Monk

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Overview & Creation

Her fists a blur as they deflect an incoming hail 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, knocking their blows aside and sending them reeling, until at last she stands alone.   Taking a deep breath, a human covered in tattoos settles into a battle stance. As the first charging orcs reach him, he exhales and a blast of fire roars from his mouth, engulfing his foes.   Moving with the silence of the night, a black-clad halfling steps into a shadow beneath an arch and emerges from another inky shadow on a balcony a stone’s throw away. She slides her blade free of its cloth-wrapped scabbard and peers through the open window at the tyrant prince, so vulnerable in the grip of sleep.   Whatever their discipline, monks are united in their ability to magically harness the energy that flows in their bodies. Whether channeled as a striking display of combat prowess or a subtler focus of defensive ability and speed, this energy infuses all that a monk does.  

The Magic of Ki

Monks make careful study of a magical energy that most monastic traditions call ki. This energy is an element of the magic that suffuses the multiverse—specifically, the element that flows through living bodies. Monks harness this power within themselves to create magical effects and exceed their bodies’ physical capabilities, and some of their special attacks can hinder the flow of ki in their opponents. Using this energy, monks channel uncanny speed and strength into their unarmed strikes. As they gain experience, their martial training and their mastery of ki gives them more power over their bodies and the bodies of their foes.  

Training and Asceticism

Small walled cloisters dot the landscapes of the worlds of D&D, tiny refuges from the flow of ordinary life, where time seems to stand still. The monks who live there seek personal perfection through contemplation and rigorous training. Many entered the monastery as children, sent to live there when their parents died, when food couldn’t be found to support them, or in return for some kindness that the monks had performed for their families.   Some monks live entirely apart from the surrounding population, secluded from anything that might impede their spiritual progress. Others are sworn to isolation, emerging only to serve as spies or assassins at the command of their leader, a noble patron, or some other mortal or divine power.   The majority of monks don’t shun their neighbors, making frequent visits to nearby towns or villages and exchanging their service for food and other goods. As versatile warriors, monks often end up protecting their neighbors from monsters or tyrants.   For a monk, becoming an adventurer means leaving a structured, communal lifestyle to become a wanderer. This can be a harsh transition, and monks don’t undertake it lightly. Those who leave their cloisters take their work seriously, approaching their adventures as personal tests of their physical and spiritual growth. As a rule, monks care little for material wealth and are driven by a desire to accomplish a greater mission than merely slaying monsters and plundering their treasure.  

Creating a Monk

As you make your monk character, think about your connection to the monastery where you learned your skills and spent your formative years. Were you an orphan or a child left on the monastery’s threshold? Did your parents promise you to the monastery in gratitude for a service performed by the monks? Did you enter this secluded life to hide from a crime you committed? Or did you choose the monastic life for yourself?   Consider why you left. Did the head of your monastery choose you for a particularly important mission beyond the cloister? Perhaps you were cast out because of some violation of the community’s rules. Did you dread leaving, or were you happy to go? Is there something you hope to accomplish outside the monastery? Are you eager to return to your home?   As a result of the structured life of a monastic community and the discipline required to harness ki, monks are almost always lawful in alignment.  

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 background.

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Martial Arts	Ki Points	Unarmored Movement	Features
1st	+2	1d4	-	-	Unarmored Defense, Martial Arts
2nd	+2	1d4	2	+10 ft	Ki, Unarmored Movement
3rd	+2	1d4	3	+10 ft	Monastic Tradition, Deflect Missiles
4th	+2	1d4	4	+10 ft	Ability Score Improvement, Slow Fall
5th	+3	1d6	5	+10 ft	Extra Attack, Stunning Strike
6th	+3	1d6	6	+15 ft	Ki-Empowered Strikes, Monastic Tradition Feature
7th	+3	1d6	7	+15 ft	Evasion, Stillness of Mind
8th	+3	1d6	8	+15 ft	Ability Score Improvement
9th	+4	1d6	9	+15 ft	Unarmored Movement Improvement
10th	+4	1d6	10	+20 ft	Purity of Body
11th	+4	1d8	11	+20 ft	Monastic Tradition Feature
12th	+4	1d8	12	+20 ft	Ability Score Improvement
13th	+5	1d8	13	+20 ft	Tongue of the Sun and Moon
14th	+5	1d8	14	+25 ft	Diamond Soul
15th	+5	1d8	15	+25 ft	Timeless Body
16th	+5	1d8	16	+25 ft	Ability Score Improvement
17th	+6	1d10	17	+25 ft	Monastic Tradition Feature
18th	+6	1d10	18	+30 ft	Empty Body
19th	+6	1d10	19	+30 ft	Ability Score Improvement
20th	+6	1d10	20	+30 ft	Perfect Self

 

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Class Features

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 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 d4 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.

