The Monk Nobody Asked For
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 manipulate their inertia through perfect fluid movement, completed with absolute self awareness and control. Peerless speed heightens their reflex, letting them simultaneously make striking displays of combat prowess, all while dodging and deflecting incoming attacks.
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.
Seeking Nirvana
Monks pursue meditation as part of the path toward liberation, awakening and Nirvana. This path of meditation involves long periods of self reflection, mindfulness, and balancing one's own supernatural focus. Monks train not only their body, but their spirit in order to gain greater control over the flow of their life force. In order to bring about nirvana, their meditative practice focus on unblocking these mystical pathways. Upon doing so, monks can channel this energy into uncanny speed and strength.
As they gain experience, they can enter temporary states of Zen. These states of Zen remove the monk from the material plane, allowing them to accomplish otherwise impossible feats. Meditation, dedication, and Zen brings the monks closer to reaching their perfect self.
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?
Monk Class Table
Level | Proficiency Bonus | Martial Arts | Unarmored Movement | Features |
---|---|---|---|---|
1st | +2 | 1d4 | - | Unarmored Defense, Martial Arts, Monk Weapons |
2nd | +2 | 1d4 | 10ft | Unarmored Movement, Exertion Focus |
3rd | +2 | 1d4 | 10ft | Conditioned Reflex, Monastic Tradition |
4th | +2 | 1d4 | 10ft | Ability Score Improvement, Meditative Rest |
5th | +3 | 1d6 | 10ft | Extra Attack, Focused Aim, Cloistered Studies |
6th | +3 | 1d6 | 15ft | Acupressure Strikes, Monastic Tradition Feature |
7th | +3 | 1d6 | 15ft | Presence of Mind, Evasion |
8th | +3 | 1d6 | 15ft | Ability Score Improvement |
9th | +4 | 1d6 | 15ft | Unarmored Movement Improvement, Conditioned Reflex Improvement |
10th | +4 | 1d6 | 20ft | Purity of Body |
11th | +4 | 1d8 | 20ft | Monastic Tradition Feature |
12th | +4 | 1d8 | 20ft | Ability Score Improvement |
13th | +5 | 1d8 | 20ft | Tongue of the Sun and Moon, Focused Aim Improvement |
14th | +5 | 1d8 | 25ft | Diamond Soul |
15th | +5 | 1d8 | 25ft | Timeless Body, Conditioned Reflex Improvement |
16th | +5 | 1d8 | 25ft | Ability Score Improvement |
17th | +6 | 1d10 | 25ft | Monastic Tradition Feature |
18th | +6 | 1d10 | 30ft | Empty Body |
19th | +6 | 1d10 | 30ft | Ability Score Improvement |
20th | +6 | 1d10 | 30ft | Perfect Self |
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?
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 one type of artisan’s tools and one musical instrument
- Saving Throws: Strength, Dexterity
- Skills: Choose two from Acrobatics, Athletics, History, Insight, Medicine, Performance, 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.
Monk Weapons
Beginning at 1st level, with dedicated training, you can use a variety of weapons as monk weapons. Your monk weapons are simple melee weapons and shortswords. Additionally, during a short or long rest, you can train with one weapon. That weapon counts as a monk weapon until you use this feature again.
The chosen weapon must meet these criteria:
- The weapon must be a simple or martial weapon.
- You must be proficient with it.
- It must lack the heavy and special properties.
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 the Weapons section.
Martial Arts
At 1st level, your practice of martial arts gives you mastery of combat styles that use unarmed strikes and your monk weapons. 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 to attack 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.
Unarmored Movement
Starting at 2nd level, your speed increases by 10 feet while you are not wearing armor nor 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.
Exertion Focus
At 2nd level, your training allows you to harness your mental energy into a supernatural state of focus. Some cultures refer to this energy as axé, prana, pneuma, or Qi. Your access to this energy is represented by your exertion pool, which is equal to twice your proficiency bonus. You regain any spent exertion at the end of a short or long rest.
Flurry of Blows Immediately after you take the Attack action on your turn, you can spend 1 exertion to make two unarmed strikes as a bonus action.
