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.
hit dice:
d8
hit points at 1st level:
8+Con
hit points at higher levels:
1d8+Con
armor proficiencies:
N/A
weapon proficiencies:
Simple weapons, shortswords
tools:
Choose one type of artisan's tools or one musical instrument
saving throws:
Strength, Dexterity
skills:
Choose two from Acrobatics, Athletics, History, Insight, Religion, and Stealth
starting equipment:
spellcasting:
class features:
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
Martial Arts
At 1st level, your practice of martial arts gives you mastery of combat styles that use unarmed strikes and monk weapons, which are shortswords and any simple melee weapons that don't have the two-handed or heavy property.
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 with an unarmed strike or a monk weapon on your turn, 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.
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 on the Weapons page
Ki
Starting at 2nd level, your training allows you to harness the mystic energy of ki. Your access to this energy 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.
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 spend 1 ki point to take the Disengage or Dash action as a bonus action on your turn, and your jump distance is doubled for the turn.
Unarmored Movement
Starting at 2nd level, your speed increases by 10 feet while you are not wearing armor or 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.
Dedicated Weapon
Also at 2nd level, you train yourself to use a variety of weapons as monk weapons, not just simple melee weapons and shortswords. Whenever you finish a short or long rest, you can touch one weapon, focus your ki on it, and then count that weapon 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
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.
Deflect Missiles
Starting at 3rd level, you can use your reaction 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.
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 spend 1 ki point to make a ranged attack with a range of 20/60 using the weapon or piece of ammunition you just caught, as part of the same reaction. You make this attack with proficiency, regardless of your weapon proficiencies, and the missile counts as a monk weapon for the attack.
Ki-Fueled Attack
Also at 3rd level, 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 or a monk weapon as a bonus action before the end of the turn.
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.
Quickened Healing
Also at 4th level, as an action, you can spend 2 ki points and roll a Martial Arts die. You regain a number of hit points equal to the number rolled plus your proficiency bonus.
Extra Attack
Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.
Stunning Strike
Starting at 5th level, you can interfere with the flow of ki in an opponent's body. When you hit another creature with a melee weapon attack, you can spend 1 ki point to attempt a stunning strike. The target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or be stunned until the end of your next turn.
Focused Aim
Also 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 of these ki points you spend, 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 nonmagical attacks and damage.
Evasion
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.
Stillness of Mind
Starting at 7th level, you can use your action to end one effect on yourself that is causing you to be charmed or frightened.
Purity of Body
At 10th level, your mastery of the ki flowing through you makes you immune to disease and poison.
Tongue of the Sun and Moon
Starting at 13th level, you learn to touch the ki of other minds so that you understand all spoken languages. Moreover, any creature that can understand a language can understand what you say.
Diamond Soul
Beginning at 14th level, your mastery of ki grants you proficiency 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.
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. When you do so, you can't take any other creatures with you.
Perfect Self
At 20th level, when you roll for initiative and have no ki points remaining, you regain 4 ki points.
subclass options:
Way of the Astral Self
A monk who follows the Way of the Astral Self believes their body is an illusion. They see their ki as a representation of their true form, an astral self. This astral self has the capacity to be a force of order or disorder, with some monasteries training students to use their power to protect the weak and other instructing aspirants in how to manifest their true selves in service to the mighty
Arms of the Astral Self
At 3rd level, your mastery of your ki allows you to summon a portion of your astral self. As a bonus action, you can spend 1 ki point to summon the arms of your astral self. When you do so, each creature of your choice that you can see within 10 feet of you must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or take force damage equal to two rolls of your Martial Arts die.
For 10 minutes, these spectral arms hover near your shoulders or surround your arms (your choice). You determine the arms' appearance, and they vanish early if you are incapacitated or die.
While the spectral arms are present, you gain the following benefits:
You can use your Wisdom modifier in place of your Strength modifier when making Strength checks and Strength saving throws.
You can use the spectral arms to make unarmed strikes.
When you make an unarmed strike with the arms on your turn, your reach for it is 5 feet greater than normal.
The unarmed strikes you make with the arms can use your Wisdom modifier in place of your Strength or Dexterity modifier for the attack and damage rolls, and their damage type is force.
Visage of the Astral Self
When you reach 6th level, you can summon the visage of your astral self. As a bonus action, or as part of the bonus action you take to activate Arms of the Astral Self, you can spend 1 ki point to summon this visage for 10 minutes. It vanishes early if you are incapacitated or die.
