Monastic Tradition
WAY OF THE FOUR ELEMENTS
REBORN
Earth, Fire, Air, Water
The Way of the Four Elements Reborn teaches initiates
how to extend their ki into the world around them.
Through rigorous training and keen awareness,
practitioners of this monastic tradition harness the power
of the elements to devastating effect.
Separation is an Illusion
Everything is connected; all life, all magic, all four
elements. The Way of the Four Elements teaches initiates
that all is one and one is all. Separation–even that of the
elements–is an illusion, as each merely extends into the
others. The intuitive find that shifting stances among the
elements is as effortless as breathing.
Balance in All Things
Life is about balance. The four elements exist in a cycle
of push and pull, ebb and flow, yin and yang. By weaving
the elements in balance, initiates of this monastic
tradition understand the necessity of balance in all areas
of life. Without balance, there is no peace, and any ideal
taken to the extreme results in imbalance, which
inevitably leads to void. As an initiate of the Way of the
Four Elements, you master the concept of balance and
achieve inner and outer peace in equal measure.
SPELLCASTING
Some features of The Way of the Four Elements Reborn
allow you to cast spells. When you cast a spell using a
feature from this class, you ignore any material or verbal
component requirements for spells, and if a spell from
these features has only material or verbal components,
you substitute those components for somatic
components.
Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for all spells
and abilities granted by this subclass. Your spell save DC
equals 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom
modifier, and your spell attack bonus equals your
proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier.
The ki point cost for casting spells through this
subclass equals 1 + the level of the spell.
Beginning at 5th level in this class, you can spend
additional ki points to increase the spellcasting level of
your spells that can be upcast. For each additional level
you upcast a spell, you must spend 1 additional ki point.
The maximum level at which you can cast a spell through
this class equals your monk level, divided by 3 (rounded
down).
SUBCLASS FEATURES
The Way of the Four Elements Reborn grants features at
each level, as your character’s spiritual attunement to the
world around them grows.
ELEMENTAL ATTUNEMENT
Beginning when you choose this path at 3rd level, you
gain the ability to manipulate the elements around you.
As a bonus action on your turn, you can create one of the
following effects:
• You create a harmless sensory effect
using the elements around you, such as
a puff of air, a shower of sparks, a
spray of mist, or a rumbling of stone.
• You instantaneously light or snuff a
candle, torch, or other small fire (such
as a campfire).
• Chill or warm up to one pound of
nonliving material for up to one hour.
• Cause earth, fire, air, or water within a
1-foot cube to move and/or shape itself
into a crude form you designate for up
to one minute.
You can have up to five such effects active at a
single time, as long as you maintain your concentration
as though you were concentrating on a spell.
ELEMENTAL STANCE
Also at 3rd level, you can use a bonus action to enter an
Elemental Stance, synchronizing your ki with one of the
four elements. Each Elemental Stance grants you specific
benefits, as listed under each element’s Elemental Stance
below. Each Elemental Stance lasts until you dismiss it
(no action required), until you are incapacitated, or until
you switch to a new Elemental Stance as a bonus action
on your turn.
You unlock new features of each Elemental Stance
when you reach 6th, 11th, and 17th level in this class.
ELEMENTAL REDIRECTION
Beginning at 6th level, you can spend 2 ki points to
cast absorb elements.
ELEMENTAL MASTERY
Starting at 11th level, you can cast mold earth,
control flames, gust, and shape water at-will, even when
you are not in the associated Elemental Stance, and you
can cast any of these cantrips as a bonus action.
ELEMENTAL AVATAR
Beginning at 17th level, you can cast each of the
following spells once:
• Stance of Earth: investiture of stone
• Stance of Fire: investiture of flame
• Stance of Air: investiture of air
• Stance of Water: investiture of ice
Once you cast one of these spells using this ability,
you become unable to enter the associated Elemental
Stance listed alongside it. You regain the ability to re-
enter that Elemental Stance after you finish a short or
long rest.
You regain use of all of these spells through this
feature after you finish a long rest.
ELEMENTAL STANCES
STANCE OF EARTH
Beginning at 3rd level, you gain the following benefits
while you are in Stance of Earth:
• Ear th’s Embr ace. You can cast the
mold earth cantrip.
• Rooted Defense. When you move 15
feet or less on your turn, your armor
class increases by 2. This bonus
remains until you move for more than
15 feet in one turn.
• Stone Anchor. While you are standing
on nonmagical earth or stone and have
moved 15 feet or less on your turn, you
cannot be forcibly pushed or pulled
until the beginning of your next turn.
At 6th level, you gain the following additional benefits
while you are in Stance of Earth:
• Car ve the Path. You gain a burrowing
speed of 20 feet.
• Stone’s Throw. You can attack by
throwing rocks. When you do, you
make a ranged weapon attack with a
short range of 60 feet and a long range
of 90 feet. These rocks are monk
weapons for you, and count as magical
for the purpose of overcoming
resistance and immunity to nonmagical
damage.
At 11th level, you gain the following additional benefits
while you are in Stance of Earth:
• Gr asping Tomb. As an action, you
spend 3 ki points to choose 1 creature
within 60 feet of you. The creature
must make a Dexterity saving throw.
On a failure, the creature is grappled
and restrained, as the earth itself rises
to grasp it. A creature that is restrained
in this way can use its action to attempt
to break free of this effect. The DC for
breaking free is your ki save DC.
Creatures that are more than 10 feet
above the ground automatically
succeed on the initial saving throw
against this ability.
