Monk:
Way of the Four Elements
// Version 2.2 //
Revision by TheCleanupBatter
Monastic Tradition:
Way of the Four Elements
Disciple of the Elements
When you choose this tradition at the 3rd level, you learn magical techniques that harness the power of a chosen element. Choose one elemental discipline (Air, Earth, Fire or Water) and attune yourself to it. You gain features associated with that element as detailed in the "Elemental Attunement" Section below.
Casting Elemental Spells. Your mastery of the elements allows you to focus your Ki to cast elemental spells. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability when casting Elemental Spells this way. See chapter 10 of the PHB for the general rules of spellcasting. To cast one of these spells, you use its casting time and other rules, but you don't need to provide material components for it.
Spells Known. When you choose this tradition at the 3rd level, you know two spells of your choice from the spells provided in the Elemental Spells tables. You learn two additional spells of your choice at the 6th, 11th, and 17th levels. Whenever you learn new elemental spells, you can also replace one elemental spell that you already know with a different one. You must have the appropriate level and/or attunement to learn an elemental spell.
Elemental Spells at Higher Levels. Once you reach 5th level in this class, you can spend additional Ki points to increase the level of an elemental spell that you cast, provided that the spell has an enhanced effect at a higher level. The spell's level increases by 1 for each additional Ki point you spend.
The maximum number of Ki points you can spend to cast a spell in this way (including its base Ki point cost and any additional Ki points you spend to increase its level) is determined by your monk level, as shown in the Spells and Ki Points table.
Spells and Ki Points
Monk Levels | Maximum Ki Points for a Spell |
---|---|
5th-8th | 3 |
9th-12th | 4 |
13th-16th | 5 |
17th-20th | 6 |
Elemental Attunement
Air:
Attunement to Air. Your Ki aligned with elemental forces allows you to briefly control the air nearby. You can use your action to cast gust.
Fist of Unbroken Air. When you make an unarmed strike on your turn, you can cause your hands and feet to create sharp blasts of highly compressed air. Your reach increases by 10 feet and you deal thunder damage for that attack. If the attack hits you can spend 1 Ki point to force the target creature to make a Strength saving throw. On a failed save, you can push the creature up to 10 feet away and knock it prone.
Earth:
Attunement to Earth. Your Ki aligned with elemental forces allows you to briefly control earth nearby. You can use your action to cast mold earth.
Fist of Falling Stone. When you make an unarmed strike on your turn, you can cause your blow to land like a heavy boulder. If the attack hits you deal an extra 1d4 bludgeoning damage and can spend 1 Ki point to force the creature to make a Strength saving throw. On a failed save, you knock the creature prone.
Fire:
Attunement to Fire. Your Ki aligned with elemental forces allows you to briefly control flames nearby. You can use your action to cast control flames.
Fangs of the Fire Snake. When you make an unarmed strike on your turn, you can cause tendrils of flame to stretch out from your hands and feet. Your reach increases by 5 feet and you deal fire damage for that attack. If the attack hits you can spend 1 Ki point to deal an extra 1d10 fire damage.
Water:
Attunement to Water. Your Ki aligned with elemental forces allows you to briefly control water nearby. You can use your action to cast shape water.
Whip of the Winding River. When you make an unarmed strike on your turn, you can cause whips of water to lash out from your hands and feet. Your reach increases by 10 feet and you deal slashing damage for that attack. If the attack hits you can spend 1 Ki point to force the target creature to make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, you can pull the creature up to 10 feet closer to you or knock it prone.
Elemental Expertise
At 6th, 11th and 17th level your aptitude grows with a chosen elemental force. You can choose one element and gain the feature associated with it, or you may select a new element from the Elemental Attunement section.
Air. (Attunement to Air Required)
Leaf on the Wind. Your air infused Ki gives you deft and agile movement that allows you dance and weave through the battlefield. You gain proficiency in Acrobatics. Opportunity attacks against you have disadvantage while you are not wearing armor or wielding a shield.
Earth. (Attunement to Earth Required)
Endurance of the Mountain. Your earthen energy allows you to harden your mind and body to shrug off even the heaviest of blows. You gain proficiency in Athletics. When you take damage, you can use your reaction to roll a number of your martial arts die up to your Wisdom modifier and reduce the damage by that total. After you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
Fire. (Attunement to Fire Required)
Sense of the Smoldering Flame. Your fiery Ki gives you keen sensitivity to the warmth in your surroundings. You gain proficiency in Perception. As an action you can focus your awareness to these differences in temperature. For the next minute, you gain blindsight up to 20 feet. You can use this feature a number of times equal to 1 + your Wisdom modifier. When you finish a long rest, you regain all expended uses.
