Irda Ranger
First Post
This post has three sections: Design Goals, The Rules, and Balance Discussion
Part I. Design Goals
The design goal for the Way of Clouds monk was to imagine how you could make a monk that recreated the sense of Wuxia movies and the Ninja Gaiden video game. Namely, wire work, jumping absurdly high, and throw just s**tloads of ninja stars at people.
The design for the Leaf of the Wind subclass is fairly straight-forward: What if you had a nature-worshiping wood elf or forest gnome that became a monk instead of a ranger or druid?
Part II. The Rules
New Monastic Traditions
Tradition 1:
The Way of Clouds
The martial heroes of the far east channel their ki to make themelves as light as a cloud and control currents of air that can guide their weapons.
The Path of Stars
Simple Ranged Weapons. Simple ranged weapons are monk weapons for you.
Close-Quarters Firing. Being within 5 feet of a hostile creature doesn’t impose disadvantage on your ranged attack rolls with monk weapons.
The Hidden Path
Wind-guided strike. When you make an attack using a monk weapon with the Thrown property, targeting a creature beyond normal range does not impose disadvantage. You still cannot attack targets further away than long range.
Distracting Illusion. As a bonus action, you create a minor illusion (such as a puff of smoke, a distracting noise, a pile of leaves falling from nowhere, or an unexpected swirl of cherry blossoms, but subject to the same restrictions as in the cantrip spell description) that lasts only a second but allows you to take the Hide or Disengage action as part of the same bonus action.
Light as a Cloud
Starting at 11th level, your unarmored movement continues to improve. You gain the ability to run on air without falling during your turn. You must end your turn on a solid surface. In addition, you gain the ability to move across and stand on natural surfaces (such as bamboo canopies, thin tree branches, or icicles) that normally would not be able to support your weight and these are not difficult terrain for you. You might sway slightly in the breeze, but the natural features will not break.
Starting at 17th level, you can spend 1 ki point to not fall at the end of your turn even if you are standing on a vertical surface, liquid, or air.
Flurry of Stars
At 17th level you gain the ability to make a melee or ranged attack with a monk weapon having the Thrown quality using Flurry of Blows.
Tradition 2:
A Leaf on the Wind
Monks of the forest temple study the ways of nature. They spend time meditating alone in the forest, contemplating the strength of stone, trees, and wind.
Woodland Magic
Starting when you choose this tradition at 3rd level, you can use your ki to duplicate the effects of certain spells. As an action, you can spend 2 ki to cast animal messenger, goodberry, gust of wind, or pass without trace, without providing material components. Additionally you gain the magic stone cantrip if you don’t already have it.
Starting at 6th level you may spend additional ki, up to a total of half your level in the monk class, to cast animal messenger as a higher level spell. The spell is treated as being cast from a spell slot equal to the number of ki spent.
Wind Jump
Starting at 6th level, whenever you fall or if at the end of any jump you are not on a surface you are able to walk on, you can choose to glide as part of your move or any Dash action for that turn. You can choose the direction of your glide if it results from a fall (including a tight downward spiral), but your jump must continue in a straight line. Your glide loses 1 foot of altitude for each 1 foot of forward movement and you take no damage as long as you end your turn on a solid surface. At the end of your turn you fall to the nearest surface if you are not already on one.
Additionally, if you move into a gust of wind effect you can as a bonus action jump in a straight line to the end of the gust of wind without triggering opportunity attacks. If the gust of wind is pointed along the ground you can clear barriers up to 10 feet high and creatures of medium size or less. If the gust of wind is pointed upwards at any angle you travel upwards and outward to the end of the area of effect or until you hit an impassible barrier. Your DM may require an Acrobatics check to navigate narrow openings such as windows or closely-spaced trees. This ability may be used by jumping into a gust of wind originating from you or any other source. If you jump into your own gust of wind, the spell ends when you reach the end of its area of effect.
You must be wearing loose robes, a cloak, or similar item you can hold out to use the above features.
Warding Wind
Starting at 11th level you can conjure a warding wind (as per Xanathar’s Guide to Everything) as a bonus action. Once you use this ability you must complete a long or short rest before you can use it again.
One with the Trees
At 17th level you gain the following features.
Gift of the Sun. You gain all the nourishment you need for the day from 1 hour or exposure to sunlight and fresh air and do not need to eat or drink.
Roots of the Oak. You can no longer be moved against your will.
Whip of the Willow. When you are hit by a melee attack, you can use your reaction to make a melee attack with martial arts or a monk weapon.
Part III. Balance Discussion
The Way of Clouds is the more original of the two new traditions in terms of mechanics. Most monks do not get ranged attacks. I judged that allowing to make simple ranged weapons into monk weapons wasn't too powerful however, as (1) ranged weapons already use DEX, (2) the shortbow does d6, so doesn't benefit from higher damage dice until much later in the game, and (3) if you're using both ranged attacks and martial arts FOB in the same round, then you're spreading out your damage instead of focused fire, a sub-optimal strategy.
However the Kensei already allows the longbow as a monk weapon, and that passed playtest review, so I assume it's balanced. And the Way of Clouds abilities don't even give heightened magic bonuses to damage and to-hit that the Kensei gets.
As for the Lead on the Wind it's basically an adaptation of the shadow monk. He's a bit more well rounded, as the spells he gets have more utility. The Wind Jump is not as good as shadow-teleport, in my opinion. His capstone abilities at 17 (taken all together) might be a little on the strong side compared to other traditions but I don't think it's crazily so. Whip of the Willow will see the most use, while Roots of the Oak is pretty situational and Gift of the Sun is a ribbon in most circumstances.
