The Monk Class [v0.
8]
Her fists a blur as they deflect an incoming hail of
arrows, a half-elf springs over a barricade and throws
herself into the massed ranks of hobgoblins on the other
side. She whirls among them, knocking their blows
aside and sending them reeling, until at last she stands
alone.
Taking a deep breath, a human covered in tattoos
settles into a battle stance. As the first charging orcs
reach him, he exhales and a blast of fire roars from his
mouth, engulfing his foes.
Moving with the silence of the night, a black-clad
halfling steps into a shadow beneath an arch and
emerges from another inky shadow on a balcony a
stone’s throw away. She slides her blade free of its
cloth-wrapped scabbard and peers through the open
window at the tyrant prince, so vulnerable in the grip of
sleep.
Whatever their discipline, monks are united in their
ability to magically harness the energy that flows in
their bodies. Whether channeled as a striking display of
combat prowess or a subtler focus of defensive ability
and speed, this energy infuses all that a monk does.
The Magic of Ki
Monks make careful study of a magical energy that
most monastic traditions call ki. This energy is an
element of the magic that suffuses the multiverse—
specifically, the element that flows through living
bodies. Monks harness this power within themselves to
create magical effects and exceed their bodies’ physical
capabilities, and some of their special attacks can
hinder the flow of ki in their opponents. Using this
energy, monks channel uncanny speed and strength into
their unarmed strikes. As they gain experience, their
martial training and their mastery of ki gives them more
power over their bodies and the bodies of their foes.
830E45
Training and Asceticism
Small walled cloisters dot the landscapes of the worlds
of D&D, tiny refuges from the flow of ordinary life,
where time seems to stand still. The monks who live
there seek personal perfection through contemplation
and rigorous training. Many entered the monastery as
children, sent to live there when their parents died,
when food couldn’t be found to support them, or in
return for some kindness that the monks had performed
for their families.
Some monks live entirely apart from the surrounding
population, secluded from anything that might impede
their spiritual progress. Others are sworn to isolation,
emerging only to serve as spies or assassins at the
command of their leader, a noble patron, or some other
mortal or divine power.
The majority of monks don’t shun their neighbors,
making frequent visits to nearby towns or villages and
exchanging their service for food and other goods. As
versatile warriors, monks often end up protecting their
neighbors from monsters or tyrants.
For a monk, becoming an adventurer means leaving a
structured, communal lifestyle to become a wanderer.
This can be a harsh transition, and monks don’t
undertake it lightly. Those who leave their cloisters take
their work seriously, approaching their adventures as
personal tests of their physical and spiritual growth. As
a rule, monks care little for material wealth and are
driven by a desire to accomplish a greater mission than
merely slaying monsters and plundering their treasure.
Creating a Monk
As you make your monk character, think about your
connection to the monastery where you learned your
skills and spent your formative years. Were you an
orphan or a child left on the monastery’s threshold? Did
your parents promise you to the monastery in gratitude
for a service performed by the monks? Did you enter
this secluded life to hide from a crime you committed?
Or did you choose the monastic life for yourself?
Consider why you left. Did the head of your
monastery choose you for a particularly important
mission beyond the cloister? Perhaps you were cast out
because of some violation of the community’s rules. Did
you dread leaving, or were you happy to go? Is there
something you hope to accomplish outside the
monastery? Are you eager to return to your home?
As a result of the structured life of a monastic
community and the discipline required to harness ki,
monks are almost always lawful in alignment.
Quick Build:
You can make a monk quickly by following these
suggestions. First, make Dexterity your highest ability score,
followed by Wisdom. Second, choose the hermit background.
Class Features
The Monk
Level Proficiency Bonus Martial Arts Die Ki Unarmored Movement Features Techniques
1st +2 1d6 - - Unarmored Defense, Martial Arts -
2nd +2 1d6 2 +10 ft. Techniques, Ki, Unarmored Movement 2
3rd +2 1d6 3 +10 ft. Flurry of Blows, Monastic Tradition 3
4th +2 1d6 4 +10 ft. Ability Score Improvement 3
5th +3 1d8 5 +10 ft. Monastic Versatility, Extra Attack 4
6th +3 1d8 6 +15 ft. Ki-Empowered Strikes, Monastic Tradition feature 4
7th +3 1d8 7 +15 ft. Evasion 4
8th +3 1d8 8 +15 ft. Ability Score Improvement 5
9th +4 1d8 9 +15 ft. Unarmored Movement improvement 5
10th +4 1d8 10 +20 ft. Purity of Body 5
11th +4 1d10 11 +20 ft. Monastic Tradition feature 6
12th +4 1d10 12 +20 ft. Ability Score Improvement 6
13th +5 1d10 13 +20 ft. Tongue of Sun and Moon 6
14th +5 1d10 14 +25 ft. Diamond Soul 6
15th +5 1d10 15 +25 ft. Timeless Body 6
16th +5 1d10 16 +25 ft. Ability Score Improvement 6
17th +6 1d12 17 +25 ft. Monastic Tradition feature 6
18th +6 1d12 18 +30 ft. Empty Body 7
19th +6 1d12 19 +30 ft. Ability Score Improvement 7
20th +6 1d12 20 +30 ft. Perfect Self 7