The spectral visage covers your face like a helmet or mask. You determine its appearance.
While the spectral visage is present, you gain the following benefits.
Astral Sight. You can see normally in darkness, both magical and nonmagical, to a distance of 120 feet.
Wisdom of the Spirit. You have advantage on Wisdom (Insight) and Charisma (Intimidation) checks.
Word of the Spirit. When you speak, you can direct your words to a creature of your choice that you can see within 60 feet of you, making it so only that creature can hear you. Alternatively, you can amplify your voice so that all creatures within 600 feet can hear you.
Body of the Astral Self
Starting at 11th level, when you have both your astral arms and visage summoned, you can cause the body of your astral self to appear (no action required). This spectral body covers your physical form like a suit of armor, connecting with the arms and visage. You determine its appearance.
While the spectral body is present, you gain the following benefits.
Deflect Energy. When you take acid, cold, fire, force, lightning, or thunder damage, you can use your reaction to deflect it. When you do so, the damage you take is reduced by 1d10 + your Wisdom modifier (minimum reduction of 1).
Empowered Arms. Once on each of your turns when you hit a target with the Arms of the Astral Self, you can deal extra damage to the target equal to your Martial Arts die.
Awakened Astral Self
Starting at 17th level, your connection to your astral self is complete, allowing you to unleash its full potential. As a bonus action, you can spend 5 ki points to summon the arms, visage, and body of your astral self and awaken it for 10 minutes. This awakening ends early if you are incapacitated or die.
While your astral self is awakened, you gain the following benefits.
Armor of the Spirit. You gain a +2 bonus to Armor Class.
Astral Barrage. Whenever you use the Extra Attack feature to attack twice, you can instead attack three times if all the attacks are made with your astral arms.
Way of the 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 quickly as part of your Flurry of Blows. 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 can move in sudden, swaying ways. 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, 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, you can spend 2 ki points 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 Flurry of Blows, you can make up to three additional attacks with it (up to a total of five Flurry of Blows attacks), provided that each Flurry of Blows attack targets a different creature this turn.
Way of the Kensei
Monks of the Way of the 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
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.
Agile Parry. If you make an unarmed strike as part of the Attack action on your turn and are holding a kensei weapon, you can use it to defend yourself if it is a melee weapon. You gain a +2 bonus to AC 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 to make your ranged attacks with a kensei weapon more deadly. When you do so, any target you hit with a ranged attack using a kensei weapon takes an extra 1d4 damage of the weapon’s type. You retain this benefit until the end of the current turn.
Way of the Brush. You gain proficiency with your choice of calligrapher's supplies or painter's supplies.
One with the Blade
At 6th level, you extend your ki into your kensei weapons, granting you the following benefits.
Magic Kensei Weapons. Your attacks with your kensei weapons count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.
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. You can use this feature only once on each of your turns.
Sharpen the Blade
At 11th level, you gain the ability to augment your weapons further with your ki. 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. This feature has no effect on a magic weapon that already has a bonus to attack and damage rolls.
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.
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. 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 of 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 expend 1 ki point (no action required) to have 1 hit point instead.
Touch of the Long Death
Starting at 17th level, your touch can channel the energy of death into a creature. As an action, you touch one creature within 5 feet of you, and you expend 1 to 10 ki points. The target must make a Constitution saving throw, and it takes 2d10 necrotic damage per ki point spent on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
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.
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.
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.
You also gain a special mask, which you often wear when using the features of this subclass. You determine its appearance
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 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
Starting when you choose this tradition at 3rd level, you can manipulate your enemy's ki when you harness your own. 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, you gain the ability to heal yourself. 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, you can enter a special meditation that surrounds you with an aura of peace. 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, you gain the ability to set up lethal vibrations in someone's body. 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
Starting when you choose this tradition at 3rd level, you can use your ki to duplicate the effects of certain spells. 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, 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. 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
Starting when you choose this tradition at 3rd level, you can hurl searing bolts of magical radiance.
You gain a new attack option that you can use with the Attack action. 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.
When you take the Attack action on your turn and use this special attack as part of it, you can spend 1 ki point to make the special attack twice as a bonus action.
When you gain the Extra Attack feature, this special attack can be used for any of the attacks you make as part of the Attack action.
Searing Arc Strike
At 6th level, you gain the ability to channel your ki into searing waves of energy. Immediately after you take the Attack action on your turn, you can spend 2 ki points 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 (2 plus any additional points) that you can spend on the spell equals half your monk level.
