Monk
The monk class receives new features and subclasses in this section.
Optional Class Features
You gain class features in the Player's Handbook when you reach certain levels in your class. This section offers additional features that you can gain as a monk.
Unlike the features in the Player's Handbook, you don't gain the features here automatically. Consulting with your DM, you decide whether to gain a feature in this section if you meet the level requirement noted in the feature's description. These features can be selected separately from one another; you can use some, all, or none of them.
If you take a feature that replaces another feature, you gain no benefit from the replaced one and don't qualify for anything in the game that requires it.
Quiet the Mind
2nd-level monk feature
You can spend 1 ki point to take the Breathe* action as a bonus action on your turn.
Recenter
2nd-level monk feature
As an action, you can regain half your maximum ki points.
Once you use this ability, you cannot use it again until you finish a long rest.
Sweeping Counter
3rd-level monk feature
When a creature within your reach misses you with a melee attack, you can use your reaction to force the creature to make a Dexterity saving throw against your ki save DC. On a failed save, the creature takes bludgeoning damage equal to one roll of your Martial Arts die and is knocked prone.
Disruptive Strikes
5th-level monk feature, which replaces the Stunning Strike feature
When you strike, you can disrupt the flow of energy in your opponent's body. When you hit another creature with a melee weapon attack, you can choose one of the following effects:
Blinding Strike. The creature must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw against your ki save DC or be blinded until the end of your next turn. If the creature fails this saving throw by 5 or more, you can also reduce its speed to 0.
Disorienting Strike. The creature must succeed on an Intelligence saving throw against your ki save DC or immediately use its reaction, if available, to make one melee weapon attack against a creature of your choice that is within its range. If the creature fails this saving throw by 5 or more, it makes this attack roll with advantage.
Frightening Strike. The creature must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw against your ki save DC. On a failed save, the creature becomes frightened of you until the end of your next turn and you can force it to use its reaction, if available, to move as far as its speed allows away from you. The creature doesn't move into obviously dangerous ground, such as fire or a pit. If the creature fails this saving throw by 5 or more, it also drops whatever it is holding.
Staggering Strike. The creature must succeed on a Constitution saving throw against your ki save DC or be staggered until the end of your next turn. While staggered, a creature's speed is halved, and it suffers a penalty to its AC, attack rolls, and Dexterity saving throws, equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of -1). If the creature fails this saving throw by 5 or more, it is also incapacitated.
You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
While you have no uses available, you can spend 1 ki point to use this feature again.
Gainful Meditation
6th-level monk feature
At 6th level, and again at 10th level, you gain the benefits of the Ability Score Improvement feature.
Using the optional feats rule, you can forgo taking this feature to take a feat of your choice instead.
Flowing Spirit
8th-level monk feature, which replaces the Diamond Soul feature
You flow like water, bending and weaving around any obstacles in your way. When you fail a saving throw that you are proficient in, you can spend 1 ki point to reroll it and take the second result.
When you gain this feature, and again at 10th, 12th, and 14th level, you gain proficiency in one saving throw that you are not already proficient in. Starting at 14th level, you also gain proficiency in death saving throws.
Ever Present Hand
9th-level monk feature
Once on each of your turns when you spend a ki point, you can immediately make one grapple, shove, or throw* attempt.
Tongue of Twisted Tales
13th-level monk feature, which replaces the Tongue of Sun and Moon feature
You learn to weave your ki into your words. You understand all spoken languages, and when you speak you can choose to let any creature that understands a language understand your speech, even if you do not share a language.
In addition, you can choose to speak in riddles, metaphors, and allusions that sound nonsensical to outsiders. When speaking, you can choose any number of creatures, allowing them and only them to understand your speech.
Endless Contemplation
20th-level monk feature, which replaces the Perfect Self feature
You gain the benefits of a short rest whenever you spend at least an hour without combat or strenuous activity, and you are always meditating for the purposes of regaining ki.
Monk Content v 1.4 for D&D 5e
Created by: u/NotTheDreadPirate Art Credits: Anastasia Ovchinnikova - Sight Beyond Sight Lucas Parolin - Meditation Angie Avila R - Mountains Temple Heonhwa Choe - Siani, Eye of the Storm Magali Villeneuve - Graceblade Artisan *Features marked with an asterisk make use of mechanics described in my Optional Rules document.
