The Monk (por)
The Monk
| Level | Proficiency Bonus | Features | Martial Arts | Ki Points | Unarmored Movement |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | +2 | Unarmored Defense, Martial Arts | 1d4 | ─ | ─ |
| 2nd | +2 | Ki, Unarmored Movement | 1d4 | 2 | +10 ft. |
| 3rd | +2 | Monastic Tradition, Deflect Missiles | 1d4 | 3 | +10 ft. |
| 4th | +2 | Ability Score Improvement, Slow Fall | 1d4 | 4 | +10 ft. |
| 5th | +3 | Extra Attack, Stunning Strike | 1d6 | 5 | +10 ft. |
| 6th | +3 | Ki-Empowered Strikes, Monastic Tradition feature | 1d6 | 6 | +15 ft. |
| 7th | +3 | Evasion, Stillness of Mind | 1d6 | 7 | +15 ft. |
| 8th | +3 | Ability Score Improvement | 1d6 | 8 | +15 ft. |
| 9th | +4 | Unarmored Movement improvement | 1d6 | 9 | +15 ft. |
| 10th | +4 | Purity of Body, Ability Score Improvement | 1d6 | 10 | +20 ft. |
| 11th | +4 | Monastic Tradition feature, Improved Deflect Missiles | 1d8 | 11 | +20 ft. |
| 12th | +4 | Ability Score Improvement | 1d8 | 12 | +20 ft. |
| 13th | +5 | Tongue of the Sun and Moon | 1d8 | 13 | +20 ft. |
| 14th | +5 | Diamond Soul | 1d8 | 14 | +25 ft. |
| 15th | +5 | Timeless Body | 1d8 | 15 | +25 ft. |
| 16th | +5 | Ability Score Improvement | 1d8 | 16 | +25 ft. |
| 17th | +6 | Monastic Tradition feature | 1d10 | 17 | +25 ft. |
| 18th | +6 | Empty Body | 1d10 | 18 | +30 ft. |
| 19th | +6 | Double Ability Score Improvement | 1d10 | 19 | +30 ft. |
| 20th | +6 | Perfect Self | 1d12 | 20 | +30 ft. |
Monk
Class Features
As a monk, you gain the following class features.
Hit Points
- Hit Dice: 1d10 per monk level
- Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + your Constitution modifier
- Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + your Constitution modifier per monk level after 1st
Proficiencies
- Armor: None
- Weapons: Simple weapons, shortswords
- Tools: Choose one type of artisan's tools or one musical instrument
- Saving Throws: Strength, Dexterity
- Skills: Choose two from Acrobatics, Athletics, History, Insight, Religion, and Stealth
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 darts
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.
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 or wielding a shield:
- You can use Dexterity instead of Strength for 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.
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.
You can spend these points to fuel various ki features. You start knowing two such features: Flurry of Blows and Patient Defense. 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
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.
Unarmored Movement
Starting at 2nd level, while you are not wearing armor or wielding a shield, your speed increases by 10 feet.
This bonus increases when you reach certain monk levels, as shown in the Monk table. While unarmored, you also gain the ability to take the Disengage or Dash action as a bonus action. When you do so, you may use your Wisdom score in place of your Strength score for the purposes of determining how far you can jump, and your jump distance is doubled.
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: the Way of the Open Hand, the Way of Shadow, or the Way of the Four Elements, all detailed at the end of the class description, or one from another source. Your tradition grants you features at 3rd level and again at 6th, 11th, and 17th level.
Deflect Missiles
Starting at 3rd level, you can use your reaction to deflect or catch the missile when you are hit by a ranged weapon attack. When you do, the damage you take from the attack is reduced by 1d10 + your Dexterity modifier + your monk level.
If you reduce the damage 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 a range of 20/60 using 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.
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 10th, 12th, and 16th level, and twice at 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.
Using the optional feats rule, you can forgo taking this feature to take a feat of your choice instead.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Purity of Body
At 10th level, your mastery of the ki flowing through you makes you immune to disease and poison.
