Monk

Monk

Her fists a blur as they deflect an incoming hail of arrows, a catfolk springs over a barricade and throws herself into the massed ranks of enemies 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 lightly-armored human settles into a battle stance. As the first charging orcs reach him, he retaliated, his kick creating a blast of fire that engulfs his foes.

Moving with the silence of the night, a black-clad wolfkin 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.

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Note: The monk class received a major reflavoring, Magisphere's monks are fierce warriors who train in the arts of war.

The Magic of Ki

Monks make careful study of a magical energy that most ascetic 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.

The Pursuit of Perfection

Unlike the various D&D worlds monks in the Magisphere world do not confine themselves to cloisters and monasteries. They are often not reclusive and are integrated into the society at large as mystical soldiers.

Asceticism is the basis of a monk, the inclination toward self-improvement, self-discipline, mastery of spiritual powers unites all monks regardless of their diverse backgrounds. Their pursuit of perfectionism is what give monks their frightening combat and mystical abilities that are beyond common understanding.

Though monks are uncommon in the world of Magisphere, many serve as soldiers while others are sworn to isolation as they pursue their own goals. Monks can be found in the service of an army, a king, or a noble patron. Others reside in the outskirt of civilization, protecting small towns or villages from monster threats or tyrants.

Considering their difficult path, monks train and hone their skills for a lifetime despite not knowing whether or not they could reach the zenith of perfection. Being a monk is a journey of a lifetime. New monks are brought up in martial academies or by seasoned monks who wish to pass on their “way.”

Creating a Monk

As you make your monk character, think about your connection to the place and circumstance of how and where you learned your skills and spent your formative years. Were you an orphan or a child left in the care of a monk? Did your parents promise you to a martial academy because they owe the owner a favor? Did you embark on this journey because of a traumatic experience? Or did you choose the ascetic life and pursuit of perfect for yourself?

Consider why you chose to embark on the difficult journey as a monk and how you can remain disciplined even in the face of defeat, deadly enemy, and crushing failures.

As a result of the structured life strict self-discipline required to harness ki, monks are often 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.

Class Stats

HP Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1d8 Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + your Constitution modifier Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per Martial Artist level after 1st
P Proficiencies
Armor: none Weapons: simple weapons, shortswords Tools: any one type of artisan's tools or any one musical instrument of your choice Saving Throws: Strength, Dexterity Skills: Choose two from Acrobatics, Athletics, History, Insight, Religion, and Stealth.
E Starting Equipment
(a) a shortsword or (b) any simple weapon (a) a dungeoneer's pack or (b) an explorer's pack 10 darts ※ Alternatively, you may start with 1d4 × 10 gp to buy your own equipment.

Class Table

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

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.

Saving throw DC

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.

Monk Tradition

At 3rd level, you choose one of the Monk Traditions below. Your tradition grants you features at 3rd level and again at 6th, 11th, and 17th level.

• Way of Shadow
• Way of the Dragon ᴴᴮ
• Way of the Four Elements ᴴᴮ
• Way of Gravitation ᴴᴮ
• Way of the Grace Steps ᴴᴮ
• Way of Kensei
• Way of the Long Death
• Way of the Open Hand
• Way of the Shifting Form ᴴᴮ
• Way of the Sun Soul

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 ᴴᴮ

At 20th level, using Flurry of Blows no longer costs you a Ki point. Also, your spirit protects you. Each time you hit an enemy with your unarmed strike or a monk weapon, you gain temporary hit points equal to your Wisdom modifier.