Hit Points melee weapons that don’t have the two-handed or heavy
Hit Dice:1d8 per monk level property. You gain the following benefits while you are
8 + your Constitution modifier
Hit Points at 1st Level: unarmed or wielding only monk weapons and you aren’t
Hit Points at Higher Levels:1d8 (or 5) + your wearing heavy armor or wielding a shield:
Constitution modifier per monk level after 1st You can use Dexterity instead of Strength for the
Proficiencies attack and damage rolls of your unarmed strikes and
Armor: None monk weapons.
Weapons: Simple weapons, shortswords You can roll a d6 in place of the normal damage of
Tools: Choose one type of artisan’s tools or one musical your unarmed strike or monk weapon. This die
instrument changes as you gain monk levels, as shown in the
Saving Throws: Strength, Dexterity
Martial Arts die column at the Monk table.
Skills: Choose two from Acrobatics, Athletics, History,
When you use the Attack action with an unarmed
Insight, Religion, and Stealth strike or a monk weapon on your turn, you can make
one unarmed strike as a bonus action.
Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to Techniques
the equipment granted by your background: At 2nd level, your Martial Arts style is reflected by a
(a) a shortsword or (b) any simple weapon number of techniques. You start knowing one technique
(a) a dungeoneer’s pack or (b) an explorer’s pack listed at the end of this document. You learn more
10 darts techniques as you gain levels in this class, as you can
see at the Monk table. Each technique has one use, after
Unarmored Defense that you must finish a short or long rest before you can
use it again. A level prerequisite refers to your level in
Beginning at 1st level, while you are not wearing no this class.
armor and not wielding a shield, your AC equals 10 + Some of your techniques or Monk features requires
your Dexterity modifier + your Wisdom modifier. your target to make a saving throw to resist the effect.
Martial Arts The saving throw DC is calculated as follows:
Martial Arts save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus +
At 1st level, your practice of martial arts gives you your Wisdom modifier
mastery of combat styles that use unarmed strikes and
monk weapons, which are shortswords and any simple
Ki
Starting at 2nd level, your training allows you to
harness the mystic energy of ki, represented by a
number of ki points equal to your monk level. You can
spend these points on some features or to enhance your
techniques, gaining additional benefits noted at the
technique’s description. As a bonus action you can
spend 1 ki point to regain one use of a technique of your
choice, and 2 ki points on techniques that has a level
prerequesite.
As long as you have spent at least 1 ki point within
your turn, you can make one unarmed strike as a bonus
action.
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.
Unarmored Movement
Also 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.
Flurry of Blows
At 3rd level, the speed of your attacks is increased by
your mystical power and puts it beyond its limits.
Immediately after you take the Attack action on your
turn, you can spend 1 ki point to make two attacks made
with unarmed strikes or monk weapon using your
bonus action. Regardless, the damage you deal in each
hit can’t be higher than your Martial Arts die.
You can spend additional ki points on your Flurry of
Blows, up to your Proficiency bonus. For each
additional ki point you spend on your turn, you make an
additional attack using the same rules.
Monastic Tradition
When you reach 3rd level, you commit yourself to a
monastic tradition. Your tradition grants you features at
3rd level and again at 6th, 11th, and 17th level.
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 10th, 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.
Monastic Versatility
At 5th level, you can use your bonus action to forgo one
use of a technique and regain ki points equal to the
same amount you would spend to regain a use. For
example, if you forgo one use of the Stunning Strike
technique, you regain 2 ki points.
Extra Attack
Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of
once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.
Ki-Empowered Strikes
Starting at 6th level, your unarmed strikes count as
magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and
immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.
Evasion
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.
Purity of Body
At 10th level, your mastery of the ki flowing through you
makes you immune to disese and poison.
Tongue of the Sun and Moon
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
Beginning at 14th level, you became an almost
untouchable warrior. You gain proficiency in all saving
throws.
Timeless Body
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
Beginning at 18th level, you can use your action to cast
the astral projection spell, without needing material
components. When you do so, you can’t do it again until
you finish a long rest.
Perfect Self
At 20th level, you’ve mastered the complete balance
between your body, mind and soul. When you roll
initiative and you have less than half your ki points, you
have 10 ki points instead.
Multiclassing Monastic Initiate