Way of the Enduring Summit
Monks who practice the teachings of the Way of the Enduring Summit are stoic and valorous, believing that the unwavering power of mountain peaks is a key element in their search for enlightenment. They hone their bodies to be as strong and durable as stone, and harden their minds such that the mere thought of weakness or submission will never occur to them.
This monastic tradition is popular among dwarves and other mountain-dwelling cultures, who construct their monasteries within and upon towering peaks.
Metamorphic Spirit
3rd-level Way of the Enduring Summit feature
The earth is full of wisdom. Pay heed to it's many teachings, and emulate its strength. You gain tremorsense out to a range of 10 feet. Within this radius you can effectively see any creature that is in contact with an object you are also in contact with, such as the ground or the deck of a ship, unless the creature successfully hides from you, even if the creature is behind total cover or invisible. You cannot detect flying or incorporeal creatures this way. The radius of this ability increases to 20 feet at level 11, and to 30 feet at level 17.
In addition, you can use Strength instead of Dexterity for your Unarmored Defense and Deflect Missiles abilities.
Earthen Monument
3rd-level Way of the Enduring Summit feature
The eroding powers of life can do nothing to diminish you. As a bonus action, you can cover yourself in a layer of rock, granting you increased power and durability. You determine the nature of this transformation, some monks become coated in gravel and rough stone, while others appear to have skin made of gleaming jade. You gain 4 temporary hit points for each level you have in this class. While this feature is active, you gain the following benefits:
- The size of your Martial Arts die increases by 1, such as from a d4 to a d6 or from a d10 to a d12.
- Whenever you make a Strength check or saving throw, you gain a bonus to the roll equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of +1).
- You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift, as well as for the purposes of grappling, shoving, and throwing*.
These benefits last for 10 minutes, until you lose all these temporary hit points, or until you use this ability again. If you still have any of these temporary hit points remaining when the feature ends, they are lost. You can use this feature twice, and you regain all expended uses of it when you finish a short or long rest.
When these temporary hit points are reduced to 0, you can use a reaction to spend 1 ki point and regain a number of these temporary hit points equal to a roll of your Martial Arts die + your Wisdom modifier, extending the ability.
Avalanche Technique
6th-level Way of the Enduring Summit feature
When you must move, instead become a fixed point about which the rest of the world tumbles, such that you are as unstoppable as a tide of falling stone. While your Earthen Monument feature is active, you gain a +1 bonus to AC, you ignore nonmagical difficult terrain, and your attacks deal double damage to objects and structures.
In addition, if you take the Dodge action or use your Patient Defense, you are immune to being moved along the ground or knocked prone against your will until the start of your next turn, provided you are standing on a solid surface.
Quake of Resounding Echoes
11th-level Way of the Enduring Summit feature
By focusing your ki, you can use an action while you are standing on a solid surface to strike the earth using the same strength with which it strikes itself. Each creature within 15 feet of you must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, a creature is knocked prone and takes bludgeoning damage equal to two rolls of your Martial Arts die, plus an additional roll of your Martial Arts die for each creature other than you within the area. On a successful save, a creature takes half as much damage and is not knocked prone.
When you use this ability, choose any number of 5-foot squares of earth or stone within the area. Those spaces become difficult terrain until cleared, with each 5-foot square portion requiring at least 1 minute to clear by hand.
Once you use this action, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest, unless you expend 3 ki points to use it again.
Sage of the Unyielding Peak
17th-level Way of the Enduring Summit feature
No matter how the wind howls, the mountain cannot bow to it. While your Earthen Monument feature is active, you have resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage not dealt by adamantine weapons.
Way of the Monsoon
Monks who walk Way of the Monsoon understand the lie of separation, knowing that directing the ki energy within themselves is no different than directing the energy without. Unified with the swirling powers of weather, these monks move like a curious breeze and crash like furious lightning.
These monks often found their monasteries in centers of great atmospheric power, such as mountains where storms gather or floating on the sea to greet new hurricanes.
