People who are this class
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 per monk level after 1st
Proficiencies
Armor: None
Weapons: Simple weapons, shortswords
Tools: Choose 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
10 darts
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.
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 on the Weapons page.
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.
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.
Also at 2nd level, you train yourself to use a variety of weapons as monk weapons, not just simple melee weapons and shortswords. Whenever you finish a short or long rest, you can touch one weapon, focus your ki on it, and then count that weapon as a monk weapon until you use this feature again.
The chosen weapon must meet these criteria:
The weapon must be a simple or martial weapon.
You must be proficient with it.
It must lack the heavy and special properties.
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.
Tradition, Source
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 a range of 20/60 using 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.
Also at 3rd level, if you spend 1 ki point or more as part of your action on your turn, you can make one attack with an unarmed strike or a monk weapon as a bonus action before the end of the turn.
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.
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.
Also at 4th level, as an action, you can spend 2 ki points and roll a Martial Arts die. You regain a number of hit points equal to the number rolled plus your proficiency bonus.
Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.
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.
Also at 5th level, 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.
Starting at 6th level, your unarmed strikes count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.
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.
Starting at 7th level, you can use your action to end one effect on yourself that is causing you to be charmed or frightened.
At 10th level, your mastery of the ki flowing through you makes you immune to disease and poison.
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.
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.
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.
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.
At 20th level, when you roll for initiative and have no ki points remaining, you regain 4 ki points.
Legendary Class
LV 21: Legendary Feat, Stances, Inner Spirit (1)
LV 22: Enlightenment (1), Techniques (1)
LV 23: Ascended State, Chakra
LV 24: Legendary ASI/Feat
LV 25: Extra Attack, Inner Spirit (2)
LV 26: Persistent Change
LV 27: Enlightenment (2), Techniques (2)
LV 28: Legendary ASI/Feat
LV 29: Master of Stances, Inner Spirit (3)
LV 30: True Master
Monk Die
21-25: D12
26-30: 2D8
Monk Movement
22-25: +35ft
26-30: +40ft
Stances
You have begun to adopt special forms in combat known as Martial Stances. You know 2 stances, and whenever you gain a level in this class you may exchange one stance you know for another. Upon rolling initiative, you may choose to enter a stance you know, which grants you benefits depending on the particular stance. As a bonus action on your turn, you may change your stance to another you know. You remain in your stance until initiative ends or until you are incapacitated. If you are not currently in a stance, you may use your bonus action to enter one. A stance is made up of three components, each granting you benefits:
Form Blessing. This is a passive benefit that the stance grants you without any needed input on your part.
Stance Power. This is an active benefit of the stance that often requires you to use an action or actively try to use.
Zenith Move. This is a powerful aspect of the stance that works identically to the Stance Power, however after using the Zenith Move, your stance immediately ends and you can not enter that particular stance again until you complete a long rest.
Inner Spirit
Your spirit shines in unique and powerful ways. You may choose a Combat Trait at levels 21, 25, and 29 at the bottom of the page
Enlightenment
You have achieved enlightenment on a facet of existence. Choose one of the following features below and another one at level 27
Techniques
You learn more on how to utilize and focus ki to either enhance or deflect something. Choose two of the following features below and another two at level 27
Ascended State
Your training and discipline has gifted you a level of strength few other mortals possess. You are capable of taking two bonus actions on your turn instead of one. These bonus actions cannot be used to perform the same action on the same turn however (For example, if one was used to use Flurry of Blows, the other must be used to use something else such as Step of the Wind) You also gain an additional reaction, which may only be used to make an attack of opportunity.
Chakra
You begin to have an excess of energy that you can wield. At the start of each of your turns, you gain a number of temporary ki points equal to half of your Monk modifier (Minimum of 1, rounded down). Whenever you would expend ki points, you can use any number of these temporary ki points in place of regular ki points. You lose all unexpended temporary ki points at the start of your turn (Upon which you gain temporary ki points as normal) Temporary ki points can not be used to restore hit points to yourself or anyone else.
Persistent Change
Swapping stances offers further benefits to you. If you have swapped your stance this turn, you may add your Monk modifier to the attack and damage rolls of your Martial Arts attacks. Additionally, whenever you roll 1d6 as per your Master of Stances feature, you still remain in your stance if you roll a 5 or 6.
Master of Stances
You have achieved mastery over your stances. At the start of your turn (No action required) You may enter a stance if you are not currently in one, or change to a different stance if you are. Additionally, after using a stances Zenith Move, you may roll 1d6. On a roll of 4 or higher, you are not forced to leave the stance.
