## Monk Her fists a blur as they deflect an incoming storm of arrows, a half elf springs over a barricade and throws herself into the massed ranks of hobgoblins on the other side. She whirls among them, surgically picking them apart with precise strikes, leaving them reeling, gasping for air, until finally she is the last one standing. A half orc charges through the crowd of people to oppose the village's aspiring tyrant. No sooner do the two meet face to face than the thug is grabbed and thrown bodily to the ground and pounded with a hail of kicks. Drawing a silent breath, a black-robed halfling steps into a shadow beneath an arch and emerges from another inky shadow behind the unwary guard. The guard has no time to cry out before a single kick leaves him battered and broken on the floor. Despite the great diversity between monks, all are united in their ability to use the ki within themselves and others to enhance their unarmed techniques. ### Monastic Orders Combat styles that harness the power of ki to empower a person's body originated in a few small monastic orders, and were discovered and cultivated through certain meditations involving breath and spirit. Because of this common origin, almost all knowledge of ki is inseparably intertwined with spiritual practice, especially as it relates to the self. Many monastic orders approach the nature of the self and ki differently from one another. Monastic orders focused on discovering truths about the self may begin by finding the nature of falsehood and obscurement, for example, and practice the way of shadows. Others may search for truths of self by development of ones strength, and practice the way of the Iron Knuckle. Still others may search for truth in relationship with others, whether through domination as is the case with the way of the Crushing Python, or through advocating for others, as is the case with the way of the open hand. ### The Power of Breath Ki is the element of magic present within all living things. However, very few people possess the skill or knowledge to harness or manipulate it. It is through certain breathing techniques that a person can channel this energy throughout their body, and go beyond normal humanoid limits. A person with this knowledge can release latent energy in their body to run faster and jump higher, strike harder and faster, and withstand great blows. Because of the intrinsic connection with breath and life, this element of magic carries many spiritual connotations with it. \columnbreak ### Training of Martial Arts Small walled cloisters dot the landscapes of the worlds of D&D, tiny refuges from the flow of everyday life. Monastic orders of some of these cloisters practice their martial arts, in the hope of better understanding of oneself and the nature of the multiverse. Many enter a monastery as children, sent to live when their parents died, or when their families can't support them. Others may join as adults when a debt of kindness is owed, or when in a state of crisis, seeking healing for a stormy mind. While knowledge of ki was discovered in monasteries, not all knowledge of it is sealed behind secluded walls. Some monks may leave monasteries for one reason or another, and may train apprentices in their ways. Some apprentices of these monks may change or refine their master's ways, creating new traditions of martial arts and philosophies. However, as all of this knowledge is traced back to monastic orders, all people that harness ki within them can be referred to as monks. ### Creating a Monk As you make your Monk character, think about where you learned your monastic techniques. Did you join a monastic order seeking peace after a traumatic event? If you did, did you find harmony again, or are you still looking for your answer? Were you raised in a cloistered monastery? Why did you leave? Or were you apprenticed to a master? Was he kind to you, or mean-spirited? Where is your master now? Consider why you began adventuring. Did the head of your monastery send you on an important mission, or were you cast out? Was your master killed, or did you leave because of a dispute? Is there something you hope to accomplish with your training in martial arts? \pagebreak ## The Monk, Refocused <div class='classTable wide'> ##### Monk | Level | Proficiency Bonus | Features | Ki | Swift Bonus |:---:|:---:|:---|:---:|:---:| | 1st | +2 | Unarmored Defense, Martial Arts | — | — | | 2nd | +2 | Ki, Flurry Strikes, Swift | 4 | +10 | | 3rd | +2 | Deflect Missiles, Monastic Tradition | 4 | +10 | | 4th | +2 | Ability Score Improvement, Breakfalls | 4 | +10 | | 5th | +3 | Techniques | 5 | +10 | | 6th | +3 | Ki-Empowered Strikes, Monastic Tradition feature | 5 | +15 | | 7th | +3 | Nimble Evasion, Clarity of Self | 5 | +15 | | 8th | +3 | Ability Score Improvement | 6 | +15 | | 9th | +4 | Stunning Strikes, Swift Improvement | 6 | +15 | | 10th | +4 | Mastery of Body | 6 | +20 | | 11th | +4 | Inner Sabotage | 7 | +20 | | 12th | +4 | Ability Score Improvement | 7 | +20 | | 13th | +5 | Monastic