points to cancel the disadvantage for that roll. #### Intoxicated Frenzy At 17th level, you gain the ability to make an overwhelming number of attacks against a group of enemies. When you use your Flurry of Blows, you can make up to three additional attacks with it (up to a total of five Flurry of Blows attacks), provided that each Flurry of Blows attack targets a different creature this turn. \pagebreakNum ### Way of the Four Elements You follow a monastic tradition that teaches you to harness the elements. When you focus your ki, you can align yourself with the forces of creation and bend the four elements to your will, using them as an extension of your body. Some members of this tradition dedicate themselves to a single element, but others weave the elements together. Many monks of this tradition tattoo their bodies with representations of their ki powers, commonly imagined as coiling dragons, but also as phoenixes, fish, plants, mountains, and cresting waves. ##### Way of the Four Elements features | Monk Level | Feature | |:---:|:-----------| | 3rd | Initiate of the Way, Disciple of the Elements, Spellcasting | | 6th | Disciple of the Elements improvement | | 11th | Disciple of the Elements improvement | | 17th | Disciple of the Elements improvement | #### Initiate of the Way When you choose this tradition at 3rd level, you learn how to manipulate the four elements in subtle ways. You learn two of the following cantrips: *Control Flames*, *Gust*, *Mold Earth*, or *Shape Water*. You learn an additional cantrip from this list at 6th level and at 11th level. #### Disciple of the Elements At 3rd level, you learn magical disciplines that harness the power of the four elements. Some disciplines require you to spend ki points when you use them. You learn two elemental disciplines of your choice, which are detailed in the elemental disciplines sections below. You learn two additional elemental disciplines of your choice at 6th, 11th, and 17th level. Whenever you learn a new elemental discipline, you can also replace one elemental discipline that you already know with a different discipline. #### Spellcasting Your knowledge and training with the four elements grants you a a fundamental control of fire, earth, water, and air. See chapter 10 of the Player’s Handbook for the general rules of spellcasting and the end of this subclass feature list for the monk spell list. \columnbreak #### Preparing and Casting Spells To cast a spell you must expend a number of ki points equal to the spells level. You prepare a number of spells equal to your Wisdom Modifier plus your Monk level (minimum of one spell) when you first gain this feature. At the end of each long rest you can change out one spell you have prepared with another spell you are able to cast. You gain access to higher level spells at specific monk levels; second level spells at 6th level, third level spells at 10th level, fourth level spells at 14th level, and fifth level spells at 17th level. You can cast a spell you know at a higher level by expending additional ki points equal to the level increase, so long as you can cast a spell of the desired level. When you cast a spell that targets a willing target, you can only target yourself. #### Spellcasting Ability Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for your monk spells, since your magic draws from your training and discipline. You use your Wisdom whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Wisdom modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a monk spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one. **Spell save DC** = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier **Spell attack modifier** = your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier #### Spellcasting Focus You can use your physical body as a spellcasting focus for your monk spells. Additionally you ignore Verbal components and Material components that have a monetary cost or are consumed for monk spells you cast. #### 3rd Level Elemental Disciplines Starting at 3rd level, you can learn the following disciplines: **Effortless Step.** The air around you works in unison with your movements, rising you up as you jump. Your jump height and distance are doubled (quadrupled with Step of the Wind) and you gain advantage on Strength (Athletics) checks related to jumping. **Enduring Mountain Stance.** Your body and mind becomes as rigid and unyielding as the ground below you. Your ki roots your feet into the ground and you become immovable. When you use the Dodge action, you cannot be moved, pushed, grappled, frightened, or knocked prone against your will until the start of your next turn, even if magically compelled to do so. You must be standing on the ground to use this ability. **Fangs of the Fire Snake.