Alternate 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.

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.

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 were 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.

The Monk

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Features	Martial Arts	Unarmoured Movement
1st	+2	Unarmored Defense, Martial Arts	1d6	—
2nd	+2	Ki, Unarmored Movement	1d6	+10 ft.
3rd	+2	Monastic Tradition, Deflect Missiles	1d6	+10 ft.
4th	+2	Ability Score Improvement	1d6	+10 ft.
5th	+3	Extra Attack, Focused Aim	1d8	+10 ft.
6th	+3	Ki-Empowered Strikes, Monastic Tradition feature	1d8	+15 ft.
7th	+3	Evasion, Stillness of Mind	1d8	+15 ft.
8th	+3	Ability Score Improvement	1d8	+15 ft.
9th	+4	Unarmored Movement improvement, Power Attack	1d8	+20 ft.
10th	+4	Slowing Strike, Purity of Body	1d8	+20 ft.
11th	+4	Monastic Tradition feature	1d10	+20 ft.
12th	+4	Ability Score Improvement	1d10	+25 ft.
13th	+5	Tongue of the Sun and Moon	1d10	+25 ft.
14th	+5	Diamond Soul	1d10	+25 ft.
15th	+5	Timeless Body, Wise Counsel	1d10	+30 ft.
16th	+5	Ability Score Improvement	1d10	+30 ft.
17th	+6	Monastic Tradition feature	1d12	+30 ft.
18th	+6	Empty Body	1d12	+35 ft.
19th	+6	Ability Score Improvement	1d12	+35 ft.
20th	+6	Perfect Self	1d12	+35 ft.

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: One type of artisan's or one musical instrument
Saving Throws: Strength, Dexterity
Skills: Choose two from Acrobatics, Athletics, History, Insight, Religion, and Stealth

Equipment

(a) shortsword or (b) any simple weapon
(a) dungeoneer's pack or (b) explorer's pack
10 darts

Alternatively, you can ignore the equipment given by your class and background, and start with 5d4 gp.

Unarmored Defense

While you are wearing no armor and are not wielding a shield, your AC equals 10 + half your proficiency bonus (rounded down) + Dexterity modifier + your Wisdom modifier.

Martial Arts

You gain the following benefits while you are unarmed or wielding only monk weapons (shortswords and simple melee weapons that don’t have the two-handed/heavy properties) and you aren't wearing heavy armor or wielding a shield:

You can use Dexterity instead of Strength for the attacks and damage rolls of your unarmed strikes and monk weapons.
You can roll a d6 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, 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.

Ki

Starting at 2nd level, your access to the mystic energy Ki 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 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.

If you spend 1 ki point or more as part of your action on your turn, you can make one attack with an unarmed strike as a bonus action before the end of the turn.

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.

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 take the Disengage or Dash action as a bonus action on your turn, and you can spend 1 ki point at the same time to triple your jump distance for the turn.

Unarmored Movement

Starting at 2nd level, your speed increases by 10 feet while you are wearing no armor and are not 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 without falling during the move.

Deflect Missiles

Starting at 3rd level, you can use your reaction to deflect or catch missiles sent your way.

As a reaction when you are hit with a ranged weapon attack, you may reduce the damage you take from ranged weapon attacks until the beginning of your next turn by 1d10 + your Dexterity modifier + your monk level.

If you reduce the damage on a missile 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 immediately make a ranged attack (20/60 feet) with the weapon or piece of ammunition you just caught.

You make this attack with proficiency, regardless of your weapon proficiencies, and the missile counts as a monk weapon for the attack. You can only make this attack once per reaction.

Monastic Tradition

When you reach 3rd level, you commit yourself to a monastic tradition. Your tradition grants you features at 3rd level and again at 6th, 11th, and 17th level.

Ability Score Improvement

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 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.

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.

Focused Aim

At 5th level, when you miss with an attack roll, you can spend 1 to 3 ki points to increase your attack roll by 2 for each ki point spent, potentially turning the miss into a hit.

