Class Monk
Your Tradition is chosen at Level 3 and defines your Monk's combat identity — how you use Ki, what additional features you gain, and what role you fill in a party.
- Way of the Open Hand — Control, Battlefield Dominance, Wholeness
- Way of Mercy — Harm and Heal, Ki as Medicine and Poison
- Way of the Four Elements — Elemental Attunement, Aura Combat
- Way of the Kensei — Weapon Mastery, Precision, Sword Saint
| TRAIT | DETAIL |
|---|---|
| Primary Ability | Dexterity and Wisdom |
| Hit Point Die | D8 per Monk level |
| Saving Throw Proficiencies | Strength and Dexterity |
| Skill Proficiencies | Choose 2: Acrobatics, Athletics, History, Insight, Religion, or Stealth |
| Weapon Proficiencies | Simple weapons, Shortswords, and Scimitars |
| Armor Training | None |
| LEVEL | FEATURE |
|---|---|
| 1 | Martial Arts, Unarmored Defense, Unarmored Movement I |
| 2 | Ki, Flurry of Blows, Patient Defense, Step of the Wind |
| 3 | Deflect Missiles |
| 4 | Slow Fall |
| 5 | Stunning Strike, Extra Attack, Ki-Empowered Strikes |
| 7 | Evasion, Stillness of Mind |
| 9 | Acrobatic Movement, Unarmored Movement II |
| 10 | Heightened Focus, Purity of Body, Self-Restoration, Unarmored Movement III |
Your unarmed strikes and monk weapons deal damage based on your Martial Arts die, which scales with level:
| MONK LEVEL | MARTIAL ARTS DIE |
|---|---|
| 1–4 | 1d6 |
| 5–10 | 1d8 |
| 11–12 | 1d10 |
You can use Dexterity instead of Strength for attack and damage rolls with unarmed strikes and monk weapons.
At Level 2, you gain Ki Points equal to your Monk level. Ki powers your core combat abilities and replenishes on Short Rest.
Ki-powered actions:
Flurry of Blows — Spend 1 Ki after the Attack action: make 2 unarmed strikes as a Bonus Action. At Level 10+, this becomes 3 strikes.
Patient Defense — Spend 1 Ki: take the Dodge action as a Bonus Action. At Level 10 (Heightened Focus): also gain temporary HP equal to your Martial Arts die.
Step of the Wind — Spend 1 Ki: take the Disengage or Dash action as a Bonus Action, and your jump distance doubles. At Level 10 (Heightened Focus): the Disengage option also gives temporary HP.
Gained at Level 3. When a ranged weapon attack hits you, use your Reaction to reduce the damage by 1d10 + Dexterity modifier + Monk level.
If you reduce the damage to 0, you can spend 1 Ki to catch the projectile and immediately throw it back as a ranged attack. The return attack uses 2 × Martial Arts die + Dexterity modifier.
Deflect Missiles is both a defensive reaction and a potential offensive counterattack. The return throw requires a separate Ki spend but turns a hit against you into a hit against your attacker.
Gained at Level 2. Once per Long Rest, when you roll Initiative, you can immediately:
- Regain HP equal to
Martial Arts die + Monk level - Restore all expended Ki Points
Uncanny Metabolism is the emergency reset button. If you enter a fight depleted, this restores your full Ki before you take your first turn.
Gained at Level 7. When you are subjected to an effect that allows a Dexterity saving throw to take half damage, you instead take:
- No damage on a successful save
- Half damage on a failed save
Your speed increases progressively as you level:
| MONK LEVEL | SPEED BONUS |
|---|---|
| 1–8 | +10 ft |
| 9–11 | +15 ft |
| 12+ | +20 ft |
Gained at Level 5. Your unarmed strikes count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance. Specifically: your barehanded, unarmored strikes ignore Bludgeoning resistance.
The Monk's engine is Ki decisions per turn. Flurry of Blows (1 Ki → 2 strikes, later 3) is the default output. Stunning Strike (1 Ki per hit) is the high-priority exception — forcing a Constitution save on a hit and removing the target from the fight for a full round on failure. Landing a Stun ends encounters; a failed Stun is dead Ki, so read the target's Constitution before committing.
Patient Defense and Step of the Wind cost the same 1 Ki — spending on either means no Flurry that turn. The decision each turn: does the defensive value or repositioning outweigh the extra strikes?
Subclass defines the combat identity:
- Open Hand — Flurry knockdowns, shoves, and disarms; peak Stunning Strike platform
- Mercy — healing and Poisoned application; Ki as medicine and poison simultaneously
- Four Elements — elemental attacks convert Ki into spell-like ranged and area damage
- Kensei — weapon-based Monk with attack and damage bonuses on chosen weapons
Classes, Artificer, Barbarian, Bard, Cleric, Druid, Fighter, Gunslinger, Illrigger, Monk, Monster Hunter, Paladin, Ranger, Rogue, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard