So in recent threads, the notion of a Monk that used "stances" to gain access to their abilities, instead of constantly spending KI, had some interest. So I put together a monk that uses that mechanic in combination with some of the other cleanup I've wanted to do at high levels with the class.
The main goals of this alternate class are:
Stalker0's Stance Based Alternate Monk
*Abilities that were added or adjusted are bolded
Unarmored Defense: AC = 11 + Dex (or Wis) + Prof Bonus
Designer’s Note: I removed the secondary ability dependence to give Monk's more freedom in their stat choices. They now start with the same AC as light armor wielders, with some light scaling
Martial Arts (changes noted below)
You gain the following benefits while you are unarmed or wielding only monk Weapons and you aren'twearing armor or wielding a Shield.
You can roll ad4 d8 in place of the normal damage of your Unarmed Strike or monk weapon. (New) At 17th level, this damage increases to a d10. An attack from a bonus action instead uses the Martial Arts table to determine the damage.
Designer’s Note: Right now, a Monk with a quarterstaff does a d8 at first level, so any monk with a hint of optimization is going to use a quarterstaff, which is much too limiting. Now, a monk can do what he was supposed to do… real unarmed damage. If he wants to use a short sword for flavor, or because its got some cool magic bonus, go for it…because it will do actual good damage. Note that this Monk does the same damage as the current Monk if a quarterstaff is used; it’s just adding flexibility, not power. Further, we have removed the silly restriction on armor. If a monk wants to pay for the proficiencies of getting armor, than let them enjoy their armor! A wizard can do it, why not a monk?
KI
Just noting the KI table has been adjusted to account for the new model.
Stances (New)
The monk is a master of martial form, and can adopt various stances, to gain certain abilities. The monk knows 3 stances which are shown below. After a rest, the Monk may assume a stance, and stays in that stance until another rest or the stance is changed. The Monk may spend 1 KI to change his stance, but cannot change it again until the start of his next turn.
Fast Movement (changes noted below)
Starting at 2nd Level, your speed increases by 10feet while you are not wearing armor or wielding a Shield. (New) If you are slowed down by encumbrance or heavy armor, reduce the bonus by 5ft
Designer’s Note: Again our goal here is to remove the needless restriction against armor in the class. There is nothing game breaking about a monk in full plate moving really quickly; after all he has had to pay a lot for the privilege of wearing it. We are making some consideration that if the monk is slowed down this should affect his fast movement, but not eliminate it
Deflect Missiles (changes noted below)
If you catch a missile in this way, you canspend 1 ki point to make a ranged Attack (range 20 feet/60 feet) with the weapon or piece of Ammunition you just caught, as part of the same Reaction. (New) If you spend 1 KI, you do not have to spend a reaction to use this ability.
Designer’s Note: This is a cool feature of the monk, and no need to spend their special resources on this. Monks are just good against archers, that’s a nice niche for them
Stunning Strike (Changes noted below)
When you hit another creature with a melee weapon Attack, you canspend 1 ki point to attempt a Stunning Strike. The target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or be Stunned until the end of your next turn. (New) You cannot use this ability again until the start of your next turn.
Designer’s Note: We had to adjust for the lesser KI pool, and the goal is to reduce the monk’s reliance on this ability in favor of other talents. On the one hand, he can attempt a stunning strike each round, which is quite good, but he can no longer spam multiple stun attempts a round…which was ultimately the real power of the ability.
Walk in the Heavens (New)
While in Wind Stance, you may treat liquids as a solid surface. If you spend 1 KI, you gain a fly speed equal to your speed until the start of your next turn.
Designer’s Note: So we are at the level where we can start pushing the Monk into cooler more high level abilities. This lets us mimic the incredible jumping prowess of many monks of legend, and really adds to the monk’s mobility
Fist of the Inferno (New)
While in Fire Stance, add +2 damage to all attacks made using Martial Arts
Designer’s Note: Complaints about Monk DPS are usually geared at 11+ level when the extra attacks from TWF stop scaling. This is a quick and easy way to touch up the Monk’s damage…but only if he committed to it using Fire Stance.
Tongue of the Sun and Moon (New)
You can communicate with any creature that knows a language. If you spend 1 KI, for 1 minute when the creature talks to you, it is under the effects of a Zone of Truth (no save).
Designer’s Note: Again, in terms of a 13th level ability, this isn’t that strong (casters have been able to do this since 3rd). But the fact that it simply works, no save, makes it special and interesting.
Dance of the Formless (New)
While in Water Stance, you have the benefit of a Freedom of Movement spell.
Designer’s Note: Now we are getting into some high level abilities. While spellcasters have had this ability since 7th level, we are giving the Monk a super version of it that is always on, as long as they are in the stance.
Timeless Body (changes noted below)
You no longer need food, water or air. Your body does not die of old age. (New) If you die, and receive healing within 1 minute of your death, you can return to life as if given the Revivify spell.
Designer’s Note: This ability before was complete fluff, which is not what we need at 15th level. First, removing Air is a cool ability (though still mostly fluff at this level). However, now the Monk can recover easily from even death, which is a cool and crunchy power.