  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). Whatever name you use for a monk weapon, you can use the game statistics provided for the weapon in the Weapons section.  

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 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.   Patient Defense
You can spend 1 ki point to take the Dodge action as a bonus action on your turn.   Step of the Wind
You can spend 1 ki point to take the Disengage or Dash action as a bonus action on your turn, and your jump distance is doubled for the turn.  

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.   At 9th level, you gain the ability to move along vertical surfaces and across liquids on your turn without falling during the move.  

Monastic Tradition

When you reach 3rd level, you commit yourself to a monastic tradition: the Way of the Open Hand, detailed at the end of the class description or one from another source. Your tradition grants you features at 3rd level and again at 6th, 11th, and 17th level.  

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, you can catch the missile if it is small enough for you to hold in one hand and you have at least one hand free. If you catch a missile in this way, you can spend 1 ki point to make a ranged attack with the weapon or piece of ammunition you just caught, as part of the same reaction. You make this attack with proficiency, regardless of your weapon proficiencies, and the missile counts as a monk weapon for the attack, which has a normal range of 20 feet and a long range of 60 feet.  

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.   Using the optional feats rule, you can forgo taking this feature to take a feat of your choice instead.  

Slow Fall

Beginning at 4th level, you can use your reaction when you fall to reduce any falling damage you take by an amount equal to five times your monk level.  

Extra Attack

Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.  

Stunning Strike

Starting at 5th level, you can interfere with the flow of ki in an opponent’s body. 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.  

Ki-Empowered Strikes

Starting at 6th level, your unarmed strikes count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.  

Unarmored Movement

At 6th level, your Unarmored Speed speed bonus increases to 15 feet while you are not wearing armor or wielding a shield.  

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 instead take no damage if you succeed on the saving throw, and only half damage if you fail.  

Stillness of Mind

Starting at 7th level, you can use your action to end one effect on yourself that is causing you to be charmed or frightened.  

Unarmored Movement Improvement

At 9th level, you gain the ability to move along vertical surfaces and across liquids on your turn without falling during your move.  

Purity of Body

At 10th level, your mastery of the ki flowing through you makes you immune to disease and poison.  

Unarmored Movement

At 10th level, your Unarmored Speed speed bonus increases to 20 feet while you are not wearing armor or wielding a shield.  

Tongue of the Sun and Moon

Starting at 13th level, you learn to touch the ki of other minds so that you understand all spoken languages. Moreover, any creature that can understand a language can understand what you say.  

Diamond Soul

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.  

Unarmored Movement

At 14th level, your Unarmored Speed speed bonus increases to 25 feet while you are not wearing armor or wielding a shield.  

Timeless Body

At 15th level, your ki sustains you so that you suffer none of the frailty of old age, and you can’t be aged magically. You can still die of old age, however. In addition, you no longer need food or water.  

Empty Body

Beginning at 18th level, 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.   Additionally, 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.  

Unarmored Movement

At 18th level, your Unarmored Speed speed bonus increases to 30 feet while you are not wearing armor or wielding a shield.  

Perfect Self

At 20th level, when you roll for initiative and have no ki points remaining, you regain 4 ki points.

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Starting 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

 

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Subclass Options

Monastic Traditions

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Three traditions of monastic pursuit are common in the monasteries scattered across the multiverse. Most monasteries practice one tradition exclusively, but a few honor the three traditions and instruct each monk according to his or her aptitude and interest. All three traditions rely on the same basic techniques, diverging as the student grows more adept. Thus, a monk need choose a tradition only upon reaching 3rd level.  

Way of Shadow

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Monks of the Way of Shadow follow a tradition that values stealth and subterfuge. These monks might be called ninjas or shadowdancers, and they serve as spies and assassins. Sometimes the members of a ninja monastery are family members, forming a clan sworn to secrecy about their arts and missions. Other monasteries are more like thieves’ guilds, hiring out their services to nobles, rich merchants, or anyone else who can pay their fees. Regardless of their methods, the heads of these monasteries expect the unquestioning obedience of their students.  

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.  

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.  

