The Way of the Four Forms

Monks who master The Way of the Five Forms are disciplined in form and art. Their schools
emphasize not simply the power of the martial arts, but their artistry, their history. Monks of the Five
Forms often adhere to a strict tradition, or are chiefly concerned with the preservation of a monastic
lineage.

First and Second Form

Starting when you choose this tradition at 3rd level, you can choose to learn two of three forms,
taking the stance as a bonus action. The stance lasts for 1 minute. You can only hold one stance at
a time. The forms each bestow the following benefits:

• Tiger Style: The Tiger Style focuses on attack. It is an aggressive stance that confers high
damage.
o Claws Slashing Downward: Unarmed strikes now deal slashing damage, and an
additional +2 to that damage.
o Tiger Roars: For 1 ki point, you below a terrifying roar. The sound of this roar is so
intimidating that your opponents are afraid to hit you. You are functionally under the
effects of the sanctuary spell.
o Tiger Chasing Tail: In place of Flurry of Blows, you can spend 2 ki points to perform
an additional attack on your turn: a backflip kick, which deals 2d6+DEX+2 slashing
damage. The target must then succeed on a Dexterity Saving throw or be
knocked prone. This damage increases at 5th (2d8), 11th (2d10), and 17th (2d12).
o Tiger’s Roar: For 3 ki points, you can use your action to end this stance early to expel
a 20ft cone of fire, which deals 4d6 fire damage on a failed dexterity save, or half as
much on a successful save. This damage increases to 6d6 at 5th level, 8d6 at 11th,
and 10d6 at 17th. You automatically switch to a different form when you end your
stance in this way.
• Snake Style: The Snake Style is based on evasion, precise strikes, and counterattacks. It is a
defensive stance that knocks opponents off balance.
o Snake Moves Gracefully: While you are in this stance, your AC increases by +1. You
gain advantage on Dexterity saving throws.
o Snake Counterstrikes: When an enemy misses you with a melee attack, you can
spend 1 ki point to instantly counterstrike with an unarmed attack.
o Snake Strikes Precisely: When you hit the same creature with two unarmed attacks in
a single round, you can spend 2 ki points to prevent the target from taking reactions
until the end of your next turn, and their AC is reduced by 1 for 1d4 rounds
o Snake’s Venom: For 3 ki points, you can use an action to end this stance early,
making an attack at advantage on a creature. On a hit, the target must make a
Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the target becomes poisoned, ignoring
immunity, for 1d4 rounds. You automatically switch to a different form when you end
your stance this way.
• Crane Style: The Crane Style emphasizes rapidity and range, and does not rely on strength or
doing a great deal of damage for blows.
o Crane Spreads Her Wings: While you are in this stance, your attacks have an
additional +1 to hit. This increases at 5th level (+2), 11th level (+3), and 17th level
(+4)
 o Crane Balances Gracefully: You spend 1 ki point to gain the following benefits for one
minute: your melee attack range increases to 10ft; on your next hit, the target must
succeed on a Strength saving throw or be knocked back 15 ft, landing prone; and you
become immune to the prone condition. These benefits end if you leave the Crane
Style.
o Crane Dives for Fish: You spend 2 ki points to gain an additional round of attacks, as
with the Action Surge feature. Your damage die decreases as a result. At 3rd level,
your unarmed strikes do a flat 1+DEX damage. At 5th level, your damage
die decreases to 1d4, and it decreases incrementally at 11th level (1d6), and 17th
(1d8).
o Crane Kicks: You can spend 3 ki points to end this stance early. As an action, you
kick out a wave of force, in a line 5ft wide and 30ft long, dealing 2d6 force damage
and forcing a Dexterity saving thrown. On a failed save, each affected creature
makes all attacks until the end of your next turn with disadvantage. You
automatically switch to a different stance when you end your stance this way.

Tiger Style
Tiger Style

Third Form
At 6th level, you learn one of two new styles: Monkey Style or Bear Style.

Monkey Style. Monkey Style emphasizes quick movement and mobility.

• Monkey Swings Effortlessly: While you are in this stance, you do not provoke opportunity
attacks. Additionally, your movement speed increases by 10ft, and you gain +1 to attacks
made after moving to a target you were not currently engaged in combat with.
• Monkey’s Swift Hands: Whenever you spend 1 ki point for Flurry of Blows, you are granted an
extra attack, provided you move to a target you were not currently engaged in combat with.
• Monkey Tumbles: You can spend 2 ki points to take the Dodge action as a free action.
• Monkey Leaps: As an action, you can spend 3 ki points to end this stance early. When you do
so, make your next melee attack at advantage. If this attack hits, you kick the target for 2d6
additional damage and immediately launch yourself up to 30ft toward another
creature. Make an additional attack against that creature at advantage.