** Your arms and legs become enveloped in roaring gouts of flame. When you make an unarmed attack on your turn, you can choose to strike out tendrils of flames which stretch out beyond your normal reach. Your reach increases by 5 feet for that attack, and it deals fire damage instead of bludgeoning damage. If the attack hits you can spend 1 ki point to deal an extra 1d10 fire damage. \pagebreakNum **Fist of Unbroken Air.** You summon a swirling wind and concentrate it around your fist. When you make an unarmed attack on your turn, you can choose to strike out condensed bursts of air which stretch out beyond your normal reach. Your reach increases by 10 feet for that attack. If the attack hits you can spend 1 ki point to force the target to make a Strength saving throw or be pushed back 10 feet and be knocked prone. **Golden Snake’s Icy Path.** Whenever you take the Dash action, until the end of your turn for any movement you make along a surface you can leave a trail of slippery ice. This ice counts as difficult terrain and lasts until the start of your next turn. **Water Whip.** You summon a long, rubbery whip of pure water that you grip by one end. You can spend 1 ki point as a bonus action to create a whip of water that shoves and pulls a creature to unbalance it. A creature that you can see that is within 30 feet of you must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, the creature takes bludgeoning damage equal to your Martial Arts die + your Wisdom modifier, plus an extra 1d10 bludgeoning damage for each additional ki point you spend, and you can either knock it prone or pull it up to 25 feet closer to you. On a successful save, the creature takes half as much damage, and you don't pull it or knock it prone. You can’t use Water Whip and cast a spell during the same turn. #### 6th Level Elemental Disciplines Starting at 6th level, you can learn the following disciplines: **A Leaf on the Wind.** A powerful wind rises up to catch you as you fall. Your Slow Fall ability no longer requires a reaction to use, and instead you may use it automatically whenever you are conscious and not incapacitated, and it negates all falling damage regardless of distance. When you use the Slow Fall ability, you may also glide along the air to move 5 feet in any horizontal direction for every 5 feet that you fall. **Impenetrable Iron Tortoise Shell.** You summon an earthen barrier to defend yourself or an ally. As a reaction, you may spend 2 ki points to use your Deflect Missiles ability against an attack you can see within 30 feet of you. Any damage not prevented by this ability is taken by the original target of the attack. If you reduce the damage to 0, you can’t make an attack with it. **Patient Badger Listens.** You reach out with your ki to the ground beneath you. You can spend 2 ki points as a bonus action to gain *tremorsense* with a range of 30 feet and a burrow speed equal to half of your walking speed for up to 1 minute. Your movement leaves behind a tunnel that remains for as long as this ability is active, and then collapses. **Water Jet.** You can spend 2 ki points as an action to unleash a jet of water in a line that is 30 feet long and 5 feet wide. Each creature in the line must make a Strength saving throw, taking bludgeoning damage equal to your Martial Arts die + your Wisdom modifier on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. In addition, you can move each target that fails its saving throw to any unoccupied space touching the line. \columnbreak #### 11th Level Elemental Disciplines Starting at 11th level, you can learn the following disciplines: **One with the Tides.** You reach out with your ki and become one with water. You spend 2 ki points as an action to gain underwater adaptations for 8 hours. While this ability is active, you can breath normally underwater, you gain a swim speed equal to your walking speed, and you gain *blindsight* with a radius of 60 feet while underwater. **Spellfist Stance.** You effortlessly flow between martial and elemental assault. When you use your action to use an elemental discipline, you can make one unarmed strike as a bonus action, or you can use your Flurry of Blows. #### 17th Level Elemental Disciplines Starting at 17th level, you can learn the following disciplines: **Avatar of the Elements.