True Master
Finally at 30th level, you have become a master of martial arts. You gain the following benefits:
-You gain a third bonus action as per your Ascended State feature, none of these bonus actions can be used to perform the same action on the same turn.
-You gain an additional reaction, which may only be used to make an attack of opportunity.
-The temporary ki gained from Excess Chakra can now be used to restore hit points.
Furious Wyrm Stance
While in this stance, the monks hands become claw-like as they embody the fury of a dragon.
Form Blessing. Your Martial Arts die is increased by 1 stage (Refer to the Martial Arts column of the monk class table to see how it grows) If the die is already 2d8, it becomes 2d10. Additionally, whenever you make a melee Martial Arts attack, you may choose to deal slashing damage.
Stance Power. Once per turn when you deal slashing damage to a target, you may expend 1 ki point to cause them to suffer necrotic damage at the start of their next turn equal to your monk modifier (Minimum of 1)
Zenith Move. As an action, you may move up to your walking speed without provoking attacks of opportunity. If you end this movement within 5-feet of a creature, you may immediately make a melee Martial Arts attack. If it hits, it becomes a critical hit. If you rolled a natural 20 on the attack roll for this attack, the damage is quadrupled instead of doubled.
Graceful Phoenix Stance
While in this stance, the area around the monk becomes superheated and they embody the flame of a phoenix.
Form Blessing. After you deal fire damage to a creature, you may immediately move up to 5-feet without provoking attacks of opportunity.
Stance Power. As a bonus action, you can expend 5 ki points to wave your hand and release a wave of flame. All creatures in a 15-foot cone must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or suffer fire damage equal to two rolls of your Martial Arts die on a failed saving throw, or half as much on a successful one.
Zenith Move. After being reduced to 0 HP, you may explode in a burst of flame. All other creatures within 15-feet of you suffer fire damage equal to twice your monk level, and you regain hit points equal to twice your monk level.
Grasping Kraken Stance
While in this stance, tentacles emerge from the monks back and they embody the might of a kraken.
Form Blessing. You are capable of having up to eight creatures grappled at a single time by using your tentacles, if you do so this leaves your hands free. When you leave this stance, all creatures grappled by your tentacles are freed.
Stance Power. As a bonus action, you may deal bludgeoning damage equal to half your monk level (Rounded up) to all creatures grappled by your tentacles.
Zenith Move. As an action, you may attempt to throw all creatures grappled by your tentacles into the air. A creature must succeed on a Strength saving throw or be thrown a number of feet into the air equal to 20 times your Monk modifier (Minimum of 20-feet) They then fall back down and take the appropriate damage. Regardless of whether a creature succeeds or fails on this saving throw, the grapple ends.
Pearl Blizzard Stance
While in this stance, chilling mist surrounds the monk and they embody the unforgiving fury of a blizzard.
Form Blessing. Frost coats one of your limbs, turning it into a spear of ice. When you make a Martial Arts attack using this limb, it deals piercing damage instead of bludgeoning, and creatures not resistant or immune to cold damage have their movement speed reduced by 5-feet until the end of their next turn. This speed reduction stacks with itself.
Stance Power. When you hit with a Martial Arts attack, you can expend 1 ki point to cause the attack to deal an additional 1d8 cold damage.
Zenith Move. As an action, you superchill the area around you, forcing all other creatures within 30-feet of you to make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed saving throw, they become Restrained in ice until the end of your next turn. While restrained by this feature, they are also incapacitated.
Shining Wave Stance
While in this stance, water encircles the monk and they embody the relentless tides.
Form Blessing. You manifest a whip made of water in your hands. This whip uses your Martial Arts die for its damage roll and deals bludgeoning damage. It has a reach of 30-feet.
Stance Power. Once per turn when you hit a target with your whip of water, you may force the target to make a Strength saving throw if it is a creature. On a failed saving throw, it is pulled to an unoccupied space within 5-feet of you. If the target is an object of large size or bigger, this fails. If they are medium or smaller, they are pulled to an unoccupied space within 5-feet of you.
Zenith Move. As an action you whirl your whip of water around you, creating a watery vortex. All creatures within 30- feet of you must succeed on a Strength saving throw, suffering 1d10 bludgeoning damage per point of your proficiency bonus on a failed saving throw, or half as much on a successful one. You may pull any creature who failed their saving throw to an unoccupied space within 5-feet of you.