Bear Style. Bear Style grapples opponents to incapacitate them.

• Bear’s Strength: While you are in this stance, your Strength score becomes equal to your
Dexterity score, and you gain proficiency in Athletics. If you already have proficiency, you
gain double proficiency. Any creature grappled by you also becomes restrained.
• Bear Crushes Prey: You spend 1 ki point to deal 2d6 bludgeoning damage to a creature you
are grappling.
• Bear Tosses Fish: As an action, you spend 2 ki points to roll a contested Strength (Athletics)
check against a creature you are grappling. If you win this contested check, you throw the
grappled creature up to 40 ft in any direction you choose.
• Bear Mangles Bone: As an action, you can spend 3 ki points to end this stance early. When
you do so, you slam a currently grappled creature to the ground, it lands prone and becomes
stunned until the end of your next turn.
Fourth Form
Beginning at 11th level, you can learn one of two new stances: Dragon Form or Phoenix Form.

• Dragon Style: The Dragon Style focuses on heartiness and resilience.

o Dragon’s Luck: Assuming this Form grants you +2 AC, and +1 to saving throws.
o Scale of the Dragon: You gain 10 temporary HP at the end of each turn you spend in
Dragon Form
o Dragon’s Resilience: You spend 2 ki points to gain resistance to one of the following:
bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage, along with one damage of your choice:
fire, cold, lightning, acid, or poison, until this stance ends.
o Dragon Takes Vengeance: You spend 4 ki points to end this stance early and
cast Fireball, centered on yourself, and choosing which creatures will be affected.
Additionally, You can choose the type of damage the spell does: fire, cold, lightning,
acid, or poison. You immediately assume another known stance of your choice when
ending your stance in this way.
• Phoenix Style: The Phoenix Style focuses on self-sacrifice for explosive damage.
o Phoenix Ruffles Flaming Feathers: Assuming this Form costs 5hp and
casts Investiture of Flame on yourself. You have advantage on concentration checks
to maintain the spell.
o Phoenix Fire Strike: You spend 2 ki points to add 1d6 fire damage to your attacks for
the next round. You can spend an additional 10hp to increase this damage to 2d6.
o Phoenix Ignites Her Way: You spend 4 ki points to end this stance early and become
flame, moving 30ft in any direction you choose. Any creature in your path of
movement takes 5d8 fire damage. You can spend an additional 20 hitpoints to
increase this damage to 8d8. You immediately assume another known stance of
your choice when ending your stance in this way.

The saving throw DC for all spell effects equals 8 + your Wisdom modifier + your proficiency bonus.

Fourth Form

• Dragon Style: The Dragon Style focuses on heartiness and resilience.

o Dragon’s Luck: Assuming this Form grants you +2 AC, and +1 to saving throws.
o Scale of the Dragon: You gain 10 temporary HP at the end of each turn you spend in
Dragon Form
o Dragon’s Resilience: You spend 2 ki points to gain resistance to one of the following:
bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage, along with one damage of your choice:
fire, cold, lightning, acid, or poison, until this stance ends.
o Dragon Takes Vengeance: You spend 4 ki points to end this stance early and
cast Fireball, centered on yourself, and choosing which creatures will be affected.
Additionally, You can choose the type of damage the spell does: fire, cold, lightning,
acid, or poison. You immediately assume another known stance of your choice when
ending your stance in this way.
• Phoenix Style: The Phoenix Style focuses on self-sacrifice for explosive damage.
o Phoenix Ruffles Flaming Feathers: Assuming this Form costs 5hp and
casts Investiture of Flame on yourself. You have advantage on concentration checks
to maintain the spell.
 o Phoenix Fire Strike: You spend 2 ki points to add 1d6 fire damage to your attacks for
the next round. You can spend an additional 10hp to increase this damage to 2d6.
o Phoenix Ignites Her Way: You spend 4 ki points to end this stance early and become
flame, moving 30ft in any direction you choose. Any creature in your path of
movement takes 5d8 fire damage. You can spend an additional 20 hitpoints to
increase this damage to 8d8. You immediately assume another known stance of
your choice when ending your stance in this way.

The saving throw DC for all spell effects equals 8 + your Wisdom modifier + your proficiency bonus.

Form Breaker
At 17th level, you have mastered Kung Fu such that you can assume two stances simultaneously,
gaining the benefits of both. Additionally, you can now perform a finishing move. When you hit a
creature with an unarmed strike, you can spend 10 ki points to perform this finishing move. The
move depends on your current stance(s).

