Monk
Way of the Outcast [v1.2]
An Outcast is a monk that has lost their Way. Trained in the basics of the style, they have abandoned the rigorous discipline and philosophy of their tradition, and are usually now enrolled only in the school of hard knocks.
Having been trained in the fundamentals of the art of ki, these monks choose as often as not to apply that art to tavern brawls. Much to the horror of many more formal monks, their rough and tumble lifestyle tends to be a solid source of further training.
With great power comes great responsibility? These monks are going to stick with just the great power, thank you very much. Almost always Chaotic, they can range the spectrum from Good to Evil and everything in between just as easily. A distaste for the rigorous philosophy of an order does not mean a penchant for Evil, but Evil and vice can sometimes lead a monk down this road.
Way of the Outcast Features
| Monk Level | Feature |
|---|---|
| 3rd | Bonus Proficiencies, Pragmatism |
| 6th | Soak it Up |
| 11th | Where it Hurts |
| 17th | Lean Into It |
Off the Wagon
Meditating to regain your ki points can now include things such as playing cards, drinking ale, smoking leafy matter of various types, or other relaxing activities that reset the stress of all that punching.
Bonus Proficiencies
At 3rd level, you gain proficiency in the Athletics skill, or another skill of your choice if you already have it.
Pragmatism
At 3rd level, you embrace a more pragmatic view, gaining the following benefits:
- You have proficiency in improvised weapons. Improvised melee weapons count as Monk weapons for you.
- You gain proficiency in light armor and medium armor, and gain the benefits of Martial Arts and Unarmored Movement while wearing it.
- You can use your Strength modifier in place of your Wisdom modifier for calculating your ki save DC.
You gain the following additional Pragmatic Techniques you can spend ki on.
Kick 'em While They're Down (1 Ki). When you hit a target that is prone, restrained, or incapacitated, you can expend a Ki point to deal additional damage equal to two rolls of your Martial Arts die.
Unexpected Technique (1 Ki). When you make a grapple check, you can expend a ki point to add your Martial Arts die to the roll. You can do this after the contested roll, and it can potentially turn a failure into a success. On success, the target takes damage equal to the amount rolled on the added die.
Soak it Up
At 6th level, your extensive training in the art of getting hit with bar stools and broken bottles grants you increased endurance. When you roll initiative you gain temporary hit points equal to your Constitution modifier + your proficiency bonus. These temporary hit points are refreshed any time you take the Dodge action.
Where it Hurts
At 11th level, when you use Stunning Strike on a critical hit or on an attack made against an enemy that was unaware of you, the target has disadvantage on their saving throw against being stunned.
Lean Into It
At 17th level, you have thrown your fair share of walloping hits, and know how to make them reliably. You can forgo adding your proficiency bonus to an attack roll with an unarmed strike or melee monk weapon. When you do so, you can add twice your proficiency bonus to the damage roll.
How Outcasts Come to Be
How a monk becomes an Outcast can vary - maybe they only ever received incomplete training from a passing mentor that died or left, or maybe they were outright expelled from their Order. Alternatively, at your DMs discretion this could be a later in life development if a player becomes disenchanted with their Monastic Tradition.
Way of the Outcast Quirks
The following are some optional quirks for a player of this Way to choose from - these can be either preexisting, signaling their fated path toward this Way, or appear after you commit yourself to this Way.
| d6 | Quirk |
|---|---|
| 1 | You view the belch as a harmonic art form. |
| 2 | You call your scars the marks of your monastic order. |
| 3 | You feel you can only reach your full power after issuing a one-liner. |
| 4 | Occasionally you accidentally achieve enlightenment and have to drown it out with ale. Old habits die hard. |
| 5 | You refer to taverns as temples to your god. |
| 6 | You prefer not to hit someone with the same thing twice. That would allow them to get used to it. |
Change Log
- Gives proficiency in Light and Medium armor now, removes the more complicated Light Armor calculation.
- Can use Strength for their Ki Save DC (makes Strength no more MAD than Dexterity, and slightly favored since it shares a main attack stat).
- No longer deals automatic bonus damage to prone targets.
- Gained two new uses for Ki.
- Buffed Soak it Up considerably.
Credits
- Subclass created by KibblesTasty
- Editing by Gabriel Russell
- Art: Forrest Imel (Licensed Stock Art)
License
5e SRD Content
This work includes material taken from the System Reference Document 5.1 (“SRD 5.1”) by Wizards of the Coast LLC and available at:
https://dnd.wizards.com/resources/systems-reference-document
The SRD 5.1 is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License available at:
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