Monk

A martial artist who turns inner focus into rapid strikes, swift movement and uncanny defenses, fighting without armor.

  • Hit die: d8
  • Primary ability: DEX, WIS
  • Saving throws: STR, DEX
  • Skills: choose 2 from Acrobatics, Athletics, History, Insight, Religion, Stealth
  • Weapons: simple, martial light

Features by level

  • 1: Martial Arts. Unarmed or with Monk weapons: use Dexterity, roll the Martial Arts die (d6) for damage, and make an Unarmed Strike as a Bonus Action.
  • 1: Unarmored Defense. Without armor or a Shield, AC = 10 + Dexterity + Wisdom modifiers.
  • 2: Monk's Focus. Focus Points (2, all back on a Short Rest) fuel Flurry of Blows, Patient Defense and Step of the Wind.
  • 2: Flurry of Blows. Spend 1 Focus Point: make two Unarmed Strikes as a Bonus Action.
  • 2: Patient Defense. Bonus Action: Disengage, or spend 1 Focus Point to Disengage and Dodge.
  • 2: Step of the Wind. Bonus Action: Dash, or spend 1 Focus Point to Disengage and Dash with doubled jumps.
  • 2: Unarmored Movement. +10 feet of Speed while you wear no armor and no Shield (more at levels 6, 10, 14 and 18).
  • 2: Uncanny Metabolism. Once per Long Rest, when you roll Initiative, regain all Focus Points and heal a Martial Arts die + Monk level.
  • 3: Deflect Attacks. Reaction: cut an attack's damage by 1d10 + Dex + Monk level; spend Focus to throw it back if it drops to 0.
  • 3: Monk Subclass. Choose a Monk subclass.
  • 4: Ability Score Improvement. Gain the Ability Score Improvement feat or another feat you qualify for.
  • 4: Slow Fall. Reaction when you fall: reduce the falling damage by five times your Monk level.
  • 5: Extra Attack. Attack twice when you take the Attack action.
  • 5: Stunning Strike. Once per turn after hitting with a Monk weapon or Unarmed Strike, spend 1 Focus: Constitution save or Stunned until your next turn.
  • 6: Empowered Strikes. Your Unarmed Strikes can deal Force damage instead of Bludgeoning.
  • 6: Subclass Feature. Gain a feature from your Monk subclass.
  • 7: Evasion. Dexterity saves for half damage: none on a success, half on a failure.
  • 8: Ability Score Improvement. Gain the Ability Score Improvement feat or another feat you qualify for.
  • 9: Acrobatic Movement. Without armor or a Shield, move along vertical surfaces and across liquids on your turn.
  • 10: Heightened Focus. Flurry of Blows makes three strikes, and Patient Defense and Step of the Wind gain extra benefits.
  • 10: Self-Restoration. End Charmed, Frightened or Poisoned on yourself at the end of each turn; going without food and water doesn't exhaust you.
  • 11: Subclass Feature. Gain a feature from your Monk subclass.
  • 12: Ability Score Improvement. Gain the Ability Score Improvement feat or another feat you qualify for.
  • 13: Deflect Energy. Deflect Attacks works against attacks of any damage type.
  • 14: Disciplined Survivor. Proficiency in every saving throw; spend 1 Focus Point to reroll a failed save.
  • 15: Perfect Focus. When you roll Initiative with 3 or fewer Focus Points and don't use Uncanny Metabolism, regain up to 4.
  • 16: Ability Score Improvement. Gain the Ability Score Improvement feat or another feat you qualify for.
  • 17: Subclass Feature. Gain a feature from your Monk subclass.
  • 18: Superior Defense. Spend 3 Focus Points: Resistance to every damage type except Force for 1 minute.
  • 19: Epic Boon. Gain an Epic Boon feat or another feat you qualify for.
  • 20: Body and Mind. Dexterity and Wisdom increase by 4, to a maximum of 25.

Subclasses (from level 3)

Warrior of Mercy

A masked healer and executioner whose touch can mend wounds or inflict them.

  • 3: Hand of Harm. Once per turn when an Unarmed Strike hits, spend 1 Focus to add a Martial Arts die + Wisdom Necrotic damage.
  • 3: Hand of Healing. Magic action, 1 Focus: a creature you touch regains a Martial Arts die + Wisdom Hit Points; it can replace a Flurry of Blows strike.
  • 3: Implements of Mercy. Proficiency in Insight and Medicine and with the Herbalism Kit.
  • 6: Physician's Touch. Hand of Harm can also poison; Hand of Healing can also end Blinded, Deafened, Paralyzed, Poisoned or Stunned.
  • 11: Flurry of Healing and Harm. Replace each Flurry of Blows strike with Hand of Healing for free; add Hand of Harm to Flurry hits without Focus, Wisdom-modifier times per Long Rest.
  • 17: Hand of Ultimate Mercy. Once per Long Rest, spend 5 Focus Points to return a creature that died within the past 24 hours to life.

Warrior of Shadow

A monk who wields darkness, steps from shadow to shadow and strikes unseen.

  • 3: Shadow Arts. Spend 1 Focus to cast Darkness (and see through it); gain Darkvision 60 feet; know Minor Illusion.
  • 6: Shadow Step. Bonus Action: teleport up to 60 feet from Dim Light or Darkness to another such space, with Advantage on your next melee attack this turn.
  • 11: Improved Shadow Step. Shadow Step can start and end anywhere for 1 Focus Point, and you can make an Unarmed Strike right after.
  • 17: Cloak of Shadows. Magic action, 3 Focus: for 1 minute be Invisible in Dim Light or Darkness, pass through creatures, and use Flurry of Blows for free.

Warrior of the Elements

A monk who bends the elements: strikes that reach farther and burn, freeze or shock, and bursts of raw elemental force.

  • 3: Elemental Attunement. Spend 1 Focus for 10 minutes of elemental strikes: +10 feet of reach, Acid, Cold, Fire, Lightning or Thunder damage, and a push or pull.
  • 3: Manipulate Elements. You know the Elementalism cantrip, with Wisdom as your spellcasting ability.
  • 6: Elemental Burst. Magic action, 2 Focus: a 20-foot sphere within 120 feet deals three Martial Arts dice of an element (Dex save halves).
  • 11: Stride of the Elements. While Elemental Attunement is active you have a Fly Speed and a Swim Speed equal to your Speed.
  • 17: Elemental Epitome. While attuned: Resistance to a chosen element, Step of the Wind damages creatures you pass, and your strikes deal extra elemental damage.

Warrior of the Mystic Arts

A monk who combines martial training with Sorcerer spells.

  • 3: Spellcasting. Wisdom-based Sorcerer spellcasting with an Arcane Focus. Start with two cantrips and three prepared level 1 spells; learn a third cantrip at Monk level 10. Spell slots and prepared spells follow the third-caster table. Replace one cantrip and one prepared spell on gaining a Monk level.
  • 6: Mystic Fighting Style. Replace one Unarmed Strike in your Attack action with a Sorcerer cantrip that takes an action.
  • 6: Mystic Focus. Spend a slot without an action to recover Focus Points equal to its level. After a Short Rest or Uncanny Metabolism, spend Focus Points to recover one slot: level 1 costs 2 (Monk 6+), level 2 costs 3 (Monk 7+), level 3 costs 5 (Monk 13+), level 4 costs 6 (Monk 19+).
  • 11: Focused Strike. A Stunning Strike target has Disadvantage on saves against your spells until your next turn starts, regardless of its Stunning Strike save result.
  • 17: Improved Mystic Fighting Style. Replace two Flurry of Blows strikes with one level 1 or 2 Sorcerer spell that normally takes an action, casting within the same Bonus Action.

Warrior of the Open Hand

The master of unarmed combat whose Flurry of Blows knocks foes down, drives them back or leaves them unable to react.

  • 3: Open Hand Technique. Each Flurry of Blows hit can Addle (no Reactions), Push (Str save or 15 feet) or Topple (Dex save or Prone).
  • 6: Wholeness of Body. Bonus Action: regain a Martial Arts die + Wisdom Hit Points; Wisdom-modifier uses per Long Rest.
  • 11: Fleet Step. After any Bonus Action other than Step of the Wind, you can use Step of the Wind right away.
  • 17: Quivering Palm. Spend 4 Focus Points to set lethal vibrations in a creature you hit; trigger them later for 10d12 Force damage (Con save halves).