Maelstrom's Center
3rd-level Way of the Monsoon feature
You are the eye of the storm, surrounded by whipping winds and crackling electricity. You learn the gust cantrip if you don't already know it. In addition, you can choose to gather the energy of a storm about you at the start of each of your turns. Until the start of your next turn, you can add one of the following effects to each of your melee weapon attacks. Each effect cannot be used more than once per turn, and you must decide which effect to use before making the attack roll:
Thunder. On a hit, the target must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or be knocked prone as crash of thunder reverberates from your strike.
Lightning. On a hit, the target takes extra lightning damage equal to one roll of your martial arts die as bolts of power sear their skin.
Wind. On a hit, the target must succeed on a Strength saving throw or be moved up to 10 feet in a horizontal direction of your choice as the air around them moves with your strike.
Rain. Your reach is 10 feet greater than normal as moisture from the air gathers to deliver the blow.
Mist. You move up to 5 feet without provoking opportunity attacks immediately after making the attack, as mist disguises your steps.
You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
While you have no uses available, you can spend 1 ki point to use this feature again.
Cloud Rider
6th-level Way of the Monsoon feature
You can choose to weigh as much as a leaf on the wind, carried in beautiful spirals traced across the sky atop a cloud that forms beneath your feet. When you use your Step of the Wind while Maelstrom's Center is active, you gain a flying speed equal to your walking speed until the start of your next turn. If you are above the ground at the start of your next turn with nothing holding you aloft, you fall, unless you activate Maelstrom's Center and use your Step of the Wind again.
Sky's Performance
11th-level Way of the Monsoon feature
With the whispers of wind, and the tappings of rain, the clamorous shouts and violent thrashings of thunder and lightning are at once unexpected and completely inevitable. Just as your ki can draw a single drop of water from the air, so too can it bring out a mighty show of wrath. As an action, you can create one of the following effects:
Dance of Lightning. Ribbons of searing light spin and leap across the battlefield. Choose one creature you can see within 90 feet, as well as up to three additional creatures within 30 feet of the first target. Each creature must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, a creature takes lightning damage equal to five rolls of your Martial Arts die, or half as much damage on a successful save. When you use this ability, you can choose to spend up to 3 ki points to increase the damage by one roll of your Martial Arts die for each ki point spent this way.
Song of Thunder. Waves of echoing noise resound from your position, with a boom that is audible from 300 feet away. Each creature within 15 feet of you must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, a creature takes thunder damage equal to two rolls of your Martial Arts die and is stunned until the end of your next turn. On a successful save, a creature takes half as much damage and is not stunned. When you use this ability, you can choose to spend up to 3 ki points to increase the radius of this effect by 5 feet for each ki point spent this way.
Once you use this action, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest, unless you expend 3 ki points to use it again.
Sage of the Four Winds
17th-level Way of the Monsoon feature
The meanderings of the clouds are synchronized with your breath. As an action, you can cast the control weather spell, without expending spell slots or material components. Once you do so, you cannot cast this spell this way again until you finish a long rest.
Additionally, when you apply an effect from Maelstrom's Center to an attack, you can also apply a second effect of a different type to that attack, and there is no longer a limit to how many times an effect can be used on each turn.
Way of the Shining Mind
Some would say that knowledge requires not only truth, but justification against other truths. This is a cycle, as nothing can be known until the infinite chain of justification is complete. The Way of the Shining Mind transcends this issue, teaching that there is no ultimate difference between what is and what seems to be, and between what isn't and what is unknown. Armed with this knowledge and the light of their wisdom, these monks wield reality itself as a weapon.
Luminous Soul
3rd-level Way of the Shining Mind feature
When you adopt this monastic tradition, choose either force, psychic, or radiant damage. You gain resistance to the damage type you choose, and this damage type is used by some features of this subclass.
Implement of Truth
3rd-level Way of the Shining Mind feature
At the end of a long rest, you can choose to manifest your implement of truth, by either enhancing your unarmed strikes, enhancing a weapon you touch, or summoning your implement. The implement is scintillating with a spectral flame, emitting bright light in a 15-foot radius and dim light for an additional 15 feet in a color of your choice. You can cause the implement to stop or resume being scintillating at any time. When you attack with your implement while it is scintillating, you can use your Wisdom modifier, instead of Strength or Dexterity, for the attack and damage rolls, and when you hit a target with it you can change its damage type to the type associated with your luminous soul ability.
