Monk, 5th Variant (5e Class)
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Monk, 5th Variant[edit]
Optional Class Features[edit]
You gain class features in the Player’s Handbook when you reach certain levels in your class. This class variant offers additional features that you can gain as a monk. Unlike the features in the Player’s Handbook, you don’t gain all the features here automatically. Consulting with your DM, they will decide whether you gain an optional feature detailed in this class variant (as a free selection) if you meet the level requirement noted in the feature description. These features can be selected separately from one another; you can use some, all, or none of them. The DM can also make them available, but require the player to select them normally.
Class Features
As a Monk you gain the following class features.
- Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1d8 per Monk level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + Constitution modifier per Monk level after 1st
- Proficiencies
Armor: none
Weapons: Simple Weapons, Shortsword
Tools: Choose one artisan tool or musical instrument of your choice.
Saving Throws: Strength and Dexterity
Skills: Choose two from Acrobatics, Athletics, History, Intimidation, Insight, Religion, and Stealth.
- Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
- (a) shortsword or (b) any simple weapons
- (a) an explorer's pack or (b) a dungeoneer's pack
- If you are using starting wealth, you have 2d4 x 10 gp in funds.
Martial Defence[edit]
At 1st level, choose one of the following Martial Defense options:
- Unarmored Defense
While you are wearing no armor and not wielding a shield (or wielding a monk shield), your AC equals 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma modifier (your choice).
- Armored Defense
You gain proficiency in light armor and medium armor
You also choose one of the following additional Martial Defense options:
- Elusive Defense
While you are not wielding a shield and have a least one hand free, you gain a +2 bonus to AC.
- Shielded Defense
You gain proficiency with shields.
A monk shield is any shield you gain proficiency from Martial Defense.
Monk armor is any armor or shield you gain proficiency from Martial Defense.
Martial Arts[edit]
At 1st level, your practice of martial arts gives you mastery of combat styles that use unarmed strikes and monk weapons, which are simple or martial 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 are unarmored or wearing only monk armor:
- You can use Dexterity or 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.
- As a bonus action, you can make one attack with an unarmed strike or a monk weapon. The monk weapon must use the Martial Arts damage dice for this attack.
- If you attack with a monk weapon that has the versatile property with 2 hands, you gain +1 damage instead of the increased damage dice.TMT
- You may use either a Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check when Grappling or Shoving.
- Your Strength or Dexterity determines how far you can jump. When calculating your Jump distances round up to the nearest 5' increment.
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.
Martial Grit[edit]
- Slow Death
You do not suffer instant death. Instead, you fall unconscious. You make death saves as normal but begin with 1 failed death save.
- Edge of Death
Starting at 2nd level, if damage reduces you to 0 hit points and fails to trigger a slow death, you do not fall unconscious. Your force of will keeps you in the fight.
While you remain concentrating on a fighting stance, you continue to remain conscious.
If you lose concentration on your fighting stance, you fall unconscious and start making death saves as normal.
Ki[edit]
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.
- Ki Flux
Your ability to gain, spend and recover ki points is limited by your ki flux. At 2nd level, your ki flux is 2. This increase to 3 at 9th level and 4 at 17th level.
- Ki Rush
When you roll for initiative you gain temporary ki points equal to your ki flux or your current ki points (whichever is lower). All temporary ki points disappear immediately after combat ends.
Any effect created with temporary ki points still in effect 1 min after combat, immediately ends.
- Ki Recycle
Any time you spend ki points in combat and the effect fails, you regain those ki points as temporary ki points.
- Ki Recovery
When you spend a ki point, it is unavailable until you finish a brief rest, at the end of which you draw all of your expended ki back into yourself. You must spend at least 10 minutes in meditation to regain your ki points.
The you can perform a ki recovery 2 times per long rest. At higher levels you can do so as many times equal to your ki flux.
You can do this at the same time you take a short rest.
At the end of a long rest you automatically regain all expended ki.
- Ki Refresh
As a reaction, you can regain 1 temporary ki point (maximum temporary ki equal to your ki flux).
- Ki Features
You can spend ki points to fuel various ki features. You are limited with the amount if ki you can safely spend on a ki feature at one time. This is equal to your ki flux.
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.
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 Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma modifier (your choice).
- Flurry of Blows
As a bonus action, you can spend 1 ki point to make two attacks with an unarmed strike or a monk weapon. The monk weapon must use the Martial Arts damage dice for these attacks.
If both attacks miss: you regain 1 temporary ki point.
- Patient Defense
You can spend 1 ki point to take the Dodge action as a bonus action on your turn while you are unarmored or wearing only monk armor.
Before your next turn, if you are attacked and the attack misses: you regain 1 temporary ki point. This only occurs with the first attack.
- Step of the Wind
While you are unarmored or wearing only monk armor, 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.