Ki-Empowered Strikes

Starting at 6th level, your unarmed strikes count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to non-magical attacks and damage.

Evasion

At 7th level, 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 a bonus action on your turn to end one effect on yourself that is causing you to be charmed or frightened.

Power Attack

Starting at 9th level, your martial prowess allows you to trade accuracy for power.

Before you make a weapon attack with a weapon that you are proficient with, you can choose to make that attack without adding your proficiency bonus to the attack roll. If that attack hits, add your proficiency bonus to the damage roll, or twice your proficiency bonus if the attack was made with two hands.

Purity of Body

Beginning 10th level, your Ki renders you immune to disease and poison.

Slowing Strike

Starting at 10th level, you can temporarily 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 slowing strike. The target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or be slowed until the start of your next turn.

An affected target’s speed is halved, it takes a −2 penalty to AC and Dexterity saving throws, and it can’t use reactions. On its turn, it can use either an action or a bonus action, not both. Regardless of the creature’s abilities or magic items, it can’t make more than one melee or ranged attack during its turn.

If the creature attempts to cast a spell with a casting time of 1 action, roll a d20. On an 11 or higher, the spell doesn’t take effect until the creature’s next turn, and the creature must use its action on that turn to complete the spell. If it can’t, the spell is wasted.

Tongue of the Sun and Moon

Starting at 13th level, you understand all spoken languages. Moreover, any creature that can understand a language can understand what you say.

Diamond Soul

Beginning at 14th level, you are proficient 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.

Wise Counsel

At 15th level, as an action you can touch one creature and spend 2 ki points to give that creature advantage on the next saving throw or ability check it makes within the next minute.

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.

Perfect Self

At 20th level, as an action you can draw all expended ki points back into yourself. Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you complete a long rest.

Monastic Tradition

When you reach 3rd level, you commit yourself to a monastic tradition. Your tradition grants you features at 3rd level and again at 6th, 11th, and 17th level.

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.

Bonus Proficiencies

At 3rd level, you gain proficiency in the Performance skill and proficiency with brewer's supplies.

Drunken Technique

At 3rd level, 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 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 11th level, 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, when you use your Flurry of Blows, you can make up to three additional attacks with it (up to a total of five attacks), provided that each Flurry of Blows attack targets a different creature this turn

Way of Mercy

Monks of the Way of Mercy learn to manipulate the life force of others to bring aid to those in need. They are wandering physicians to the poor and hurt. However, to those beyond their help, they bring a swift end as an act of mercy.

Those who follow the Way of Mercy might be members of a religious order, administering to the needy and making grim choices rooted in reality rather than idealism. Some might be gentle-voiced healers, beloved by their communities, while others might be masked bringers of macabre mercies.

Implements of Mercy

When you choose this tradition at 3rd level, you gain proficiency in the Insight and Medicine skills, and you gain proficiency with the herbalism kit.

Hands of Healing

At 3rd level, your mystical touch can mend wounds. As an action, you can spend 1 ki point to touch a creature and restore a number of hit points equal to a roll of your Martial Arts die + your Wisdom modifier.

When you use your Flurry of Blows, you can replace one of the unarmed strikes with a use of this feature without spending a ki point for the healing.

Hands of Harm

At 3rd level, you use your ki to inflict wounds. When you hit a creature with an unarmed strike, you can spend 1 ki point to deal extra necrotic damage equal to one roll of your Martial Arts die + your Wisdom modifier. You can use this feature only once per turn.

Physician's Touch

Starting at 6th level, you can administer even greater cures with a touch, and if you feel it's necessary, you can use your knowledge to cause harm.

When you use Hands of Healing on a creature, you can also end one disease or one of the following conditions affecting the creature: blinded, deafened, paralyzed, poisoned, or stunned.

When you use Hands of Harm on a creature, you can subject that creature to the poisoned condition until the end of your next turn.

Flurry of Healing and Harm

Starting at 11th level, you can now mete out a flurry of comfort and hurt. When you use Flurry of Blows, you can now replace each of the unarmed strikes with a use of your Hands of Healing, without spending ki points for the healing.