Searing Sunburst
At 11th level, you gain the ability to create an orb of light that erupts into a devastating explosion. As an action, you magically create an orb and hurl it at a point you choose within 150 feet, where it erupts into a sphere of radiant light for a brief but deadly instant.
Each creature in that 20-foot-radius sphere must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or take 2d6 radiant damage. 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, up to a maximum of 3, increases the damage by 2d6.
Sun Shield
At 17th 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 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 5 + your Wisdom modifier.
Way Of The Ascendant Dragon
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
Draconic Disciple
At 3rd level, you can channel draconic power to magnify your presence and imbue your unarmed strikes with the essence of a dragon’s breath. You gain the following benefits:
Draconic Presence. If you fail a Charisma (Intimidation) or Charisma (Persuasion) check, you can use your reaction to reroll the check, as you tap into the mighty presence of dragons. Once this feature turns a failure into a success, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.
Draconic Strike. When you damage a target with an unarmed strike, you can change the damage type to acid, cold, fire, lightning, or poison.
Tongue of Dragons. You learn to speak, read, and write Draconic or one other language of your choice.
Breath of the Dragon
At 3rd level you can channel destructive waves of energy, like those created by the dragons you emulate. When you take the Attack action on your turn, you can replace one of the attacks with an exhalation of draconic energy in either a 20-foot cone or a 30-foot line that is 5 feet wide (your choice). Choose a damage type: acid, cold, fire, lightning, or poison. Each creature in that area must make a Dexterity saving throw against your ki save DC, taking damage of the chosen type equal to two rolls of your Martial Arts die on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
At 11th level, the damage of this feature increases to three rolls of your Martial Arts die.
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 2 ki points to use this feature again.
Wings Unfurled
At 6th level when you use your Step of the Wind, you can unfurl spectral draconic wings from your back that vanish at the end of your turn. While the wings exist, you have a flying speed equal to your walking speed.
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
Aspect of the Wyrm
At 11th level the power of your draconic spirit now radiates from you, warding your allies or inspiring fear in your enemies. As a bonus action, you can create an aura of draconic power that radiates 10 feet from you for 1 minute. For the duration, you gain one of the following effects of your choice:
Frightful Presence. When you create this aura, and as a bonus action on subsequent turns, you can choose a creature within the aura. The target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw against your ki save DC or become frightened of you for 1 minute. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a successful save.
Resistance. Choose a damage type when you activate this aura: acid, cold, fire, lightning, or poison. You and your allies within the aura have resistance to that damage.
Once you create this aura, you can’t create it again until you finish a long rest, unless you expend 3 ki points to create it again.
Ascendant Aspect
At 17th level, your draconic spirit reaches its peak. You gain the following benefits:
Augment Breath. When you use your Breath of the Dragon, you can spend 1 ki point to augment its shape and power. The exhalation of draconic energy becomes either a 60-foot cone or a 90-foot line that is 5 feet wide (your choice), and each creature in that area takes damage equal to four rolls of your Martial Arts die on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
Blindsight. You gain blindsight out to 10 feet. 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.
Explosive Fury. When you activate your Aspect of the Wyrm, draconic fury explodes from you. Choose any number of creatures you can see in your aura. Each of those creatures must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw against your ki save DC or take 3d10 acid, cold, fire, lightning, or poison damage (your choice).
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.
Extract Aspects
Beginning at 3rd level when choosing this tradition, you can strike pressure points to extract crucial information about your foe, granting you insight about their combat ability. Whenever you hit a creature with one of the attacks granted by your Flurry of Blows, you mark them as analyzed. Whenever an analyzed creature misses you with an attack, you can immediately use your reaction to make an unarmed melee attack against that creature. This benefit lasts until you finish a short or long rest.
In addition, you learn the following attributes about the target: Damage Vulnerabilities, Damage Resistances, Damage Immunities, and Condition Immunities
Mystical Erudition
Beginning at 6th 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 gain proficiency with one of the following skills of your choice: Arcana, History, Investigation, Nature, and Religion. If you already have proficiency in one of the listed skills, you can instead choose to double your proficiency bonus for any ability check you make that uses the chosen proficiency.
You gain an additional language and an additional skill proficiency from the above list (with the ability to double the bonus of an existing proficiency from the list) at 11th and 17th level.