** As an ultimate display of your mastery of the elements, you can spend 5 ki as an action to have the elements of earth, fire, air, and water form a protective sphere around your body, gaining multiple benefits for 1 minute. While this ability is active, you have resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, slashing, cold, fire, lightning, and thunder damage. You also gain a burrow, fly, and swim speed equal to your movement speed. Lastly, you can use any of the following abilities as a bonus action: * You create a small earthquake on the ground in a 15-foot radius around you. Each creature in that area must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, a creature takes 1d6 bludgeoning damage and is knocked prone. * You create a line of fire 15 feet long and 5 feet wide extending from you in a direction you choose. Each creature in the line must make a Dexterity saving throw. A creature takes 3d6 fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. * You create a 15-foot cube of swirling wind centered on a point you can see within 60 feet of you. Each creature in that area must make a Constitution saving throw. A creature takes 1d10 bludgeoning damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. If a Large or smaller creature fails the save, that creature is also pushed up to 10 feet away from the center of the cube. * You create a 15-foot cone of ice shards extending from your outstretched hand in a direction you choose. Each creature in the cone must make a Constitution save throw. A creature takes 2d6 cold damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. A creature that fails its save against this effect has its speed halved until the start of your next turn. **Eyes of Fire.** Your foes may try to hide in darkness, but their ki lights up like a torch to you. You may cast see invisibility without expending any ki. In addition, while under the effects of see invisibility, you may spend 2 ki points as a bonus action to gain *truesight* until the end of your next turn. \pagebreakNum ## Four Elements Spell List <div class='spellList'> ##### 1st Level - Absorb Elements - ***Arctic Breath*** - Burning Hands - Catapult - ***Crashing Wave*** - Create or Destroy Water - Earth Tremor - Fog Cloud - Frost Fingers - Ice Knife - Longstrider - ***Permafrost*** - ***Stone Fist*** - ***Thunder Punch*** - Thunderwave - ***Water Blast*** - Zephyr Strike \columnbreak ##### 2nd Level - **Aganazzar's Scorcher** - Air Bubble - ***Clutch of Ice*** - ***Cold Snap*** - ***Dancing Wave*** - Dust Devil - Flaming Sphere - Gust of Wind - Hold Person - Levitate - Maximilian's Earthen Grasp - Pyrotechnics - Rime's Binding Ice - Scorching Ray - Shatter - ***Skyward Rise*** - Skywrite - **Snilloc's Snowball Swarm** - Warding Wind \columnbreak ##### 3rd Level - Ashardalon's Stride - Elemental Weapon - Erupting Earth - Fireball - ***Flash Freeze*** - Fly - Gaseous Form - Lightning Bolt - Melf's Minute Meteors - Sleet Storm - ***Thunder Pulse*** - Tidal Wave - Wall of Sand - Wall of Water - ***Water Cannon*** - Wind Wall \columnbreak ##### 4th Level - Control Water - ***Echoing Lance*** - Fire Shield - ***Geyser*** - ***Ice Spikes*** - Ice Storm - ***Orbital Stones*** - Stone Shape - Storm Sphere - Stoneskin - Wall of Fire - Watery Sphere ##### 5th Level - Cone of Cold - Control Winds - ***Fissure*** - Immolation - Maelstrom - ***Pressure Cutter*** - ***Sonic Shriek*** - Transmute Rock - Wall of Stone </div> Spells that are **bold** are official spells that have been modified in some way. Spells that are ***bold and italicized*** are third party or homebrew spells that can be found in the [Homebrew and Modified Spell Compendium](https://www.gmbinder.com/share/-LazgUw7Wj2qLPLphDWo) document. \pagebreakNum ### Way of the Kensei Monks of the Way of the Kensei train relentlessly with their weapons, to the point where the weapon becomes an extension of the body. Founded on a mastery of sword fighting, the tradition has expanded to include many different weapons. A kensei sees a weapon in much the same way a calligrapher or painter regards a pen or brush. Whatever the weapon, the kensei views it as a tool used to express the beauty and precision of the martial arts. That such mastery makes a kensei a peerless warrior is but a side effect of intense devotion, practice, and study. ##### Way of the Kensei features | Monk Level | Feature | |:---:|:-----------| | 3rd | Path of the Kensei (2 weapons) | | 6th | One with the Blade, Path of the Kensei (3) | | 11th | Sharpen the Blade, Path of the Kensei (4) | | 17th | Unerring Accuracy, Path of the Kensei (5) | #### Path of the Kensei When you choose this tradition at 3rd level, your special martial arts training leads you to master the use of certain weapons. This path also includes instruction in the deft strokes of calligraphy or painting. You gain the following benefits. **Kensei Weapons.