Improved Deflect missiles
Beginning at 11th level, you may now use your Deflect Missiles feature to deflect and throw back ranged spell attacks. In addition, the range of the attack you can make as part of this reaction increase to 30/120.
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.
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
At 20th level, at the start of each of your turns, you regain 3 ki points if you have fewer than 10 ki points left.
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.
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.
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 of this feature at a time. You can choose to end the vibrations harmlessly without using an action.
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.
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.
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.
Disciple of the Elements
When you choose this tradition at 3rd level, you learn magical disciplines that harness the power of the four elements. Most disciplines require you to spend ki points each time you use them.
You know the Elemental Attunement discipline and three other elemental disciplines of your choice. 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.
Casting Elemental Spells. Some elemental disciplines allow you to cast spells. See chapter 10 for the general rules of spellcasting. To cast one of these spells, you use its casting time and other rules, but you don't need to provide material components for it.
Once you reach 5th level in this class, you can spend additional ki points to increase the level of an elemental discipline spell that you cast, provided that the spell has an enhanced effect at a higher level, as burning hands does. The spell's level increases by 1 for each additional ki point you spend. For example, if you are a 5th-level monk and use Sweeping Cinder Strike to cast burning hands, you can spend 3 ki points to cast it as a 2nd-level spell (the discipline's base cost of 2 ki points plus 1).
The maximum number of ki points you can spend to cast a spell in this way (including its base ki point cost and any additional ki points you spend to increase its level) is determined by your monk level, as shown in the Spells and Ki Points table.
Spells and Ki Points
| Monk Levels | Maximum Ki Points for a Spell |
|---|---|
| 5th─8th | 3 |
| 9th─12th | 4 |
| 13th─16th | 5 |
| 17th─20th | 6 |
Elemental Disciplines
Breath of Winter (17th Level Required). You can spend 5 ki points to cast cone of cold.
Clench of the North Wind (6th Level Required). You can spend 2 ki points to cast hold person.
Darts of the Phoenix (6th Level Required). You can spend 2 ki points to cast scorching ray.
Elemental Attunement. You can use your action to briefly control elemental forces within 30 feet of you, causing one of the following effects of your choice:
- Create a harmless, instantaneous sensory effect related to air, earth, fire, or water such as a shower of sparks, a puff of wind, a spray of light mist, or a gentle rumbling of stone.
- Instantaneously light or snuff out a candle, a torch, or a small campfire.
- Chill or warm up to 1 pound of nonliving material for up to 1 hour.
- Cause earth, fire, water, or mist that can fit within a 1-foot cube to shape itself into a crude form you designate for 1 minute.
Eternal Mountain Defense (17th Level Required). You can spend 4 ki points to cast stoneskin.
Fangs of the Fire Snake. When you use the Attack action on your turn, you can spend 1 ki point to cause tendrils of flame to stretch out from your fists and feet. Your reach with your unarmed strikes increases by 10 feet for that action, as well as the rest of the turn. A hit with such an attack deals fire damage instead of bludgeoning damage, and if you spend 1 ki point when the attack hits, it also deals an extra 1d10 fire damage.
Fist of Four Thunders. You can spend 1 ki point to cast thunderwave.
Fist of Unbroken Air. You can create a blast of compressed air that strikes like a mighty fist. As an action, you can spend 2 ki points and choose a creature within 30 feet of you. That creature must make a Strength saving throw. On a failed save, the creature takes 3d10 bludgeoning damage, plus an extra 1d10 bludgeoning damage for each additional ki point you spend, and you can push the creature up to 20 feet away from you and knock it prone. On a successful save, the creature takes half as much damage, and you don't push it or knock it prone.
Flames of the Phoenix (11th Level Required). You can spend 3 ki points to cast fireball.
Gong of the Summit (6th Level Required). You can spend 2 ki points to cast shatter.