Extort Truth
At 6th level, you can hit a hidden cluster of nerves on a creature with precision, temporarily causing them to become mentally malleable. If you hit a creature with an unarmed attack, you can spend 1 ki point to force them to make a Charisma saving throw. On a failed save, the creature is unable to speak a deliberate lie and all Charisma checks directed at the creature are made with advantage for up to 10 minutes. 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.
Mind of Mercury
Starting at 11th level, you’ve honed your awareness and reflexes through mental aptitude and pattern recognition. Once per turn, if you’ve already taken your reaction, you may spend 1 ki point to take an additional reaction.
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 creature with one of the attacks granted by your Flurry of Blows, 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 they take damage of that type. A creature who is affected by this feature cannot be affected by it again for 24 hours.
Way of the Eternal Spirit
Monks of the Way of the Eternal Spirit learn to channel the
energy of the positive plane, using the powers that it grants to
defend their allies and come to the aid of those that need it most.
Unlike the monks of most monastic traditions, monks of the way
of the eternal spirit don’t typically live in monasteries or cloisters.
Monks that follow this tradition are wanderers that travel through
the lands, and sometimes even across planes, as they train and
lend their aid to those they encounter. It is common for these
monks to travel in small groups, where a single master leads and
teaches one to three students.
Monks of this tradition are often easily identifiable by the
intricate, magical tattoos that they adorn their bodies with. These
tattoos are thought to improve their connection to the positive
plane, so that they can more easily channel its energy. When a
monk of this tradition harnesses their ki, their tattoos can change
color or even begin to glow.
Bonus Proficiencies
When you choose this tradition at 3rd level, you gain proficiency
in the Medicine skill if you don’t already have it. You also gain
proficiency in the herbalism kit if you don’t already have it.
Radiant Guardian
Also at 3rd level, you can manipulate your ki to come to the
defense of your allies. You gain the following options:
• As a bonus action, you can cause a creature you can see within
30 feet of you to gain temporary hit points equal to a roll of
your Martial Arts die. When you use this option, you can
choose to spend up to 2 ki to increase the number of temporary
hit points gained by one Martial Arts die per ki point spent.
These temporary hit points last until the end of your next turn.
• When another creature within 30 feet of you takes damage,
you can use your reaction and spend 1 ki point to disappear in
a flash of light. You teleport to an unoccupied location within 5
feet of that creature, and grant it resistance to the triggering
instance of damage. When you do so, you take damage
equal to the damage that creature takes.
When you use this option, you can choose to spend 2
ki points, rather than 1. If you do so, you don’t take
damage equal to the damage the creature takes.
If you are within 5 feet of your target when you use this
option, you can choose to not teleport. In that case, the
total ki cost for this option decreases by 1, to a
minimum of 0.
Restoring Spirit
Beginning at 6th level, tapping into the magic of
ki mends your wounds. Whenever you spend ki,
you regain hit points equal to the number of ki
points you spend.
When you regain hit points in this way, you
can choose to regain additional hit points
equal to half your monk level. Once you
do so, you can't do so again until you
finish a long rest.
Enduring Body
At 11th level, the positive energy that runs through your body
causes you to age more slowly. For every 10 years that pass, your
body only ages 1 year.
You can also harness this energy to help your body brush off
attacks. As a bonus action, you can spend up to 3 ki points to
increase the effectiveness of your unarmored defense. For the
next minute, your AC equals 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your
Wisdom modifier + the number of ki points spent, as long as you
are wearing no armor and not wielding a shield.
Spiritual Defender
At 17th level, you gain the ability to commune with those you
meet, and come to their defense in their time of need. You can, for
1 minute, touch your palm to the chest of a willing creature that
speaks at least one language to grant them your protection. As
long as that creature is under your protection, you know the
distance and direction to its location, and you can sense its current
emotional state and whenever it takes any damage. You can have
up to six creatures under your protection at any one time, and a
creature remains under your protection until you choose to end it
(no action required), or until the creature is ever on a different
plane of existence than you.
As an action, you can spend 10 ki points to teleport yourself
and up to eight willing creatures of your choice within 10 feet of
you to the location of one of the creatures under your protection.
You and the creatures you transport with you appear in
unoccupied locations within 60 feet of the targeted creature.
Once you teleport in this way, you can’t teleport to a target
more than 5 miles away from you until you finish a long rest.
