Nifft
Penguin Herder
Disciple of the Elements
When you choose this tradition at 3rd level, you learn magical disciplines that harness the power of the four elements. A discipline requires you to spend ki points each time you use it.
You know the Elemental Attunement discipline and one other elemental discipline of your choice, which are detailed in the “Elemental Disciplines” section below. You learn one additional elemental discipline of your choice at 6th, 11th, and 17th level.
Whenever you learn a new elemental discipline, you can also replace one elemental discipline that you already know with a different discipline.
Spellcasting
A Disciple of the Elements Monk is a spell caster, and can attune Elemental-themed spell casting items such as a Ring of Elemental Command, a Staff of Fire, or a Wand of Lightning Bolts. If an attuned magic item allows you to cast a spell which is on your list of elemental spells (below), you may spend ki points instead of item charges to cast that spell. This costs the same number of ki points as casting the spell normally would cost.
Calculate your spell DC as though you were a Cleric or Druid, using your Wisdom modifier and your Proficiency bonus.
Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier.
Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier.
Casting Elemental Spells
You can cast some elemental spells using ki points. Some disciplines will teach you a spell, but if you know any of the elemental spells through another class feature, you can cast them as well. When you cast a spell using ki points, you don't expend a spell slot, and you don't need to provide material components.
Once you reach 5th level in this class, you can spend additional ki points to increase the level of an elemental discipline spell that you cast, provided that the spell has an enhanced effect at a higher level, as burning hands does. The spell's level increases by 1 for each additional ki point you spend. For example, if you are a 5th-level monk and use Sweeping Cinder Strike to cast burning hands, you can spend 3 ki points to cast it as a 2nd-level spell (the discipline’s base cost of 2 ki points plus 1).
The maximum number of ki points you can spend to cast a spell in this way (including its base ki point cost and any additional ki points you spend to increase its level) is determined by your monk level, as shown in the Spells and Ki Points table.
Spells and Ki Points
Elemental Disciplines
Elemental Attunement (free)
You can use your action to briefly control elemental forces nearby, causing one of the following effects of your choice:
- Create a harmless, instantaneous sensory effect related to air, earth, fire, or water, such as a shower of sparks, a puff of wind, a spray of light mist, or a gentle rumbling of stone.
- Instantaneously light or snuff out a candle, a torch, or a small campfire.
- Chill or warm up to 1 pound of nonliving material for up to 1 hour.
- Cause earth, fire, water, or mist that can fit within a 1-foot cube to shape itself into a crude form you designate for 1 minute.
Elemental Spell Lore
Learn two spells from the list (above). You must be high enough level to cast these spells using ki points. You my choose this discipline multiple times, learning two different spells each time. If you replace this discipline, then you lose access to the two spells which it granted you, unless you know them through another source.
Fangs of the Fire Snake
When you use the Attack action on your turn, you can spend 1 ki point to cause tendrils of flame to stretch out from your fists and feet. Your reach with your unarmed strikes increases by 10 feet for that action, as well as the rest of the turn.
A hit with such an attack deals fire damage instead of bludgeoning damage, and if you spend 1 ki point when the attack hits, it also deals an extra 1d10 fire damage.
Fist of Unbroken Air
You can create a blast of compressed air that strikes like a mighty fist. As an action, you can spend 2 ki points and choose a creature within 30 feet of you. That creature must make a Strength saving throw. On a failed save, the creature takes 3d10 bludgeoning damage, plus an extra 1d10 bludgeoning damage for each additional ki point you spend, and you can push the creature up to 20 feet away from you and knock it prone. On a successful save, the creature takes half as much damage, and you don’t push it or knock it prone.
Shape the Flowing River
As an action, you can spend 1 ki point to choose an area of ice or water no larger than 30 feet on a side within 120 feet of you. You can change water to ice within the area and vice versa, and you can reshape ice in the area in any manner you choose. You can raise or lower the ice’s elevation, create or fill in a trench, erect or flatten a wall, or form a pillar. The extent of any such changes can’t exceed half the area’s largest dimension. For example, if you affect a 30-foot square, you can create a pillar up to 15 feet high, raise or lower the square’s elevation by up to 15 feet, dig a trench up to 15 feet deep, and so on. You can’t shape the ice to trap or injure a creature in the area.
Water Whip
You can spend 2 ki points as a bonus action to create a whip of water that shoves and pulls a creature to unbalance it. A creature that you can see that is within 30 feet of you must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, the creature takes 3d10 bludgeoning damage, plus an extra 1d10 bludgeoning damage for each additional ki point you spend, and you can either knock it prone or pull it up to 25 feet closer to you. On a successful save, the creature takes half as much damage, and you don’t pull it or knock it prone.
This re-write is intended to solve several issues with the published 5e Monk:
- Poor multi-classing. This allows an Elemental Monk to benefit from multiclassing with a spellcasting class, especially one with elemental spells.
- Class abilities not usable when you get them. Several of the Monk's spells were too high-cost to be used at the level when you get them (e.g.: Stoneskin can be acquired at level 11, but costs 5 ki points to cast, and you can't spend 5 ki points until level 13).
- Rules clarity. If a core Monk casts Burning Hands, what's the spell's save DC?
When you choose this tradition at 3rd level, you learn magical disciplines that harness the power of the four elements. A discipline requires you to spend ki points each time you use it.
You know the Elemental Attunement discipline and one other elemental discipline of your choice, which are detailed in the “Elemental Disciplines” section below. You learn one additional elemental discipline of your choice at 6th, 11th, and 17th level.
Whenever you learn a new elemental discipline, you can also replace one elemental discipline that you already know with a different discipline.
