Monk
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. As they gain experience, their martial training and their mastery of ki gives them more power over their bodies and the bodies of their foes.
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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.
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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.
Subclasses
Basics
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Base Hit Points: 56
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Hit Points per Advancement: 14
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Actions: 2 Attack, 1 Bonus, 1 Reaction
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Ki Points:
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Level 8: +2​
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Level 10: +2 (4)
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Level 12: +2 (6)
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Casting Attribute: Wisdom
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Starting Kit:
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Quarterstaff​
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Proficiencies
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Armor: N/A
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Weapons: Simple weapons
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Saving Throws: Strength, Dexterity
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Skills: Acrobatics, Athletics
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Proficiency Bonus:
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Level 8: +2
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Level 10: +1 (3)
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Level 12: +1 (4)
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Unarmored Defense
While you are wearing no armor and not wielding a shield, your AC equals 10 + Dexterity + Wisdom.
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Martial Arts
Your practice of martial arts gives you mastery of combat styles that use unarmed strikes or any simple weapon. You gain the following benefits while you are unarmed or wielding a simple weapon, and you aren’t wearing armor or wielding a shield:
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You can use Dexterity instead of Strength for the attack and damage rolls of your unarmed strikes.
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You can roll a d8 in place of the normal damage of your unarmed strikes. (Empowered Unarmed Strike)
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When you use the attack action with an unarmed strike or simple weapon on your turn, you can make one empowered 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 that turn.
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Ki
Your training allows you to harness the mystic energy of ki, making your unarmed strikes act as magical attacks. Your access to this energy is represented by a number of Ki Points. Your level determines the number of points you have. You can spend these points to fuel various ki features.
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Flurry of Blows
As a bonus action and for the cost of 1 Ki Point, tap into your ki and gain two bonus unarmed strikes, with each attack causing 1d8 + Attack Bonus damage.
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Patient Defense
Tapping into your ki at the cost of 1 Ki Point, you take the dodge action as a bonus action, granting you +2 AC until the start of your next turn.
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Step of the Wind
As a bonus action for the cost of 1 Ki Point, take the dash action granting you +4 movement for your current turn. You also gain the effects of the disengage action, preventing you from being hit with Attacks of Opportunity.
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Deflect Missile
As a reaction, you deflect any ranged attack that targets your AC, reducing the total damage by 1d10 + Dexterity. Also works on Magic Missile.
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Stunning Strike
Requires Level 10
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As a bonus action, you interfere with the flow of ki in an opponent's body. When you hit another creature, you spend 1 Ki Point to attempt a Stunning Strike. The target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw (DC 8 + Attack Bonus + Wisdom) or be stunned until the end of their next turn. You may only stunning strike a target once per combat.
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Stillness of Mind
Requires Level 12
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Use your action to end one effect on yourself that is causing you to be charmed or frightened.
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Purity of Body
Requires Level 12
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You are immune to the Poisoned status effect, and Diseased effect.
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Monastic Traditions
Traditions of monastic pursuit are common in the monasteries scattered across the multiverse. Most monasteries practice one tradition exclusively, but a few honor multiple traditions and instruct each monk according to his or her aptitude and interest. All traditions rely on the same basic techniques, diverging as the student grows more adept. Choose your monastic tradition (subclass) from the four listed below. These will be unlocked at Level 10 and reach their full potential at Level 12.
The fundamental teaching of this tradition holds that by emulating dragons, a monk becomes a more integrated part of the world and its magic. By altering their spirit to resonate with draconic might, monks who follow this tradition augment their prowess in battle, bolster their allies, and can even soar through the air on draconic wings. But all this power is in service of a greater goal: achieving a spiritual unity with the essence of the Material Plane.
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Bonus Proficiencies
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​Skills: Intimidation
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Tongue of Dragons
You learn to speak, read, and write Draconic.
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Breath of the Dragon​
By consuming one class resource, you emulate a dragon and use its destructive waves of energy, causing 2d8 damage to anyone caught in a 3 tile range. Damage is halved if they succeed a Dexterity saving throw (DC 8 + Attack Bonus + Wisdom).
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Wings Unfurled
After using Step of the Wind, you unfurl spectral draconic wings from your back that vanish at the end of your turn. While the wings exist, you may fly as your movement action.
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Aspect of the Wyrm | Explosive Fury
Requires Level 12
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As a bonus action, you radiate your draconic energy to inspire fear in your enemies within one tile until the end of their next turn. When you activate your Aspect of the Wyrm, you can cause draconic fury to explode from you. Spend 2 Ki points and choose as many targets as you like within' 1 tile of you. Each of those creatures must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw against 8 + Spell Bonus or take 3d10 damage, or half on success.
You follow a monastic tradition that teaches you to harness the elements. When you focus your ki, you can align yourself with the forces of creation and bend the four elements to your will, using them as an extension of your body. Some members of this tradition dedicate themselves to a single element, but others weave the elements together.
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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.
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Bonus Proficiencies
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Skills: Nature
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Gong of the Summit
Using 2 Ki Points and your action, create sudden loud ringing noise, painfully intense that erupts from a point of your choice within range. Each creature in a 2 tile radius must make a Constitution Saving Throw (DC 8 + Prof + Spell Bonus), taking 3d8 thunder damage on a failed save or half as much on a success.
