Monk Class Details

Her fists a blur as they deflect an incoming hail of arrows, a half-elf springs over a barricade and throws herself into the massed ranks of hobgoblins 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 human covered in tattoos settles into a battle stance. As the first charging orcs reach him, he exhales and a blast of fire roars from his mouth, engulfing his foes.

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

The Force

Monks make careful study of a magical energy that most monastic traditions call Force. 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 Force 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 Force gives them more power over their bodies and the bodies of their foes.

Training and Asceticism

Small walled cloisters dot the landscapes of the worlds of D&D, tiny refuges from the flow of ordinary life, where time seems to stand still. The monks who live there seek personal perfection through contemplation and rigorous training. Many entered the monastery as children, sent to live there when their parents died, when food couldn’t be found to support them, or in return for some kindness that the monks had performed for their families.

Some monks live entirely apart from the surrounding population, secluded from anything that might impede their spiritual progress. Others are sworn to isolation, emerging only to serve as spies or assassins at the command of their leader, a noble patron, or some other mortal or divine power.

The majority of monks don’t shun their neighbors, making frequent visits to nearby towns or villages and exchanging their service for food and other goods. As versatile warriors, monks often end up protecting their neighbors from monsters or tyrants.

For a monk, becoming an adventurer means leaving a structured, communal lifestyle to become a wanderer. This can be a harsh transition, and monks don’t undertake it lightly. Those who leave their cloisters take their work seriously, approaching their adventures as personal tests of their physical and spiritual growth. As a rule, monks care little for material wealth and are driven by a desire to accomplish a greater mission than merely slaying monsters and plundering their treasure.

Creating a Monk

As you make your monk character, think about your connection to the monastery where you learned your skills and spent your formative years. Were you an orphan or a child left on the monastery’s threshold? Did your parents promise you to the monastery in gratitude for a service performed by the monks? Did you enter this secluded life to hide from a crime you committed? Or did you choose the monastic life for yourself?

Consider why you left. Did the head of your monastery choose you for a particularly important mission beyond the cloister? Perhaps you were cast out because of some violation of the community’s rules. Did you dread leaving, or were you happy to go? Is there something you hope to accomplish outside the monastery? Are you eager to return to your home?

As a result of the structured life of a monastic community and the discipline required to harness ki, monks are almost always lawful in alignment.

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 + your Constitution modifier

Hit Points at Higher Levels:

1d8 (or 5 ) + your Constitution modifier per Monk level after 1st

Proficiencies

Armor:

None

Weapons:

Simple Weapons

Tools:

One type of artisan’s tools or one musical instrument.

Saving Throws:

Strength, Dexterity

Skills:

Choose two from Acrobatics, Athletics, History, Insight, Nature, Medicine, Perception, and Stealth.

Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

• (a) spear or (b) quarterstaff
• (a) 10 Dart or (b) Combat Wraps
• (a) an explorer’s pack or (b) a dungeoneer’s pack

1st: Martial Arts

Your practice of martial arts gives you mastery of combat styles that use your Unarmed Strike and Simple Weapons. You gain the following benefits while you are unarmed or wielding only Simple Weapons and you aren’t wearing armor or wielding a shield:

• Soft Technique. You can use Dexterity instead of Strength for the attack and damage rolls of your Unarmed Strikes and Simple Weapons, except those that have the Two-Handed property.

• Martial Arts Die. You can roll a d6 in place of the normal damage of your Unarmed Strike. This die changes as you gain Monk levels, as shown in the Martial Arts column of the Monk table.

• Quick Strike. When you use the Attack action with an Unarmed Strike or a Simple Weapon on your turn, you can make one Unarmed Strike as a Bonus Action on the same turn. If you use a force point during your turn, you can decide to move your Bonus Unarmed Strike as part of the Attack action. It is still possible to make this extra attack only once per turn.

1st: Unarmored Defense

While you aren’t wearing any armor or wielding a Shield, your base Armor Class equals 10 plus your Dexterity and Wisdom modifiers.

1st: Unarmed Techniques

Your training without weapons allows you to learn two Unarmed Techniques, and use them with your unarmed strikes. If the technique requires striking, it cannot be repeated on the same creature in the same turn.

When you gain a Monk level, you can practice others Unarmed Techniques and change the kinds of Unarmed Technique you chose. When you reach certain levels in this class, you gain the ability to use more kinds of Unarmed Techniques, as shown in the Unarmed Techniques column of the Monk table.