• Knock, and It Shall Open. You can
spend 5 ki points to cast stone shape.
At 17th level, you gain the following benefits while you
are in Stance of Earth:
• Sculpter ’s Touch. You can spend 6 ki
points to cast transmute rock.
• Mason’s Hedge. You can spend 6 ki
points to cast wall of stone.
STANCE OF FIRE
Beginning at 3rd level, you gain the following benefits
while you are in Stance of Fire:
• Fire’s Embr ace. You can cast the control
flames cantrip.
• Ener gy Bur n. Your unarmed strikes’ reach
increases by 15 feet, and you can cause their
damage type to be fire. If your unarmed strike
extends into your expanded reach, the damage
must be fire.
At 6th level, you gain the following additional benefits
while you are in Stance of Fire:
• Scathing Will. You add your Wisdom modifier
to all fire damage you deal.
• Inner Flame. You can cast produce flame, and
you can cast it as a bonus action on your turn.
 • Dr agon’s Breath. You can spend 2 ki points to
cast burning hands.
At 11th level, you gain the following additional benefit
while you are in Stance of Fire:
• Phoenix Screech. You can spend 4 ki points to
cast fireball.
At 17th level, you gain the following benefit while you
are in Stance of Fire:
• Hedge of Passion. You can spend 5 ki points to
cast wall of fire.
STANCE OF AIR
Beginning at 3rd level, you gain the following benefits
while you are in Stance of Air:
• Air ’s Embr ace. You can cast the gust cantrip.
• Flying Leap. When you make an
attack, you can spend 1 ki point to fly
up to 15 feet. This movement does not
provoke opportunity attacks.
At 6th level, you gain the following additional benefits
while you are in Stance of Air:
• Windy Str ike. You can cast the
shillelagh cantrip, as the wind itself
fuels your strikes.
• Leaf on the Wind. You do not take
damage as a result of falling while you
are not incapacitated.
• Whistling Gale. You can spend 2 ki
points to cast gust of wind.
At 11th level, you gain the following additional benefit
while you are in Stance of Air:
• Sentinel’s Breath. You can spend 3 ki
points to cast warding wind.
At 17th level, you gain the following benefit while you
are in Stance of Air:
• Guide the Four Zephyr s. You can
spend 6 ki points to cast control winds.
STANCE OF WATER
Beginning at 3rd level, you gain the following benefits
while you are in Stance of Water:
• Water ’s Embr ace. You can cast the shape
water cantrip.
• Sur ge Assault. Your unarmed strikes’ reach
increases by 15 feet, and you can cause their
damage type to be bludgeoning or cold.
At 6th level, you gain the following additional benefits
while you are in Stance of Water:
• Tendr il For m. You can cast the thorn whip
cantrip, ignoring the material component
requirement. It manifests as a tendril of water,
instead of a thorny vine. You can cast this
cantrip as a bonus action on your turn.
• Biting Cold. You can cast the primal savagery
cantrip, as claws of frozen, acrid water form on
your fingertips. You can cast this cantrip as a
bonus action on your turn.
• Ebb and Flow. As an action, you can spend 1 ki
point to choose an area of water within 210 feet
of you that is no larger than 30 feet on a side.
You can change water to ice in the area, and
vice versa. You can reshape ice in the area in
any way you wish. You can raise or lower the
elevation of water, ice, or steam, and you can
cause steam, fog, or mist in the area to appear or
disperse entirely. You can also dig a trench with
the ice or water, but you cannot use the ice or
water to cause damage a creature.
At 11th level, you gain the following additional benefits
while you are in Stance of Water:
• One with the Water. You gain a swimming
speed equal to your current speed, and you can
breathe underwater.
• Healing Flow. As an action, you can touch a
creature’s flowing life energy and spend a
number of ki points up to your monk level,
divided by four (rounded down), to augment the
creature’s natural recovery. For each ki point
you spend, a creature spends one hit die and
adds its Constitution modifier and your Wisdom
modifier to the amount recovered.
• Resur gent Ki. You can spend 3 ki points to cast
lesser restoration.
At 17th level, you gain the following benefits while you
are in Stance of Water:
• Liquid Command. You can spend 5 ki points to
cast control water.
• Ever flowing Globe. You can spend 5 ki points
to cast watery sphere.
AUTHOR’S NOTE
The Way of the Four Elements has always been
something I’ve really wanted to like in D&D
5E, but the more I examined the subclass, the
more problematic it became. Common
complaints about the official Way of the Four
Elements from players that I’ve seen include:
-heavy ki point expenditure
-lack of potency (ki point cost vs. return)
-lack of versatility
-poor balance
I love the theming of the subclass, but I’ve
found that the features it develops just fall short
of those gained by other monk subclasses. Way
of the Four Elements monks as written in
official materials often feel less potent than
other monks. Even if one simply says, you
unlock all of the disciplines at each level, it still
feels… less potent and special.
Now, bear in mind that developing any subclass
is extremely difficult, both in terms of flavor
and balance, and I applaud the designers for
developing what they did. Thematically, it’s one
of the strongest monk subclasses, in my
opinion, but its mechanics made it hard to
swallow. I am so grateful for the official
material for the Way of the Four Elements, and
I spent many hours trying to think of small
adjustments and tweaks to make it more
playable. As I delved further and further, I
realized the scope of necessary mechanical
repair and ultimately decided to work from the
ground up. This subclass is meant to replace the
Way of the Four Elements at your game table,
and I hope you find it as enjoyable as I have.
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