In addition, when you make an unarmed strike with Flurry of Blows, you can use Hand of Harm with that strike without spending the ki point for Hands of Harm. You can still use Hands of Harm only once per turn.

Hand of Ultimate Mercy

By 17th level, Your mastery of life energy opens the door to the ultimate mercy. As an action, you can touch the corpse of a creature that died within the past 24 hours and expend 5 ki points. The creature then returns to life, regaining a number of hit points equal to 4d10 + your Wisdom modifier. If the creature died while subject to any of the following conditions, it revives with them removed: blinded, deafened, paralyzed, poisoned, and stunned.

Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.

Way of the Astral Self

A monk who follows the Way of the Astral Self believes their body is an illusion. They see their ki as a representation of their true form, an astral self.

This astral self has the capacity to be a force of order or disorder, with some monasteries training students to use their power to protect the weak and other instructing aspirants in how to manifest their true selves in service to the mighty.

Arms of the Astral Self

At 3rd level, your mastery of your ki allows you to summon a portion of your astral self. As a bonus action, you can spend 1 ki point to summon the arms of your astral self. When you do so, each creature of your choice that you can see within 10 feet of you must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or take force damage equal to two rolls of your Martial Arts die.

For 10 minutes, these spectral arms hover near your shoulders or surround your arms (your choice). You determine the arms' appearance, and they vanish early if you are incapacitated or die.

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.

Visage of the Astral Self

When you reach 6th level, you can summon the visage of your astral self. As a bonus action, or as part of the bonus action you take to activate Arms of the Astral Self, you can spend 1 ki point to summon this visage for 10 minutes. It vanishes early if you are incapacitated or die.

The spectral visage covers your face like a helmet or mask. You determine its appearance.

While the spectral visage is present, you gain the following benefits.

Astral Sight. You can see normally in darkness, both magical and nonmagical, to a distance of 120 feet.
Wisdom of the Spirit. You have advantage on Wisdom (Insight) and Charisma (Intimidation) checks.
Word of the Spirit. When you speak, you can direct your words to a creature of your choice that you can see within 60 feet of you, making it so only that creature can hear you. Alternatively, you can amplify your voice so that all creatures within 600 feet can hear you.

Body of the Astral Self

Starting at 11th level, when you have both your astral arms and visage summoned, you can cause the body of your astral self to appear (no action required). This spectral body covers your physical form like a suit of armor, connecting with the arms and visage. You determine its appearance.

While the spectral body is present, you gain the following benefits.

Deflect Energy. When you take acid, cold, fire, force, lightning, or thunder damage, you can use your reaction to deflect it. When you do so, the damage you take is reduced by 1d10 + your Wisdom modifier (minimum reduction of 1).
Empowered Arms. Once on each of your turns when you hit a target with the Arms of the Astral Self, you can deal extra damage to the target equal to your Martial Arts die.

Awakened Astral Self

Starting at 17th level, your connection to your astral self is complete, allowing you to unleash its full potential. As a bonus action, you can spend 5 ki points to summon the arms, visage, and body of your astral self and awaken it for 10 minutes. This awakening ends early if you are incapacitated or die.

While your astral self is awakened, you gain the following benefits.

Armor of the Spirit. You gain a +2 bonus to Armor Class.
Astral Barrage. Whenever you use the Extra Attack feature to attack twice, you can instead attack three times if all the attacks are made with your astral arms.

Way of the Cobalt Soul

Driven by the pursuit of knowledge, the archives of the Cobalt Soul stand as some of the most well-respected and most heavily guarded repositories of tomes, history, and information across the world. Here, young people seeking the clarity of truth and the strength of knowledge pledge to learn the arts of seeking enlightenment by understanding the world around them, and mastering the techniques to defend it. To become a Cobalt Soul is to give one’s self to the quest for unveiling life’s mysteries, bringing light to the secrets of the dark, and guarding the most powerful and dangerous of truths from those who would seek to perverse the sanctity of civilization.