Way of the Bloodied Fist
Monks of the Way of the Bloodied Fist follow a tradition that
teaches them to control their own life force, as well as the life
force of their foes. By focusing their ki, they exert control over
blood - a powerful tool that is not to be underestimated. Their
monasteries practice in secret in dark caves and high mountains,
out of the eye of the common people, and their members only
leave for the rare missions ordered by only the most desperate.
Many monks of this tradition are covered in scars - some
self-inflicted in their training, and others earned in battle. The
monks often use their mystic energies to manipulate these scars,
forming them into complex designs and symbols to represent their
unique ki powers.
Sanguine Arts
Starting when you choose this tradition at 3rd level, you can use
your ki to duplicate the effects of certain spells. As an action, you
can spend 2 ki points to cast blackblood †, blood seal †, or
sanguine rope † as 2nd-level spells without providing material
components. Additionally, you gain the bloodletting † cantrip if
you don’t already know it. You must still pay the hemomancy
costs associated with each spell.
Toll of the Mystic
At 6th level, you gain the ability to convert your blood into a well
of energy. Whenever you spend your ki points, you can choose to
take necrotic damage equal to the number of ki points spent. This
damage cannot be reduced through any means. If you take this
damage, until the start of your next turn you gain a bonus to your
speed equal to 10 times the damage taken.
Transfusion
Beginning at 11th level, whenever you hit a creature with one of
the attacks granted by your Flurry of Blows, you regain 1d4 hit
points, or 2d4 hit points if the attack was a critical hit.
Dominion of Blood
At 17th level, you can take complete control of a creature by
manipulating its blood. When you hit a creature with an unarmed
strike, you can spend 3 ki points to attempt to grasp control over
that creature. The creature must succeed on a Constitution saving
throw or fall under your control. Constructs and elementals
automatically succeed on this saving throw.
On every subsequent turn after assuming control, you must use
your action to take total and precise control of the target. To assert
your control, you must be able to see the target and it must be
within 120 feet of you. Until the end of your next turn, the
creature takes only the actions you choose, and doesn't do
anything that you don't allow it to do. During this time, you can
also cause the creature to use a reaction, but this requires you to
use your own reaction as well. If you do not take this action on
your turn, the control ends prematurely. This control can last for
up to 1 hour, or until you lose your concentration (as if you were
concentrating on a spell).
Each time the target takes damage, it makes a new Constitution
saving throw against the effect. If the saving throw succeeds, the
effect ends.
Way of Mundanity
There are those who study the arcane as a means to change
the world around them. There is a certain arrogance in
that concept, so in order to maintain balance there exists
a group dedicated to preservation of the natural and the
mundane. Monks who follow the Way of Mundanity use
both the study of magic and the mastery of their own
internal energies to battle those who use the arcane.
Arcane Detection
3rd-level Way of Mundanity feature
You gain proficiency in the Arcana skill if you do not already
have it. Additionally, you can spend 1 ki point to cast the
detect magic spell as an action.
Spell Deflection
3rd-level Way of Mundanity feature
You can use your Deflect Missiles ability to reduce the
damage you take from magical sources. When targeted by
any magical damage that isn’t bludgeoning, slashing, or
piercing you can spend 1 ki point to reduce the damage
dealt as you would with Deflect Missiles. If you reduce
the damage to 0, you can choose to cause your next melee
attack to deal additional force damage equal to 1 of your
martial arts dice.
Suppressing Ki
6th-level Way of Mundanity feature
You’ve learned to use your ki to disrupt the magical nature
of other creatures or objects. You can spend 3 ki points to
cast counterspell, dispel magic, nondetection, or remove
curse, using Wisdom as your spellcasting modifier.
Beginning at 17th level, you can also spend 8 ki points to
cast antimagic field as an action.
Magical Rending
11th-level Way of Mundanity feature
When you hit a creature that has the Magic Resistance
trait with an unarmed strike, you can expend 2 ki points to
nullify that trait until the end of your next turn.
Coalescence
17th-level Way of Mundanity feature
When you make a saving throw against a spell or other
magical effect, you can use your reaction to gain advantage
on the saving throw and resistance to damage from the
spell. If the effect is a spell, you also regain a number of ki
points equal to the level of the spell cast.
Once you have used this ability, you may not do so again
until you finish a long rest.