Guise of the Mountain (11th Level Required). You can spend 3 ki points to cast meld into stone.
Healing Water (6th Level Required). You can spend 2 ki points to cast lesser restoration.
Infusion of Air (17th Level Required). You can spend 4 ki points to cast freedom of movement.
Mist Stance (11th Level Required). You can spend 3 ki points to cast gaseous form, targeting yourself.
Mote of Flame. As an action, you can cast produce flame.
Ride the Wind (11th Level Required). You can spend 3 ki points to cast fly, targeting yourself.
River of Hungry Flame (17th Level Required). You can spend 4 ki points to cast wall of fire.
Rush of the Gale Spirits. You can spend 1 ki point to cast gust of wind.
Sculptor of Land. As an action, you can cast mold earth.
Shape the Flowing River. As an action, you can spend 1 ki point to choose an area of ice or water no larger than 30 feet on a side within 120 feet of you. You can change water to ice within the area and vice versa, and you can reshape ice in the area in any manner you choose. You can raise or lower the ice's elevation, create or fill in a trench, erect or flatten a wall, or form a pillar. The extent of any such changes can't exceed half the area's largest dimension. For example, if you affect a 30-foot square, you can create a pillar up to 15 feet high, raise or lower the square's elevation by up to 15 feet, dig a trench up to 15 feet deep, and so on. You can't shape the ice to trap or injure a creature in the area.
Shroud of Mist. You can spend 1 ki point to cast fog cloud.
Sweeping Cinder Strike. You can spend 1 ki point to cast burning hands.
Upheaval of Earth. You can spend 1 ki point to cast earth tremor.
Water Whip. You can spend 2 ki points as an 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 3d10 bludgeoning damage, 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.
Wave of Rolling Earth (17th Level Required). You can spend 5 ki points to cast wall of stone.
Winter's Bite. As an action, you can cast frostbite.
Whisper of the Wind. As an action, you can cast message.
Additional Disciplines
Some disciplines refer to spells found in the Elemental Evil Player's Companion, which is available for free.
Changelog
Summary of Changes from PHB, By Level
1st Level
- Changed hit die to d10
2nd Level
- Added WIS jump calculation to Unarmored Movement
- Removed Step of the Wind
- Moved bonus action Dash/Disengage with doubled jump to Unarmored Movement (no ki cost)
10th Level
- Added ability score improvement
11th Level
- Added Improved Deflect Missiles. Applies to spell attacks
19th Level
- Double ability score improvement
20th Level
- Perfect Self recharges 3 ki every turn when ki < 10
What is this?
This document is part of the Player Options: Revised project, a in-development project aimed at rehauling balance for races, feats, and classes. You can find the table of contents for this project by following this link.
If you have any comments or feedback whatsoever, please send it along to the authors at their email: sigurdchalphy@gmail.com
Monastic Traditions
Way of the Open Hand
No changes
Way of Shadow
No changes
Way of the Four Elements
- Number of disciplines at 1st level from 1 > 3
- Number of disciplines at 6th, 11th, 17th level from 1 > 2
- Eternal Mountain Defense: Self-target limitation removed
- (tentative) Reduced ki cost of all spells by 1
- New disciplines below. Names WIP, taking suggestions.
Additional Disciplines
These disciplines were selected so as to provide at least one choice of discipline for each of the four elements (air, earth, fire, wind) at every level, as well as adding repeatable cantrip options for each element.
- Mote of Fire: produce flame. Cost: 0
- Sculptor of Land: mold earth. Cost: 0
- Winter's Bite: frostbite. Cost: 0
- Whisper of the Wind: message. Cost: 0
- Shroud of Mist: fog cloud. Cost: 1
- Upheaval of Earth: earth tremor. Cost: 1
- Healing Water: lesser restoration. Cost: 2
- Darts of the Phoenix: scorching ray. Cost: 2
- Guise of the Mountain: meld into stone. Cost: 3
- Infusion of Air: freedom of movement. Cost: 4