You can use these techniques while you are unarmed or wielding only Simple Weapons and you aren’t wearing armor or wielding a shield:

List of the Unarmed Techniques

Some of the Unarmed Techniques require your target to make a saving throw to resist the feature’s effects. The saving throw DC is calculated as follows:

• ADDLE. When you hit a creature with this technique, it must succeed on a Constitution saving throw, or it can’t take Reactions until the end of your next turn. If used with Iron strike, the affected creature automatically fails the saving throw.

• BLIND MONK. You have blindsight with a range of 10 feet. Within that range, you can effectively see anything that isn’t behind total cover, even if you’re blinded or in darkness. Moreover, you can see an invisible creature within that range, unless the creature successfully hides from you.

• COUNTER-STRIKE. When you use Dodge and a creature misses you with a melee attack, you can use your reaction to make an unarmed attack against it. If you have reduced the damage to 0 through the Iron Skin feature, you can still make a Counter-Strike as part of the same reaction.

• DEFLECT-MISSILES. When you use Dodge and a creature misses you with a ranged attack, you can use your reaction to deflect the attack against the creature. If you do so, choose a creature within 60 feet of yourself that isn’t behind Total Cover. That creature must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or take damage equal to two rolls of your Martial Arts die. The damage is the same type dealt by the attack. If you have reduced the damage to 0 through the Iron Skin feature, you can still deflect the missile as part of the same reaction.

• DISARM. If you hit a creature with this technique, you can force the creature to make a Strength saving throw. On a failed save, the creature drops the chosen object. The object lands at its feet.

• DRAIN. When you hit a creature with this technique, the damage becomes necrotic, and you gain 1d4 temporary hit points for 10 minutes. If used with Iron Strike, you will gain a number of temporary hit points equal to half the damage that you provoked.

• DUBLE-STRIKE. When you hit a creature with this technique, you can make an attack roll against a second creature within 5 feet of the first that is also within your reach. On a hit, the second creature takes your Martial Arts Die damage, but don’t add your ability modifier to that damage, unless that modifier is negative. You can make this extra attack only once per turn.

• GRAPPLER. Whenever you try to grab a creature, you can use Dexterity instead of Strength.

• IRON MIND. Through sheer force of will, you can use a Bonus Action to remove one of the following conditions from yourself: Charmed, Frightened, or Poisoned.

• TRAVELLING MONK. You have a climbing speed and a swimming speed equal to your normal speed, and you gain a +1 bonus to Armor Class.

• PUSH. If you hit a creature with your technique, you can push the creature up to 10 feet away from you if it is no more than one size larger than you. If used with Iron Strike, the creature will be pushed 5 feet more and the size no longer affects the technique.

• STRAIN. If you hit a creature with this technique, that creature has Disadvantage on its next attack roll before the start of your next turn. If used with Iron Strike, you also have an Advantage on the next attack roll against that creature before the end of your next turn.

• SLOW. If you hit a creature with this technique and deal damage to the creature, you can reduce its Speed by 10 feet until the start of your next turn. If used with Iron Strike, you can reduce its speed by another 5 feet.

• SWEEP. If you hit a creature with this technique, you can force it to make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the creature has the Prone condition. If used with Iron Strike, you can choose to change the saving throw on Dexterity or Strength (your choice).

2nd: Inner Force

Your self-discipline and martial training allow you to harness a well of extraordinary energy within yourself. Your access to this energy is represented by a number of Force Points. Your Monk level determines the number of points you have, as shown in the Force Points column of the Monk table. You can spend these points to fuel various Inner Force features.

You start knowing three such features: Defensive Stance, Iron Strike and Lightning Step. You learn more Inner Force features as you gain levels in this class. When you spend a Force Point, it is unavailable until you finish a Short Rest or Long Rest, at the end of which you regain all your expended points. Some of the Force Techniques require your target to make a saving throw to resist the feature’s effects. The saving throw DC is calculated as follows:

• Defensive Stance. You can spend 1 Force point to take the Dodge action as a Bonus Action. If at the end of this Stance effect, no one has attacked you, you can use your reaction to make an unarmed attack against a creature within your unarmed reach.

• Iron Strike. Once per turn, when you hit a creature with an unarmed strike, you can choose to spend 1 Force point and add a Martial Arts die to the damage roll. If you have Advantage over a creature, you can decide to sacrifice it to perform an Iron Strike without having to spend Force points. The additional damage is of the same type as your unarmed attacks.

• Lightning Step. You can spend 1 Force point to take both the Disengage and Dash actions as a Bonus Action, and your step is so light that for the turn you can run through the air.