Way of the Butterfly
Martial arts are a popular pursuit among the elves of the
Feywild. Their long lives give them ample time to meditate
on the how best to achieve the perfection of form, and to
refine their natural elven agility into supreme balance and
grace in battle. Hidden in the twilit forests, several
monasteries teach the Way of the Butterfly, a technique that
emphasizes gentleness and beauty as being the most
important things in life.
Swallowtail Strike
The monks of the Feywild prioritize careful, precise strikes
over raw power. When you choose this tradition at 3rd
level, you adopt this attitude and incorporate it into your
fighting style. War fans count as monk weapons for you.
Furthermore, whenever you make an unarmed strike or
attack with a monk weapon against a target within your
reach as part of an action or bonus action, you can replace
it with a Swallowtail Strike. When you make a Swallowtail
Strike, as long as it is physically possible to hit the target
(in other words, you can’t use this ability to hit ethereal
targets), you do not need to roll to hit or for damage; the
attack always hits and always deals damage equal to your
Dexterity modifier.
Free as a Bird
Starting at 6th level, you cannot be bound by nonmagical
restraints such as ropes or manacles, and you automatically
succeed on any ability check you make to free yourself
from the restrained or grappled conditions.
Floating Feet
By 11th level, your lightness of being transcends
the bonds of gravity. When you use your Slow
Fall ability, you do not fall at all until the end
of your next turn. Until then, you can move
horizontally in the air, treating it as difficult
terrain, but you cannot change your altitude.
Dazzling Metamorphosis
When you reach 17th level, you can spend 5 ki
points to transform yourself into a creature of
striking beauty, with large, butterfly-like wings on
your back. For the next hour, you have a 60-foot
fly speed, can hover, and have advantage on
Charisma (Performance) checks.
Way of the Leaden Crown
In contrast to the esoteric ideals of other monastic tradi-
tions, monks of the Way of the Leaden Crown have practi-
cal aims: the self-governance of humanoid peoples. These
monks see the history of the world as a series of clashes
between groups of powerful beings, where humanoids
were at best collateral damage and at worst disposable
pawns. To break this cycle of dependence and destruction,
monks of the Way of the Leaden Crown master mental
powers to fight back against the otherworldly powers of
the multiverse and protect humanoid sovereignty.
One component of this plan involves training to do
battle with powerful outsiders. The other equally impor-
tant component is ensuring that humanoid societies are
prepared to overthrow those powerful outsiders already
dominating them. To that end, these monks seek politi-
cal positions that place them in or near decision-making
roles where they can influence humanoids to fight back
against arch seraphs, arch daemons, and primordials.
Subtle Hand
Starting at 3rd level, your martial arts are enhanced by a
capacity for telekinetic strikes. On your turn your reach
is 10 feet when you make unarmed attacks. In addition,
when you make an unarmed strike this way, it deals
force damage instead.
Psionic Prowess
Also at 3rd level, your psychic powers have manifested
in the ability to cast certain spells. You gain the mage hand
cantrip if you don’t already know it. When you cast the
spell, the spectral hand is invisible.
In addition, you can cast certain spells by expending
ki. You can use an action and spend 1 ki point to cast
detect evil and good or protection from evil and good. You
can also use an action and spend 2 kit points to cast hold
person, levitate, or shatter. Wisdom is your spellcasting
ability for these spells and you do not need to provide
material components when casting them in this way.
Unsubtle Strike
At 6th level, when you hit a creature with an unarmed
strike or monk weapon, you can force it to make a
Strength saving throw against your ki save DC. On a
failure, you can choose to push or pull the creature 10
feet. Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again
until the start of your next turn.
Psychic Crush
Starting at 11th level, each time you hit a creature with
an unarmed strike it gains a pressure point. A creature
loses all pressure points if you give a different creature a
pressure point or 1 minute after the last time it gained a
pressure point. As a bonus action on your turn, you can
spend 1 ki points to telekinetically crush a creature with
1 or more of your pressure points.
When you do, the creature must make a Strength
saving throw against your ki save DC. On a failure, the
creature takes 1d8 force damage per pressure point they
have and they are restrained until the end of your next
turn. On a success, they take half as much damage and
aren’t restrained. Either way, the creature then loses all
pressure points.
Psionic Mastery
At 17th level, you have mastered the psionic disciplines
necessary to defend mortals from outsiders. As an action,
you can spend 5 ki points to cast dispel evil and good,
hold monster, telekinesis, or wall of force. Wisdom is your
spellcasting ability for these spells and you do not need
to provide material components when casting them in
this way.
