Elemental monk (3.5e Class)
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Elemental monks[edit]
Elemental monks are able to use their ability to manipulate enemies to attack or to protect themselves or others. The most common way to manipulate an element is for the elemental monk to use a form of martial arts whose movements mirror the desired shape of the element.
Making an Elemental monk[edit]
Elemental monks are a well-rounded addition to any party.
Abilities: By shaping the movement of their chosen element, an elemental monk can use the element to attack or to accomplish other goals. They receive no Base Attack Bonus to any attack except with their element.
Races: Any.
Alignment: Any Lawful.
Starting Gold: 1d4×10 gp (<-average starting gold. This calculated by multiplying the number of die rolls by the die size plus one and multiplying the result by 5 [Y × (Z + 1) × 5].-> gp).
Starting Age: Complex.
| Level | Base Attack Bonus | Fort Save | Ref Save | Will Save | Special |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | +2 | +2 | +2 | Elemental Strike, stunning attack, evasion, monk abilities |
| 2 | +1 | +3 | +3 | +3 | Deflect Arrows feat |
| 3 | +2 | +3 | +3 | +3 | Still mind, element power |
| 4 | +3 | +4 | +4 | +4 | Slow fall (20 ft.) |
| 5 | +3 | +4 | +4 | +4 | Purity of body |
| 6 | +4 | +5 | +5 | +5 | Slow fall (30 ft.), Improved Trip feat |
| 7 | +5 | +5 | +5 | +5 | Wholeness of body, Leap of the clouds |
| 8 | +6/+1 | +6 | +6 | +6 | Slow fall (50 ft.) |
| 9 | +6/+1 | +6 | +6 | +6 | Improved evasion |
| 10 | +7/+2 | +7 | +7 | +7 | Ki strike (+1), element power |
| 11 | +8/+3 | +7 | +7 | +7 | Diamond body |
| 12 | +9/+4 | +8 | +8 | +8 | Abundant step |
| 13 | +9/+4 | +8 | +8 | +8 | Diamond soul, ki strike (+2) |
| 14 | +10/+5 | +9 | +9 | +9 | |
| 15 | +11/+6/+1 | +9 | +9 | +9 | Quivering palm |
| 16 | +12/+7/+2 | +10 | +10 | +10 | Ki strike (+3), element power |
| 17 | +12/+7/+2 | +10 | +10 | +10 | Timeless body, Tongue of the sun and moon |
| 18 | +13/+8/+3 | +11 | +11 | +11 | Slow fall (any distance) |
| 19 | +14/+9/+4 | +11 | +11 | +11 | Empty body |
| 20 | +15/+10/+5 | +12 | +12 | +12 | Perfect self |
| Level | Elemental Attack Bonus | Unarmed Damage* | AC Bonus | Unarmored Speed** |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | +0 | 1d6 | +0 | 30ft. |
| 2 | +1 | 1d6 | +0 | 30ft. |
| 3 | +2 | 1d6 | +0 | 40ft. |
| 4 | +3 | 1d8 | +0 | 40ft. |
| 5 | +3 | 1d8 | +1 | 40ft. |
| 6 | +4/+1 | 1d8 | +1 | 50ft. |
| 7 | +5/+2 | 1d8 | +1 | 50ft. |
| 8 | +6/+3 | 1d10 | +1 | 50ft. |
| 9 | +6/+3 | 1d10 | +1 | 60ft. |
| 10 | +7/+4/+1 | 1d10 | +2 | 60ft. |
| 11 | +8/+5/+2 | 1d10 | +2 | 60ft. |
| 12 | +9/+6/+3 | 1d12 | +2 | 70ft. |
| 13 | +9/+6/+3 | 1d12 | +2 | 70ft. |
| 14 | +10/+7/+4/+1 | 1d12 | +2 | 70ft. |
| 15 | +11/+8/+5/+2 | 1d12 | +3 | 80ft. |
| 16 | +12/+9/+6/+3 | 1d20 | +3 | 80ft. |
| 17 | +12/+9/+6/+3 | 1d20 | +3 | 80ft. |
| 18 | +13/+10/+7/+4/+1 | 1d20 | +3 | 90ft. |
| 19 | +14/+11/+8/+5/+2 | 1d20 | +3 | 90ft. |
| 20 | +15/+12/+9/+6/+3 | 1d20 | +4 | 90ft. |
Class Features[edit]
Elemental Strike: An elemental monk may use his chosen techniques (e.g. martial arts) to manipulate his chosen element. All monk abilities that apply to Unarmed Attacks here apply to Elemental Strikes, which can occur within 10'+10' per level. Fighting with elementrism gains the benefits of the Improved Unarmed Strike feat and thus does not provoke attacks of opportunity from armed opponents that she attacks.