Step of the Wind You can spend 1 exertion to take the Disengage or Dash action as a bonus action on your turn, and your jump distance is doubled for the turn.
Monastic Tradition
When you reach 3rd level, you commit yourself to a monastic tradition: the Way of the Open Hand, 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.
Conditioned Reflex
Starting at 3rd level, you're trained to react without thought. You gain new ways to use your reactions while you are not wearing armor or wielding a shield:
Deflect Missiles. You can use a reaction and spend 1 exertion to deflect or catch the missile 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.
Patient Defense. Whenever a creature makes a melee attack roll against you, you can use a reaction and spend 1 exertion to impose disadvantage on it. You must use this feature before you know the outcome of the attack roll.
Slow Fall. You can use a reaction when you fall to reduce any falling damage you take by an amount equal to five times your monk level, to a minimum of 0 damage.
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.
Using the optional feats rule, you can forgo taking this feature to take a feat of your choice instead.
Meditative Rest
Starting at 4th level, if you spend at least 15 minutes of a short rest meditating, you can accelerate the healing process. You regain a number of hit points equal to one roll of your martial arts die plus your proficiency bonus. You can do this before or after spending any hit dice, and can only do this twice between long rests.
Extra Attack
Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.
Focused Aim
Beginning at 5th level, when you miss with an unarmed strike, you can choose to hit instead. Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
When you reach 13th level, you can use this feature twice between rests.
Cloistered Studies
At 5th level, you've chosen a path and have learned from doing and from study. Choose one of the following skills to become proficient with: History, Nature, or Religion. In addition, whenever you make a check that uses the chosen skill, you can add your Wisdom modifier to the check.
Acupressure Strikes
Starting at 6th level, your unarmed strikes count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.
Presence of Mind
Starting at 7th level, you can still your mind and body and notice the micro movements of another's energy manifestations when they speak. You can use your action to end one effect on yourself that is causing you to be charmed or frightened.
Additionally, you can willingly impose disadvantage on anyone attempting a Wisdom (Insight) check against you, and you gain advantage on Wisdom (Insight) checks when being contested against by their Charisma (Deception) checks.
Evasion
Starting 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.
Conditioned Reflex Improvement
Starting at 9th level, your instinctive reflex grows stronger allowing you to perform incredible feats without thought. The following features improve.
Deflect Missles. 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 make a ranged attack with the weapon or piece of ammunition you just caught. You make this attack with proficiency, and the missile counts as a monk weapon for the attack, which has a normal range of 20 feet and a long range of 60 feet.
Patient Defense. If the attacking creature has multiattack, it gains disadvantage on each of its melee attacks against you.
Purity of Body
When you reach 10th level, through meditation you tenure a deepening stage of your Zen. You become immune to disease and poison, and you increase your exertion pool by an amount equal to twice your Constitution modifier (minimum of 1).
Tongue of the Sun and Moon
Starting at 13th level, you learn to reach out with your spirit, touching the minds of others such that you understand all spoken language. Moreover, any creature that can understand a language can understand what you say.
Diamond Soul
Beginning at 14th level, you gain proficiency in all saving throws.
Timeless Body
At 15th level, perfect Zen 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.
Conditioned Reflex Improvement
Starting at 15th level, your careful eye, combined with an instantaneous response time spots a threat before it becomes apparent. You have 2 reactions each round instead of 1.
Empty Body
Starting at 18th level, through stillness of mind and perfect focus, you ignore the frailties of the world around you for a short time. As a bonus action you can enter a state of pure Zen for 1 minute. During this time you have resistance to all damage but force damage.
Once you use this feature you cannot do again until you finish a short or long rest.
Perfect Self
At 20th level, mastering your technique, your spirit, and your body has gifted you with your perfect self. Each of your attribute scores increase by 2. Your maximum for all scores is now 22.
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.
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 exercise control over themselves and their opponents.
Bonus Proficiencies
Starting when you choose this tradition at 3rd level, you continually train your body long and hard. You gain proficiency in either Athletics or Acrobatics.