Tradition Feature | 7 | +20 | | 14th | +5 | Harmony of Body & Mind | 8 | +25 | | 15th | +5 | Step of the Wind | 8 | +25 | | 16th | +5 | Ability Score Improvement | 8 | +25 | | 17th | +6 | Pinnacle of Strength | 9 | +25 | | 18th | +6 | Monastic Tradition Feature | 9 | +30 | | 19th | +6 | Ability Score Improvement | 9 | +30 | | 20th | +6 | Perfect Focus | 10 | +30 | </div> #### Quick Build You can make a monk quickly by following these suggestions. First, make Dexterity your highest ability score, followed by Wisdom. Second, choose the hermit or acolyte background. ## Class Features as a monk, you gain the following class features. #### Hit Points ___ - **Hit Dice:** 1d8 per monk level - **Hit Points at 1st Level:** 8 + your Constitution modifier - **Hit Points at Higher Levels:** 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier <div style='margin-top:30px;'></div> \columnbreak #### Proficiencies ___ - **Armor:** None - **Weapons:** Simple weapons, Shortswords - **Tools:** Choose one type of artisan's tools, gaming set, or 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 - 10 darts \pagebreak ### 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 over combat styles that use unarmed strikes and monk weapons, which are shortswords and any simple weapon that lacks the two-handed or heavy properties. 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 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. * You can use a bonus action to grapple or shove a creature. ### Ki At 2nd level, you've mastered the breathing techniques required to bring out the true power of your ki. You have a maximum of 4 ki, which you can use to fuel various monk features. You can use your action to focus and regain your maximum ki. When you use your action to focus, you gain temporary hitpoints equal to your level, which last for 1 minute. The maximum number of ki you can have increases, as shown in the Ki column in the class feature table. <div style='margin-top:10px'></div> <font face='scalysans' size='2'> <center> **Ki Save DC** </font> = <font face='scalysans' size='2'> 8 + your proficiency bonus + </center> <div style='margin-top:-8px'></div> <center> your Wisdom modifier </center> <div style='margin-top:12px'></div> </font> ### Flurry Strikes Also at 2nd level, when you take the attack action, you can spend ki to make additional unarmed strikes as part of that action. The number of additional unarmed strikes you make equals the number of ki you spend. You can spend a number of ki on this feature equal to your proficiency bonus on a turn. ### Swift Finally at 2nd level, your body moves with fluid ease due to the ki coursing through it. Your base walking speed increases by 10 feet while you are wearing no armor and not wielding a shield. In addition, your maximum long jump distance with a running start is equal to this bonus. This bonus increases as you gain levels, as shown in the swift bonus column of the monk feature table. In addition, you can dash or disengage as a bonus action, or you can use a bonus action to spend 1 ki and gain the benefits of both actions. Beginning at 9th level, you gain the ability to move along vertical surfaces and across liquids without falling, until the end of your turn. \columnbreak ### 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, the attack is treated as if it missed. When you take this reaction, you can deflect a number of extra projectiles in this way equal to your proficiency bonus until the start of your next turn. ### Monastic Tradition At 3rd level, you commit to a monastic tradition of martial arts. Your tradition grants you features at 3rd level, and again at 6th, 13th, and 18th level. ### Ability Score Improvement When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature. ### Breakfalls At 4th level, when you take fall damage, you can use your reaction to reduce that damage by a number equal to five times your monk level. ### Techniques Starting at 5th level, your training gives you knowledge of how to exploit the ki within others to your advantage. When you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you can spend 1 ki to impose one of the following effects on it, which last until the end of your next turn. ***Blinding Strike.*** The target must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw as you strike at its eyes or become blinded. ***Crippling Blow.*** The target must make a Strength saving throw. On a failure, the target's speed is reduced by half. ***Sundering Strike.