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Rush of the Gale Spirits
Using 2 Ki Points and your action, create a line of strong wind blasts in a direction you choose. Each creature that starts its turn in the line must succeed on a Strength saving throw (DC 8 + Prof + Spell Bonus) or be pushed 4 tiles away from you in a direction following the line.
The gust disperses gas or vapor, and it extinguishes candles, torches, and similar unprotected flames in the area. It causes protected flames, such as those of lanterns, to dance wildly and extinguishes them.
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Cinder Strike
Use your action and spend 2 Ki Points to hold your hands with thumbs touching and fingers spread, a thin sheet of flames shoots forth in a 2 tile cone. Each target must make a Dexterity Saving Throw (DC 8 + Prof + Spell Bonus). A creature takes 3d6 fire damage on a failed save or half as much on a success.
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Fangs of the Fire Snake
When you hit with any unarmed attack on your turn, you can spend 1 Ki Point to send tendrils of flame to stretch out from your fists and feet, causing your attack to deal deal an additional 1d10 fire damage.
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Water Whip
Requires Level 12
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Use your action and spend 1 Ki Point to create a whip of water that shoves and pulls a creature. A creature that you can see that is within 4 tiles of you must make a Dexterity saving throw (DC 8 + Prof + Spell Bonus). On a failed save, the creature takes 3d10 bludgeoning damage, and pull it up to 2 tiles closer to you. On a successful save, the creature takes half as much damage, and you don't pull it.
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Flames of the Phoenix
Requires Level 12
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Using 4 class resources and your action, punch the air aflame in a 16 tile range, for a 2x2 tile radius. Any target caught by the flame becomes engulfed in crimson flames. The flames deal 8d6 fire damage to those hit, and half that to those who manage to dodge with a Dexterity saving throw (DC 8 + Spell Bonus).
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.
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Bonus Proficiencies​
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Skills: Sleight of Hand
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Open Hand Technique (Prone)
Whenever you hit a creature with one of your attacks granted by Flurry of Blows, you may attempt to knock them prone. The target must succeed a Dexterity Saving Throw (DC 8 + Spell Bonus) or be knocked prone.
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Open Hand Technique (Push)
Whenever you hit a creature with one of your attacks granted by Flurry of Blows, you may attempt to push them back. The target must succeed a Strength Saving Throw (DC 8 + Prof + Spell Bonus) or be pushed back 2 tiles.
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Wholeness of Body
As an action, you can regain hit points equal to 30. You may only use this once per long rest.
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Open Hand Technique (React)
Requires Level 12
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Whenever you hit a creature with BOTH of your attacks granted by Flurry of Blows, you may attempt take their ability to react. The target must succeed a Consitution Saving Throw (DC 8 + Spell Bonus) or lose their reaction, if they have one. Takes priority before reactions. If this fails, you may still attempt a push or prone.
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Quivering Palm
Requires Level 12
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Once per day when you strike a creature within a 1 tile range you may spend 3 Ki points to cause imperceptible and lethal vibrations in their body, leaving them wracked with pain and agony as part of the same attack. The target must succeed a Constitution Saving Throw (DC 8 + Prof + Spell Bonus) or be dealt 50 hit points of damage. If the target succeeds, they take only 6d6 damage.
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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.
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Bonus Proficiencies​
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Skills: Stealth
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Darkvision
Training to utilize the dark to your advantage has made you adept at working your trade within' it. You gain Darkvision if you do not already have it.
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Shadow Arts (Silence)
As an action with a cost of 2 ki points, create a 2x2 tile zone of silence somewhere within' a 12 tile radius. All those caught inside are silenced until the end of their next turn.
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Shadow Step
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 move up to 3 tiles to an unoccupied space you can see that is also in dim light or darkness.
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Cloak of Shadows
Requires Level 12
When you are in an area of dim light or darkness, you can use your action to become invisible up to three turns. You remain invisible until you take any action, or are in an area of bright light. Usable once per long rest.
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Opportunist
Requires Level 12
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You can exploit a creature's momentary distractions. Whenever an enemy near you attacks someone other than yourself or an enemy becomes silenced within' range, you may use this feature for the cost of your reaction to make a single melee attack against them.
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. 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.
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Bonus Proficiencies​​
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Skills: Medicine
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Hands of Healing
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 1d6 + Wisdom. Additionally, you cure all blinded, paralyzed, poisoned, or stunned effects on the target. When you use Flurry of Blows you can replace one of the unarmed strikes with a use of Hands of Healing, restoring 1d6 + Wisdom hit points to a target you can touch.You may only do this once per turn.
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Hands of Harm
You may use your Ki to inflict wounds. When you hit a creature with an unarmed strike you may spend 1 Ki Point to deal 1d6 extra necrotic damage. You may only use this once per turn. The target is also poisoned until the end of their next turn.
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Flurry of Healing and Harm
Requires Level 12
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 class resource for Hands of Harm. You can still use Hands of Harm only once per turn.
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Hands of Ultimate Mercy
Requires Level 12
You may use a surgeon's kit to attempt to cure another of the severely wounded status. You make a DC 12 medicine check. On a success the target's wounded status is removed and they are instead granted the "Stabilized" status for 1 hour, suffering only half of the normal negatives in that time.