Additionally, you gain and expertise die with either Athletics or Acrobatics. When you make an ability check in which you have an expertise die, roll 1d4 and add the number rolled to the result of your check.
Open Hand Technique
Starting when you choose this tradition at 3rd level, your training in the martial arts allows you greater control over the battlefield. Once per turn, you can spend 1 exertion when you hit a creature with an unarmed strike to deal additional damage equal to your Strength or Dexterity modifier. and then you can immediately make a Shove or Grapple attempt against that target(no action required).
Stunning Strike
Starting at 6th level, you can strike at the correct sequence of nerve bundles to momentarily disable an opponent’s body. When you hit another creature with an unarmed strike, you can attempt a stunning strike. The target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw (DC of 8 + proficiency bonus + Wisdom modifier) or be stunned until the end of your next turn. A target that has been stunned by this feature is immune to its effects for the next 24 hours.
You can attempt this a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
Swift as the Wind
Starting at 11th level, your swift palms strike faster and harder than all others. Once on each of your turns, when you would attack with advantage, you can forgo the advantage to make 2 attacks without advantage instead.
Transitioned Momentum
At 17th level, with a graceful touch, you master the art of turning attacks against you into attacks against other targets. Once between turns when a creature misses you with a melee attack, you can use a reaction to force that creature to make that same melee attack against a different target of your choice within the attack's range, other than the attacking creature itself. The attacking creature makes a new attack roll against its new target for this reaction.
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
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. The first unarmed strike you make on each of your turns deals additional necrotic damage equal to your Wisdom modifier.
In addition, 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 over 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 have 1 hit point instead.
Once you have sustained life in this way, you cannot do so again until you finish a short or long rest.
The Five Point Palm Strike
Starting at 17th level, you can destructively interfere with the pulse of your victim's heart. When you hit a target with an unarmed strike, you can replace the damage of the attack with 10d10 necrotic damage.
Once you use this feature you cannot use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
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.
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.
Way of the Brush. You gain proficiency with your choice of calligrapher’s supplies or painter’s supplies.
Kensei's Technique
When you choose this tradition at 3rd level, you learn techniques fueled by special dice called superiority dice.
Technique. You learn two techniques of your choice, which are detailed under “Techniques” below. Many technique enhance an attack in some way. You can use only one technique per attack.
You learn one additional technique of your choice at 6th, 11th, and 17th level. Each time you learn new technique, you can also replace one maneuver you know with a different one.
Superiority Dice. You have four superiority dice, which are d8s. A superiority die is expended when you use it. You regain all of your expended superiority dice when you finish a short or long rest.
You gain another superiority die at 6th level and one more at 11th level.
Saving Throws. Some of your technique require your target to make a saving throw to resist the maneuver’s effects. The saving throw DC is calculated as follows:
Maneuver save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Dexterity modifier
One with the Blade
At 6th level, you hone your accuracy, focusing on striking exposed pressure points with your blades as you do with your fists. Your attacks with your kensei weapons count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.
Improved Technique
At 11th level, you push yourself beyond normal limits. As a bonus action, you can expend 1 exertion to regain 1 used superiority die. In addition, your superiority dice become d10s instead of d8s.
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.
Techniques
- Agile Parry. You use your kensei weapon to defend yourself if it is a melee weapon. You can use a bonus action and expend one superiority die gaining a bonus to AC equal to the roll 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 and expend one superiority die to make your ranged attacks with a kensei weapon more deadly. When you do so, all ranged attacks using a kensei weapon this turn gain extra damage equal to the roll.
- Shikake Strike. You can expend one superiority die and use a bonus action on your turn to sweep the target off its guard, choosing one creature within 5 feet of you as your target. You have advantage on your next attack roll against that creature this turn made with a kensei weapon. If that attack hits, add the superiority die to the attack’s damage roll.
- Oji Counter. When a creature misses you with a melee attack, you can use a reaction and expend one superiority die to make a melee weapon attack against the creature with a kensei weapon. If you hit, you add the superiority die to the attack’s damage roll.
