Revised - Way of the Elements Monk

## Homebrew: The Way of the Elements Monk

The following document presents a revised version of the Way of the Four Elements subclass for the Monk provided inthe *Player's Handbook*, renamed to the Way of the Elements.

This subclass makes use of the Spellcasting feature and uses a custom spell list, detailed at the end of the class description. This spell list includes spells featured in the *Player's Handbook* (PHB), as well as spells from *Xanathar's Guide to Everything* (XGtE), and *Tasha's Cauldron of Everything* (TCoE). When a spell that is not from the PHB is listed it is marked with an * as well as the book it is from.

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 #### **Unofficial Material**
The material presented here is a homebrew creation, and is in no way affiliated with Wizard of the Coast or Unearthed Arcana. The content of this document is presented in the style of Unearthed Arcana material both to highlight its unrefined nature and the need for playtesting and editing to improve future iterations (and primarily so I don't have to bother with adding in pictures).

The Way of the Elements subclass is unofficial Fan Content permitted under the Fan Content Policy. Not approved/endorsed by Wizards. Portions of the materials used are property of Wizards of the Coast. ©Wizards of the Coast LLC.
 
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At 3rd level, a monk gains the Monastic Tradition feature. Here is a homebrew playtest option for this feature: the Way of the Four Elements.

### Way of the Elements
*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 phoenixes, fish, plants, mountains, and cresting waves.* - PHB, page 80.

##### Way of the Elements Features
| Monk Level  | Feature |
|:---:|:-----------:|
|  3rd  | Elemental Attunement, Spellcasting |
|  6th  | Blood of the Mephits |
|  11th  | Myrmidon Training, Elemental Attunement improvement |
|  17th  | Avatar of Elemental Fury |

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#### Elemental Attunement
Starting when you choose this domain at 3rd level, you become attuned to the elements and the natural world around you, allowing you to manipulate it as an extension of both your ki and your spellcasting.

You know the *absorb elements* spell, found in *Xanathar's Guide to Everything*, and can cast it as a 1st-level spell at will, without expending a spell slot. This spell does not count against your number of known spells.

As part of the reaction used to cast the spell, you can spend 1 ki point to empower the spell.
For you, the resistance to the triggering damage type lasts until the end of your next turn, and the extra damage of the triggering type applies to every melee attack you hit until the end of your next turn, as opposed to the the first melee attack you hit.

At 11th level, when you cast *absorb elements* at will using this feature, you cast it as a 2nd-level spell.

#### Spellcasting
When you reach 3rd level, your connection to the elements and your ki allow you to cast spells. See chapter 10 of the *Player's Handbook* for the general rules of spellcasting and the end of this subclasses description for the Way of the Elements spell list.

***Cantrips.*** You learn three cantrips: *force of elemental nature* and two other cantrips of your choice from the Way of the Elements spell list. You learn another cantrip of your choice at 11th level. *forces of elemental nature* is detailed at the end of the class description.

***Spell Slots.*** The Way of the Elements Spellcasting table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these spells, you must expend a slot of the spell's level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.

For example, if you know the 1st-level spell *burning hands* and have a 1st-level and a 2nd-level spell slot available, you can cast *burning hands* using either slot.

***Spells Known of 1st-Level and Higher.*** You know three 1st-level Way of the Elements spells of your choice.

The Spells Known column of the Way of the Elements Spellcasting table shows when you learn more Way of the Elements spells of your choice. Each of these spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots.

Whenever you gain a level in this class, you can replace one of the Way of the Elements spells you know with another spell of your choice from the Way of the Elements spell list. The new spell must be of a level for which you have spell slots.