Water. (Attunement to Water Required)
Flow of the Ocean Tide. Your liquid life force allows you to ebb and flow with incoming attacks, receding and striking like the surf. You gain proficiency in Insight. While you are not wearing armor or wielding a shield, when a creature within 5 feet of you that you can see hits or misses you with an attack, you can use your reaction to preform an unarmed strike against the attacking creature.
Elemental Artistry
Your skill with manipulating the elements allows you to weave them seamlessly into your martial arts. Starting at 6th level, when you use your action to cast an elemental spell, you can make an unarmed strike as a bonus action.
Improved Elemental Artistry
Your mastery of manipulating the elements allows you to weave them seamlessly into your martial arts. Starting at 11th level, when you use your action to cast an elemental spell, you can spend 1 Ki point to make two unarmed strikes as a bonus action.
Sage of the Elements
At 17th level choose one of the following features and gain its effects:
(Expertise With At Least One Element Required) Your extensive experience with the elements gives you profound understanding their fundamental structure. Select one element with which you have expertise. The base Ki point cost to cast spells on the selected element's Elemental Spells Table is reduced by 1.
(Attunement to Air, Earth, Fire and Water Required) You can use a bonus action to select one element (Air, Earth, Fire or Water). For the next minute, you gain the effects of the Elemental Expertise feature of the selected element. You can only benefit from the effects of one feature at a time in this way. You can use a bonus action to dismiss these effects early. You can use this feature a number of times equal to 1 + your Wisdom modifier. When you finish a long rest, you regain all expended uses.
Elemental Spells Tables
Air Spells
(Attunement to Air Required)
Required Lv | Ki Cost | Elemental Spells |
---|---|---|
3rd | thunderclap | |
3rd | 2 | absorb elements, thunderwave, gust of wind, thunderous smite |
6th | 3 | levitate, shatter, skywrite, warding wind |
11th | 4 | conjure minor elementals (air), fly, thunder step, wind wall |
17th | 5 | conjure elemental (air), storm sphere |
17th | 6 | control winds, far step |
Earth Spells
(Attunement to Earth Required)
Required Lv | Ki Cost | Elemental Spells |
---|---|---|
3rd | magic stone | |
3rd | 2 | absorb elements, barkskin, earth tremor, earthbind |
6th | 3 | meld into stone, hold person, maximilian’s earthen grasp, spike growth |
11th | 4 | conjure minor elementals (earth), erupting earth, stone shape, wall of sand |
17th | 5 | conjure elemental (earth), stoneskin |
17th | 6 | wall of stone, transmute rock |
Fire Spells
(Attunement to Fire Required)
Required Lv | Ki Cost | Elemental Spells |
---|---|---|
3rd | firebolt | |
3rd | 2 | absorb elements, burning hands, faerie fire, searing smite |
6th | 3 | aganazzar's scorcher, flaming sphere, scorching ray |
11th | 4 | conjure minor elementals (fire), fire shield, fireball, melf's minute meteors |
17th | 5 | conjure elemental (fire), wall of fire |
17th | 6 | flame strike, immolation |
Water Spells
(Attunement to Water Required)
Required Lv | Ki Cost | Elemental Spells |
---|---|---|
3rd | ray of frost | |
3rd | 2 | absorb elements, create or destroy water, fog cloud, ice knife |
6th | 3 | sleet storm, snilloc's snowball swarm, water breathing, water walk |
11th | 4 | conjure minor elementals (water), tidal wave, wall of water, watery sphere |
17th | 5 | conjure elemental (water), control water |
17th | 6 | cone of cold, maelstrom |
Multi-Elemental Spells
Required Attunement | Ki Cost | Elemental Spells |
---|---|---|
Air and Earth | 3 | dust devil |
Air and Fire | 3 | pyrotechnics |
Air and Water | 3 | blur |
Earth and Fire | 3 | heat metal |
Earth and Water | 3 | web |
Fire and Water | 3 | gaseous form |
Air, Earth and Fire | 4 | stinking cloud |
Air, Earth and Water | 4 | slow |
Air, Fire and Water | 4 | call lightning |
Earth, Fire and Water | 4 | vitriolic sphere |
Air, Earth, Fire and Water | 2 | chromatic orb |
Air, Earth, Fire and Water | 3 | elemental weapon |
Air, Earth, Fire and Water | 4 | elemental bane |
Air, Earth, Fire and Water | 5 | conjure minor elementals |
Air, Earth, Fire and Water | 6 | conjure elemental |