- Gokaku. When you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you can expend one superiority die to attempt to goad the target into attacking you. You add the superiority die to the attack’s damage roll, and the target must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the target has disadvantage on all attack rolls against targets other than you until the end of your next turn.
- Pressing Palm. When you hit a creature with an unarmed strike, you can expend one superiority die to attempt to drive the target back. You add the superiority die to the attack’s damage roll, and if the target is Large or smaller, it must make a Strength saving throw. On a failed save, you push the target up to 15 feet away from you.
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 learn the subtle arts of subterfuge. You gain proficiency in Thieves' Tools and can duplicate the effects of certain spells.
As an action and spending 2 exertion, you can 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. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for these spells.
Silent Strike
Starting when you choose this tradition at 3rd level, you know how to strike subtly and exploit a foe’s distraction. Once on your turn, you can deal extra damage to one creature you hit with an attack if you have advantage on the attack roll. The attack must use a monk weapon or an unarmed strike. The extra damage is equivalent to one roll of your martial arts die.
You don’t need advantage on the attack roll if another enemy of the target is within 5 feet of it, that enemy isn’t incapacitated, and you don’t have disadvantage on the attack roll.
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. Once between turns when a creature within 5 feet of you is hit by an attack made by a creature other than you, you can use a reaction to make a melee attack against that creature.
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
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 so quick, it beguiles your opponents. You can add your Wisdom modifier to your first unarmed strike roll each round.
In addition, if you make a melee attack against a creature, that creature can’t make opportunity attacks against you for the rest of your turn.
Tipsy Sway
Starting at 6th level, you can move in unexpected, swaying ways. When a creature misses you with a melee attack roll, you can use 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, 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 1 exertion 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 bonus action to make an unarmed strike, you can make one additional attack against each other creature within 5ft of you.
Way of the Four Elements
You follow a monastic tradition that teaches you to harness the elements of nature. These monks make careful study of a magical energy called ki. This energy is an element of the magic that suffuses the multiverse—specifically, the element that flows through living bodies and all the world around them. When you focus your ki, you can align yourself with the forces of creation and bend the 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.
Ki
Starting when you take this tradition, your training allows you to harness the mystic energy of ki. Your access to this energy is represented by a number of ki points. You have a number of ki points equal to your monk level.
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
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. A discipline requires you to spend ki points each time you use it. You learn one of the following Disciplines:
Fangs of the Fire Snake When you make an unarmed strike on your turn, you can spend 1 ki point to cause tendrils of flame to stretch out from your fists and feet. If the attack hits, it deals 1d10 bonus fire damage.
Fist of Unbroken Air You summon a swirling wind and concentrate it around your fist. When you make an unarmed strike on your turn, you can choose to strike out condensed bursts of air which stretch out beyond your normal reach. You can spend 1 ki point to increase the reach of the attack by 15ft. If the attack hits, you can force the target to make a Strength saving throw or be pushed back 15 feet or daze the target, halving its speed until the end of its next turn.
Water Whip When you make an unarmed strike on your turn, you can spend 1 ki point to create a whip of water that shoves and pulls a creature to unbalance it. Your unarmed strike forces a creature that you can see within 15 feet of you to make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, the creature takes bludgeoning or slashing damage equal to your Wisdom modifier, and you can push it up to 10 feet in any direction of your choosing. On a successful save, the creature takes no damage, and you don’t push it.
Mountain Stance. When you use the Attack action on your turn, you can spend 1 ki point to mold the earth into stone projectiles. All unarmed strikes for that action as well as for the rest of your turn become ranged, with a short range of 30 feet and a long range of 90 feet, and the attacks deal bludgeoning or piercing damage.
Elemental Discipline
At 6th level, you learn 1 additional Discipline from the list available at 3rd level.
Additionally, you learn to harness the magic of the elementals, letting you cast certain spells.
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. 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 6th-level monk and use Sweeping Cinder Strike to cast burning hands, you can spend 3 ki points to cast it as a 3rd-level spell (the discipline’s base cost of 2 ki point 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, unless the Disciple specifies otherwise.