If you enhance a weapon you touch or summon your implement, it must be a melee monk weapon. It becomes imbued with magic or appears as a spectral weapon in your hand, as appropriate. You can cause the weapon to vanish or appear in your hand on your turn (no action required by you).
The implement retains these benefits until you manifest it again, at which point it loses the magic or fades from reality.
Shining Disciple
3rd-level Way of the Shining Mind feature
When you choose this monastic tradition, you learn two shining disciplines of your choice, which are magical abilities detailed under "Shining Disciplines" below.
You learn one additional discipline at 6th, 11th, and 17th level. When you finish a long rest, you can replace one discipline you know with a different one.
If a discipline allows you to cast a spell, it does not require spell slots and Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for it. While wielding your scintillating implement, you can cast these spells without verbal components, and you can use your implement as a spellcasting focus for these spells.
Brilliant Soul
6th-level Way of the Shining Mind feature
Truth is impervious to contradiction. Your abilities ignore resistance to the damage type associated with your luminous soul ability. In addition, when you roll a 1 or a 2 on a damage die that will deal damage of this type, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll, even if the new roll is a 1 or a 2.
Selective Reality
11th-level Way of the Shining Mind feature
It is only by a mutual agreement between two objects that they collide. You needn't make such agreements. As a bonus action, you can become incorporeal until the start of your next turn. While incorporeal, you gain the following benefits:
- You can move through objects and other creatures as if they were difficult terrain. If you are inside a creature or an object when this effect ends, you are shunted to the nearest unoccupied space.
- You gain resistance to nonmagical bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage.
- You are immune to being grappled or restrained. If you are grappled or restrained when you become incorporeal, those effects are suspended for the duration.
Once you use this bonus action, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest, unless you expend 3 ki points to use it again.
Dismiss Falsehood
17th-level Way of the Shining Mind feature
As an action, you can expend 4 ki points and choose a creature within your reach. If the creature has 100 hit points or fewer, it is magically removed from reality, and vanishes from its space.
The target remains dismissed for 1 minute or until you lose your concentration (as if you were concentrating on a spell). If your concentration ends, the target reappears in the nearest unoccupied space to where it left. If the creature had more than 100 hit points or your concentration ends, you can choose to deal 8d10 damage to the target, of the type associated with your luminous soul ability. If you maintain concentration for 1 minute, the target never returns as it simply ceases to be, and you cannot use this feature again for 7 days. Only a wish spell or similar magic can return the target to reality once this has happened.
Shining Disciplines
The disciplines are presented in alphabetical order.
Alter Truth. You can adjust the version of reality that is collectively experienced. Once per round when you spend a ki point, you can choose one target you can see within 30 feet of you, either a creature or a Huge or smaller object that is not being worn or carried by another creature. You can knock the target prone, move it up to 10 feet in a horizontal direction of your choice, or cause the target to take damage equal to one roll of your Martial Arts die, of the type associated with your Luminous Soul ability. If the target is a creature, it can make a Charisma saving throw to avoid the effect.
Amplify Impact. Layering events back upon themselves imbues them with a greater degree of reality. As a reaction when a creature you can see within 30 feet of you is hit with an attack, you can spend 1 ki point to cause the attack to deal extra damage equal to 2 rolls of your Martial Arts die, of the type associated with your luminous soul ability.
The maximum number of ki points you can spend on this ability increases when you reach certain levels in this class, increasing to 2 at 11th level and 3 at 17th level. The extra damage increases by 1 roll of your Martial Arts die for each additional ki point spent.
Bend Thoughts. It is possible to reshape the beliefs upon which a creature bases their decisions. You can spend 2 ki points to cast the suggestion spell.
Break Continuity. Causes need not lead to corresponding effects. When you see a creature within 30 feet of you make a saving throw, you can use a reaction to spend 2 ki points and roll a Martial Arts die. You choose whether the number rolled is added to or subtracted from the saving throw, potentially changing its outcome. You must use this ability before you see the number rolled.