*** The target must make a Constitution saving throw as you sabotage its vitality. On a failure, it takes an additional 1d4 damage when it takes damage from any source. ### Ki-Empowered Strikes Starting at 6th level, ki magic courses in your veins, causing your unarmed strikes count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage. \pagebreak ### Nimble 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 can use your reaction to move up to half your speed. If this movement would move you out of the effect's area, you take no damage if you succeed on the saving throw, and only half damage if you fail. ### Clarity of Self Also at 7th level, the act of focusing your body has a tranquil effect on your mind as well. When you have temporary hitpoints granted by focusing, you automatically succeed on saving throws against being charmed or frightened. If you use an action to focus while charmed or frightened, you can ignore those effects while you have the temporary hitpoints granted by focusing. ### Stunning Strikes Beginning at 9th level, you strike with jarring force. When you score a critical hit with an unarmed strike, that creature must succeed on a constitution saving throw or be stunned until the end of your next turn. ### Mastery of Body Beginning at 10th level, your manipulation of the flow of ki within you allows you to influence the very inner workings of your body. You can use an action to cure a disease afflicting you, end any effect giving you the poisoned condition, stop or slow your heartbeat for up to 1 minute, or raise or lower your internal temperature. In addition, you no longer need to eat or drink. ### Inner Sabotage Beginning at 11th level, your mastery of ki allows you to disturb the inner being of others. When you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you can spend 2 ki to subtract 1d6 from one ability check, attack roll, or saving throw that creature makes within the next minute, and the target takes necrotic damage equal to the result. \columnbreak ### Harmony of Body & Mind Starting at 14th level, your manipulation of ki within you grants you stunning resilience. whenever you make a saving throw and fail, you can spend 1 ki to reroll it and take the second result. ### Step of the Wind Beginning at 15th level, your long and high jump distances are equal to your speed, with or without a running start. ### Unfathomable Power At 17th level, you gain the ability to push your body to nearly unattainable mortal limits. As a bonus action, you can gain resistance to all damage except psychic for 1 minute. When you miss with an unarmed strike in this state, you can spend 1 ki to turn that miss into a hit. Once you have used this ability, you cannot use it again until you finish a long rest. ### Perfect Focus Beginning at 20th level, you regain 1 ki point at the start of each of your turns. \pagebreak ## Monastic Traditions These traditions of monastic fighting are rare and scattered, often only recorded and preserved in the minds of masters and passed down to their students. ### Way of the Open Hand Monks of the Way of the Open hand believe in charity, poverty, and gentleness, as well as mercy to their enemies. Thus the name "Open Hand", for they give charity with an open hand and spare their opponents the punishment of a closed fist. A monk of the Way of the Open Hand is not easily trifled with, however. It is said that the anger of a gentle man is one thing that all creatures fear, and the most powerful of these monks are renowned for their ability to end a fight quickly and decisively. #### Hands of Mercy At 3rd level when you choose this tradition, you gain proficiency with the Medicine skill, and when you use a healer's kit to stabilize a dying creature, you can spend 1 ki to not expend a use of the healer's kit #### Merciful Technique Also at 3rd level, when you hit a creature with an unarmed strike, you can spend 1 ki to add 1d6 to the attack's damage. If this would reduce the target's hitpoints to a number equal to or lower than your level, then you can choose to knock that creature unconscious for 1d4 hours. #### Wisdom in Poverty Starting at 6th level, your experience among the impoverished drives you to advocate for them. You can add your wisdom modifier to Charisma (persuasion) checks on behalf of people poorer than you. #### Tranquility beginning at 13th level, your aura of mercy and charity makes it difficult for others to strike you. When you give at least 1 gp to a person poorer than yourself, you gain the effects of a *sanctuary* spell for the next 24 hours. This spell does not end when you make an attack or deal damage to another creature, instead it is suppressed for 1 minute. #### Knockout Blow Beginning at 18th level, when you hit a creature with an unarmed strike, you can spend 5 ki to force your target to make a constitution saving throw. On a failure, your target falls unconscious for one minute. It can repeat this saving throw at the end of each of its turns, and whenever it takes damage, ending the effect on a success. Once you have successfully knocked a creature unconscious using this ability, you cannot use this feature again until you finish a long rest \columnbreak ### Way of the Iron Knuckle Monks of this tradition practice one of the oldest and most effective styles of martial arts, overwhelming their opponents with their rapid strikes and beating them into submission. #### Overwhelming Assault Beginning at 3rd level when you choose this tradition, your attacks hit with stumbling force. When you hit a creature of