If your group uses the optional rule on multiclassing in
the Player’s Handbook (p. 163), here’s what you need to
know if you choose Monk as one of your classes.
Ability Score Minimum. As a multiclass character,
you must have at least a 13 in both Dexterity and
Wisdom to take a level in this class, or to take a level
in another class if you are already a Monk.
Proficiencies. If Monk isn’t your initial class, here
are the proficiencies you gain when you take your
first level as a Monk: simple weapons, shortswords.
Monastic Feats
Inner Strength
Prerequisite: At least 1 psi or ki point
Your body is powered by the inner powers that course
through it. Your maximum psi or ki points (if you have
both, your choice of which) increases by 1. At the end of
your turn after expending one or more psi or ki points
during your turn (not counting temporary or free points,
You entered into communion with a mystical energy
that runs through your body. You gain the following
benefits:
You learn one technique of your choice from the
Monk class that has not prerequesites. Once you use
that technique, you must finish a short or long rest
before you can use it again.
You gain 1 ki point, which you can spend to enhance
that technique or to regain one use of it. Once you
use your ki point it is unavailable until you finish a
short or long rest.
Revision made by:
Sir Castor
Background:
Image by rawpixel.com on Freepik
Fan Content Policy
This work is unofficial Fan Content permitted under the Fan

such as those from Psionic Mastery), you heal for a Content Policy. Not approved/endorsed by Wizards. Portions

number of hit points equal to the psi or ki points spent. of the materials used are property of Wizards of the Coast.
©Wizards of the Coast LLC.

Kibbles’ Content:
The feature above was made for the homebrewer Kibbles
Tasty, and you can find it within the Psion Class document.

Mystical Soul
Prerequesite: At least 1 ki point
You learn one cantrip of your choice from the
Transmutation or Abjuration schools of magic and one
1st-Level spell from the same spell list. Using this feat,
you can cast the 1st-Level spell selected by spending 1
ki point.
In addition, you can spend 1 ki point to cast the
cantrip you selected as a bonus action if it would
normally cost 1 action. Wisdom is your spellcasting
ability for these spells.
Monastic Resilience
Prerequesites: 4th-Level Monk. Cannot have a
Constitution higher than 13.

