# Way of the Four Elements (Variant) ## In tune with nature The Way of the Four Elements teaches monks how to achieve a deep connection with nature that no other studies can emulate. While Druids, Clerics, and Rangers are able to pull magical effects from the natural world, Monks form a personal connection with the raw elements around them. Through deep meditation they can channel their ki to create remarkable effects. ### Monastic Tradition 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. Many monks of this tradition tattoo their bodies with representations of their ki powers, commonly imagined as coiling dragons, but also as phoenix, fish, plants, mountains, and cresting waves. ### Disciple of the Elements At 3rd level, you learn magical disciplines that harness the power of the four elements. Some disciplines require you to spend ki points when you use them. You learn three elemental disciplines of your choice, which are detailed in the elemental disciplines sections below. You learn two additional elemental disciplines of your choice at 6th, 11th, and 17th level, with one additional being able to be learned as a masters ability when you reach 18th level in this class. Whenever you learn a new elemental discipline, you can also replace one elemental discipline that you already know with a different discipline. ### Casting Elemental Spells: Some elemental disciplines allow you to cast spells. See chapter 10 of the Player’s Handbook for the general rules of spellcasting. To cast one of these spells, you use its casting time and other rules, but you don’t need to provide material components for it. When you cast a spell with a discipline, it is cast at the spell’s lowest level unless otherwise specified. When you use an elemental discipline to cast a spell, you can still use your martial arts or flurry of blows as if you had taken the attack action. Once you reach 5th level in this class, you can spend additional ki points to increase the level of an elemental discipline spell that you cast, provided that the spell has an enhanced effect at a higher level, as burning hands does. The spell’s level increases by 1 for each additional ki point you spend. For example, if you are a 5th-level monk and use Sweeping Cinder Strike to cast burning hands, you can spend 2 ki points to cast it as a 2nd-level spell (the discipline’s base cost of 1 ki point plus 1 additional ki point). The maximum number of ki points (its base ki point cost plus any additional points) that you can spend on the spell is 3, unless a discipline specifies otherwise. This maximum increases to 4 at 9th level, 5 at 13th level, and 6 at 17th level. You can select one master's ability as an elemental discipline when you reach level 18 in this class. A master's ability requires that you know at least six disciplines from the associated element before you can take this additional discipline. A monk that does not meet the requirements cannot learn a master's ability or gain the additional discipline at level 18. ### Initiate of the Way When you chose this tradition at 3rd level, you learn how to manipulate the four elements in subtle ways. You learn two of the following cantrips: Control Flames, Gust, Mold Earth, Shape Water, Firebolt, Ray of Frost, or Thunderclap. You learn two additional cantrips from this list at sixth level. ### Elemental Disciplines * ***Fangs of the Fire Snake.*** Your arms and legs become enveloped in roaring gouts of flame. When you make an unarmed attack on your turn, you can choose to strike out with tendrils of flamewhich stretch out beyond your normal reach. Your reach increases by five feet for that attack and it deals fire damage instead of bludgeoning damage. If the attack hits, you can expend one ki point to deal an extra 1d10 fire damage. * ***Fist of Unbroken Air.*** You summon swirling wind and concentrate it around your fist. When you make an unarmed attack on your turn, you can chose to strike out condensed bursts of air that stretch beyond your normal reach. Your reach increases by 10 feet for that attack and the damage becomes Thunder damage. If the attack hits, you can spend one ki point to force the target to make a strength saving throw or be pushed back 10 feet and knocked prone. \pagebreakNum * ***Become the Teapot.*** You roll with the incoming energy, attuning to the element, becoming it. You can spend one ki point to case Absorb Elements. * ***Water Whip.