Spells and Ki Points
Monk Levels | Maximum Ki Points for a Spell |
---|---|
5th–8th | 3 |
9th–12th | 4 |
13th–16th | 5 |
17th–20th | 6 |
You learn two of these Disciplines listed below at 6th level.
Become the Teapot. You roll with the incoming energy, attuning to element, becoming it. You can spend 2 ki point to cast absorb elements.
Clench of the North Wind. You can spend 3 ki points to cast hold person.
Crushing Hand of the Mountain. You focus your strength into your outstretched fist, summoning a hand of earth from the ground. You can spend 3 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 3 ki points to cast warding wind.
Fang of the Frost Wolf. You summon a shard of razor-sharp ice and fling it at your foe. You can spend 2 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 2 ki point to cast thunderwave.
Gong of the Summit. You strike the air as if it were a gong. You can spend 3 ki points to cast shatter.
Hatchling’s Flame. You focus your ki into a torrent of fire that streaks away from you. You can spend 3 ki points to cast aganazzar’s scorcher.
Red Dragon’s Claws. Rays of fire spring from your outstretched hand to sear your foes. You can spend 3 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 3 ki points to cast snilloc’s snowball swarm.
Sweeping Cinder Strike. With a wide sweeping gesture, you summon forth a barrage of hot cinders. You can spend 2 ki point to cast burning hands.
Elemental Discipline Improvement
At 11th level, you learn 1 additional Discipline from the list available at 3rd level, and you learn two Disciplines from the list below.
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 4 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 4 ki points to cast erupting earth.
Eternal Mountain Defense. Your body hardens to stone, nearly impervious to weapons. You can spend 5 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 4 ki points to cast fireball.
Fist of the Elements. The elements swirl around your weapon. You can spend 4 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.
Hail of Creeping Cold. You extend a full body spin and pivot to create swirling frostbite. You can spent 5 ki points to cast ice storm.
Mist Stance. A swirling mist envelopes your body and you merge with it, becoming a cloud. You can spend 4 ki points to cast gaseous form, targeting yourself.
Rain of Sparks. With a deep breath you inhale pure energy, drawn from the clouds. You can spend 4 ki points to cast lightning arrow.
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 4 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 4 ki to cast wall of water.
Ride the Wind. You manifest controlled swirl of air below each step. You can spend 4 ki points to cast fly, targeting yourself.
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 5 ki points to cast wall of fire.
Sweeping Crosswind. A wall of strong wind rises from the ground, batting away anything in its path. You can spend 4 ki points to cast wind wall.
Avatar of the Elements
Starting at 17th level, as an ultimate display of your mastery of the elements, you can spend 7 ki as an action to have the elements of earth, fire, air, and water form a sphere around your body, gaining multiple benefits for 1 minute. This effect ends early if you are knocked unconscious or choose to end it (no action required). While this ability is active, you gain a burrow, fly, and swim speed equal to your movement speed. You can use each of your Disciple of the Elements disciplines without spending ki. 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 3d6 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 4d8 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 2d12 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 3d10 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.
Way of the Astral Self
A monk who follows the Way of the Astral Self believes their body is an illusion. They've opened their chakras in order to see their true form, their 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
3rd-level Way of the Astral Self feature
Your openness to the universe allows you to summon a portion of your astral self. As a bonus action and spending 2 exertion, you can summon your astral self, which lasts for the next 10 minutes, and your astral self ends early if you are incapacitated or die.
When you use the bonus action to summon your astral self, you can summon the arms of your astral self. They appear as spectral arms that hover near your shoulders or surround your arms (your choice). You determine the arms’ appearance.
While you have the Arms of the Astral Self active, 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.
- When you use this bonus action to summon your astral self, you may immediately make one unarmed strike.
Visage of the Astral Self
6th-level Way of the Astral Self feature
You can summon the visage of your astral self. Your astral self grows as your deepen your connection to the universe. When you summon your astral self, you can summon the visage of your astral self for the duration. The spectral visage covers your face like a helmet or mask. You determine its appearance.