***Spellcasting Ability.*** Constitution is your spellcasting ability for your Way of the Elements spells, since channeling the elements is more physically strenuous than tradition forms of ki manipulation. You use your Constitution whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Constitution modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a Way of the Elements spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

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 **Spell attack modifier** </font> = <font face='scalysans' size='2'> your proficiency bonus + 
 
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##### Way of the Elements Spellcasting

| Monk Level | Cantrips Known | Spells Known | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th |
|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|
| 3rd | 3| 3 | 2 | — | — | — |
| 4th | 3| 4 | 3 | — | — | — |
| 5th | 3 | 4 | 3 | — | — | — |
| 6th | 3 | 4 | 3 | — | — | — |
| 7th | 3 | 5 | 4 | 2 | — | — |
| 8th | 3 | 6 | 4 | 2 | — | — |
| 9th | 3 | 6 | 4 | 2 | — | — |
| 10th | 3 | 7 | 4 | 3 | — | — |
| 11th | 3 | 8 | 4 | 3 | — | — |
| 12th | 3 | 8 | 4 | 3 | — | — |
| 13th | 4 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 2 | — |
| 14th | 4 | 10 | 4 | 3 | 2 | — |
| 15th | 4 | 10 | 4 | 3 | 2 | — |
| 16th | 4 | 11 | 4 | 3 | 3 | — |
| 17th | 4 | 11 | 4 | 3 | 3 | — |
| 18th | 4 | 11 | 4 | 3 | 3 | — |
| 19th | 4 | 12 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| 20th | 4 | 13 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 |

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#### Blood of the Mephits
At 6th level, you become more adept at channeling the elements through your body as an extension of yourself. You can use a bonus action on your turn to expend 2 ki points and wrap yourself in elemental power. When you do so, choose one of the following elements: Air, Earth, Fire, or Water.

Until the start of your next turn, your reach increases whenever you make an attack that uses your Martial Arts feature. this increased reach is equal to your Unarmored Movement bonus, shown in the Monk table.

In addition, your choice of element grants an additional effect, as shown in the Elemental Extensions table. Each additional effect can only be used once per turn. If an effect requires a saving throw, the DC equals your Ki save DC.

#### Myrmidon Training
At 11th level, you become especially fast at flowing from elemental manipulation to your martial arts, and can combine the styles with ease. when you use your action to cast a cantrip from your Way of the Elements spells, you can make one additional attack with an unarmed strike or a monk weapon as part of the action.

In addition, using an action to cast a spell from your Way of the Elements spells counts as using the Attack action with a monk weapon for the purposes of your Martial Arts and Ki features.

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##### Elemental Extensions
| Element  | Effect |
|:---:|:-----------:|
|  Air  | you create a blast of condensed air. On a hit, the target must make a Strength saving throw. On a failed save, the creature is pushed half its speed in a direction of your choice. |
|  Earth  | you hit the ground and send tremors to your target. On a hit, the target must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, the target is knocked prone. |
|  Fire  | a burst of flame extends from the target. On a hit, any creature within 10 feet of the target must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, the creature takes fire damage equal to your Martial Arts die. |
|  Water  | a tendril of water extends out from you. On a hit, the target must make a Strength saving throw. On a failed save, the creature is pulled 20 feet towards you. |

#### Avatar of Elemental Fury
Starting at 17th level, your control of the elements has reached a point of mastery. Whenever you cast one of your Way of the Elements spells, you can expend 3 ki points to briefly transform into an avatar of that element.

While transformed, you gain the benefits of one of the following spells, determined by the elemental tag of the spell cast, as shown in the Avatar Transformations table. This spell does not count against your concentration for other spells. This transformation lasts for 1 minute, or until you reach 0 hit points or fall unconscious.

While transformed in this way, you can spend additional ki points whenever you cast a spell to enter another avatar transformation, in addition to any current avatar transformations. While you are affected by more than one avatar transformation, the duration of all avatar transformation effects lasts until the end of the most recent transformation.

### Way of the Elements Spell List
Here is the list of spells you consult when you learn a Way of the Elements spell. The list is organised by spell level, not character level. Each spell has an elemental tag associated with it, found in brackets before the spells name. These tags are referred to in the Avatar of Elemental Fury feature.

The cantrip *green-flame blade* can be found in both *Tasha's Cauldron of Everything* (TCoE) as well as the *Sword Coast Adventure's Guide* (SCAG). The version of the spell found in SCAG has been reproduced here and can be used in place of the updated variant from TCoE.