Stunning Attack: The elemental monk can use this ability once per round, but no more than once per level per day. The elemental monk must declare she is using a stun attack before making the attack roll (thus, a missed attack roll ruins the attempt). A foe struck by the elemental monk is forced to make a Fortitude saving throw (DC 10 + one-half the monk's level + Wisdom modifier). In addition to receiving normal damage, If the saving throw fails, the opponent is stunned for 1 round. The stunning attack is a supernatural ability.
Evasion: If a elemental monk makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, the elemental monk instead takes no damage. Evasion can only be used if the elemental monk is wearing light armor or no armor. It is an extraordinary ability.
Monk Abilities: The Fist of the Dragon gains all monk abilities, like adding Wisdom to AC, Feats, and base unarmed damage at a X2 rate
Deflect Arrows: At 2nd level, a elemental monk gains the Deflect Arrows feat, even if she doesn't have the prerequisite Dexterity score.
Fast Movement: At 3rd level and higher, a elemental monk moves faster than normal. A elemental monk in armor (even light armor) or carrying a medium or heavy load loses this extra speed. A dwarf or a Small elemental monk moves more slowly than a Medium-size monk.
From 9th level on, the elemental monk's running ability is actually a supernatural ability.
Still Mind: At 3rd level, a elemental monk gains a +2 bonus to saving throws against spells and effects from the Enchantment school.
Elemental Power: At 3rd level, an elemental monk gains a power that depends on their element:
- Fire: +1 damage per die
- Earth: Burrow through ground at normal speed with no indication aboveground
- Air: Immune to falling damage, +4 to AC against missile weapons
- Water: Can heal 3d10+Con mod in self or others by laying on hands
Slow Fall: At 4th level, the elemental monk takes damage as if a fall were 20 feet shorter than it actually is. At 18th level, the elemental monk can use a nearby wall to slow her descent and fall any distance without harm.
Purity of Body: At 5th level, an elemental monk gains immunity to all diseases except for magical diseases.
Improved Trip: At 6th level, an elemental monk gains the Improved Trip feat. She need not have taken the Expertise feat, normally a prerequisite.
Wholeness of Body: At 7th level, a elemental monk can cure her own wounds. She can cure up to twice her current level in hit points each day, and she can spread this healing out among several uses. Wholeness of body is a supernatural ability.
Leap of the Clouds: At 7th level or higher, a elemental monk's jumping distance (vertical or horizontal) is not limited according to her height.
Improved Evasion: At 9th level, an elemental monk only takes half damage on a failed save.
Ki Strike: At 10th level, an elemental monk's unarmed attack is empowered with ki. The unarmed strike damage from such an attack can deal damage to a creature with damage reduction as if the blow were made with a weapon with a +1 enhancement bonus. Ki strike is a supernatural ability.
Elemental Power: At 10th level, an elemental monk gains a power that depends on their element:
- Fire: +4 damage per die
- Earth: Create unsteady ground within 100', all land creatures half their movement cut by 75%; make Reflex save (DC 20) to avoid falling down and then again to stand back up. This can be maintained for 1d10 minutes + Con mod per day.
- Air: Able to fly at will
- Water: Regenerates 2 hp/rd. This regeneration ends at 0 hp.
Diamond Body: At 11th level, an elemental monk gains immunity to poison of all kinds. Diamond body is a supernatural ability.