Disbelieve. There is no such thing as air, nor water. You learn the shape water cantrip. In addition, you do not need to breathe, and you gain a swimming speed equal to your walking speed.
Disregard Limits. The mind is like a muscle, and muscles are like the mind. As a bonus action, you can expend 1 ki point to grant yourself a bonus to Strength and Dexterity checks and saving throws for the next minute. The bonus equals your Wisdom modifier (minimum of +1).
Distant Deflection. You can convince objects to collide with thin air. You can use your deflect missiles ability when a creature you can see within 30 feet is hit by a ranged attack roll, even a spell attack. When you do so, you must spend 1 ki point to reduce the damage of the attack, and you can use your Wisdom modifier, instead of Dexterity, to determine the amount of damage reduced.
If you reduce the damage to 0 this way, you halt the missile in midair and can choose to spend 1 ki point to redirect it as part of the same reaction. To redirect the missile, make a ranged attack roll using Wisdom instead of Dexterity against a creature within 60 feet of you. That creature becomes the new target of the attack, which now uses your attack roll.
Dreamwalker. There is no need to sleep when one is already dreaming. You don't need to sleep and can’t be forced to sleep by any means. To gain the benefits of a long rest, you can spend all 8 hours doing light activity, such as meditating or keeping watch. Additionally, you can spend 1 ki point to cast the sleep spell.
Empowered Implement. Your implement exists on a slightly removed layer of reality, and can move independently of such constraints as momentum or friction. As an action, you can spend 2 ki points to empower your implement for 1 hour. While empowered, you can use your implement, instead of your unarmed strikes, whenever a feature allows you to make an unarmed strike.
Enclosed Reality. You can move objects perpendicularly to the rest of existence. As an action, you can touch an object that is not being worn or carried by another creature and cause it to vanish. It is instantly sent to an extradimensional space that is a 2-foot cube. If the object is too big for the space or there is no room remaining for it there, the object does not vanish. The size of the space increases when you reach certain levels in this class, becoming a 3-foot cube at level 6, a 4-foot cube at level 11, and a 5-foot cube at level 17.
As an action, you can cause one object currently in the extradimensional space to appear in your hand, or in an unoccupied space within 10 feet of you. If you die, all the objects in your extradimensional space appear around you.
Fold Space. You crease the world like paper, and step across the gap. As a bonus action, you can spend 2 ki points to teleport yourself or a willing creature up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space you can see.
Imbue Momentum. It is easy to move that which isn't there. You learn the mage hand cantrip, and you can make the spectral hand invisible. Additionally, you can spend 1 ki point to cast the catapult spell.
Share Truth. Proximity is no prerequisite for interaction. You learn the message cantrip. Additionally, you can spend 3 ki points to cast the sending spell.
Shield of Knowledge. Offense and defense are synonymous. As a bonus action, you can spend 1 ki point to form a shimmering shield around yourself for 10 minutes. While the shield remains, you gain a +1 bonus to AC. In addition, once per round when a creature within 5 feet of you damages you while the shield is up, you can deal damage to the creature equal to 1 roll of your Martial Arts die, of the type associated with your luminous soul ability.
Shining Eye. You do not require your senses to experience reality, or to be aware of others. You gain blindsight out to a range of 10 feet while wielding your scintillating implement. Within that range, you can effectively see anything that isn't behind total cover, even if you're blinded or in darkness. Moreover, you can see an invisible creature within that range, unless the creature successfully hides from you. The radius of this ability increases when you reach certain levels in this class, becoming 20 feet at level 11, and 30 feet at level 17.
Additionally, you can spend 2 ki points to cast the detect thoughts spell, and you can use Wisdom instead of Intelligence to probe the target's mind.
Transfix Object. Motion is relative to perspective. You can touch one object that weighs no more than 10 pounds and spend 2 ki points to fix it in place for 1 hour. You can move the object normally, but it otherwise hangs in the air and resists being moved. While the object is fixed in this way, it can hold up to 4,000 pounds of weight, but more weight causes it to fall, ending the effect. A creature can use its action to make a Strength check against your ki save DC. On a success, the creature can move the object up to 10 feet.