Way of the Astral Self

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Monks of the Way of the Astral Self have an internal struggle with their ki. They see their mystical energy as a representation of their true form, an astral self. This form has the capacity to be a force of good or destruction, with some monasteries training students to either temper their nature or embrace their impulses.   Way of the Astral Self Features

Monk Level	Feature
3rd	Arms of the Astral Self
6th	Visage of the Astral Self
11th	Awakening of the Astral Self
17th	Complete Astral Self

Arms of the Astral Self

At 3rd level, your mastery of your ki allows you to summon a portion of your astral self. On your turn, you can spend 2 ki points as a bonus action to summon the arms of your astral self for 10 minutes. These spectral arms hover near your shoulders. You determine the arms’ appearance based on the qualities of your character.   While your astral arms are summoned, you gain the following benefits:  

• You can use your Wisdom modifier in place of your Strength modifier when making Strength checks and Strength saving throws.
• The arms are monk weapons and have a reach of 10 feet. The arms deal radiant or necrotic damage (your choice). When you attack with the arms, you can use your Wisdom modifier instead of your Strength or Dexterity modifier for the attack and damage rolls.
• Immediately after you use the Attack action with your astral arms on your turn, you can make one extra attack with your astral arms as a bonus action. The number of extra attacks increases when you reach certain levels in this class, increasing to two at 11th level and three at 17th level.

 

Visage of the Astral Self

Starting at 6th level, you can summon the visage of your astral self. On your turn, you can spend 1 ki point as a bonus action, or as part of summoning your astral arms, to summon this visage for 10 minutes. The spectral visage covers your face like a helmet or mask. You determine its appearance based on the qualities of your character.   While your visage is summoned, you gain the following benefits.   Wisdom of the Spirit. You have advantage on Wisdom (Insight) and Charisma (Intimidation) checks.   Astral Sight. You can see normally in darkness, both magical and nonmagical, to a distance of 120 feet.  

Awakening of the Astral Self

Starting at 11th level, you tap into the greater power of your astral self. While you have both your astral arms and visage summoned, you gain the following benefits.   Deflect Energy. When you take acid, cold, fire, lightning, or force damage, you can use your reaction to deflect it. When you do so, the damage you take is reduced by 1d10 + your Wisdom modifier + your monk level.   Empowered Arms. Once on each of your turns when you hit a target with your astral arms, you can deal extra damage to the target equal to your Martial Arts die.   Word of the Spirit. When you speak through your visage, you can direct your words to a creature of your choice that you can see within 30 feet of you, making it so only that creature can hear you. Alternatively, you can amplify your voice so that all creatures within 600 feet can hear you.  

Complete Astral Self

Starting at 17th level, your connection to your astral self is complete, allowing you summon it entirely. On your turn, you can spend 10 ki points as a bonus action to summon the arms, visage, and body of your astral self for 10 minutes. This spectral body covers your physical form like a suit of armor, connecting with the arms and visage. You determine its appearance based on the qualities of your character.   While your astral self is summoned, you gain the following benefits.   Armor of the Spirit. You gain a +2 bonus to AC while you aren’t incapacitated.   Astral Barrage. Whenever you use the Extra Attack feature to attack twice, you can instead attack three times using your astral arms.   Ki Consumption. When a creature within 10 feet of you is reduced to 0 hit points, you can use your reaction to regain ki points equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum 1).  

Way of the Drunken Master

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The Way of the Drunken Master teaches its students to move with the jerky, unpredictable movements of a drunkard. A drunken master sways, tottering on unsteady feet, to present what seems like an incompetent combatant who proves frustrating to engage. The drunken master’s erratic stumbles conceal a carefully executed dance of blocks, parries, advances, attacks, and retreats.   A drunken master often enjoys playing the fool to bring gladness to the despondent or to demonstrate humility to the arrogant, but when battle is joined, the drunken master can be a maddening, masterful foe.   Way of the Drunken Master Features

Monk Level	Feature
3rd	Bonus Proficiencies, Drunken Technique
6th	Tipsy Sway
11th	Drunkard's Luck
17th	Intoxicated Frenzy

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 on the roll, 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 five Flurry of Blows attacks), provided that each Flurry of Blows attack targets a different creature this turn.  

Way of the Four Elements

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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.  

Disciple of the Elements

When you choose this tradition at 3rd level, you learn magical disciplines that harness the power of the four elements. A discipline requires you to spend ki points each time you use it.   You know the Elemental Attunement discipline and one other elemental discipline of your choice, which are detailed in the “Elemental Disciplines” section below. You learn one additional elemental discipline 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
Some elemental disciplines allow you to cast spells. See the Spellcasting section 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.   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 3 ki points to cast it as a 2nd-level spell (the discipline’s base cost of 2 ki points plus 1).   The maximum number of ki points you can spend to cast a spell in this way (including its base ki point cost and any additional ki points you spend to increase its level) is determined by your monk level, as shown in the Spells and Ki Points table.   Spells and Ki Points

Monk Levels	Maximum Ki Points for a Spell
5th-8th	3
9th-12th	4
13th-16th	5
17th-20th	6

Elemental Disciplines

The elemental disciplines are presented in alphabetical order. If a discipline requires a level, you must be that level in this class to learn the discipline.   Breath of Winter
You can spend 6 ki points to cast cone of cold. (17th Level Required)   Clench of the North Wind
You can spend 3 ki points to cast hold person. (6th Level Required)   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, instantaneous sensory effect related to air, earth, fire, or water, 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 up to 1 hour.
• Cause earth, fire, water, or mist that can fit within a 1-foot cube to shape itself into a crude form you designate for 1 minute.