The monks of the Cobalt Soul are the embodiment of the phrase “know your enemy”. Through research, they prepare themselves against the ever-coming tides of evil. Through careful training, they have learned to puncture and manipulate the spiritual flow of an opponent’s body. Through understanding the secrets of their foe, they can adapt and surmount them. Then, once the fight is done, they return to record their findings for future generations of monks to study from.

Mystical Erudition

Upon choosing this tradition at 3rd level, you’ve undergone extensive training with the Cobalt Soul, teaching you extensively in history or lore from the monastery’s collected volumes. You learn one language of your choice, and you choose one skill from the following list to gain proficiency in: Arcana, History, Nature, and Religion.

You gain an additional language and an additional skill proficiency from the above list at 11th and 17th level. If you already have proficiency in one of the listed skills at 11th or 17th level, you can instead choose to double your proficiency bonus for any ability check you make that uses the chosen proficiency.

Extract Aspects

Beginning at 3rd level, you can strike multiple pressure points to extract crucial information about your foe. Whenever you hit a creature with one of the attacks granted by your Flurry of Blows, you can choose to learn the creature's Damage Vulnerabilities, Damage Resistances, Damage Immunities, and Condition Immunities. Once you use this feature, you must finish a short or long rest before you can use it again.

Upon reaching 6th level, you can use this feature twice between rests, and beginning at 17th level, you can use it three times between rests.

Extort Truth

At 6th level, you can hit a series of hidden nerves on a creature with precision, temporarily causing them to be unable to mask their true thoughts and intent. If you manage to hit a single creature with two or more attacks in one round, you can spend 1 ki point to force them to make a Charisma saving throw. You can choose to have these attacks deal no damage.

On a failed save, the creature is unable to speak a deliberate lie for 1 minute and all Charisma checks directed at the creature are made with advantage for the duration. You know if they succeeded or failed on their saving throw.

An affected creature is aware of the effect and can thus avoid answering questions to which it would normally respond with a lie. Such a creature can be evasive in its answers as long as the effect lasts.

Preternatural Counter

Beginning at 6th level, your quick mind and study of your foe allows you to use their failure to your advantage. If a creature within 5 feet of you misses you with an attack, you can immediately use your reaction to make an unarmed strike against that creature.

Mind of Mercury

Starting at 11th level, you’ve honed your awareness and reflexes through mental aptitude and pattern recognition. You can take a number of additional reactions each round equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of 1), at the cost of 1 ki point per reaction beyond the first. You can only use one reaction per trigger.

In addition, whenever you make an Intelligence (Investigation) check, you can spend 1 ki point to gain advantage on the roll.

Debilitating Barrage

Upon reaching 17th level, you’ve gained the knowledge to temporarily lower a creature’s fortitude by striking a series of pressure points. Whenever you hit a single creature with three or more attacks in one round, you can spend 3 ki points to cause the creature to suffer a vulnerability to a damage type of your choice for 1 minute, or until after they take any damage of that type.

Creatures with resistance or immunity to the chosen damage type do not suffer vulnerability. Instead, their resistance to the chosen damage type is lost for the duration, or their immunity is reduced to resistance for the duration.

Way of the Four Elements

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 two additional cantrips from this list at 6th 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.

Casting Elemental Spells. Some elemental disciplines allow you to cast spells. See chapter 10 of the Player’s Handbook 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. When you cast a spell with a discipline, it is cast at the spell’s lowest level unless otherwise specified.

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 2 ki points to cast it as a 2nd-level spell (the discipline’s base cost of 1 ki point plus 1).

The maximum number of ki points (its base ki point cost plus any additional points) that you can spend on the spell is 2, unless a discipline specifies otherwise. This maximum increases to 3 at 9th level, 4 at 13th level, and 5 at 17th level.