Part I. Design Goals
The design goal for the Way of Clouds monk was to imagine how you could make a monk that recreated the sense of Wuxia movies and the Ninja Gaiden video game. Namely, wire work, jumping absurdly high, and throw just s**tloads of ninja stars at people.
The design for the Leaf of the Wind subclass is fairly straight-forward: What if you had a nature-worshiping wood elf or forest gnome that became a monk instead of a ranger or druid?
Part II. The Rules
New Monastic Traditions
Tradition 1:
The Way of Clouds
The martial heroes of the far east channel their ki to make themelves as light as a cloud and control currents of air that can guide their weapons.
The Path of Stars
Simple Ranged Weapons. Simple ranged weapons are monk weapons for you.
Close-Quarters Firing. Being within 5 feet of a hostile creature doesn’t impose disadvantage on your ranged attack rolls with monk weapons.
The Hidden Path
Wind-guided strike. When you make an attack using a monk weapon with the Thrown property, targeting a creature beyond normal range does not impose disadvantage. You still cannot attack targets further away than long range.
Distracting Illusion. As a bonus action, you create a minor illusion (such as a puff of smoke, a distracting noise, a pile of leaves falling from nowhere, or an unexpected swirl of cherry blossoms, but subject to the same restrictions as in the cantrip spell description) that lasts only a second but allows you to take the Hide or Disengage action as part of the same bonus action.
Light as a Cloud
Starting at 11th level, your unarmored movement continues to improve. You gain the ability to run on air without falling during your turn. You must end your turn on a solid surface. In addition, you gain the ability to move across and stand on natural surfaces (such as bamboo canopies, thin tree branches, or icicles) that normally would not be able to support your weight and these are not difficult terrain for you. You might sway slightly in the breeze, but the natural features will not break.
Starting at 17th level, you can spend 1 ki point to not fall at the end of your turn even if you are standing on a vertical surface, liquid, or air.
Flurry of Stars
At 17th level you gain the ability to make a melee or ranged attack with a monk weapon having the Thrown quality using Flurry of Blows.
Tradition 2:
A Leaf on the Wind
Monks of the forest temple study the ways of nature. They spend time meditating alone in the forest, contemplating the strength of stone, trees, and wind.
Woodland Magic
Starting when you choose this tradition at 3rd level, you can use your ki to duplicate the effects of certain spells. As an action, you can spend 2 ki to cast animal messenger, goodberry, gust of wind, or pass without trace, without providing material components. Additionally you gain the magic stone cantrip if you don’t already have it.
Starting at 6th level you may spend additional ki, up to a total of half your level in the monk class, to cast animal messenger as a higher level spell. The spell is treated as being cast from a spell slot equal to the number of ki spent.
Wind Jump
Starting at 6th level, whenever you fall or if at the end of any jump you are not on a surface you are able to walk on, you can choose to glide as part of your move or any Dash action for that turn. You can choose the direction of your glide if it results from a fall (including a tight downward spiral), but your jump must continue in a straight line. Your glide loses 1 foot of altitude for each 1 foot of forward movement and you take no damage as long as you end your turn on a solid surface. At the end of your turn you fall to the nearest surface if you are not already on one.
Additionally, if you move into a gust of wind effect you can as a bonus action jump in a straight line to the end of the gust of wind without triggering opportunity attacks. If the gust of wind is pointed along the ground you can clear barriers up to 10 feet high and creatures of medium size or less. If the gust of wind is pointed upwards at any angle you travel upwards and outward to the end of the area of effect or until you hit an impassible barrier. Your DM may require an Acrobatics check to navigate narrow openings such as windows or closely-spaced trees. This ability may be used by jumping into a gust of wind originating from you or any other source. If you jump into your own gust of wind, the spell ends when you reach the end of its area of effect.
You must be wearing loose robes, a cloak, or similar item you can hold out to use the above features.
Warding Wind
Starting at 11th level you can conjure a warding wind (as per Xanathar’s Guide to Everything) as a bonus action. Once you use this ability you must complete a long or short rest before you can use it again.
One with the Trees
At 17th level you gain the following features.
Gift of the Sun. You gain all the nourishment you need for the day from 1 hour or exposure to sunlight and fresh air and do not need to eat or drink.
Roots of the Oak. You can no longer be moved against your will.
Whip of the Willow. When you are hit by a melee attack, you can use your reaction to make a melee attack with martial arts or a monk weapon.
Part III. Balance Discussion
The Way of Clouds is the more original of the two new traditions in terms of mechanics. Most monks do not get ranged attacks. I judged that allowing to make simple ranged weapons into monk weapons wasn't too powerful however, as (1) ranged weapons already use DEX, (2) the shortbow does d6, so doesn't benefit from higher damage dice until much later in the game, and (3) if you're using both ranged attacks and martial arts FOB in the same round, then you're spreading out your damage instead of focused fire, a sub-optimal strategy.
However the Kensei already allows the longbow as a monk weapon, and that passed playtest review, so I assume it's balanced. And the Way of Clouds abilities don't even give heightened magic bonuses to damage and to-hit that the Kensei gets.
As for the Lead on the Wind it's basically an adaptation of the shadow monk. He's a bit more well rounded, as the spells he gets have more utility. The Wind Jump is not as good as shadow-teleport, in my opinion. His capstone abilities at 17 (taken all together) might be a little on the strong side compared to other traditions but I don't think it's crazily so. Whip of the Willow will see the most use, while Roots of the Oak is pretty situational and Gift of the Sun is a ribbon in most circumstances.