Abundant Step: At 12th level, a elemental monk can slip magically between spaces, as per the spell dimension door, once per day. This is a spell-like ability, and the elemental monk's effective casting level is one-half her actual level (rounded down).
Diamond Soul: At 13th level, a elemental monk gains spell resistance. Her spell resistance equals her level + 10.
Quivering Palm: Starting at 15th level, a elemental monk can use the quivering palm.
The elemental monk can use the quivering palm attack once a week, and she must announce her intent before making her attack roll. Creatures immune to critical hits cannot be affected. The elemental monk must be of higher level than the target (or have more levels than the target's number of Hit Dice). If the elemental monk strikes successfully and the target takes damage from the blow, the quivering palm attack succeeds. Thereafter the elemental monk can choose to try to slay the victim at any later time within 1 day per level of the monk. The elemental monk merely wills the target to die (a free action), and unless the target makes a Fortitude saving throw (DC 10 + one-half the monk's level + Wisdom modifier), it dies. If the saving throw is successful, the target is no longer in danger from that particular quivering palm attack (but may be affected by another one at a later time). Quivering palm is a supernatural ability.
Elemental Power: At 16th level, an elemental monk gains a power that depends on their element:
- Fire: All creatures successfully hit take 2d10 fire damage for 3 rounds after the strike
- Earth: Can trap anybody sight in a hole in the ground, making a large enough hole that there is no save unless the victim can fly or hover as a free action (DC 24). The pit can be covered in spikes doing 2d10 damage with no attack roll necessary.
- Air: Use wind to create a near-impenetrable shell, +10 AC
- Water: Can now heal 10d10+Con mod in self or others by laying on hands
Timeless Body: After achieving 17th level, a elemental monk no longer suffers ability penalties for aging and cannot be magically aged. (Any penalties she may have already suffered remain in place.) Bonuses still accrue, and the monk still dies of old age when her time is up.
Tongue of the Sun and Moon: A elemental monk of 17th level or above can speak with any living creature.
Empty Body: At 19th level or higher, a elemental monk can assume an ethereal state for 1 round per level per day, as per the spell etherealness. The elemental monk may go ethereal on a number of different occasions during any single day as long as the total number of rounds spent ethereal does not exceed her level. Empty body is a supernatural ability.
Perfect Self: At 20th level, a elemental monk is forevermore treated as an outsider rather than as a humanoid. Additionally, the monk gains damage reduction 20/+1.
Ex-Elemental monk[edit]
Ex-Elemental monk: An elemental monk who becomes nonlawful cannot gain new levels as a monk but retains all elemental monk abilities.
Like a member of any other class, a nelemental monk may be a multiclass character, but multiclass elemental monks face a special restriction. An elemental monk who gains a new class or (if already multiclass) raises another class by a level may never again raise her monk level, though she retains all her elemental monk abilities.
Campaign Information[edit]
Playing an Elemental monk[edit]
Other Classes: Elemental monks are typically very focused on practicing their art, and have a single-minded obsession with their chosen element.
Combat: Elemental monks are excellent fighters with the advantage of being able to strike at a distance. However, they can be hobbled by a lack of the required element or by preventing them from using their hands, mouth, etc.
Advancement: Elemental monks often take monk-based prestige classes.
Elemental monks in the World[edit]
| “ | All the fire in the world will be mine! | ” |
| —Leressandra, human fire elemental monk | ||
Elemental monks are often adventurers, seeking glory for their clan or order. They therefore join adventuring parties with some regularity, and though they have an independent streak, they are usually willing and able to settle down and work as a team.
Daily Life: Elemental monks typically spend an hour or more every morning practice their tradition, and they often adhere to a limited diet or exercise regime to similarly prepare them for the physical exertion of their field.
Organizations: There are many distinct orders and clans within the elemental monk tradition, but there is no large-scale organization uniting them.
NPC Reactions: Their ability to control elements confuses and astounds most ordinary NPCs, so elemental monks are often well-regarded and feared.
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