** Choose two types of weapons to be your kensei weapons: one melee weapon and one ranged weapon. Each of these weapons can be any simple or martial weapon that lacks the heavy and special properties. The longbow is also a valid choice. You gain proficiency with these weapons if you don't already have it. Weapons of the chosen types are monk weapons for you. Many of this tradition’s features work only with your kensei weapons. When you reach 6th, 11th, and 17th level in this class. you can choose another type of weapon — either melee or ranged — to be a kensei weapon for you. following the criteria above. **Agile Parry.** If you make an unarmed strike as part of the Attack action on your turn and are holding a kensei weapon, you can use it to defend yourself if it is a melee weapon. You gain a +2 bonus to AC until the start of your next turn, while the weapon is in your hand and you aren't incapacitated. **Kensei's Shot.** You can use a bonus action on your turn to make your ranged attacks with a kensei weapon more deadly. When you do so, any target you hit with a ranged attack using a kensei weapon takes an extra 1d4 damage of the weapons type. You retain this benefit until the end of the current turn. **Way of the Brush.** You gain proficiency with your choice of calligrapher's supplies or painter's supplies. \columnbreak #### One with the Blade At 6th level, you extend your ki into your kensei weapons, granting you the following benefits: **Magic Kensei Weapons.** Your attacks with your kensei weapons count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage. **Deft Strike.** When you hit a target with a kensei weapon, you can spend 1 ki point to cause the weapon to deal extra damage to the target equal to your Martial Arts die. You can use this feature only once on each of your turns. #### Sharpen the Blade At 11th level, you gain the ability to augment your weapons further with your ki. As a bonus action, you can expend up to 3 ki points to grant one kensei weapon you touch a bonus to attack and damage rolls when you attack with it. The bonus equals the number of ki points you spent. This bonus lasts for 1 minute or until you use this feature again. This feature has no effect on a magic weapon that already has a bonus to attack and damage rolls. #### Unerring Accuracy At 17th level, your mastery of weapons grants you extraordinary accuracy. If you miss with an attack roll using a monk weapon on your turn, you can reroll it. You can use this feature only once on each of your turns. \pagebreakNum ### Way of the Long Death Monks of the Way of the Long Death are obsessed with the meaning and mechanics of dying. They capture creatures and prepare elaborate experiments to capture, record, and understand the moments of their demise. They then use this knowledge to guide their understanding of martial arts, yielding a deadly fighting style. ##### Way of the Long Death features | Monk Level | Feature | |:---:|:-----------| | 3rd | Touch of Death | | 6th | Hour of Reaping | | 11th | Mastery of Death | | 17th | Touch of the Long Death | #### Touch of Death Starting when you choose this tradition at 3rd level, your study of death allows you to extract vitality from another creature as it nears its demise. When you reduce a creature within 5 feet of you to 0 hit points, you gain temporary hit points equal to your Wisdom modifier + your monk level (minimum of 1 temporary hit point). #### Hour of Reaping At 6th level, you gain the ability to unsettle or terrify those around you as an action, for your soul has been touched by the shadow of death. When you take this action, each creature within 30 feet of you that can see you must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or be frightened of you until the end of your next turn. #### Mastery of Death Beginning at 11th level, you use your familiarity with death to escape its grasp. When you are reduced to 0 hit points, you can expend 1 ki point (no action required) to have 1 hit point instead. #### Touch of the Long Death Starting at 17th level, your touch can channel the energy of death into a creature. As an action, you touch one creature within 5 feet of you, and you expend 1 to 10 ki points. The target must make a Constitution saving throw, and it takes 2d10 necrotic damage per ki point spent on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. \columnbreak ### Way of the Open Hand Monks of the Way of the Open Hand are the ultimate masters of martial arts combat, whether armed or unarmed. They learn techniques to push and trip their opponents, manipulate ki to heal damage to their bodies, and practice advanced meditation that can protect them from harm. ##### Way of the Open Hand features | Monk Level | Feature | |:---:|:-----------| | 3rd | Open Hand Technique | | 6th | Wholeness of Body | | 11th | Tranquility | | 17th | Quivering Palm | #### Open Hand Technique Starting when you choose this tradition at 3rd level, you can manipulate your enemy's ki when you harness your own. Whenever you hit a creature with one of the attacks