Monk

Hit Points

• Hit Dice: 1d10 per monk level
• Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + your Constitution modifier
• Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + your Constitution modifier per monk level after 1st

Proficiencies

• Armor: None
• Weapons: Improvised, Simple, Shortswords
• Tools: 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

Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

• (a) a shortsword or (b) any simple weapon
• (a) a dungeoneer's pack or (b) an explorer's pack
• (a) 10 darts

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 any weapons you are proficient with that lack 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 holding 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 d6 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.

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 normally 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 spent part 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

Step of the Wind

You can spend 1 ki point to take the Dash or Disengage action as a bonus action on your turn. Until the end of the turn you also have advantage on any Dexterity (Acrobatics) checks, and your jump distance is doubled.

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 (15 ft at 6th level, 20 ft at 10th level, 25 ft at 14th level, and 30 feet at 18th level).

At 9th level, you gain the ability to move along vertical surfaces and across liquids, only falling if you spend a full turn not moving.

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.

Arms of the Astral Self

At 3rd level, you can spend 1 ki point to summon the arms of your astral self. 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 you. You determine the arms' appearance, and they vanish early if you are incapacitated or die. While active:

• You can use your Wisdom instead of Strength when making Strength checks and saving throws.
• You can use the arms to make unarmed strikes.
• When you make an unarmed strike with the arms, your reach is 5 feet greater than normal.
• The unarmed strikes you make with the arms can use your Wisdom modifier instead of Strength or Dexterity for the attack and damage, and their damage is force.

Visage of the Astral Self

At 6th level, as a bonus action, or when you activate Arms of the Astral Self, you can spend 1 ki point to summon this visage for 10 minutes or until you are incapacitated or die.

The visage covers your face like a helmet or mask. While present, you gain the following benefits:

• Astral Sight. Magical darkvision 120 feet.
• Astral Mind. Advantage on Insight and Intimidation.
• Word of the Spirit. When you speak, you can direct your words so only one creature within 60 feet can hear you, or amplify your voice so that all creatures within 600 feet can hear you.

Body of the Astral Self

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). This covers you like a suit of armor, connecting with the arms and visage.

While present, you gain the following:

• Deflect Energy. When you take acid, cold, fire, force, lightning, or thunder damage, you can use your reaction to reduced the damage by 1d10 + your Wisdom modifier.
• Empowered Arms. Once on each of your turns when you hit a target with the Arms of the Astral Self, deal extra damage equal to your Martial Arts die.

Awakened Astral Self

At 17th level, as a bonus action, spend 5 ki to summon all three astral aspects for 10 minutes, or until incapacitated. While awakened, you gain the following:

• Armor of the Spirit. +2 bonus to your Armor Class.
• Astral Barrage. Whenever you take the attack action, you can attack one extra time if all the attacks are unarmed.

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 four Flurry of Blows attacks), provided that each Flurry of Blows attack targets a different creature this turn.

Disciple of the Elements

At 3rd level, you know Elemental Attunement and two other elemental disciplines of your choice.

You learn two additional elemental disciplines of your choice at 6th, 11th, and 17th level. 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.

The level of any spell cast by one of these features is equal to your proficiency bonus, unless the minimum spell level is higher.

When you use your action to cast a spell, or to control a spell you have already cast, you may use Martial Arts as if you had taken the attack action with a monk weapon.

Elemental Disciplines

Elemental Attunement. You can use your action to briefly control elemental forces within 30 feet of you, causing one of the following effects of your choice:

• Create a harmless, sensory effect related to air, earth, fire, or water, such as a shower of sparks, puff of wind, light mist, or gentle rumbling of stone.
• Light or snuff out a candle, a torch, or a small campfire.
• Chill or warm up to 1 pound of material.
• Cause earth, fire, water, or mist that can fit within a 1-foot cube to shape into a crude form for 1 minute.
• By spending 1 ki point, you may add 1d4 damage any time you hit with a weapon attack until the beginning of your next turn. You choose the damage type added: fire, cold, thunder or lightning.

Fangs of the Fire Snake. You can spend 1 ki point to cause tendrils of flame to stretch out from your fists and feet. Your reach with your unarmed strikes increases by 10 feet for the rest of your turn. A hit with such an attack deals fire damage instead of bludgeoning damage.

Until the beginning of your next turn, flames race across your body. You are immune to fire damage, and any creature that moves within 5 feet of you for the first time on a turn or begins its turn there takes 1d10 fire damage.

Fist of Four Thunders. You can spend 1 ki point to cast thunderwave.

Fist of Unbroken Air. As an action, spend 1 ki point and choose a creature within 30 feet of you. That creature must make a Dexterity save. On a failure, the creature takes 3d10 bludgeoning damage and if it is large or smaller you can push the creature up to 25 feet away and knock it prone. On a successful save, the creature takes half damage, and isn't pushed it or knocked prone. The damage increases at higher monk levels, 4d10 at level 5, 5d10 at level 11, and 6d10 at 17th level.

Rush of the Gale Spirits. You can spend 2 ki points to cast gust of wind.

Shape the Flowing River. As an action, you can spend 1 ki point to choose an area of ice or water no larger than 60 feet on a side within 120 feet of you. You can change water to ice within the area and vice versa, and you can reshape ice in the area in any manner you choose. You can raise or lower the ice’s elevation, create or fill in a trench, erect or flatten a wall, or form a pillar. The extent of any such changes can’t exceed half the area’s largest dimension. For example, if you affect a 60-foot square, you can create a pillar up to 30 feet high, raise or lower the square’s elevation by up to 30 feet, dig a trench up to 30 feet deep, and so on. You can’t shape the ice to trap or damage a creature in the area.

Sweeping Cinder Strike. You can spend 1 ki point to cast burning hands.

Water Whip. You can spend 1 ki point as an action to create a whip of water that 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 3d10 bludgeoning damage, and if it is large or smaller you can either knock it prone or pull it up to 25 feet closer to you. On a successful save, the creature takes half as much damage, and you don’t pull it or knock it prone. The damage increases as you reach higher monk levels, 4d10 at level 5, 5d10 at level 11, and 6d10 at 17th level.

Call the Fury of the Storm (6th Level Required). You can spend 3 ki points to cast call lightning.

Walk the Waves (6th Level Required). You may benefit from water walk and water breathing. Switching effects requires a bonus action.

Stream of flame (6th Level Required). You can spend 3 ki points to cast lightning bolt. This spell deals fire damage instead of lightning damage.

Join the Earth (6th Level Required). You can spend 3 ki points to cast meld into stone. You may cast the spell as a ritual requiring no ki points.

Call of the Deep (11th Level Required). You can spend 4 ki points to cast conjure elemental (Air, Earth, Fire, or Water Elementals only).

Flames of the Phoenix (11th Level Required). You can spend 4 ki points to cast wall of fire

Grip of the Stone (11th Level Required). You can spend 4 ki points to cast hold monster

Poison the Air (11th Level Required). You can spend 4 ki points to cast cloudkill

Breath of Winter (17th Level Required). You can spend 5 ki points to cast freezing sphere. You cannot use this ability again until you complete a long rest.

Everflowing Winds (17th Level Required). You can spend 5 ki points to cast wind walk. You cannot use this ability again until you complete a long rest.

The Searing Sun (17th Level Required). You can spend 5 ki points to cast sunbeam. You cannot use this ability again until you complete a long rest.

Wave of Rolling Earth (17th Level Required). You can spend 5 ki points to cast move earth. You cannot use this ability again until you complete a long rest.

Path of the Kensei

At 3rd level, your special martial arts training leads you to master certain weapons. You gain the following benefits:

• Kensei Weapons. Choose two types of weapons to be your kensei weapons: one melee and one ranged. These 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. They count as monk weapons for you. 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. Any target you hit with a ranged attack using a kensei weapon this turn takes an extra 1d4 damage of the weapon’s type.
• 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, 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 twice 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 spend 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.

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. Once per turn, 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, and you may immediately take another action.

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) 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.

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.

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, that creature must make a Constitution saving throw or be poisoned until the end of your next turn.

Flurry of Healing and Harm

Starting at 11th level, you can now dish out a flurry of comfort and hurt. By spending a single ki point on your turn you can replace one of your unarmed strikes that turn with your Hands of Healing ability, and apply Hands of Harm to another unarmed strike.

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.

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. You gain a healing pool equal to three times your monk level. As an action, you can regain hit points up to the maximum amount remaining in the pool. Your healing pool is restored to full after a long rest.

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. While the sanctuary spell is in effect, you may end the effect in the first round of combat as a free action to gain the benefits of the Standing Still ability without foregoing your action on their first turn if that ability is available for use. When you do so, you gain neither the protections of the sanctuary Spell or of Standing Still.

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.

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. By spending one additional ki point when you cast the darkness spell, you can see through the darkness created by the spell.

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. If the attack hits, you may use your shadow step ability immediately if you are in dim light or darkness without expending a bonus action.

Radiant Sun Bolt

Starting when you choose this tradition at 3rd level, you can hurl searing bolts of magical radiance.

Whenever you would make an unarmed strike you can choose for it to be made as normal or as a Sun Bolt. This special attack is a ranged spell attack with a range of 30 feet. You are proficient with it, and you add your Dexterity or Wisdom modifier (your choice) to its attack and damage rolls. Its damage is radiant, and its damage die is a d6. This die changes as you gain monk levels, as shown in the Martial Arts column of the Monk table.

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.

The level of the spell is equal to your proficiency bonus.

Searing Sunburst

At 11th level, you gain the ability to create an orb of light that erupts into a devastating explosion. You may spend 1 ki point as an action to 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 6d6 radiant damage. A creature doesn't need to make the save if the creature is behind total cover that is opaque.

The damage increases at higher monk levels. 8d6 at 14th level, 10d6 at 17th level, and 12d6 at 20th level.

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 three times your Wisdom modifier.

Never Cornered

At 3rd level you fly around the battlefield, never staying in the same place for long. You have proficiency in Acrobatics. If you already have proficiency you gain Expertise instead.

In addition, if an attack of opportunity would hit you, you may make an acrobatics check with a DC equal to that attack's roll. If you succeed the attack misses instead.

Unnexpected Attack

Also at 3rd level you learn to use your surroundings as your most effective weapon.

When you attack with an improvised weapon, and you have not attacked with the same or similar weapon on any other turn since your last long rest, you can spend 1 ki point to gain advantage on all attacks with that weapon and unarmed strikes this turn. In addition, your attacks with that improvised weapon or unarmed strikes critically hit on a 19 or 20 this turn.

To qualify for this feature the improvised weapon must be something from your environment rather than something you carried with you into battle.

Extemporize

Starting at 6th level, whenever you make a skill check that you have not already made since rolling initiative, you have advantage on that skill check.

Improvised Shield

At 11th level, whenever you gain the benefit of the Unexpected Attack feature you may also add your Wisdom modifier to you armor class until the start of your next turn (If using the Monk's unarmored defense feature this causes your AC to be 10 + your Dexterity modifier + twice your Wisdom modifier).

Suprise

At 17th level, when you critically hit an enemy with an improvised weapon, they are stunned until the beginning of your next turn. A creature stunned in this way is then immune to this effect for 24 hours.