  Eternal Mountain Defense
You can spend 5 ki points to cast stoneskin, targeting yourself. (17th Level Required)   Fangs of the Fire Snake
When you use the Attack action on your turn, 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 that action, as well as the rest of the turn. A hit with such an attack deals fire damage instead of bludgeoning damage, and if you spend 1 ki point when the attack hits, it also deals an extra 1d10 fire damage.   Fist of Four Thunders
You can spend 2 ki points to cast thunderwave.   Fist of Unbroken Air
You can create a blast of compressed air that strikes like a mighty fist. As an action, you can spend 2 ki points and choose a creature within 30 feet of you. That creature must make a Strength saving throw. On a failed save, the creature takes 3d10 bludgeoning damage, plus an extra 1d10 bludgeoning damage for each additional ki point you spend, and you can push the creature up to 20 feet away from you and knock it prone. On a successful save, the creature takes half as much damage, and you don’t push it or knock it prone.   Flames of the Phoenix
You can spend 4 ki points to cast fireball. (11th Level Required)   Gong of the Summit
You can spend 3 ki points to cast shatter. (6th Level Required)   Mist Stance
You can spend 4 ki points to cast gaseous form, targeting yourself. (11th Level Required)   Ride the Wind
You can spend 4 ki points to cast fly, targeting yourself. (11th Level Required)   River of Hungry Flame
You can spend 5 ki points to cast wall of fire.(17th Level Required)   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 30 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 30-foot square, you can create a pillar up to 15 feet high, raise or lower the square’s elevation by up to 15 feet, dig a trench up to 15 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 2 ki points to cast burning hands.   Water Whip
You can spend 2 ki points 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, plus an extra 1d10 bludgeoning damage for each additional ki point you spend, and 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.   Wave of Rolling Earth
You can spend 6 ki points to cast wall of stone. (17th Level Required)  

Way of the Kensei

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Monks of the Way of the Kensei train relentlessly with their weapons, to the point where the weapon becomes an extension of the body. Founded on a mastery of sword fighting, the tradition has expanded to include many different weapons.   A kensei sees a weapon in much the same way a calligrapher or painter regards a pen or brush. Whatever the weapon, the kensei views it as a tool used to express the beauty and precision of the martial arts. That such mastery makes a kensei a peerless warrior is but a side effect of intense devotion, practice, and study.   Way of the Kensei Features

Monk Level	Feature
3rd	Path of the Kensei (2 weapons)
6th	One with the Blade, Path of the Kensei (3 weapons)
11th	Sharpen the Blade, Path of the Kensei (4 weapons)
17th	Unerring Accuracy, Path of the Kensei (5 weapons)

Path of the Kensei

When you choose this tradition at 3rd level, your special martial arts training leads you to master the use of certain weapons. This path also includes instruction in the deft strokes of calligraphy or painting. You gain the following benefits.   Kensei Weapons. Choose two types of weapons to be your kensei weapons: one melee weapon and one ranged weapon. Each of these weapons 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 if you don’t already have it. Weapons of the chosen types are monk weapons for you. Many of this tradition’s features work only with your kensei weapons. 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. When you do so, any target you hit with a ranged attack using a kensei weapon takes an extra 1d4 damage of the weapon’s type. You retain this benefit until the end of the current turn.   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, you extend your ki into your kensei weapons, granting you the following benefits.   Magic Kensei Weapons. Your attacks with your kensei weapons count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.   Deft Strike. 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 your Martial Arts die. You can use this feature only once on each of your turns.  

Kensei Weapon

When you reach 6th 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.  

Sharpen the Blade

At 11th level, you gain the ability to augment your weapons further with your ki. As a bonus action, you can expend 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.  

Kensei Weapon

When you reach 11th 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.  

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.  

Kensei Weapon

When you reach 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.  

Way of the Open Hand

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Monks of the Way of the Open Hand are the ultimate masters of martial arts combat, whether armed or unarmed. They learn techniques to push and trip their opponents, manipulate ki to heal damage to their bodies, and practice advanced meditation that can protect them from harm.  