Way of Pride
Monks of the Way of Pride value themselves above all
others. These monks focus on mastering their form,
ego, and destructive power. They use their monastic
traditions publicly, with the intention of gaining the
respect and admiration of “lesser beings.”
The prideful traditions of this order include
adorning oneself with jewelry, hiding their scars from
prying eyes, and commanding respect from those that
would oppose them.
Tall Tales
At 3rd level, you have gained a knack for telling
embellished tales of your past achievements. You gain
proficiency in your choice of one of the following skills:
Deception, Intimidation, Performance, and Persuasion.
Bruised Ego
At 3rd level, your ego bolsters your vitality, strength-
ening as you fight to prove your vigor. Whenever you
expend a ki point, you can also choose to gain temporary
hit points equal to your Proficiency Bonus. While your
current hit points are equal to or less than half your max-
imum hit points, you can also add your Wisdom modifi-
er to the amount of temporary hit points gained.
Assertive Attacker
At 3rd level, while your current hit points are equal to
or less than half your maximum hit points, your Martial
Arts die counts as being one higher than normal.
For example, if you are a 6th-level monk, your Martial
Arts die goes from a d6 to a d8. At 17th level and higher
you Martial Arts die goes from a d10 to a d12.
Irrational Retaliation
Beginning at 6th level, damage dealt to you is damage
dealt to your pride, and that is something you simply
cannot allow. Whenever a creature deals damage to you,
you can use your reaction to expend 2 ki points to target
that creature. Until the end of your next turn, all attacks
you make against the target creature have advantage.
Redoubled Efforts
Additionally at 6th level, while your current hit points
are equal to or less than half your maximum hit points,
you can roll one additional Martial Arts die when
determining the extra damage dealt by a critical hit.
Ever Prideful
At 11th level, your muscle memory takes over. When
your hit points are reduced to 0 you are not knocked
unconscious, but you must still make death saving
throws and suffer all the normal effects of taking damage
while at 0 hit points. At the beginning of each of your
turns whilst in this state you can spend 1 ki point to
remain in this state. If you do not spend a ki point at the
start of your turn whilst at 0 hit points you suffer all the
normal effects of being reduced to 0 hit points.
The following also apply:
• You cannot speak.
• You cannot cast or concentrate on spells.
• Critical hits against you in this state count as one failed
death saving throw instead of 2.
Egotistical
Beginning at 17th level, you gain the benefits of this
class’ features that state ‘while your current hit points
are equal to or less than half your maximum hit points’
whenever you are below your hit point maximum
instead, provided you have been damaged by a hostile
creature within the past minute.
Level | Prof Bonus | Features | Martial Arts | Ki Points | Movement Bonus |
---|
1 | +2 | Unarmored Defense, Martial Arts | 1d4 | --- | --- |
2 | +2 | Ki, Unarmored Movement, Dedicated Weapon | 1d4 | 2 | +10 |
3 | +2 | Monastic Tradition,Defect Missiles, Ki-Fueled Attack | 1d4 | 3 | +10 |
4 | +2 | Ability Score Improvement, Slow Fall, Quickened Healing | 1d4 | 4 | +10 |
5 | +3 | Extra Attack, Stunning Strike, Focused Aim | 1d6 | 5 | +15 |
6 | +3 | Ki-Empowred Strikes, Tradition Feature | 1d6 | 6 | +15 |
7 | +3 | Evasion, Stillness of Mind | 1d6 | 7 | +15 |
8 | +3 | Ability Score Improvement | 1d6 | 8 | +15 |
9 | +4 | Movement Improvement | 1d6 | 9 | +15 |
10 | +4 | Purity of Body | 1d6 | 10 | +20 |
11 | +4 | Tradition Feature | 1d8 | 11 | +20 |
12 | +4 | ability Score Improvement | 1d8 | 12 | +20 |
13 | +5 | Tongue of Sun and Moon | 1d8 | 13 | +20 |
14 | +5 | Diamond Soul | 1d8 | 14 | +25 |
15 | +5 | Timeless Body | 1d8 | 15 | +25 |
16 | +5 | Ability Score Improvement | 1d8 | 16 | +25 |
17 | +6 | Tradition Feature | 1d10 | 17 | +25 |
18 | +6 | Empty Body | 1d10 | 18 | +30 |
19 | +6 | Ability Score Improvement | 1d10 | 19 | +30 |
20 | +6 | Perfect Self | 1d10 | 20 | +30 |