Tiger Form Finisher: You strike a creature with tremendous force. Your hit does an additional 8d10
force damage. You can increase this damage with additional ki points, dealing another 1d10 force
damage per ki point. After performing this finisher, you instantly switch to another stance of your
choice.

Snake Form Finisher: You strike a creature with inhuman precision. The creature automatically fails
the next saving throw of your choice and becomes poisoned for 1 minute, ignoring immunity to the
poisoned condition. After performing this finisher, you instantly switch to another stance of your
choice.

Crane Form Finisher: You cast Steel Wind Strike. Use your normal melee attack (Dexterity) in place of
a melee spell attack. After performing this finisher, you instantly switch to another stance of your
choice.

Monkey Form Finisher: You zip from opponent to opponent, making a melee attack against up to 10
creatures of your choice. You end your turn within five ft of one creature that you attacked. These
rapid attacks give you sudden insight into combat, and you gain the benefits of the Foresight spell
for the next 8 hours. After performing this finisher, you instantly switch to another stance of your
choice.

Bear Form Finisher: You force a grappled opponent to make a Strength saving throw: the DC is
8+Proficiency+Strength. On a failed save, you attempt to break the creature’s spine, dealing 12d10
bludgeoning damage and 3 levels of exhaustion. On a successful save, the creature takes half as
much damage and no levels of exhaustion. A creature reduced to 0 hitpoints by this finisher is
instantly killed as you snap its spine. After performing this finisher, you instantly switch to another
stance of your choice.

Dragon Form Finisher: You cast Fireball at 9th level. You can choose which creatures in range are
affected, along with the damage type: fire, cold, poison, lightning, or acid. You can then move up to
your movement speed and perform 2 additional attacks. After performing this finisher, you instantly
switch to another stance of your choice.
Phoenix Form Finisher: You explode with energy at the additional cost of 25 hitpoints. Each creature
of your choice within 30ft must make a Dexterity saving throw, taking 10d6 fire damage and 10d6
bludgeoning damage on a failed save, or half as much on a successful save. You can choose to
reduce yourself to 1 hitpoint (provided you have at least half your maximum hitpoint total) to make
this damage 20d6 fire and 20d6 bludgeoning. After performing this finisher, you instantly switch to
another stance of your choice.

Form Finisher
Tiger Form Finisher: You strike a creature with tremendous force. Your hit does an additional 8d10
force damage. You can increase this damage with additional ki points, dealing another 1d10 force
damage per ki point. After performing this finisher, you instantly switch to another stance of your
choice.

Snake Form Finisher: You strike a creature with inhuman precision. The creature automatically fails
the next saving throw of your choice and becomes poisoned for 1 minute, ignoring immunity to the
poisoned condition. After performing this finisher, you instantly switch to another stance of your
choice.

Crane Form Finisher: You cast Steel Wind Strike. Use your normal melee attack (Dexterity) in place of
a melee spell attack. After performing this finisher, you instantly switch to another stance of your
choice.

Monkey Form Finisher: You zip from opponent to opponent, making a melee attack against up to 10
creatures of your choice. You end your turn within five ft of one creature that you attacked. These
rapid attacks give you sudden insight into combat, and you gain the benefits of the Foresight spell
for the next 8 hours. After performing this finisher, you instantly switch to another stance of your
choice.

Bear Form Finisher: You force a grappled opponent to make a Strength saving throw: the DC is
8+Proficiency+Strength. On a failed save, you attempt to break the creature’s spine, dealing 12d10
bludgeoning damage and 3 levels of exhaustion. On a successful save, the creature takes half as
much damage and no levels of exhaustion. A creature reduced to 0 hitpoints by this finisher is
instantly killed as you snap its spine. After performing this finisher, you instantly switch to another
stance of your choice.

Dragon Form Finisher: You cast Fireball at 9th level. You can choose which creatures in range are
affected, along with the damage type: fire, cold, poison, lightning, or acid. You can then move up to
your movement speed and perform 2 additional attacks. After performing this finisher, you instantly
switch to another stance of your choice.

Phoenix Form Finisher: You explode with energy at the additional cost of 25 hitpoints. Each creature
of your choice within 30ft must make a Dexterity saving throw, taking 10d6 fire damage and 10d6
bludgeoning damage on a failed save, or half as much on a successful save. You can choose to
reduce yourself to 1 hitpoint (provided you have at least half your maximum hitpoint total) to make
this damage 20d6 fire and 20d6 bludgeoning. After performing this finisher, you instantly switch to
another stance of your choice.