3rd Level Elemental Disciplines

Starting at 3rd level, you can learn the following disciplines:

Become the Teapot. You roll with the incoming energy, attuning to element, becoming it. You can spend 1 ki point to cast absorb elements.
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.
Fang of the Frost Wolf. You summon a shard of razor- sharp ice and fling it at your foe. You can spend 1 ki point to cast ice knife.
Fist of Four Thunders. You slam your fists together in front of you, causing a thunderous boom that blows away everything around you. You can spend 1 ki point to cast thunderwave.
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.
Hatchling’s Flame. You focus your ki into a torrent of fire that streaks away from you. You can spend 1 ki point to cast aganazzar’s scorcher.
Rumbling Badger. You shake the ground, causing a tremor that knocks over your foes. You can spend 1 ki point to cast earth tremor.
Rush of the Gale Spirits. You send a blast of air outward with a thrust of your open palm. You can spend 2 ki points to cast gust of wind. Shape the Raincloud. You can spend 1 ki point to cast create or destroy water.
Sweeping Cinder Strike. With a wide sweeping gesture, you summon forth a barrage of hot cinders. You can spend 1 ki point to cast burning hands.
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.

Way of four Elements homebrew by u/SpiketailDrake
Way of the Four Elements: Remastered

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.
Burning Ember Flourish. You reach out with your ki to snuff out a source of fire, causing it to go out with a bang or to sputter black smoke. You can spend 2 ki points to cast pyrotechnics.
Crushing Hand of the Mountain. You focus your strength into your outstretched fist, summoning a hand of earth from the ground. You can spend 2 ki points to cast maximilian’s earthen grasp.
Curtain of Unyielding Wind. You let out a fierce howl as a mighty wind begins swirling around you. You can spend 2 ki points to cast warding wind.
Gong of the Summit. You strike the air as if it were a gong. You can spend 2 ki points to cast shatter.
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.
Mote of the Sun. Your ki manifests as a roaring orb of fire. You can spend 2 ki points to cast flaming sphere.
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.
Red Dragon’s Claws. Rays of fire spring from your outstretched hand to sear your foes. You can spend 2 ki points to cast scorching ray.
Swarming Ice Rabbit. A flurry of magic snowballs erupts from a point you choose within range. You can spend 2 ki points to cast snilloc’s snowball swarm.
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.

11th Level Elemental Disciplines

Starting at 11th level, you can learn the following disciplines:

Dance of Three Ways. You summon six spheres of earth from the ground, suspend them in the air around you, and ignite them with your fiery ki. With a thought, you launch these blazing meteors at your foe. You can spend 3 ki points to cast melf’s minute meteors.
Earth Reaches for Sky. Focusing your strength with a deep, rumbling shout, you swing your arms up high, causing an eruption of churned earth and stone that engulfs your foes. You can spend 3 ki points to cast erupting earth.
Eternal Mountain Defense. Your body hardens to stone, nearly impervious to weapons. You can spend 4 ki points to cast stoneskin, targeting yourself.
Flames of the Phoenix. With a hand motion, you conjure a tiny bead of burning energy. You spend 3 ki points to cast fireball.
Fist of the Elements. The elements swirl around your weapon. You can spend 3 ki points to cast elemental weapon, choosing from only the damage types cold, fire, or thunder. Your unarmed strikes count as a weapon for the purposes of this discipline.
Hua’s Water Prison. You conjure up a sphere of water that engulfs and imprisons foes that touch its surface. You can spend 4 ki to cast watery sphere.
Mist Stance. A swirling mist envelopes your body and you merge with it, becoming a cloud. You can spend 3 ki points to cast gaseous form, targeting yourself.
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.

Rain of the Frigid Glacier. You cool the air in the skies above you, condensing the water droplets into freezing rain and sleet. You can spend 3 ki points to cast sleet storm.
Raise the Troubled Earth. You stir the earth around you into action, summoning a wall of sand to serve as your barricade. You can spend 3 ki to cast wall of sand.
Raise the Still Waters. Though water can give way easily, it can just as easily offer great resistance. You can spend 3 ki to cast wall of water.
Ride the Wind. You summon a mighty wind that envelopes your body, sweeping you to where you want to go. You spend 3 ki points to cast fly, targeting yourself, except your fly speed is equal to your movement speed.
River of Hungry Flame. You sweep your hands upward, causing a wall of blazing hot fire to leap up from the ground. You can spend 4 ki points to cast wall of fire.
Sea’s Fury. You conjure up a mighty wave of water that crashes down on your foes. You can spend 3 ki to cast tidal wave.
Shape of the Flowing River. You touch the body of water with your ki, coaxing it to change its form. You can spend 4 ki points to cast control water.
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.
Sweeping Crosswind. A wall of strong wind rises from the ground, batting away anything in its path. You can spend 3 ki points to cast wind wall.