Steel Shadow Stance
While in this stance, the monk becomes shrouded in shadow and they embody a lethal assassin.
Form Blessing. While in an area of dim light or darkness, you are invisible to creatures who would rely on darkvision to see you.
Stance Power. You can take the hide action as a bonus action, you can even do so if the only thing obscuring you is dim light or darkness.
Zenith Move. As an action, you instill a primal fear of the dark in all creatures within 120-feet of you that are in dim light or darkness. They must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or become Frightened, which lasts until they leave the area of dim light or darkness.
Unyielding Titan Stance
While in this stance, the monks presence becomes undeniable and they embody the might of a giant.
Form Blessing. You may use your choice of either Strength or Dexterity for the purposes of calculating your carrying capacity. Additionally, your base carrying capacity is increased by an amount equal to 30 times your Monk ability score.
Stance Power. When you would make a martial arts attack while grappling a creature, if the creature is medium or smaller and within your carrying capacity, you may throw them at a target within 60-feet of you, forcing the target to make a Dexterity saving throw if it is a creature. On a failed saving throw, the target suffers bludgeoning damage equal to two rolls of your martial arts die. The thrown creature suffers this damage regardless of whether the target succeeds or not.
Zenith Move. When you would throw a creature using this stances stance power, you can throw them regardless of their size (They must still be within your carrying capacity however) For each size category above medium the creature is, this deals additional damage equal to two rolls of your martial arts die.
Battlefield Cleaner
When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, the creature takes extra damage equal to your martial arts die if it is below half its hit point maximum. A creature may only be afflicted with this damage once per round.
Colossus Toppler
When a Large or larger creature within 5 feet of you hits or misses you with an attack, you can use your reaction to attack that creature immediately after its attack, provided that you can see the creature.
Critical Improvement
Your critical hit range for weapon attacks is increased by 1 (From 20 to 19-20 for example) If you have at least 25 levels in this class, you may select this feature a second time. If you have at least 29 levels in this class, you may select this feature a third time.
Horde Breaker
Once on each of your turns when you make a weapon attack, you can make another attack with the same weapon against a different creature that is within 5 feet of the original target and within range of your weapon.
Master of Techniques
You learn 3 additional techniques that you meet the prerequisites for, which do not count against your techniques known. You may select this feature as many times as you wish.
Pure Speed
Your movement speed is increased by 10-feet. You may select this feature as many times as you wish, however for subsequent takings your movement speed is only increased by 5-feet.
Resilient Body
Your HP maximum increases by an amount equal to three times your level in this class. Every time you gain a Monk level, your maximum HP increases by an additional 3 HP. You may select this trait multiple times.
Shielded Warrior
If a monk feature would normally not be usable while wielding a shield (Such as Martial Arts or Unarmored Defense) It is now usable while wielding a shield. Shields can also now be used for your Martial Arts attacks.
Sightless Warrior
You have blindsight with a range equal to 5 times your proficiency bonus in feet. Within that range, you can effectively see anything that isn't behind total cover, even if you're blinded or in darkness. Moreover, you can see an invisible creature within that range, unless the creature successfully hides from you.
Skirmisher
When an attack misses you, you may move up to half of your speed as a reaction. This movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity.
Further Enlightenment
Prerequisite: 25th Level
You may choose an additional option from the Enlightenment feature, gaining its benefits. You may choose this feature again at 29th level, gaining another option from the Enlightenment feature.
Beyond Corruption
You are immune to curses
Divine Eyes
You can perceive the true form of shapechangers you can see, you can see through illusions, and you can see into the ethereal plane. The range of these special sights is only limited by your normal vision
Focused State
So long as you are concentrating (As if concentrating on a spell) You have advantage on all saving throws. If this concentration ends, you lose this benefit until 1 hour has passed
Resilient Soul
You may add half your Monk bonus (Rounded up, minimum of 1) to all saving throws you make
Unfaltering Step
You are capable of walking across liquids as if they were normal ground. You can also walk across vertical surfaces provided you are moving, if you end your turn on a vertical surface, you fall. Whenever you gain a level in this class, you may exchange your choice for another
Harmony
You can finish a long rest in 4 hours if you spend those hours in an meditation during which you retain consciousness
Siphoning KI
Whenever you deal the fatal blow to a creature you regain 2 Ki. You may do this a number of times per short rest equal to DEX modifier
Arresting Strike
Prerequisite: None
When you hit a creature with a Martial Arts attack, you may choose to expend any amount of your remaining movement. For every foot of movement expended, the struck creature has their movement speed decreased by an equal amount until the end of their next turn.