Your ki sustains your own vitality. You gain the

following benefits, provided you’re not wearing amor or
wielding a shield:
When calculating your Hit Points in the Monk class,
add your Wisdom modifier instead of your
Constitution modifier.
Bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage that you
take from nonmagical attacks is reduced by an
amount equal to your Proficiency bonus.
Techniques
Deflect Missiles
As a reaction, when you’re hit by a ranged weapon
attack, you can reduce the damage of the attack by one
roll of your Martial Arts die + your Dexterity modifier +
your monk level. If you reduce the damage to 0, you
catch the missile.
Ki-Ehanced Effect: If you catch the missile, you can
spend 1 ki point to make a ranged weapon attack with
that missile against a creature of your choice you can
see within 60 feet of you as part of the same reaction.
The missile counts a monk weapon for you.
Focused Aim
Prerequesites: 5th level
As a reaction, when you miss with an attack roll, you
can increase your attack roll by 2, potentially turning the
miss into a hit.
Ki-Ehanced Effect: You can spend ki points on this
technique up to your Proficiency bonus. For each ki
point spent on this technique you increase your attack
roll by 2.
Hardened Soul
As a reaction, when you make a saving throw and fail,
you can roll one Martial Arts die and add the number
rolled to the result, potentially turning the fail into a
sucess.
Ki-Ehanced Effect: You can spend ki points on this
technique up to your Proficiency bonus. For each ki
point spent on this technique you roll one additional
Martial Arts die.
Melee Counter
As a reaction, when you’re hit by a melee weapon
attack, you can reduce the damage of the attack by one
roll of your Martial Arts die + your Dexterity modifier +
your monk level. If you reduce the damage to 0, you
disarm your attacker.
Ki-Ehanced Effect: If you disarm your attacker, you
can spend 1 ki point to make one unarmed strike
against it as part of the same reaction.
Patient Defense
As a bonus action, you can take a defensive stance. Until
the start of your next, all attack rolls against you are
made with disadvantage as long as you can see the
attacker.
Ki-Ehanced Effect: You can spend 1 ki point to make
it a free action instead.
Step of the Wind
As a bonus action, you can move faster than what the
common eye can perceive. Until the end of your current
turn, your movement speed is doubled and it doesn’t
provoke opportunity attacks.
Ki-Ehanced Effect: You can spend 1 ki point to make
it a free action instead.
Slow Fall
As a reaction, when you’re falling, you can reduce any
falling damage you take by an amount equal to five
times your monk level.
Ki-Ehanced Effect: You can spend ki points on this
technique up to your Proficiency bonus. For each ki
point spent on this technique you extend this benefit to
any creature of your choice within 60 feet of you.
Slowing Strike
Prerequesites: 5th level
When you hit another creature with a melee weapon
attack, you can attempt a slowing strike. The target
must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or it suffers
the effects of the slow spell until the start of your next
turn.
Ki-Ehanced Effect: You can spend 1 additional ki
point to extend the duration until the end of your next
turn.
Self Restoration
As an action, roll a Martial Arts die. You regain a
number of hit points equal to the number rolled plus
your proficiency bonus.
Ki-Ehanced Effect: You can spend ki points on this
technique up to your Proficiency bonus. For each ki
point spent on this technique you roll one additional
Martial Arts die.
Stillness of Mind
Prerequesites: 5th level
As a bonus action, you can end one effect on yourself
that is causing you to be charmed or frightened.
Ki-Ehanced Effect: You can spend 1 ki point to make
it a free action instead.
Stunning Strike
Prerequesites: 5th level
Once per turn, when you hit another creature with a
melee weapon attack, you can attempt a stunning strike.
The target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw
or be stunned until the start of your next turn.
Ki-Ehanced Effect: You can spend 1 ki point to extend
the duration until the end of your next turn.
Unwavering Defense
Prerequesites: 5th level
As a bonus action, you put your senses on alert and
prepare for any threat. You gain resistance to all
damage but force damage until the end of your next
turn.
Ki-Ehanced Effect: You can spend 1 ki point to
become invisible in addition to this effect.