granted by your Flurry of Blows, you can impose one of the following effects on that target: * It must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or be knocked prone. * It must make a Strength saving throw. If it fails, you can push it up to 15 feet away from you. * It can’t take reactions until the end of your next turn. #### Wholeness of Body At 6th level, you gain the ability to heal yourself. As an action, you can regain hit points equal to three times your monk level. You must finish a long rest before you can use this feature again. #### Tranquility Beginning at 11th level, you can enter a special meditation that surrounds you with an aura of peace. At the end of a long rest, you gain the effect of a *Sanctuary* spell that lasts until the start of your next long rest (the spell can end early as normal). The saving throw DC for the spell equals 8 + your Wisdom modifier + your proficiency bonus. #### Quivering Palm At 17th level, you gain the ability to set up lethal vibrations in someone’s body. When you hit a creature with an unarmed strike, you can spend 3 ki points to start these imperceptible vibrations, which last for a number of days equal to your monk level. The vibrations are harmless unless you use your action to end them. To do so, you and the target must be on the same plane of existence. When you use this action, the creature must make a Constitution saving throw. If it fails, it is reduced to 0 hit points. If it succeeds, it takes 10d10 necrotic damage. You can have only one creature under the effect o f this feature at a time. You can choose to end the vibrations harmlessly without using an action. \pagebreakNum ### Way of Shadow Monks of the Way of Shadow follow a tradition that values stealth and subterfuge. These monks might be called ninjas or shadowdancers, and they serve as spies and assassins. Sometimes the members of a ninja monastery are family members, forming a clan sworn to secrecy about their arts and missions. Other monasteries are more like thieves’ guilds, hiring out their services to nobles, rich merchants, or anyone else who can pay their fees. Regardless of their methods, the heads of these monasteries expect the unquestioning obedience of their students. ##### Way of the Shadow features | Monk Level | Feature | |:---:|:-----------| | 3rd | Shadow Arts | | 6th | Shadow Step | | 11th | Cloak of Shadows | | 17th | Opportunist | #### Shadow Arts Starting when you choose this tradition at 3rd level, you can use your ki to duplicate the effects of certain spells. As an action, you can spend 2 ki points to cast *Darkness*, *Darkvision*, *Pass Without Trace*, or *Silence*, without providing material components. Additionally, you gain the *Minor Illusion* cantrip if you don't already know it. #### Shadow Step At 6th level, you gain the ability to step from one shadow into another. When you are in dim light or darkness, as a bonus action you can teleport up to 60 feet to an unoccupied space you can see that is also in dim light or darkness. You then have advantage on the first melee attack you make before the end of the turn. #### Cloak of Shadows By 11th level, you have learned to become one with the shadows. When you are in an area of dim light or darkness, you can use your action to become invisible. You remain invisible until you make an attack, cast a spell, or are in an area of bright light. #### Opportunist At 17th level, you can exploit a creature's momentary distraction when it is hit by an attack. Whenever a creature within 5 feet of you is hit by an attack made by a creature other than you, you can use your reaction to make a melee attack against that creature. \pagebreakNum ### Way of the Sun Soul Monks of the Way of the Sun Soul learn to channel their life energy into searing bolts of light. They teach that meditation can unlock the ability to unleash the indomitable light shed by the soul of every living creature. ##### Way of the Sun Soul features | Monk Level | Feature | |:---:|:-----------| | 3rd | Radiant Sun Bolt | | 6th | Searing Arc Strike | | 11th | Searing Sunburst | | 17th | Sun Shield | #### Radiant Sun Bolt Starting when you Choose this tradition at 3rd level, you can hurl searing bolts of magical radiance. You gain a new attack option that you can use with the Attack action. This special attack is a ranged spell attack with a range of 30 feet. You are proficient with it, and you add your Dexterity modifier to its attack and damage rolls. Its damage is radiant, and its damage die is a d4. This die changes as you gain monk levels, as shown in the Martial Arts column of the Monk table. When you take the Attack action on your turn and use this special attack as part of it, you can. spend 1 ki point to make the special attack twice as a bonus action. When you gain the Extra Attack feature, this special attack can be used for any of the attacks you make as part of the Attack action. #### Searing Arc Strike At 6th level, you gain the ability to channel your ki into searing waves of energy. Immediately after you take the Attack action on your turn, you can spend 2 ki points to cast the *Burning Hands* spell as a bonus action. You can spend additional ki points to cast *Burning Hands* as a higher-level spell. Each additional ki point you spend increases the spell’s level by 1. The maximum number of ki points (2 plus any additional points) that you can spend on the spell equals half your monk level. #### Searing Sunburst At 11th level, you gain the ability to create an orb of light that erupts into a devastating explosion. As an action, you magically create an orb and hurl it at a point you choose within 150 feet, where it erupts into a sphere of radiant light for a brief but deadly instant. Each creature in that 20—foot-radius sphere must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or take 2d6 radiant damage. A creature doesn’t need to make the save if the creature is behind total cover that is opaque. You can increase the spheres damage by spending ki points. Each point you spend, to a maximum of 3, increases the damage by 2d6. \columnbreak #### Sun Shield At 17th level, you become wreathed in a luminous, magical aura. You shed bright light in a 30-foot radius and dim light for an additional 30 feet. You can extinguish or restore the light as a bonus action. If a creature hits you with a melee attack while this light shines, you can use your reaction to deal radiant damage to the creature. The radiant damage equals 5 + your Wisdom modifier. \pagebreakNum # Homebrew Changes ### Base Stats * Added Animal Handling as skill proficiency option ### Power Over Precision * Added **Power Over Precision** feature as optional replacement for **Unarmored Defense** to enable STR based monks ### Martial Arts * Added **Monk Weapons** feature from the Class Variants UA * Added ability to use Dexterity for Athletics checks * Removed requirement to use the Attack action in order to use the bonus action unarmed attack * Martial Arts dice increases to 1d8 at level 8, 1d10 at level 11, and 1d12 at level 17. * Limited Martial Arts to remove the ability to use it while wielding a weapon with the *Heavy* or *Special* property and while using the **Blade Song** feature ### Ki * Added **Ki-Fueled Strikes** feature from the Class Variants UA * Added *Distant Eye* from the Class Variants UA * Added additional Ki Points equal to proficiency bonus * Modified *Flurry of Blows* to not require using the Attack action ### Deflect **~~Missiles~~ Attacks** * Modified feature to affect melee or ranged attacks * In the case of melee attacks, allows monk to make an unarmed strike in retaliation * Added defensive stance trait, allowing monk to block 2 attacks at level 8 and 3 at level 13 ### Robust Body * Resistance to poison and advantage against poison and disease. ### ASI/Feat * Additional ASI/Feat at level 10 * Added the **Proficiency Versatility** from the [Class Features UA](https://media.wizards.com/2019/dnd/downloads/UA-ClassFeatures.pdf) ### Quickened Healing * Increases all healing received by an amount equal to the monk's Wisdom modifier \columnbreak ### Slowing Strike * Added **Slowing Strike** feature as an optional replacement for **Stunning Strike** ### Stunning Strike * Limited to one use per turn ### Stillness of Mind * Allows the monk to use the action if the conditions of the charm/frighten would otherwise prevent the use of actions or directly control the monks action ### Improved Monk Weapon * Duplicate effects of a magical monk weapon to the monks unarmed attacks ### Perfect Self * Perfect self feature moved from level 20 to level 15 ### Ki Master * Distant Eye, Flurry of Blows, Patient Defense, and Step of the Wind no longer cost Ki. * Barbarian-like ability score and ability score max increase for Dexterity and Wisdom ### Monastic Traditions #### Way of the Four Elements * The Way of the Four Elements has been modified to match the [Way of The Four Elements Remastered](https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B1pdYIcfHauwNDM2My1XeWFYSDA) PDF as a base structure. The spellcasting disciplines have been removed and instead the subclass has been given a modified prepared half caster spellcasting feature. * The spellcasting uses ki points and spell progression is slightly different from normal half caster due to starting at 3rd level rather than 2nd level. * Prepared spells are changed one per long rest rather than normal full change per long rest. **Many ideas stolen from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChGu-fvmV70**