Monk
Dotted across the landscape are monasteries—small, walled cloisters inhabited by monks who pursue personal perfection through action as well as contemplation. They train themselves to be versatile warriors skilled at fighting without weapons or armor. The inhabitants of monasteries headed by good masters serve as protectors of the people. Ready for battle even when barefoot and dressed in peasant clothes, monks can travel unnoticed among the populace, catching bandits, warlords, and corrupt nobles unawares. In contrast, the residents of monasteries headed by evil masters rule the surrounding lands through fear, as an evil warlord and his entourage might. Evil monks make ideal spies, infiltrators, and assassins.
The individual monk is unlikely to care passionately about championing commoners or amassing wealth. She cares primarily for the perfection of her art and, thereby, her personal perfection. Her goal is to achieve a state that is beyond the mortal realm.
Monk
Monastic orders usually originate in civilized human lands. Among humans, the earliest monastic orders native to Faerûn seem to have arisen in Amn and Calimshan simultaneously with some orders immigrating from other worlds and the eastern land of Kara-Tur. Unlike clerics and druids, monks do not necessarily have to choose a patron deity (although most do), nor do monks have to associate themselves with one of the schools listed in the Monastic Orders sidebar. If your monk character belongs to a different monastic group, you and your DM should at least name it and place it in relation to the groups mentioned below.
Preferred Character Regions: Monks are most common in Amn, Calimshan, Damara, Mulhorand, the Lake of Steam, and Silverymoon. Strongheart halflings are also culturally inclined toward becoming monks.
Choose A or B: (A) Spear, 5 Daggers, Dungeoneer’s Pack, Artisan’s Tools or Musical Instrument chosen for the tool proficiency and 11 GP; or (B) 50 GP
None.
As a Monk, you gain the following class features when you reach the specified Monk levels. These features are listed in the Monk Features table.
Level 1: Martial Arts
Your practice of martial arts gives you mastery of combat styles that use your Unarmed Strike and Monk weapons, which are the following:
- Simple Melee weapons
- Martial Melee weapons that have the Light 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.
Bonus Unarmed Strike. You can make an Unarmed Strike as a Bonus Action.
Martial Arts Die. You can roll 1d6 in place of the normal damage of your Unarmed Strike or Monk weapons. This die changes as you gain Monk levels, as shown in the Martial Arts column of the Monk Features table.
Dexterous Attacks.You can use your Dexterity modifier instead of your Strength modifier for the attack and damage rolls of your Unarmed Strikes and Monk weapons. In addition, when you use the Grapple or Shove option of your Unarmed Strike, you can use your Dexterity modifier instead of your Strength modifier to determine the save DC.
Level 1: Unarmored Defense
While you aren’t wearing armor or wielding a Shield, your base Armor Class equals 10 plus your Dexterity and Wisdom modifiers.
Level 2: 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 expend these points to enhance or fuel certain Monk features. You start knowing three such features: Flurry of Blows, Patient Defense, and Step of the Wind, each of which is detailed below.
When you expend a ki Point, it is unavailable until you finish a Short or Long Rest, at the end of which you regain all your expended points.
Some features that use ki Points require your target to make a saving throw. The save DC equals 8 plus your Wisdom modifier and Proficiency Bonus.
Flurry of Blows. You can expend 1 Ki Point to make two Unarmed Strikes as a Bonus Action.
Patient Defense. You can take the Disengage action as a Bonus Action. Alternatively, you can expend 1 Ki Point to take both the Disengage and the Dodge actions as a Bonus Action.
Step of the Wind. You can take the Dash action as a Bonus Action. Alternatively, you can expend 1 Ki Point to take both the Disengage and Dash actions as a Bonus Action, and your jump distance is doubled for the turn.
Level 2: 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 on the Monk Features table.
Level 2: Uncanny Metabolism
When you roll Initiative, you can regain all expended ki Points. When you do so, roll your Martial Arts die, and regain a number of Hit Points equal to your Monk level plus the number rolled.
Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a Long Rest.
Level 3: Deflect Attacks
When an attack roll hits you and its damage includes Bludgeoning, Piercing, or Slashing damage, you can take a Reaction to reduce the attack’s total damage against you. The reduction equals 1d10 plus your Dexterity modifier and Monk level.
If you reduce the damage to 0, you can expend 1 ki Point to redirect some of the attack’s force. If you do so, choose a creature you can see within 5 feet of yourself if the attack was a melee attack or a creature you can see within 60 feet of yourself that isn’t behind Total Cover if the attack was a ranged attack. That creature must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or take damage equal to two rolls of your Martial Arts die plus your Dexterity modifier. The damage is the same type dealt by the attack.
