Monk
| Level | Proficiency Bonus | Features | Martial Arts | Unarmoured Defence | Unarmoured Movement | Ki Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | +2 | Martial Arts, Spellcasting | 1d6 | 10+Dex+Wis | +10 | - |
| 2 | +2 | Ki, Fighting Style | 1d6 | 10+Dex+Wis | +10 | 2 |
| 3 | +2 | Deflect Missiles, Monastic Tradition | 1d6 | 10+Dex+Wis | +10 | 3 |
| 4 | +2 | Slow Fall, Ability Score Improvement | 1d6 | 10+Dex+Wis | +10 | 4 |
| 5 | +3 | - | 1d8 | 11+Dex+Wis | +15 | 5 |
| 6 | +3 | Ki Improvement | 1d8 | 11+Dex+Wis | +15 | 6 |
| 7 | +3 | Monastic Tradition feature | 1d8 | 11+Dex+Wis | +15 | 7 |
| 8 | +3 | Ability Score Improvement | 1d8 | 11+Dex+Wis | +15 | 8 |
| 9 | +4 | Martial Arts Improvement | 1d10 | 12+Dex+Wis | +20 | 9 |
| 10 | +4 | Ki Improvement, Purity of Body | 1d10 | 12+Dex+Wis | +20 | 11 |
| 11 | +4 | Monastic Tradition feature | 1d10 | 12+Dex+Wis | +20 | 13 |
| 12 | +4 | Ability Score Improvement | 1d10 | 12+Dex+Wis | +20 | 15 |
| 13 | +5 | Tongue of the Sun and Moon | 2d6 | 13+Dex+Wis | +25 | 17 |
| 14 | +5 | Ki Improvement | 2d6 | 13+Dex+Wis | +25 | 19 |
| 15 | +5 | Monastic Tradition feature, Timeless Body | 2d6 | 13+Dex+Wis | +25 | 21 |
| 16 | +5 | Ability Score Improvement | 2d6 | 13+Dex+Wis | +25 | 23 |
| 17 | +6 | - | 2d8 | 14+Dex+Wis | +30 | 25 |
| 18 | +6 | Ki Improvement | 2d8 | 14+Dex+Wis | +30 | 27 |
| 19 | +6 | Monastic Tradition feature | 2d8 | 14+Dex+Wis | +30 | 29 |
| 20 | +6 | Ability Score Improvement | 2d8 | 14+Dex+Wis | +30 | 31 |
The Monk
Martial Arts
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 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.
- your AC equals 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Wisdom modifier. Your AC changes as you gain monk levels, as shown in the Unarmoured Defence column of the Monk table.
- Your speed increases by 10 feet. This bonus increases when you reach certain monk levels, as shown in the Monk table.
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).
At 9th level, you gain the ability to move along vertical surfaces, upside down on ceilings, and across liquids and other surfaces normally incapable of supporting your weight, such as ropes and feathers, on your turn, without falling during the move.
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 two such features: Flurry of Blows 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. This increases to three unarmed strikes at 10th level, and four unarmed strikes at 18th level.
Step of the Wind. You can spend 1 ki point to take the Disengage action as a bonus action on your turn, and your jump distance is doubled for the turn.
At 6th level, you learn the following ki features:
Stunning Strike. 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. Starting at 10th level the target must succeed on a Constitution or Dexterity saving throw (your choice) or be stunned until the end of your next turn.
Focused Aim 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.
Patient Defence You can spend 3 ki points to take the Dodge action as a bonus action on your turn.
Light Step. You can spend 1 ki point to take the Dash action as a bonus action on your turn. Additionally, you ignore the effects of difficult terrain, and your jump distance is doubled for the turn.
At 10th level, you learn the following ki feature:
Stillness of Mind. At the beginning of your turn, you can spend 1 ki point to end one effect on yourself that is causing you to be charmed or frightened.
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.
Beginning at 18th level, you learn the following ki features:
Empty Body. 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.
Freedom from Attachment. 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.
Spellcasting
By 1st level, you have learned to use the various ki pathways in your body to create magical effects. See chapter 10 for the general rules of spellcasting and the end of this message for the monk spell list.
Preparing and Casting Spells. The Artificer table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your Monk spells. To cast one of your Monk spells of 1st level or higher, you must expend a slot of the spell's level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.
You prepare the list of Monk spells that are available for you to cast, choosing from the Monk spell list. When you do so, choose a number of Monk spells equal to your Wisdom modifier + half your Monk level, rounded down (minimum of one spell). The spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots.
For example, if you are a 5th-level Monk, you have four 1st-level and two 2nd-level spell slots. With a Wisdom of 14, your list of prepared spells can include four spells of 1st or 2nd-level, in any combination. If you prepare the 1st-level spell Longstrider, you can cast it using a 1st-level or a 2nd-level slot. Casting the spell doesn't remove it from your list of prepared spells.
You can change your list of prepared spells when you finish a long rest. Preparing a new list of Monk spells requires time spent in meditation: at least 1 minute per spell level for each spell on your list.
Spellcasting Ability. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for your Monk spells, since their power derives from your connection with and perception of ambient ki manifesting as magic in the Weave. You use your Wisdom whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Wisdom modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a Monk spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.
Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier
Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier Spellcasting Focus
Spellcasting Focus. You can use a Monk weapon as a spellcasting focus for your Monk spells.
Traditional Monastic Magic. Some Monastic Traditions allow you to learn and cast spells without using spell slots - often at-will or using Ki points. You add these spells to your list of spells prepared when you have a spell slot to cast it, as shown on the Monk table. Once you prepare a spell this way, you always have it prepared, and it doesn't count against the number of spells you can prepare each day.
If you have a traditional monastic spell that doesn't appear on the monk spell list, the spell is nonetheless a monk spell for you.
Monk Spells
1st level
- Absorb Elements
- Expeditious Retreat
- Featherfall
- Jump
- Longstrider
- Sanctuary
- Shield
2nd level
- Active Meditation*
- Earthbind
- Earthen Grasp
- Enhance Ability
- Heat Metal
- Invisibility
- Lesser Restoration
- Misty Step
- Mirror Image
- Pass Without Trace
- Pyrotechnics
- See Invisibility
- Spiderclimb
3rd Level
- Counterspell
- Dispel Magic
- Erupting Earth
- Flame Arrows
- Fly
- Gaseous Form
- Haste
- Lightning Arrow
- Meld Into Stone
- Nondetection
- Speak With Plants
- Water Breathing
- Water Walk
4th level
- Death Ward
- Control Water
- Polymorph
- Stone Shape
- Stone Skin
- Fire Shield
5th level
- Passwall
- Reincarnate
- Skill Empowerment
- Transmute Rock
- Wall of Stone
- Far Step
- Greater Restoration
- Steel Wind Strike
Active Meditation
2nd level Transmutation spell (Monk)
Casting Time: Bonus Action
Range: Self
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute.
You sink into a deep yet volatile form of meditation that can be used even while in the middle of battle.
When you cast this spell, and then again at the start of each of your turns until this spell ends, you gain 1 special ki point for your monk features. This ki point disappears if it is not used by the end of your turn.
At higher levels: When you cast this spell using a Spell Slot of 3rd level or higher, the number of special ki points gained at the beginning of your turn increases by 1 for each slot level above 2nd.