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. Breath of Winter. You inhale deeply and then exhale, blasting a cone of frigid air out in front of you that freezes everything in its path. You can spend 5 ki points to cast cone of cold.

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.
Eye of the Hurricane. You stretch out your ki to embrace the winds. You can spend 5 ki points to cast control winds.
Mold the Mountain. You master the many forms that earth may take. You can spend 5 ki to cast transmute rock.

Swirling Crab’s Revenge. Your ki manifests as a swirling pool of water, smashing and pulling your foes towards its center. You can spend 5 ki points to cast maelstrom.
Wave of Rolling Earth. The ground shakes and emits a low rumble as a wall of stone erupts up into being. You can spend 5 ki points to cast wall of stone.

Way of the Kensei

Monks of the Way of Kensei train relentlessly with their weapons, to the point that the weapon becomes like 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 much in the same way a calligrapher or a 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.

Path of the Kensei

At 3rd level, 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. 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.
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.
Kensei's Shot: You can use a bonus action on your turn to make any target you hit with a ranged attack using a kensei weapon take extra damage of the weapon's type equal to your Martial Arts die. 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.

One with the Blade

At 6th level, you gain 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.
Storm of Blades: Whenever a monk feature requires you to make an unarmed strike, you can instead choose to make a melee attack with one of your kensei weapons.

Sharpen the Blade

At 11th level, 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. If you use this feature on a magic weapon that already has a bonus to attack and damage rolls, this feature replaces that bonus for the duration.

Unerring Accuracy

At 17th level, 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.

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.

Touch of Death

At 3rd level, when you reduce a creature to 0 hit points with a melee attack, 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, as an action you can force creatures of your choice that you can see within 30 feet of you to 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, 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

At 17th level, as an action, you touch one creature within 5 feet of you, and expend 1 to 10 ki points. The target must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, it takes 2d10 necrotic damage per ki point spent on a failed save, or half as much on a successful one.

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

At 3rd level, 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, 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, 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, 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

At 3rd level, 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, 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, when you are in an area of dim light or darkness, you can use a bonus 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, 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 Sun Soul

Monks of the Way of the Sun Soul learn to channel their own 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.

Radiant Sun Bolt

At 3rd level, you gain a new attack option that you can use instead of an unarmed strike. This special attack is a ranged spell attack with a range of 30 feet.

You are proficient with it, it counts as a monk weapon for you, and you add your Dexterity modifier to its attack and damage rolls. Its damage is radiant, and its damage die is a d6.

This die changes as you gain monk levels, as shown in the Martial Arts column of the Monk table.

Searing Arc Strike

At 6th level, immediately after you take the Attack action on your turn, you can spend 1 ki point 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 (1 plus any additional points) that you can spend on the spell equals half your monk level (rounded down).

Searing Sunburst

At 11th level, as an action, you magically create an orb and hurl it at a point you choose within 150 feet, where it erupts. Each creature in that 10-foot-radius sphere must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw, taking 4d6 radiant damage on a failure. A creature doesn't need to make the save if the creature is behind total cover that is opaque.

You can increase the sphere's damage by spending ki points. Each point you spend, to a maximum of half your monk level (rounded down), increases the damage by 2d6.

Sunstroke

At 11th level, whenever you damage a creature with your radiant sun bolt, you can choose to attempt a slowing strike by spending 1 ki point.

Sun Shield

At 17th level, 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 1d10 + your Wisdom modifier.

Multiclassing

Ability Score Minimum. Wisdom 13
Proficiencies Gained. Simple weapons, shortswords