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#### Way of the Elements Spells

##### Cantrips (0 Level)
- (fire)*control flames**(XGtE)
- (fire)*create bonfire**(XGtE)
- (fire)*fire bolt*
- (special)*force of elemental nature*
- (water)*frostbite**(XGtE)
- (fire)*green-flame blade**(TCoE)
- (air)*gust**(XGtE)
- (earth)*magic stone**(XGtE)
- (earth)*mold earth**(XGtE)
- (fire)*produce flame*
- (water)*ray of frost*
- (water)*shape water**(XGtE)
- (air)*thunderclap**(XGtE)

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##### 1st Level
- (special)*absorb elements**(XGtE)
- (fire)*burning hands*
- (water)*create or destroy water*
- (earth)*earth tremor**(XGtE)
- (earth)*entangle*
- (air)*feather fall*
- (air)*fog cloud*
- (fire)*hellish rebuke*
- (water)*ice knife**(XGtE)
- (air)*thunderwave*
- (air)*zephyr strike**(XGtE)

##### 2nd Level
- (fire)*aganazzar's scorcher**(XGtE)
- (fire)*continual flame*
- (special)*dragon's breath**(XGtE)
- (air)*dust devil**(XGtE)
- (air)*earthbind**(XGtE)
- (fire)*flame blade*
- (fire)*flaming sphere*
- (air)*gust of wind*
- (earth)*heat metal*
- (earth)*maximilian's earthen grasp**(XGtE)
- (fire)*pyrotechnics**(XGtE)
- (water)*snilloc's snowball swarm**(XGtE)
- (air)*warding wind**(XGtE)

##### 3rd Level
- (air)*call lightning*
- (special)*elemental weapon*
- (earth)*erupting earth**(XGtE)
- (earth)*meld into stone*
- (earth)*melf's minute meteors**(XGtE)
- (water)*sleet storm*
- (water)*tidal wave**(XGtE)
- (earth)*wall of sand**(XGtE)
- (water)*wall of water**(XGtE)
- (water)*water breathing*
- (water)*water walk*
- (water)*wind wall*

##### 4th Level
- (water)*blight*
- (special)*conjure minor elementals*
- (water)*control water*
- (special)*elemental bane**(XGtE)
- (fire)*fire shield*
- (water)*ice storm*
- (earth)*stone shape*
- (earth)*stoneskin*
- (air)*storm sphere**(XGtE)
- (special)*summon elemental**(TCoE)
- (fire)*wall of fire*
- (water)*watery sphere**(XGtE)

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### Spell Descriptions
<Br>

#### Force of Elemental  Nature
*Transmutation Cantrip*
___
- **Casting Time:** 1 action
- **Range:** 30 feet
- **Components:** V, S
- **Duration:**  Instantaneous
___
You briefly control elemental forces nearby, creating one of the following magical effects within range:
- You create a harmless, instantaneous sensory effect related to one of the elements, such as a shower of sparks, a puff of wind, a spray of light mist, or a gentle rumbling of stone.
- Instantaneously light or snuff out a candle, a torch, or a small campfire.
- Chill or warm up to 1 pound of nonliving material for 1 hour.
- Cause earth, fire, water, or mist that can fit within a 1-foot cube to shape into a crude form you designate. This effect lasts for 1 minute.
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#### Green-Flame Blade
*Evocation Cantrip*
___
- **Casting Time:** 1 action
- **Range:** 5 feet
- **Components:** V, M (a weapon)
- **Duration:**  Instantaneous
___
As part of the action used to cast this spell, you must make a melee attack with a weapon against one creature within the spell's range, otherwise the spell fails. On a hit, the target suffers the attack's normal effects, and green fire leaps from the target to a different creature of your choice that you can see within 5 feet of it. The second creature takes fire damage equal to your spellcasting ability modifier.

This spell's damage increases when you reach higher levels. At 5th level, the melee attack deals an extra 1d8 fire damage to the target, and the fire damage to the second creature increases to 1d8 + your spellcasting ability modifier. Both damage rolls increase by 1d8 at 11th level and 17th level.
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