While you have the Visage of the Astral Self active, 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
11th-level Way of the Astral Self feature
Your astral self grows as your deepen your connection to the universe. When you summon your astral self, you can summon the body of your astral self for the duration. This spectral body covers your physical form like a suit of armor, connecting with the arms and visage. You determine its appearance.
While you have the Body of the Astral Self active, you gain the following benefits.
Armor of the Spirit. You gain a +2 bonus to Armor Class.
Deflect Energy. When you take acid, cold, fire, force, lightning, or thunder damage, you can use a reaction to deflect it. When you do so, the damage you take is reduced by 1d10 + your Wisdom modifier (minimum reduction of 1).
Awakened Astral Self
17th-level Way of the Astral Self feature
Your connection to your astral self is complete, allowing you to traverse the astral boundary, leaving your earthly body behind. You can cast the astral projection spell, without any material components, only targeting yourself. For the duration of this spell cast, all forms of your astral self are considered to be active. Once you do, you cannot do so again until you finish a long rest.
Additionally, whenever all aspects of your astral self are active, you gain one additional benefit:
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 Mercy
Monks of the Way of Mercy learn to manipulate the life force of others through Qi transference. They are wandering physicians for the poor and downtrodden. 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.
The walkers of this way usually don robes with deep cowls, and they often conceal their faces with masks, presenting themselves as the faceless bringers of life and death. There concealing mask takes on several forms. Each has an origin based on the sect it represents. You determine its appearance, or generate it randomly by rolling on the Merciful Mask table.
Merciful Mask
d6 | Mask Appearance |
---|---|
1 | Raven |
2 | Blank and white |
3 | Crying visage |
4 | Laughing visage |
5 | Skull |
6 | Butterfly |
Bonus Proficiencies
3rd-level Way of Mercy feature
You gain proficiency in the Insight and Medicine skills, and you gain proficiency with the herbalism kit.
Hand of Healing
3rd-level Way of Mercy feature
Your mystical touch can mend wounds. As an action, you can touch a creature and restore a number of hit points equal to a roll of your Martial Arts die + your Wisdom modifier.
You can use this action a number of times equal to your Proficiency bonus, and regain all expended uses after finishing a long rest.
Hand of Harm
3rd-level Way of Mercy feature
You use your mystical touch to inflict wounds. When you hit a creature with an unarmed strike, you can spend 1 exertion 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
6th-level Way of Mercy feature
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 Hand 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 Hand 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
11th-level Way of Mercy feature
You can now mete out a flurry of comfort and hurt. When you use your Hand of Healing, you can target a second creature as well.
In addition, when you make an unarmed strike with Flurry of Blows, you can use your Hand of Harm without spending the extra exertion. You can still only use Hard of Harm once per turn.
Hand of Ultimate Mercy
17th-level Way of Mercy feature
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. 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 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.
Radiant Sun Bolt
Starting when you choose this tradition at 3rd level, you can hurl searing bolts of magical radiance.
Whenever you make an unarmed strike, you can choose to covert that attack into a new special attack. 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.
Sun Shield
At 6th level, you gain the ability to surround yourself in restorative radiant flame. As an action, you can cause yourself to be engulfed in radiant flame until the start of your next turn. When you use this action, you can regain hit points equal to three times your monk level, and until the start of your next turn any creature that hits you with an attack takes radiant damage equal to 5 + your Wisdom modifier as the radiant flame lashes out against them.
You must finish a long rest before you can use this feature again.
Beacon of Sunlight
At 11th 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 this light as a bonus action.
While the light shines, the range of your Radiant Sun Bolt is increased to 90ft.
Searing Sunburst
At 17th level, you gain the ability to create an orb of light that erupts into a devastating explosion. After you hit a target with your Radiant Sun Bolt, you can spend 3 exertion to cause the bolt to erupt into a sphere of radiant flame for a brief but deadly instant. Each creature in a 20-foot-radius sphere (excluding you) must succeed on a Constitution saving throw (DC of 8 + proficiency bonus + Wisdom modifier) or take 6d6 radiant damage on a failed save, or half as much on a successful one, in addition to the attack's normal effects. A creature doesn’t need to make the save if the creature is behind total cover that is opaque.