Spellcasting
A Disciple of the Elements Monk is a spell caster, and can attune Elemental-themed spell casting items such as a Ring of Elemental Command, a Staff of Fire, or a Wand of Lightning Bolts. If an attuned magic item allows you to cast a spell which is on your list of elemental spells (below), you may spend ki points instead of item charges to cast that spell. This costs the same number of ki points as casting the spell normally would cost.
Calculate your spell DC as though you were a Cleric or Druid, using your Wisdom modifier and your Proficiency bonus.
Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier.
Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier.
Casting Elemental Spells
You can cast some elemental spells using ki points. Some disciplines will teach you a spell, but if you know any of the elemental spells through another class feature, you can cast them as well. When you cast a spell using ki points, you don't expend a spell slot, and you don't need to provide material components.
Once you reach 5th level in this class, you can spend additional ki points to increase the level of an elemental discipline spell that you cast, provided that the spell has an enhanced effect at a higher level, as burning hands does. The spell's level increases by 1 for each additional ki point you spend. For example, if you are a 5th-level monk and use Sweeping Cinder Strike to cast burning hands, you can spend 3 ki points to cast it as a 2nd-level spell (the discipline’s base cost of 2 ki points plus 1).
The maximum number of ki points you can spend to cast a spell in this way (including its base ki point cost and any additional ki points you spend to increase its level) is determined by your monk level, as shown in the Spells and Ki Points table.
Spells and Ki Points
| Spell Name | Level | Ki Point Cost |
| Burning Hands | 1 | 2 |
| Thunderwave | 1 | 2 |
| Gust of Wind | 1 | 2 |
| Shatter | 2 | 3 (requires level 5) |
| Hold Person | 2 | 3 (requires level 5) |
| Fireball | 3 | 4 (requires level 9) |
| Lightning Bolt | 3 | 4 (requires level 9) |
| Fly (self only) | 3 | 4 (requires level 9) |
| Gaseous Form (self only) | 3 | 4 (requires level 9) |
| Stoneskin (self only) | 4 | 5 (requires level 13) |
| Wall of Fire | 4 | 5 (requires level 13) |
| Cone of Cold | 5 | 6 (requires level 17) |
| Wall of Stone | 5 | 6 (requires level 17) |
| Monk Levels — | Max Ki Spent per Spell |
| 3rd—4th | 2 points (1st level spell slot) |
| 5th—8th | 3 points (2nd level spell slot) |
| 9th—12th | 4 points (3rd level spell slot) |
| 13th—16th | 5 points (4th level spell slot) |
| 17th—20th | 6 points (5th level spell slot) |
Elemental Disciplines
Elemental Attunement (free)
You can use your action to briefly control elemental forces nearby, causing one of the following effects of your choice:
- Create a harmless, instantaneous sensory effect related to air, earth, fire, or water, such as a shower of sparks, a puff of wind, a spray of light mist, or a gentle rumbling of stone.
- Instantaneously light or snuff out a candle, a torch, or a small campfire.
- Chill or warm up to 1 pound of nonliving material for up to 1 hour.
- Cause earth, fire, water, or mist that can fit within a 1-foot cube to shape itself into a crude form you designate for 1 minute.
Elemental Spell Lore
Learn two spells from the list (above). You must be high enough level to cast these spells using ki points. You my choose this discipline multiple times, learning two different spells each time. If you replace this discipline, then you lose access to the two spells which it granted you, unless you know them through another source.
Fangs of the Fire Snake
When you use the Attack action on your turn, you can spend 1 ki point to cause tendrils of flame to stretch out from your fists and feet. Your reach with your unarmed strikes increases by 10 feet for that action, as well as the rest of the turn.
A hit with such an attack deals fire damage instead of bludgeoning damage, and if you spend 1 ki point when the attack hits, it also deals an extra 1d10 fire damage.
Fist of Unbroken Air
You can create a blast of compressed air that strikes like a mighty fist. As an action, you can spend 2 ki points and choose a creature within 30 feet of you. That creature must make a Strength saving throw. On a failed save, the creature takes 3d10 bludgeoning damage, plus an extra 1d10 bludgeoning damage for each additional ki point you spend, and you can push the creature up to 20 feet away from you and knock it prone. On a successful save, the creature takes half as much damage, and you don’t push it or knock it prone.
Shape the Flowing River
As an action, you can spend 1 ki point to choose an area of ice or water no larger than 30 feet on a side within 120 feet of you. You can change water to ice within the area and vice versa, and you can reshape ice in the area in any manner you choose. You can raise or lower the ice’s elevation, create or fill in a trench, erect or flatten a wall, or form a pillar. The extent of any such changes can’t exceed half the area’s largest dimension. For example, if you affect a 30-foot square, you can create a pillar up to 15 feet high, raise or lower the square’s elevation by up to 15 feet, dig a trench up to 15 feet deep, and so on. You can’t shape the ice to trap or injure a creature in the area.
Water Whip
You can spend 2 ki points as a bonus action to create a whip of water that shoves and pulls a creature to unbalance it. A creature that you can see that is within 30 feet of you must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, the creature takes 3d10 bludgeoning damage, plus an extra 1d10 bludgeoning damage for each additional ki point you spend, and you can either knock it prone or pull it up to 25 feet closer to you. On a successful save, the creature takes half as much damage, and you don’t pull it or knock it prone.
This re-write is intended to solve several issues with the published 5e Monk:
- Poor multi-classing. This allows an Elemental Monk to benefit from multiclassing with a spellcasting class, especially one with elemental spells.
- Class abilities not usable when you get them. Several of the Monk's spells were too high-cost to be used at the level when you get them (e.g.: Stoneskin can be acquired at level 11, but costs 5 ki points to cast, and you can't spend 5 ki points until level 13).
- Rules clarity. If a core Monk casts Burning Hands, what's the spell's save DC?