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. As an action, you can regain hit points equal to three times your monk level. You must finish a long rest before you can use this feature again.  

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.  

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.  

Way of the Sun Soul

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Monks of the Way of the Sun Soul learn to channel their life energy into searing bolts of light. They teach that meditation can unlock the ability to unleash the indomitable light shed by the soul of every living creature.   Way of the Sun Soul Features

Monk Level	Feature
3rd	Radiant Sun Bolt
6th	Searing Arc Strike
11th	Searing Sunburst
17th	Sun Shield

Radiant Sun Bolt

Starting when you choose this tradition at 3rd level, you can hurl searing bolts of magical radiance.   You gain a new attack option that you can use with the Attack action. This special attack is a ranged spell attack with a range of 30 feet. You are proficient with it, and you add your Dexterity modifier to its attack and damage rolls. Its damage is radiant, and its damage die is a d4. This die changes as you gain monk levels, as shown in the Martial Arts column of the Monk table.   When you take the Attack action on your turn and use this special attack as part of it, you can spend 1 ki point to make the special attack twice as a bonus action.   When you gain the Extra Attack feature, this special attack can be used for any of the attacks you make as part of the Attack action.  

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.   You can spend additional ki points to cast burning hands as a higher-level spell. Each additional ki point you spend increases the spell’s level by 1. The maximum number of ki points (2 plus any additional points) that you can spend on the spell equals half your monk level.  

Searing Sunburst

At 11th level, you gain the ability to create an orb of light that erupts into a devastating explosion. As an action, you magically 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 2d6 radiant damage. A creature doesn’t need to make the save if the creature is behind total cover that is opaque.   You can increase the sphere’s damage by spending ki points. Each point you spend, to a maximum of 3, increases the damage by 2d6.  

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 5 + your Wisdom modifier.  

Way of the Gentle Hand (Judo)

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Monks of the Way of the Gentle Hand are specialists of martial arts that deal with grappling, whether armed or unarmed. They learn techniques to grapple and force their opponents to submit, manipulate ki to empower their grip, and practice trances that allow them to interact with spirits as if they had physical bodies.  

Gentle Hand Techniques

Starting when you choose this tradition at 3rd level, you can manipulate use your opponent’s momentum and body positioning against them while taking advantage of your own. Creatures that fall victim to your techniques will take damage from your ‘Waza’ (technique) dice. These dice are equal to a number of your martial arts dice multiplied by half your monk level rounded down (Waza = Martial Arts Dice * Half Monk Level).   You gain the ability to make a grapple attack by using a bonus action instead of an attack action. Whenever you succeed in making a grapple attack against a creature you can perform one of the techniques listed below by using one of your ‘Attacks’ during the attack action:

• Nage-Waza (Throwing Technique): A grappled creature will be thrown up to half your movement away from you. That creature must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or be knocked prone and take bludgeoning damage equal to your Waza, a successful saving throw will take half damage and not be knocked prone.
• Katame-Waza (Grappling Technique): A grappled creature must succeed a Strength saving throw or be Stunned and take bludgeoning damage equal to your Waza each turn until they succeed the saving throw, a successful saving throw will take half damage and not be Stunned. Katame-Waza can be used on a prone creature instead if the user also goes prone. Any time Katame-Waza is used the user take no further actions or movement.
• Atemi-Waza (Striking Technique): While a creature is grappled you make an unarmed attack to a vital spot that they cannot defend. This creature will take bludgeoning damage equal to your Waza.

Masterful Grip

At 6th level, you gain the ability to drag or carry a grappled creature without any penalty to movement. In addition, if you are not already considered one size larger for your carrying capacity then you are considered one size larger for your carrying capacity.  

Randori

Beginning at 11th level, by using a bonus action you can enter a special trance that lasts for one minute and your body becomes attuned to the intentions and technique of any opponent. Your trance grants advantage on strength and dexterity checks have advantage for the next minute. You can use Randori an amount of times equal to your proficiency bonus before taking a long rest.  

Forbidden Technique

At 17th level, you gain another Gentle Hand Technique through weeks of meditation and grim contemplation that allows you to perform a lethal technique on a grappled target while risking a deadly counterattack. Sutemi-Waza (Self Sacrifice Technique): A grappled creature makes a constitution saving throw at disadvantage, the user also makes a constitution saving throw. A creature that fails this saving throw is reduced to 0 hit points, if it succeeds then it takes bludgeoning damage equal to your Waza that ignores immunity and resistance and it is knocked prone. If the user fails the saving throw then they are knocked prone and stunned.