2nd: Unarmored Movement

Your speed increases by 10 feet while you aren’t wearing armor or wielding a Shield. This bonus increases when you reach certain Monk levels, as shown in the Monk table. Additionally, while you aren’t wearing armor, you can take the Dash or Disengage action as a bonus action on your turn.

3rd: Monk Subclass

You gain a Monk subclass of your choice: Shadow, Elementalist, or Psionic. Subclasses are detailed after this class’s description. A subclass is a specialization that grants you special abilities at 3rd level and again at 7th, 13th, and 17th Monk levels.

4th: Ability Score Improvement

You gain the Ability Score Improvement or another feat of your choice for which you qualify, and again at 6th, 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.

4th: Life Force

As a Bonus Action, you can spend 1 Force Point and roll your Martial Arts die. You regain a number of Hit Points equal to the number rolled plus your Wisdom modifier (minimum of 1 Hit Point regained).

4th: Slow Fall

You can use your Reaction when you fall to reduce any damage you take from the fall by an amount equal to five times your Monk level.

5th: Extra Attack

You can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

5th: Stunning Strike

When you hit a creature with Iron Strike of your Inner Force feature, you can attempt a Stunning Strike. The target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or have the Stunned condition until the end of your next turn. You cannot use this feature in combination with another unarmed techniques.

6th: Assimilation

You can assimilate one simple weapon with magical properties into your body and use its magical properties with your unarmed attacks. A small tattoo that resembles the item absorbed appears on the skin of your arm. The absorbed item is undetectable by normal means, although the effect is detectable via Detect Magic. The item can be discharged as an action and the weapon is automatically equipped. You must be capable of holding the weapon, or it falls to your feet (such as if you had no hands free). If you are unconscious or dead, the assimilated weapon automatically separates from you. This feature can only be used with unarmed attacks and cannot be added to other items that enhance unarmed attacks.

7th: Evasion

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. You don’t benefit from this feature if you have the Incapacitated condition.

9th: Extreme Parkour

While you aren’t wearing armor or wielding a Shield, you gain the ability to move along vertical surfaces and across liquids on your turn without falling during the movement. If you end your turn in a vertical surface or on a liquid surface, you can use your bonus action to hold your position and not fall until the end of your next turn.

10th: Enlightenment

Your inner Force nourishes your body and mind. You no longer need food or water. Additionally, if you spend at least 1 minute meditating, you can regain all your expended Force points. Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a Long Rest.

11th: Flurry of Strikes

Your Martial Arts feature now confers two extra Quick Strikes rather than one. If you spend 1 Force point or more as an action that is not an attack action on your turn, you can make the Flurry of Strikes as a bonus action before the end of the turn.

14th: Harmony

Your physical and mental discipline, and your mastery of the Force grant you proficiency in all saving throws. Additionally, whenever you make a saving throw and fail, you can spend 1 Force Point reroll it and take the second result.

15th: Wall of Force

When you use Dodge and a creature that can be seen hits you with an attack, you can use your reaction to reduce the damage by 1d10 plus your Dexterity modifier plus your monk level.

18th: Improved Stunning Strike

When using Stunning Strike, you can choose to spend 1 Force point to affect the opponent’s mind, in which case the Stunning Strike saving throw will be on Wisdom.

20th: Flurry of Iron Strikes

Your unarmed attacks have never been more powerful. Now, Iron Strike no longer needs Force points and is no longer limited to once per turn.

Monk Subclass

A Monk subclass is a specialization that grants you special abilities at certain levels, as specified in the subclass. This section presents three subclasses: Shadow, Elementalist, and Psionic.

Shadow

Warriors of Shadow practice stealth and subterfuge, channeling their reservoirs of power to harness the power of the Shadowfell. They are at home in darkness, able to draw gloom around themselves to hide, to leap from shadow to shadow, and even to take on a wraithlike form of living shadow.

3rd: Shadowed

You gain proficiency in the Stealth skill, and your proficiency bonus is doubled if you act in Dim Light or Darkness. Additionally, you can Hide as a bonus action.

3rd: Shadow Arts

Through rigorous training, you have learned to draw on the power of the Shadowfell, gaining the following benefits:

• Darkness. You can spend 1 Force Point to cast the Darkness spell without any spell components. You can see within the spell’s area when you cast it with this feature. While the spell persists, you can move its area of darkness to a space within 60 feet of you at the start of each of your turns.

• Darkvision. You gain Darkvision with a range of 60 feet. If you already have Darkvision, its range increases by 60 feet.

• Shadowy Figments. You know the Minor Illusion cantrip and use Wisdom as the spellcasting ability for it.

7th: Shadow Step

While entirely within Dim Light or Darkness, you can use a Bonus Action to teleport up to 60 feet to an unoccupied space you can see that is also in Dim Light or Darkness. You then have Advantage on the next melee attack you make before the end of the turn. You can choose to spend 1 Force point to remove the requirement that you must start and end in Dim Light or Darkness.

13th: Shadow Master

Your affinity for the shadow Force deepens, you can use your Inner Force to duplicate the effects of certain spells. As an action, you can spend 1 Force point to cast Mirror Image, Pass Without Trace, or Silence, by requiring only the somatic component.

17th: Lord of Shadows

As a Bonus Action, while entirely in Dim Light or Darkness, you can spend 3 Force Points to shroud yourself with magical darkness for 1 minute. This darkness lasts until you are Incapacitated or you end your turn in Bright Light. While shrouded in darkness, you gain the following benefits:

• Invisibility. You have the Invisible condition. Partially Incorporeal. You can move through creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain, but you take 1d10 Force damage if you end your turn inside a creature or an object.

• Shadow Stance. You can use your Defensive Stance without spending any Force Points.

Elementalist

The tradition of the Elementalist encompasses Monks who tap into the power of the Elemental Planes through their practice of martial arts. Some of these Monks focus on a single element, learning to wreathe their fists in fire and cause explosive bursts of flame, or to wield mighty gusts of icy wind. Others weave the elements together and learn a variety of techniques to harness the appropriate elemental force for each particular circumstance.

3rd: Elemental Attunement

You have attuned yourself with the elemental forces of the multiverse, and you also know the cantrips Control Flames, Gust, Mold Earth and Shape Water. You learn how to use these cantrips as bonus actions by requiring only the somatic component. In addition, at the start of your turn, you can spend 1 Force Point to imbue yourself with elemental energy. The energy lasts for 10 minutes or until you have the Incapacitated condition. You gain the following benefits for the duration:

• Elemental Strikes. Whenever you hit with your Unarmed Strike, you can cause it to deal your choice of Acid, Cold, Fire, or Lightning damage rather than its normal damage type. When you deal one of these types with your Unarmed Strike, you can also force the target to make a Strength saving throw. On a failed save, you can move the target up to 15 feet toward or away from you, as elemental energy swirls around it.

• Damage Resistance. You gain resistance to one of the following damage types of your choice: Acid, Cold, Fire, or Lightning.

7th: Environmental Burst

As a Magic action, you can spend 2 Force Points to cause environmental energy to burst in a 20-foot-radius sphere centered on a point within 120 feet of yourself. Choose a damage type: Acid, Cold, Fire, or Lightning. Each creature in the sphere must make a Dexterity for Fire and Acid or Constitution for Cold and Lightning saving throw. On a failed save, a creature takes damage of the chosen type equal to three rolls of your Martial Arts die + your Wisdom modifier. On a successful save, a creature takes half as much damage. Before or after you take this action, as a Bonus Action, you can use your Bonus Unarmed Strikes.

13th: Elemental Forms

Depending on the technique used, you can be as explosive as fire, as resistant as earth, and as free as air and water.

• Blast. When you hit a creature with your Iron Strike you can cause one element of your choice (Acid, Cold, Fire, or Lightning) to leap from the target to a different creature of your choice that you can see within 5 feet of it. The second creature takes the choice element damage equal to your Proficiency Bonus modifier.

• Hard. When you use your Defensive Stance you have resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage.

• Flow. When you use Lightning Step, you gain a Fly Speed and Swim Speed equal to your Speed for 10 minutes, and you don’t need to breathe.

17th: Elemental Epitome

When you use the Elemental Attunement feature, you also gain the following benefits for the duration:

• Damage Resistance. You gain resistance to one of the following damage types of your choice: Acid, Cold, Fire, or Lightning. As a reaction, you can change this choice.

• Destructive Stride. When you use your Lightning Step, your Speed increases by 20 feet until the end of the turn. For that duration, any creature of your choice takes damage equal to one roll of your Martial Arts die when you enter a space within 5 feet of it. The damage is the same type you chose for this feature’s damage resistance. A creature can take this damage only once per turn.

• Empowered Strikes . Once on each of your turns, you can deal extra damage to a target equal to one roll of your Martial Arts die when you hit it with an Iron Strike. The damage is the same type you chose for this feature’s damage resistance.

Psionic

Psionic Warriors are masters of unarmed psionic combat. They learn techniques that emit psychic energy that affects the opponent’s mind or enhance their own physical and mental abilities.