*** You can spend one ki point to create a whip of water as a bonus action. This whip shoves and pulls a creature to unbalance it. A creature that you can see that is within 30 feet of you must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, the creature takes bludgeoning damage equal to your martial arts die + your Wisdom modifier, plus an extra 1d10 bludgeoning damage for each additional ki point you spend, and the creature is knocked prone or pulled up to 25 feet closer to you. * ***Effortless Step.*** The air around you works in unison with your movements, rising you up as you jump. Your jump height and distance are doubled (quadrupled with Step of the Wind) and you gain advantage on Strength (Athletics) checks related to jumping. * ***Enduring Mountain Stance.*** Your body becomes as rigid and unyielding as the mountain. Your ki roots your feet into the ground and you become immovable. When you use the dodge action, you cannot be moved, pushed, grappled, frightened, or knocked prone against your will until the start of your next turn, even if magically compelled to do so. You must be standing on the ground to use this ability. * ***Fang of the Frost Wolf.*** You summon a shard of razor-sharp ice and hurl it at your foe. As an Action, you can spend one ki point to cast Ice Knife. * ***Fist of Four Thunders.*** You slam your hands together in front of you, causing a thunderous boom that blows everything away. As an Action, you can spend one ki point to cast Thunderwave. * ***Rumbling Badger.*** You shake the ground around you, causing a tremor that knocks your foes to the ground. As an Action, you can spend one ki point to cast Earth Tremor. * ***Rush of the Gale Spirits.*** As an Action, you send a blast of air outward with a thrust of your open palm. You can spend two ki points to cast Gust of Wind. * ***Shape the Raincloud.*** As an Action, you can spend one ki point to cast Create or Destroy Water. * ***Sweeping Cinder Strike.*** With a wide sweeping gesture, you sumon forth a barrage of hot cinders. As an Action, you can spend one ki point to cast Burning Hands. * ***Fist of Crackling Thunder.*** You can spend a ki point to cast Thunderous Smite as a bonus action. Your unarmed attacks count as weapon attacks for the purpose of using this spell. * ***Stone's Protection.*** You can exend two ki points to pull stone and earth to you as protection from attacks. By doing so, you gain a +2 to your armor class for one hour, or until you end this effect as a bonus action. * ***Elemental Ki Blast.*** As an Action, you can spend one ki point to cast Chromatic Orb, but the damage is limited to Bludgeoning (stone), Cold (water), Fire, or Thunder (air). You must select one of these damage types when you select this discipline and can only use the chosen damage type with this Discipline. * ***Water's Blessing.*** You use the soothing properties of water to heal injuries. As an Action, you can spend one ki point to case Cure Wounds. ***6th Level Disciplines:*** * ***A Leaf on the Wind.*** A powerful wind rises up to catch you as you fall. Your Slow Fall Ability no longer requires a reaction to use. Instead, you may use it automatically whenever you are conscious and not incapacitated, and it will negate all fall damage, regardless of distance. When you use the Slow Fall ability, you may also glide along the air to move five feet horizontally for every five feet that you fall. * ***Font of Healing.*** You gain the ability to create a column of water that is infused with healing energy. As an action, you can spend two ki points to cast Healing Sprit. * ***Uplifting Winds.*** You gain the ability to use the wind around you to hover through the air. As an action, you can spend two ki points to cast Levitate on yourself. * ***Burning Ember Flourish.*** You reach out with your Ki to snuff out a source of fire, causing it to go out with a bang or sputter black smoke. As an action, you can spent two ki points to cast Pyrotechnics. * ***Crushing Hand of the Mountain.*** You focus your strength into your outstretched fist, summoning a hand of earth from the ground. As an action, you can spend two ki points to cast Earthen Grasp. * ***Curtain of Unyielding Wind.*** You let out a fierce howl as a mighty wind begins to swirl around you. As an action, you can spend two ki points to cast Warding Wind. * ***Gong of the Summit.*** You strike the air as if it were a gong. As an action, you can spend two ki points to cast Shatter. * ***Hatchling's Flame.