Monk 5e class

Unarmored Defense

1st level

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

1st level

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.

Ki

2nd level

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.

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

2nd level

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

2nd level

You can spend 1 ki point to take the Dodge action as a bonus action on your turn.

Step of the Wind

2nd level

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

2nd and 9th level

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.

Monastic Tradition

3rd level

When you reach 3rd level, you commit yourself to a monastic tradition, such as the Way of the Open Hand. Your tradition grants you features at 3rd level and again at 6th, 11th, and 17th level.

Deflect Missiles

3rd level

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

4th, 8th, 12th, 16th and 19th level

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.

Slow Fall

4th level

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

5th level

Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

Stunning Strike

5th level

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

6th level

Starting at 6th level, your unarmed strikes count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.

Evasion

7th level

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

7th level

Starting at 7th level, you can use your action to end one effect on yourself that is causing you to be charmed or frightened.

Purity of Body

10th level

At 10th level, your mastery of the ki flowing through you makes you immune to disease and poison.

Tongue of the Sun and Moon

13th level

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

14th level

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.

Timeless Body

15th level

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

18th level

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.

Perfect Self

20th level

At 20th level, when you roll for initiative and have no ki points remaining, you regain 4 ki points.

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: Monk's Focus

Your focus and martial training allow you to harness a well of extraordinary energy within yourself. This energy is represented by Focus Points. Your Monk level determines the number of points you have, as shown in the Focus Points column of the Monk Features 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 Focus 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 Focus 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 Focus 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 Focus 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 Focus 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 Focus 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 Focus 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: Monk Subclass

You gain a Monk subclass of your choice. A subclass is a specialization that grants you features at certain Monk levels. For the rest of your career, you gain each of your subclass's features that are of your Monk level or lower.

Level 4: Ability Score Improvement

You gain the Ability Score Improvement feat (see "Feats") 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 Focus 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 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 Focus

Your Flurry of Blows, Patient Defense, and Step of the Wind gain the following benefits.

Flurry of Blows. You can expend 1 Focus Point to use Flurry of Blows and make three Unarmed Strikes with it instead of two.

Patient Defense. When you expend a Focus 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 Focus 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 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: Disciplined Survivor

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 Focus Point to reroll it, and you must use the new roll.

Level 15: Perfect Focus

When you roll Initiative and don't use Uncanny Metabolism, you regain expended Focus Points until you have 4 if you have 3 or fewer.

Level 18: Superior Defense

At the start of your turn, you can expend 3 Focus 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: Epic Boon

You gain an Epic Boon feat (see "Feats") or another feat of your choice for which you qualify. Boon of Irresistible Offense is recommended.

Level 20: Body and Mind

You have developed your body and mind to new heights. Your Dexterity and Wisdom scores increase by 4, to a maximum of 25.