Level 3: Open Hand Technique
Whenever you hit a creature with an attack granted by your Flurry of Blows, you can impose one of the following effects on that target.
- Addle. The target can’t make Opportunity Attacks until the start of its next turn.
- Push. The target must succeed on a Strength saving throw or be pushed up to 15 feet away from you.
- Topple. The target must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or have the Prone condition.
Level 4: Ability Score Improvement
You gain the Ability Score Improvement feat or another feat of your choice for which you qualify. You gain this feature again at Monk levels 8, 12, and 16.
Level 4: Slow Fall
You can take a Reaction when you fall to reduce any damage you take from the fall by an amount equal to five times your Monk level.
Level 5: Extra Attack
You can attack twice instead of once whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.
Level 5: Stunning Strike
Once per turn when you hit a creature with a Monk weapon or an Unarmed Strike, you can expend 1 Ki Point to attempt a stunning strike. The target must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the target has the Stunned condition until the start of your next turn. On a successful save, the target’s Speed is halved until the start of your next turn, and the next attack roll made against the target before then has Advantage.
Level 6: Empowered Strikes
Whenever you deal damage with your Unarmed Strike, it can deal your choice of Force damage or its normal damage type.
Level 6: Wholeness of Body
You gain the ability to heal yourself. As a Bonus Action, you can 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).
You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of once), and you regain all expended uses when you finish a Long Rest.
Level 7: Evasion
When you’re 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.
Level 9: Acrobatic Movement
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.
Level 10: Heightened Ki
Your Flurry of Blows, Patient Defense, and Step of the Wind gain the following benefits.
Flurry of Blows. You can expend 1 Ki Point to use Flurry of Blows and make three Unarmed Strikes with it instead of two.
Patient Defense.When you expend a Ki Point to use Patient Defense, you gain a number of Temporary Hit Points equal to two rolls of your Martial Arts die.
Step of the Wind.When you expend a Ki Point to use Step of the Wind, you can choose a willing creature within 5 feet of yourself that is Large or smaller. You move the creature with you until the end of your turn. The creature’s movement doesn’t provoke Opportunity Attacks.
Level 10: Self-Restoration
Through sheer force of will, you can remove one of the following conditions from yourself at the end of each of your turns: Charmed, Frightened, or Poisoned.
In addition, forgoing food and drink doesn’t give you levels of Exhaustion.
Level 11: Fleet Step
When you take a Bonus Action other than Step of the Wind, you can also use Step of the Wind immediately after that Bonus Action.
Level 13: Deflect Energy
You can now use your Deflect Attacks feature against attacks that deal any damage type, not just Bludgeoning, Piercing, or Slashing.
Level 14: Diamond Soul
Your physical and mental discipline grant you proficiency in all saving throws.
Additionally, whenever you make a saving throw and fail, you can expend 1 Ki Point to reroll it, and you must use the new roll.
Level 15: Perfect Ki
When you roll Initiative and don’t use Uncanny Metabolism, you regain expended Ki Points until you have 4 if you have 3 or fewer.
Level 16: Quivering Palm
You gain the ability to set up lethal vibrations in someone’s body. When you hit a creature with an Unarmed Strike, you can expend 4 Ki Points to start these imperceptible vibrations, which last for a number of days equal to your Monk level. The vibrations are harmless unless you take an action to end them. Alternatively, when you take the Attack action on your turn, you can forgo one of the attacks to end the vibrations. To end them, you and the target must be on the same plane of existence. When you end them, the target must make a Constitution saving throw, taking 10d12 Force damage on a failed save or half as much damage on a successful one.
You can have only one creature under the effect of this feature at a time. You can end the vibrations harmlessly (no action required).
Level 17: Tongue of the Sun and Moon
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.
Level 17: Timeless Body
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.
Level 18: Superior Defense
At the start of your turn, you can expend 3 Ki Points to bolster yourself against harm for 1 minute or until you have the Incapacitated condition. During that time, you have Resistance to all damage except Force damage.
Level 19: Empty Body
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.
Level 19: Epic Boon
You gain an Epic Boon feat or another feat of your choice for which you qualify.
Level 20: Perfect Self
You have developed your body and mind to new heights. Your Dexterity and Wisdom scores increase by 4, to a maximum of 25.