*** You focus your ki into a torrent of fire that streaks out of your hands. As an action, you can spend two ki points to cast Aganazzar's Scorcher. * ***Mote of the Sun.*** Your ki manifests as a roaring orb of fire. as an action, you can spend two ki points to cast Flaming Sphere. * ***Patient Badger Listens.*** You reach out with your ki to the ground beneath you. You can spend two ki points as a bonus action to gain tremor sense within a range of 30 ft and a burrow speed equal to half your walking speed for one minute. Your movement leaves behind a tunnel that remains for as long as this ability is active and then collapses. \pagebreakNum * ***Red Dragon's Claws.*** Rays of fire spring from your outstretched hands to sear your foes. As an action, you can spend two ki points to cast Scorching Ray. * ***Swarming Ice Rabbit.*** A flurry of magic snowballs erupts from a point you chose within range. As an action you can spend two ki points to Cast Snowball Swarm. * ***Water Jet.*** You can spend two ki points as an action to unleash a jet of water in a line that is thirty feet long and five feet wide. Each creature in the line must make a Strength saving throw. On a failed save each creature takes magical bludgeoning damage equal to your martial arts die + your wisdom modifier and you can move it to any unoccupied space touching the line. On a successful save, the creature takes half damage and isn't moved. * ***Soothing Waters.*** You can use the healing properties of water and infuse it with ki to end afflictions of a creature that you can touch. As an action, you can expend two ki points to cast Lesser Restoration. ***11th Level Disciplines:*** * ***Dance of the Boulder.*** You summon six spheres of earth from the ground and suspend them in the air around you. With a thought, you launch these meteors at your foe. As an action, you can spend three ki points to cast Melf's Minute Meteors. The damage of this becomes bludgeoning instead of fire. * ***Earth Reaches for the Sky.*** Focusing your strength with a deep, rumbling power, you swing your arms up high, causing an eruption of Churned Earth and stone that engulfs your foes. As an action, you can spend three ki points to cast Erupting Earth. * ***Gift of the Eternal Mountain.*** Your attunement to the stone and earth makes your control over the rock and stone much more simple. When you use the Mold earth cantrip, the normal limitations of the spell do not apply. You can excavate up to a five foot cube of loose earth or rock and stone and can chose to have the non-instantaneous effects become instantaneous. * ***Flames of the Phoenix.*** With a wave of your hand, you conjure a tiny bead of burning energy. As an action, you can spend three ki points to cast Fireball. * ***Fist of the Elements.*** The elements swirl around your weapon of choice. As an action, you can spend three ki points to cast Elemental Weapon. You choose only one of the following: cold, fire, or bludgeoning (stone), or thunder when you select this discipline. Your unarmed strikes count as a weapon for the purposes of this discipline. * ***Hua's Water Prison.*** You conjure up a sphere of water that engulfs and imprisons your enemies who touch its surface. As an action, you can spend four ki points to cast Watery Sphere. * ***Mist Stance.*** A swirling mist envelops your body and you merge with it. As an action, you can spend three ki points to cast Gaseous Form, targeting yourself. * ***One with the Tides.*** Your ki attunes you to the water. You spend two ki points as an action to gain underwater adaptations for eight hours. While this is active, you can breathe normally while underwater, you gain a swimming speed equal to your walking speed, and you gain blindsight within a radius of 60 feet while underwater. * ***Rain of the Frigid Glacier.*** You cool the air in the skies above you, condensing the water droplets into freezing rain and sleet. As an action, you can spend three ki points to cast Sleet Storm. * ***Raise the Troubled Earth.*** You stir the earth around you into action, summoning the ground around you to serve as your barricade. You can expend 5 ki points to cast Bones of the Earth, or Wall of Stone. * ***Ride the Wind.*** You summon a mighty wind that envelops your body, sweeping you where you want to go. You spend three ki points to cast Fly, targeting yourself. Your flying speed of this spell is equal to your walking speed. * ***River of Hungry Flame.*** You sweep your hands upward, causing a wall of blazing hot flames to leap from the ground. As an action, you can spend four ki points to cast Wall of Fire. * ***Fury of the Sea.*** You conjure up a mighty wave of water that crashes down over your foes. AS an action, you can spend three ki points to cast Tidal Wave. * ***Shape the Flowing River.*** You touch a body of water, coaxing it to do your bidding. As an action, you can spend four ki points to cast Control Water. * ***Sweeping Crosswind.*** You call up a flurry of wind to batter away anything it its path. As an action, you can spend three ki points to cast Wind Wall. * ***Lightning Attunement.*** Your mastery over fire has allowed you to focus your fiery ki into furious strikes of lightning. When you deal fire damage with an elemental discipline, you can now change that damage type to lightning. Additionally, when your us your Fangs of the Fire Snake discipline, your reach increases to +10 feet and you can also add your wisdom modifier to the damage of each successful attack you make with this discipline. * ***Metal Attunement.*** You are able to sense the reare earth minerals that exist within metal around you. You are able to bend and mold metal instead of earth to use either as a weapon, or a shield. When you use the Stone's Protection Discipline, you can add an additional +2 to your AC for the duration of the discipline. You also gain the ability to move or manipulate metal with another discipline that allows you to move earth or stone. \pagebreakNum ***17th Level Disciplines:*** * ***Breath of Winter.*** You inhale deeply and then exhale, blasting a cone of frigid air that freezes everything in front of you. As an action, you can spend five ki points to cast Cone of Cold. * ***Eyes of Fire.*** Your foes may try to hide in darkness, but their ki lights up like atorch to you. You can cast See Invisibility at will without spending any Ki. In addition, while under the effects of See Invisibility, you can spend two ki points as a bonus action to gain truesight for one minute. * ***Eye of the Hurricane.*** You stretch out your ki to embrace the winds. As an action, you can spend five ki points to cast Control Winds. * ***Stone's Prison.*** Your mastery over the stone allows you to restrain large or smaller creatures by entombing them in stone. As an action, you can expend 6 ki points to cause a creature within 60 feet of you that you can see to become encased in stone. The creature becomes completely encased in rock and stone and becomes restrained and incapacitated. The encased creature makes a strength saving throw at the end of each of its subsequent turns until it has either three successes or three failures. After three successes, the creature escapes from the stone. After three failures, the creature's strength fails, it remains encased in stone, and begins to suffocate if it needs air to breathe. The stone tomb has an AC of 18 and 40 hp, and is immune to psychic, poison, cold, fire, and nonmagical piercing and slashing damage. If a creature that is not encased attacks the stone and reduces it to 0 hp, the creature inside is released and suffers effects at the DM's discretion based on the time spent suffocating within. * ***Swirling Sea's Revenge.*** Your ki manifests as a swirling pool of water, smashing and pulling your foes towards its center. You can spend five ki points to cast Maelstrom. * ***Wave of Rolling Earth.*** The ground shakes and emits a low rumble as the ground around you remakes itself as you will it. You can spend six ki points to cast Move Earth. \columnbreak ### Master's Disciplines Master's Disciplines are associated with a master of a single elemental form. You must know six or more disciplines associated with the assicoated element and be an 18th level monk before you are able to learn a Master's Discipline. Once you have used a Master's Discipline, you must complete a lomg rest before you are able to do so again. * ***Master of Fire: Roaring Inferno.*** You summon raging flames to engulf your foes. you can expend eleven ki points to cast Firestorm as an action. * ***Master of Air: Fury of the Storm*** You summon a miniature hurricane to devastate your enemies. As an action, you can spend eleven ki points to cast Whirlwind. * ***Master of Earth: Desolation*** You cause violent tremors in the ground around you. As an action, you can spend eleven ki points to cast Earthquake. * ***Master of Water: Wrath of the Sea*** You summon a massive wall of water to engulf your enemies. As an action, you can spend eleven ki points to cast Tsunami. \pagebreakNum Enjoy! Copyright 2020 - Matthew Dodson