3rd: Psionic Tongue

You learn to touch the Inner Force of other minds so that you understand all spoken languages. Whenever you make a Charisma check communicating in this way, you gain a bonus to the check equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of +1). Moreover, any creature that can understand a language can understand what you say. Additionally, you gain the Friends and Mage Hand cantrip if you don’t already know it. You learn how to use these cantrips as bonus actions by requiring only the somatic component.

3rd: Psionic Strike

Once per turn, when using Iron Strike, you can impose one of the following effects on that target:

• Mind Strike. Your Iron strike emits a psychic energy that affects the creature’s mind. The target must succeed on an Intelligence saving throw or subtract 1d4 from the next saving throw it makes before the end of your next turn.

• Killing Intent. Your Iron strike emits a psychic energy that affects the creature’s mind. The target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or be frightened of you until the end of your next turn.

• Mental Block. Your Iron strike emits a psychic energy that affects the creature’s mind. The target must succeed on a Charisma saving throw, or its speed becomes 0 until the end of its next turn. If flying, it safely descends at 60 feet per round.

7th: Psionic Manipulation

Your affinity for the Psionic Force deepens, you can use your Inner Force to duplicate the effects of certain spells. As an action, you can spend 1 Force point to cast Charm Monster, Hold Person, or Suggestion, by requiring only the somatic component.

13th: Psionic Step

You can easily stride out of harm’s way; you can use the Lightning Step option of your Inner Force feature without spending any Force Points. If you end your turn on air, you can use your bonus action to hold your position and not fall until the end of your next turn.

17th: Psionic Palm

You gain the ability to set up lethal psychic waves in someone’s body. When you hit a creature with an unarmed strike, you can spend 3 Force points to start these imperceptible waves, which last for a number of days equal to your monk level. The waves are harmless unless you use your action to end them. To do so, you and the target must be on the same plane of existence. When you use this action, the creature must make a Constitution saving throw. If it fails, it is reduced to 0 hit points. If it succeeds, it takes 10d12 psychic damage.

You can have only three creatures under the effect of this feature at a time. You can choose to end the psychic waves harmlessly without using an action.

You can use this feature 3 times par day, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a Long Rest.

Customization Options

The combination of ability scores, race, class, items, and background defines your character’s capabilities in the game, and the personal details you create set your character apart from every other character. Even within your class and race, you have options to fine-tune what your character can do. But this chapter is for players who with the DM’s permission want to go a step further. This chapter defines two optional sets of rules for customizing your character: multiclassing and feats. Multiclassing lets you combine classes together, and feats are special options you can choose instead of increasing your ability scores as you gain levels. Your DM decides whether these options are available in a campaign.

Backgrounds

Every story has a beginning. Your character’s background reveals where you came from, how you became an adventurer, and your place in the world. Your monk might have been a ascetic sage or a crazy battler. Your wizard could have been a sage or an artisan. Your rogue might have gotten by as a guild thief or commanded audiences as a jester. Choosing a background provides you with important story cues about your character’s identity. The most important question to ask about your background is what changed? Why did you stop doing whatever your background describes and start adventuring? Where did you get the money to purchase your starting gear, or, if you come from a wealthy background, why don’t you have more money? How did you learn the skills of your class? What sets you apart from ordinary people who share your background?

Feats

A feat represents a talent or an area of expertise that gives a character special capabilities. It em bodies training, experience, and abilities beyond what a class provides. At certain levels, your class gives you the Ability Score Improvement feature. Using the optional feats rule, you can forgo taking that feature to take a feat of your choice instead. You can take each feat only once, unless the feat’s description says otherwise. You must meet any prerequisite specified in a feat to take that feat. If you ever lose a feat’s prerequisite, you can’t use that feat until you regain the prerequisite. For example, the Grappler feat requires you to have a Strength of 13 or higher. If your Strength is reduced below 13 somehow—perhaps by a withering curse—you can’t benefit from the Grappler feat until your Strength is restored.

Eight Extraordinary Meridians

Prerequisite: Inner Force

You have a particularly good physique for Inner Force.

• Increase your Wisdom by 1, to a maximum of 20.
• Your Inner Force points increase by a number equal to your wisdom modifier.
• Every time you make a critical attack, until the start of your next turn you can perform a feature using one less Force point.

Combat Wraps

Item, Common

Combat Wraps are made of cloth or leather and are worn in contact parts in unarmed combat, especially in forearms and legs. While wearing Wraps, you gain a +1 bonus to AC if you are wearing no armor and using no shield.