Blinding Strike
Prerequisite: None
When you hit a creature with a melee Martial Arts attack, you can expend 2 ki points to cause their vision to go blurry. They have disadvantage on Perception checks based on sight, and they subtract half your proficiency bonus (Rounded down) from any ranged attack rolls they make. Both of these effects last until the end of your next turn.
Blurring Strike
Prerequisite: None
When you hit a creature with a melee Martial Arts attack, you can expend 2 ki points to force them to make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed saving throw, they cannot take reactions until the end of your next turn.
Counter Attack
Prerequisite: None
If you are dodging and a creature misses you with a melee attack while within 5-feet of you, you may use your reaction to make a Martial Arts attack against them. Hit or miss, you stop dodging. You may expend 2 ki points to remain dodging.
Disarming Strike
Prerequisite: None
When you hit a creature with a melee Martial Arts attack, you can expend 5 ki points to force them to make a Strength saving throw. On a failed saving throw, they drop one item of your choice that they are holding. If you have the Deflect Missile technique, you may use your reaction to catch the item if you have a free hand.
Ki Barrier
Prerequisite: None
As a reaction to suffering damage, you may expend any number of ki points to reduce the damage taken by an amount equal to 3 times the number of ki points expended (Minimum of 0 damage) If the creature who dealt the damage to you is within 30- feet of you, they suffer force damage equal to the number of ki points expended.
Ki Lance
Prerequisite: None
In place of an attack on your turn, you can expend 4 ki points to throw a lance of ki at a target within 60-feet of you. Make a ranged Martial Arts attack against the creature, the creature suffers spirit damage equal to your Martial Arts die + Your Strength or Dexterity modifier on a hit, and you may subject them to one Strike technique you know that costs 2 or less ki to use (You may subject them to this even if the technique normally requires a melee Martial Arts attack)
Launching Strike
Prerequisite: None When you hit a creature with a melee Martial Arts attack, you can expend 3 ki points to force them to make a Strength saving throw. On a failed saving throw, they are pushed a number of feet away from you equal to your Monk modifier (Minimum of 5-feet) If they collide with a solid surface such as a wall, their travel is stopped and they suffer 1d4 bludgeoning damage for every 5-feet of distance they still had remaining.
Muting Strike
Prerequisite: None
When you hit a creature with a melee Martial Arts attack, you can expend 3 ki points to force them to make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed saving throw, they are unable to speak or use features that require their mouth (Such as a breath weapon, spells with verbal components or a roar ability) until the end of your next turn.
Mystic Healing
Prerequisite: None
As an action you can expend any number of ki points to regain hit points equal to two times the number of ki points expended. You may touch a creature within 5-feet of you to give this healing to them instead.
Ringing Strike
Prerequisite: None
When you hit a creature with a melee Martial Arts attack, you can expend 2 ki points to cause their ears to start ringing. They have disadvantage on Perception checks based on hearing, and they subtract half your proficiency bonus (Rounded down) From any concentration check they make. Both of these effects last until the end of your next turn.
Tripping Strike
Prerequisite: None
When you hit a creature with a melee Martial Arts attack, you can expend 3 ki points to force them to make a Strength saving throw. On a failed saving throw, they fall prone.
Tumbling Movement
Prerequisite: None
When you would be hit by a melee weapon attack, you can use your reaction to expend 2 ki points and move up to 5-feet without provoking attacks of opportunity. If this movement brings you out of the attacks range, it misses.
Whirlwind of Blows
Prerequisite: None
As an action, you may expend 5 ki points to make a melee Martial Arts attack against each creature of your choice within 5-feet of you.
Shrouded Step
Prerequisite: None
When you make a Stealth check, you may choose to expend any number of ki points. You gain a bonus to the stealth check equal to the number of ki points expended.
Energy Bomb
Prerequisite: 25th Level
As a bonus action, you may expend 15 ki points to condense your ki into a miniature sphere that fits in your hands. In place of an attack, you may throw this sphere to a point you can see within 90-feet of you. All creatures within 15-feet of this point must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw, suffering 20d8 spirit damage on a failed saving throw, or half as much on a successful one.
Focused Aim
Prerequisite: 25th Level
When you miss a creature with a melee Martial Arts attack, you can expend up to 10 ki points. For every 2 ki points expended, your attack roll is increased by 1, potentially turning it into a hit.