If (as part of your movement on your turn) you succeed on an Acrobatics or Athletics check: you regain 1 temporary ki point. You can only attempt this once.
- Ki Burn
You gain the ability to burn ki points. This fuels the more powerful ki features available to the monk. You cannot burn temporary ki points. When you burn ki points they are spent as normal, but are only recovered at the end of a long rest.
Any time you burn ki points and the effect fails, they are spent as normal (and recovered as normal) and you regain those ki points as temporary ki points in combat.
Any time you spend more than your ki flux on a ki feature, any additional ki must be burnt.
Fighting Stance[edit]
At 2nd level you can enter a fighting stance at the start of your turn as a free action. The effects last until the start of your next turn and requires your concentration.
If you fail a save to maintain your concentration, you can use your Reaction to make opportunity Attack at any opponent that you can see before you lose the effects of your fighting stance.
You can learn 3 of the following stances:
- Defensive Stance
You gain a +1 bonus to AC while you are unarmored or wearing only monk armor.
- Offensive Stance
You gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls you make with unarmed strikes or monk weapons.
- Mobility Stance
Your speed increases by 10 feet while you are unarmored or wearing only monk armor. Opportunity attacks against you are made with disadvantage.
- Flowing Stance
You have advantage on ability checks when Grappling or Shoving while you are unarmed or wielding only monk weapons. The target must be no more than two sizes larger than you.
Whenever you are maintaining your concentration on a fighting stance, any non-monk feature or feat that allows you to apply a penalty to your attack roll, has that penalty doubled.
At 8th level, you learn one more fighting stance.
Swift Movement[edit]
Starting at 2nd level, your speed increases by 10 feet while you are unarmored or wearing only monk armor. This bonus increases when you reach certain monk levels, as shown in the Monk table.
At 9th level, while you are unarmored or wearing only monk armor, you gain the ability to move along vertical surfaces and across liquids on your turn without falling during the move.
Monastic Way[edit]
Your study of martial arts has taught you a few Monastic Ways.
At 2nd level, you gain one monastic way of your choice.
Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the ways you know and replace it with another way that you could learn at that level.
Note: If your DM is not allowing Dedicated Weapon, or only allowing it as a normal selection, your first Monastic Way would be gained at 3rd level.
Monastic Tradition[edit]
When you reach 3rd level, you commit yourself to a monastic tradition. Your tradition grants you unique Monastic Technique options available at 3rd level and again at 6th, 11th, and 17th level.
All of these existing options remain the same except:
- Any feature limited to unarmed attacks is now limited to unarmed attacks or monk weapons. The monk weapon must use the Martial Arts damage dice for this attack.
- Any feature limited to being unarmored is now limited you being unarmored or wearing only monk armor.
Monastic Technique[edit]
Your dedication to martial discipline has unlocked Monastic Techniques, esoteric methods that empower your art beyond the mundane.
At 3rd level, you gain one martial technique of your choice. You can choose a Monastic Technique granted you by your Monastic Tradition.
Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the technique you know and replace it with another technique that you could learn at that level.
Ability Score Improvement[edit]
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.
Extra Attack[edit]
Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.
Perfect Self[edit]
At 20th level, you embody the perfect harmony of Mind and Body. You gain 2 Ability Score Improvements that can be assigned to Physical Ability Scores (Strength, Dexterity or Constitution) and 2 Ability Score Improvements that can be assigned to Mental Ability Scores (Intelligence,Wisdom or Charisma). Your maximum for those scores increases by the same amount.TMT
Monastic Ways[edit]
- Dedicated Weapon (2nd level) (Optional)
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.
If your dedicated melee weapon is magical, your unarmed strikes also benefit from the same magical effects as the weapon.
If your dedicated melee weapon is not magical, it can benefit from any magical effects that your unarmed strikes may have.
Your dedicated melee weapon also benefits from any ki effects that your unarmed strikes may have.
- Powerful Strike (2nd level) (Optional)
Before you make an attack with a monk weapon or an unarmed attack, you can choose to take a -2 penalty to the attack roll. If that attack hits, you add +4 to the attack's damage.
The penalty and bonus increases as you gain levels. At 5th level it is: a -3 penalty to the attack roll; and +6 to the attack's damage. At 9th level it's: -4 penalty and +8 bonus. At 13th level: -5 and +10. At 17th: -6, +12.
- Deflect Missiles (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 Strength or 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.
- Deflect Strike (3rd level)
You can use your reaction to deflect or disarm the weapon when you are hit by a melee weapon attack. When you do so, the damage you take from the attack is reduced by 1d10 + your Strength or Dexterity modifier + your monk level.
If you reduce the damage to 0, and you have at least one hand free, you can spend 1 ki point to attempt to disarm the target, forcing it to drop the weapon it attacked you with, as part of the same reaction. The target must make a Strength saving throw. On a failed save, it drops the weapon. The weapon lands at its feet.