your size or smaller with two unarmed strikes on your turn, you can force that creature to make a strength saving throw or be pushed up to 15 feet or fall prone (your choice). You can affect the same creature multiple times on a turn with this effect. #### Honed Technique From 6th level, when a creature succeeds on a saving throw to resist one of your monk features, you can spend 1 ki to force them to reroll that saving throw, and use the second result. #### Renewed Vigor At 13th level, refocusing your ki gives new strength to your strikes. When you use your action to focus, the next time you hit with a melee weapon attack before the end of your next turn does an extra 1d6 damage. #### Relentless Flurry Starting at 17th level, you've found a way to stimulate your flow of ki even as you unleash its power. When you use your flurry strikes feature, you regain 1 ki when you hit with an unarmed strike, up to the maximum number of ki available to you. \pagebreak ### Way of Shadow Monks of the Way of Shadow learn techniques of infiltration and stealth, and have unique abilities to interact with and take advantage of shadows and darkness. #### Black Ambush Beginning at 3rd level when you choose this tradition, your attacks take full advantage of your target's unwariness. When you hit a surprised creature with an unarmed strike, you can choose for it to deal maximum damage, instead of rolling. #### Shadow Arts Also at 3rd level, you learn shadow arts to aid in subterfuge and infiltration. You learn the following spells, and can cast them once each, regaining the ability to do so at the end of a short rest: *Darkness, Pass Without Trace,* and *Silence*. #### Shadow Step At 6th level, you gain the ability to step from one shadow into another. When you are in dim light or darkness, you can use your bonus action you can teleport up to 60 feet to an unoccupied space you can see that is also in dim light or darkness. #### Umbral Sight Beginning at 13th level, your extensive training in dark areas allows you to see normally in non-magical darkness and dim light within 120 feet of you. In addition, when you cast the *Darkness* spell, you can see normally in its area. #### Master of Darkness Starting at 17th level, you can call on the shadows, and the shadows will come to your aid. When you are hit with a melee weapon attack, you can use your reaction to teleport up to 60 feet to an unoccupied space you can see as the shadows carry you away \columnbreak ### Way of the Crushing Python Monks of this tradition are renowned for their ability to wrestle their opponents to the ground, cutting off their every movement, leaving them helpless and completely immobile. #### Grappling Techniques Beginning at 3rd level, you learn to harness your ki to augment your grappling. While you have temporary hitpoints granted by focusing, you can add your wisdom modifier to checks made to shove or grapple. In addition, when you attack a creature you are grappling, you score a critical hit on a roll of 19-20. #### Restricting Grasp Starting at 6th level, your grip can immobilize creatures nearly completely. When a creature you are grappling makes an attack, you can use your reaction to give that creature disadvantage on its attack roll, and if it hits, the attack deals half damage. #### Titanic Hold Beginning at 11th level, you've found ways to overcome size differences between you and your opponents. Creatures 1 size larger than you no longer have advantage on grapple checks against you. In addition, you can attempt to grapple creatures up to 2 sizes larger than you. When you succeed on a grapple check against a creature 2 sizes larger than you, their speed is halved instead of reduced to 0, and when it moves, it can drag or carry you along with it. #### Immobilizing Hold At 17th level, you have achieved mastery over the ultimate grappling technique. As an action, you can force a creature you are grappling to make a strength saving throw. On a failure, the creature becomes incapacitated and restrained. The creature can make a contested check at the end of each of their turns to escape this hold. On a success, they are no longer incapacitated or restrained. This condition ends when you release them on their turn (no action required) and when your grapple ends. \pagebreak ## Design Notes ### Problems and Solutions This monk rework aims to fix a few problems with the basic monk class: - Low durability for a melee class - Stunning strike is very one note - Stunning strike wrecks encounters when it succeeds - Not landing Stunning Strikes makes you a blatantly worse fighter - Generally low damage - Reliant on short rests to function throughout the day, even as many DMs don't know how to pace rests. - Little feat support for damage due to unarmed combat - Lots of features that don't seem well-connected to the theme (poison immunity, speaking all languages, proficiency in all saves) By generating temporary hp as a part of the core action loop, the durability issues should be lessened dramatically. Stunning