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 | Stunning 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
At 1st level, while you are wearing no armor and are not wielding a shield, your AC equals 10 + Dexterity modifier + your Wisdom modifier.
Martial Arts
At 1st level, you gain the following benefits while you are unarmed or wielding only monk weapons 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. Monk weapons are shortswords and any simple melee weapons that don’t have the two-handed or heavy property.
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.
Stunning Strike
Starting at 10th level, you can use your ki to reach into the mind of an opponent and break their will. When you hit another creature with a melee weapon attack, you can spend 1 ki point to attempt a stunning strike. The target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or be stunned until the end of your next turn.
Purity of Body
Beginning 10th level, your Ki renders you immune to disease and poison.
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 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 if you don't already have it. You also gain proficiency with brewer's supplies if you don't already have it.
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:
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You can use your Wisdom modifier in place of your Strength modifier when making Strength checks and Strength saving throws.
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You can use the spectral arms to make unarmed strikes.
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When you make an unarmed strike with the arms on your turn, your reach for it is 5 feet greater than normal.
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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.
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Astral Sight. You can see normally in darkness, both magical and nonmagical, to a distance of 120 feet.
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Wisdom of the Spirit. You have advantage on Wisdom (Insight) and Charisma (Intimidation) checks.
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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.
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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).
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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.
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Armor of the Spirit. You gain a +2 bonus to Armor Class.
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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 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:
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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).
Sunstroke
At 6th level, whenever you damage a creature with your radiant sun bolt, you can choose to attempt a dazing strike by spending 1 ki point.
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.
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
Creative Credits
Way of four Elements homebrew by /u/SpiketailDrake
Design Notes
Monk damage dice has been bumped up by 1 category to help damage in tier 2 and cement monks as the best at unarmed combat. If this makes you feel uneasy be aware that a VHuman monk could already start off at 1d8 unarmed strikes with fighting initiate - Unarmed fighting
Stunning strike is both a blessing and a curse to the vanilla monk. Its really good when it works but does nothing when it doesn't leading to most monks blowing all their Ki on it and seeing few results. By moving it to level 10 we can wait until the monk has a decent Ki pool to draw from, as well as several class features to reduce the appeal of going all in on stunning strike. Its save has been moved from Constitution to Wisdom so while still a strong save, it should fire off a little more often. Hopefully this change will allow DMs to let their monsters be stunned a bit more, as it reduces the risk of them not doing anything at low levels.
To fill in the gap stunning strike left, there is now dazing strike. Dazing strike works like a short term single target Slow spell. While still good it doesnt break encounters like stunning strike can and should be easier to work around for the DM, again allowing them to use monsters with lower con saves in fights without them being useless.
Martial arts now works in light or medium armour. I find this both thematic and it allows the monk to be a better front liner.
Various changes to subclasses to try and make them more appealing/fun/dynamic compared to newer and better classes.