- Ki-Fueled Attack (3rd level) (Optional)
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. You gain a bonus to the damage roll for this attack. The bonus equals your proficiency bonus.
- Slow Fall (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.
- Quickened Healing (4th level) (Optional)
As an action, you can spend 1TMT ki points and roll a Martial Arts die. You regain a number of hit points equal to the number rolled plus your proficiency bonus.
- Ki-Empowered Strikes (6th level)
Starting at 6th level, your unarmed strikes and monk weapons count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.
- Stillness of Mind (7th level)
Starting at 7th level, if you start your turn with the Charmed or Frightened condition, you can choose to end one of those conditions. If you do so, you may not take your action on your turn.TMT
- Tongue of the Sun and Moon (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.
- Timeless Body (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.
In addition, whenever you finish a short rest, your exhaustion level, if any, is decreased by 1.TMT
Monastic Techniques[edit]
- Counterstrike (3rd level)
You have mastered techniques to take advantage of every drop in any enemy's guard, gaining the following benefits.
- When you hit a creature with an opportunity attack, you may make a free shove attack as part of your attack.
- When a creature within your reach hits with an attack against a target other than you, you can use your reaction to make a melee monk weapon attack or unarmed strike against the attacking creature.
- When a creature within your reach attacks and misses you, you can use your reaction to make a melee monk weapon attack or unarmed strike against the attacking creature.
This technique is to provide an alternative to the Monastic Tradition feature at this level
- Devastating Strike (5th level)
You can interfere with the flow of ki in an opponent's body. Once on a turn, when you hit another creature with an unarmed strike or a monk weapon, you can spend 1 ki point to attempt a devastating strike. The target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or be incapacitated until the end of your next turn. If the attack that hit was a critical, the target must make this saving throw at disadvantage.
At 9th level, You can instead spend 2 ki points attempt to stun the target until the end of your next turn.
At 11th level you can attempt a devastating strike one more additional time on your turn.
At 15th level, you can instead spend 3 ki points to attempt paralyze the target until the end of your next turn.
- Focused Aim (5th level) (Optional)
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.
- Ki Reaction (6th level)
As part of a reaction, you can spend 1 ki point to regain your reaction.
This technique is to provide an alternative to the Monastic Tradition feature at this level
- Evasion (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.
- Steel Soul (7th level)
Your mastery of ki grants you proficiency in two extra saving throws. Choose from one of Dexterity, Constitution, or Wisdom and from one of Strength, Intelligence, or Charisma.
- Purity of Body (10th level)
Your mastery of the ki flowing through you makes you immune to disease and poison.
- Hail of Strikes (11th level)
You can use your action to spend 3 ki points to launch a barrage attacks against a group of enemies.
Choose any number of targets you can see within a 15' cube. You can make a single separate attack roll against each target with an unarmed attack or a monk weapon.
If you are making a melee attack, you must use your movement to position each target within reach. If you are making a ranged attack, the target must be within your weapon’s range and you must have ammunition for each target, as normal.
This technique is to provide an alternative to the Monastic Tradition feature at this level
- Diamond Soul (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.
- Prescient Mind (17th level)
You can use your action to spend 8 ki points to gain a limited ability to see into the immediate future.
For the next 8 hours, you can't be surprised and have advantage on attack rolls, ability checks, and saving throws.
Additionally, other creatures have disadvantage on attack rolls against you for the duration.
This technique is to provide an alternative to the Monastic Tradition feature at this level
- Empty Body (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.
Multiclassing[edit]
Strength 13 or Dexterity 13 and Intelligence 13 or Wisdom 13 or Charisma
Supporting Feats[edit]
Monastic Initiate[edit]
Your esoteric training has helped you develop a particular martial discipline. As a result, gain the following benefits:
- Increase your Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma score by 1, to a maximum of 20
- You learn one monastic way option of your choice from the monk class. If you already have a monastic way, the one you choose must be different.
If the monastic way has a prerequisite, you can choose that way only if you’re a monk and only if you meet the prerequisite.
Whenever you reach a level that grants the Ability Score Improvement feature, you can replace this feat's monastic way with another one from the monk class that you don't have.
You can select this feat multiple times. Each time you do so, you must choose a different monastic way.
Monastic Adept[edit]
Your esoteric training has helped you further develop a particular martial discipline.
As a result, you learn one monastic technique option of your choice from the monk class. If you already have a technique, the one you choose must be different.
If the technique has a prerequisite, you can choose that technique only if you’re a monk and only if you meet the prerequisite.
Whenever you reach a level that grants the Ability Score Improvement feature, you can replace this feat's monastic technique with another one from the monk class that you don't have.
You can select this feat multiple times. Each time you do so, you must choose a different monastic technique.
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