Level | Proficiency Bonus | Monk Class Features | Martial Arts | Ki Point | Unarmored Movement |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | +2 | Martial Arts, Unarmed Defense | 1d6 | — | |
2 | +2 | Ki, Unarmed Movement, Uncanny Metabolism | 1d6 | 2 | +10 ft. |
3 | +2 | Deflect Attacks, Open Hand Technique | 1d6 | 3 | +10 ft. |
4 | +2 | Ability Score Improvement, Slow Fall | 1d6 | 4 | +10 ft. |
5 | +3 | Extra Attack, Stunning Strike | 1d8 | 5 | +15 ft. |
6 | +3 | Empowered Strikes, Wholeness of Body | 1d8 | 6 | +15 ft. |
7 | +3 | Evasion | 1d8 | 7 | +15 ft. |
8 | +3 | Ability Score Improvement | 1d8 | 8 | +15 ft. |
9 | +4 | Acrobatic Movement, Heightened Focus | 1d8 | 9 | +20 ft. |
10 | +4 | Self-Restoration | 1d8 | 10 | +20 ft. |
11 | +4 | Fleet Step | 1d10 | 11 | +20 ft. |
12 | +4 | Ability Score Improvement | 1d10 | 12 | +20 ft. |
13 | +5 | Deflect Energy | 1d10 | 13 | +20 ft. |
14 | +5 | Diamond Soul | 1d10 | 14 | +25 ft. |
15 | +5 | Perfect Ki | 1d10 | 15 | +25 ft. |
16 | +5 | Ability Score Improvement, Quivering Palm | 1d10 | 16 | +25 ft. |
17 | +6 | Tongue of the Sun and Moon, Timeless Body | 1d12 | 17 | +25 ft. |
18 | +6 | Superior Defense | 1d12 | 18 | +30 ft. |
19 | +6 | Empty Body, Epic Boon | 1d12 | 19 | +30 ft. |
20 | +6 | Perfect Self | 1d12 | 20 | +30 ft. |
Monastic Orders
Dozens of monastic orders exist in Faerûn. Most are small circles of no more than a dozen or so members, living in isolated monasteries in the wilderness. A few orders include hundreds of members and influence events across entire nations. Some of the prominent orders include:
Broken Ones (Good): Of all the popular deities of Faerûn, Ilmater is the deity most associated with an order of monks who act purely in his name. The Dalelands house no monasteries of great fame, but monks of Ilmater frequently travel through the Dales, sheltering in Ilmater’s temples if they cannot find other lodging.
Dark Moon (Evil): Shar is worshiped by a powerful sect of monks who maintain open temples in lands ruled by evil overlords or hide among hills, back alleys, or the Underdark. Most of the Dark Moon monks are human, but occasionally they are joined by a half-orc, shade, or drow.
Hin Fist (Neutral or Good): The halflings of Luiren turn their confidence into belief in the power of a single halfling to master herself and the world. Enterprising Luiren monks sometimes establish monasteries in the north. Although only halflings can study Hin Fist in Luiren, some Hin Fist monasteries outside Luiren accept exceptional gnomes and dwarves.
Long Death (Evil): The Long Death order worships the principle of death without caring much which deity currently owns the portfolio. They are more than willing to share death and its antecedent, pain, with others. Clerics of the previous god of death, Myrkul, chose to view them as part of their god’s long-range plans. Kelemvor (the current god of the dead) views them as enemies, but is at least pleased that they do not actively promote undeath. Velsharoon (the god of necromancy and undeath) wants to woo them, but has not figured out how.
Old Order (Neutral, Sometimes Good, Rarely Evil): Monks of the Old Order do not worship any deity, but are devoted to the philosophy espoused by a deity who is either now dead or has never existed on the Material Plane of Toril. The monks contradict themselves on this point, but the deity’s identity isn’t important to them, it’s the message they care about. The Old Order never has huge monasteries, but has spread widely throughout Faerûn.
Shining Hand (Neutral): The Shining Hand is one of the oldest monk orders of Amn, mixing faith in Azuth and the practice of wizardry with monastic devotions. Amn’s crackdown on the practice of wizardry has sent some Shining Hand groups underground and sent others out into the wider world.
Sun Soul (Good or Neutral): The allegiance of this widespread but disorganized sect varies between groups, some following Lathander, others Selûne, and a few devoted to Sune. The Sun Soul order, along with the Old Order, is the most likely to have monasteries hidden in far flung wilderness areas.
Yellow Rose (Good, Neutral): Also known as the Disciples of Saint Sollars, this solitary monastery of Ilmater worshipers in the Earthspur Mountains of Damara is known for loyalty to its allies and destruction to its enemies. Greatly respected on matters of truth and diplomacy, the monks work hard to survive in their harsh remote sanctuary. The monks often travel with Ilmataran paladins, particularly from the Order of the Golden Cup.
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