Strike no longer dominates the majority of a monk's power budget, being replaced by techniques of less individual power, but applying in almost any scenario and with different effects, making monk less one-note and feelsbad. Stunning Strike still exists, but in a much less powerful form. The new cornerstone feature, Flurry strikes, should be roughly on par with a featless greatsword fighter over the course of two turns, with a little less AC. Ki has been completely changed. It recharges when you take an action to focus. There is still nolittle feat support, but with the institution of techniques at 5, they have control elements that can set them apart aside from damage. This class still has similar ribbons to the base class, but by changing the theme to more explicitly be about mastery of body and self, they fit better. ### Note on the Recharge Mechanic This monk rework uses the focus mechanic as a way to represent literally taking a breath to refocus. The primary inspiration for this mechanic is Izzy's disciple class, which uses a similar mechanic called "tempo points". However, by tying the recharge mechanic to a specific action, the effects must be dialed down severely in power. I contacted Izzy about what he kept in mind while designing these. Most glaringly, there cannot be any effects with long durations, as they can be infinitely looped. The other part of balance is that it is balance by opportunity cost. What you can do over two turns should be comparable to what other classes can do over two turns. In addition, your supply of resources is infinite, so there is no room to use effects like there are in base monk where spending more ki on a feature makes the feature exponentially better. \columnbreak ### Notes on theme This monk interprets the harnessing of ki as a breathing technique. I find this to be a much more interesting theme to play on due to its extensive media representation, and has the benefit of being less vague than what is written of ki in the lore. Due to this change, I felt that implementing a mechanic to represent drawing a breath would be best. And the perfect mechanic for it was already an idea made by Izzy. ### Notes on Balance Across all levels, this monk has the capacity to deal the same damage over 2 turns as a featless greatsword-wielding fighter, not accounting for the fighting style or if the fighter is spending resources (such as maneuvers, runes, or action surge). This monk will generally have a lower AC than a fighter clad in heavy armor. However, it does have dedicated control features in the base class, which may edge it out as superior in terms of raw output, but given that control features are more team-oriented, I am alright with this. > ##### Special Thanks > While this is my own solo project, there are a few people whose input helped me quite a bit. The largest share of thanks probably goes to Izzy, whose idea inspired the entire rework, and who generously gave advice on how it needs to work in context. Thanks also to Jober7, who was my primary consultant with this redesign. \pagebreak ## Changes from base monk 1. Ki is no longer a static resource, instead being a small number of points regenerated by taking a specfic action. Just read the feature tbh. 2. Stunning Strike costs no ki, applies only on critcal hits, and has been moved to 9th level. 3. Martial Arts no longer gives a bonus action unarmed strike, instead giving a bonus action shove or grapple. 4. Extra attack has been removed 5. The damage die of an unarmed strike no longer scales, instead being a d6 at all levels 6. Step of the Wind no longer costs ki and has been folded into Unarmored movement and renamed "Swift". Additionally, spending ki grants you both dash and disengage at once. 7. Patient Defense has been removed 8. Evasion has been renamed "Nimble Evasion" and allows you to move when you succeed on a dexterity saving throw. 9. Stillness of mind has been renamed "Clarity of Self", applies only in specific circumstances, and no longer costs your action 10. Deflect Missiles can deflect multiple projectiles 11. Purity of Body has been replaced with Mastery of Body, which allows you to do a few ribbons and end the poisoned condition. 12. Slow Fall has been renamed "Breakfalls" 13. Tongue of the Sun and Moon has been removed 14. Inner Sabotage has been added 15. Timeless Body has been removed, though some of it is still present in Mastery of Body. 16. Diamond soul has been renamed "Harmony of Body & Mind" and no longer gives proficiency in all saving throws. 17. Empty Body has been replaced by Pinnacle of Strength 18. Perfect Self has been replaced by perfect focus 19. Added a gaming set to the list of tools 20. Open Hand has been reworked 21. Shadow gained "Black Ambush" 22. Shadow Arts' spells can be cast for free once per short rest, and can no longer be cast with ki 23. Cloak of Shadows has been replaced by Umbral Sight 24. Opportunist has been replaced by Master of Darkness 25. Way of the Iron Knuckle was added 26. Way of the Crushing Python was added