Empty Body (changes noted below)
Beginning at 18th level, you can use your action to spend4 ki 2ki points to become Invisible for 1 minute. During that time, you also have Resistance to all damage but force damage. Additionally, you can spend 8 ki 4ki points to cast the Astral Projection spell, without needing material Components. When you do so, you can't take any other creatures with you.
Designer’s Note: we are simply adjusting the ability for the smaller KI pool, no actual change here.
Stance of Self (New)
At 19th level, the Monk has perfected his art to the point where it is now an innate part of him. You are no longer limited on how often you can switch stances, and switching stances no longer requires KI.
Perfect Self
At 20th level, the Monk can move faster than any other being. You have a second bonus action and a second reaction.
Designer’s Note: I always believe in making Capstones pop, and the old Monk capstone was quite lame. With this one, the Monk has gained something special in the form of extra bonus actions and reactions. This gives you an incredible amount of power and flexibility, but it is 20th level after all.
The main goals of this alternate class are:
- The Monk now unlocks his core abilities with "Stances". A monk can use a limited set of his abilities at-will, as long as stays within the stance.
- Ki is primarily used in the switching of stances, and to power secondary abilities. As such, KI has been reduced for the class.
- Core abilities were adjusted to give the monk were flexibility in build. This monk is no longer strictly reliant on high wisdom and dex to function. Further, this monk is no longer so heavily restricted against armor, a monk that finds a way to gain armor can use them and still get their monk benefits. Finally, the monk's martial arts has been adjusted so that the monk can still do good damage with weapons other than a quarterstaff.
- The monk's high level abilities were upgraded to better scale to the expectations of high level characters.
Stalker0's Stance Based Alternate Monk
*Abilities that were added or adjusted are bolded
Level | Prof Bonus | Martial Arts | Ki | Fast Movement | Features |
1st | +2 | 1d4 | — | — | Unarmored Defense, Martial Arts |
2nd | +2 | 1d4 | 2 | +10 ft. | Ki, Stances, Fast Movement |
3rd | +2 | 1d4 | 2 | +10 ft. | Monastic Tradition, Deflect Missiles |
4th | +2 | 1d4 | 2 | +10 ft. | Ability Score Improvement, Slow Fall |
5th | +3 | 1d6 | 3 | +10 ft. | Extra Attack, Stunning Strike |
6th | +3 | 1d6 | 3 | +15 ft. | Ki-Empowered Strikes, Monastic Tradition feature |
7th | +3 | 1d6 | 3 | +15 ft. | Evasion, Stillness of Mind |
8th | +3 | 1d6 | 4 | +15 ft. | Ability Score Improvement |
9th | +4 | 1d6 | 4 | +15 ft. | Walk in the Heavens |
10th | +4 | 1d6 | 4 | +20 ft. | Purity of Body |
11th | +4 | 1d8 | 5 | +20 ft. | Monastic Tradition feature, Fist of the Inferno |
12th | +4 | 1d8 | 5 | +20 ft. | Ability Score Improvement |
13th | +5 | 1d8 | 5 | +20 ft. | Tongue of the Sun and Moon, Dance of the Formless |
14th | +5 | 1d8 | 6 | +25 ft. | Diamond Soul |
15th | +5 | 1d8 | 6 | +25 ft. | Timeless Body |
16th | +5 | 1d8 | 6 | +25 ft. | Ability Score Improvement |
17th | +6 | 1d10 | 7 | +25 ft. | Monastic Tradition feature |
18th | +6 | 1d10 | 7 | +30 ft. | Empty Body |
19th | +6 | 1d10 | 7 | +30 ft. | Ability Score Improvement, Stance of Self |
20th | +6 | 1d10 | 8 | +30 ft. | Perfect Self |
Unarmored Defense: AC = 11 + Dex (or Wis) + Prof Bonus
Designer’s Note: I removed the secondary ability dependence to give Monk's more freedom in their stat choices. They now start with the same AC as light armor wielders, with some light scaling
Martial Arts (changes noted below)
You gain the following benefits while you are unarmed or wielding only monk Weapons and you aren't
You can roll a
Designer’s Note: Right now, a Monk with a quarterstaff does a d8 at first level, so any monk with a hint of optimization is going to use a quarterstaff, which is much too limiting. Now, a monk can do what he was supposed to do… real unarmed damage. If he wants to use a short sword for flavor, or because its got some cool magic bonus, go for it…because it will do actual good damage. Note that this Monk does the same damage as the current Monk if a quarterstaff is used; it’s just adding flexibility, not power. Further, we have removed the silly restriction on armor. If a monk wants to pay for the proficiencies of getting armor, than let them enjoy their armor! A wizard can do it, why not a monk?
KI
Just noting the KI table has been adjusted to account for the new model.
Stances (New)
The monk is a master of martial form, and can adopt various stances, to gain certain abilities. The monk knows 3 stances which are shown below. After a rest, the Monk may assume a stance, and stays in that stance until another rest or the stance is changed. The Monk may spend 1 KI to change his stance, but cannot change it again until the start of his next turn.
- Fire: When using the bonus action attack from Martial Arts, you gain 2 attacks instead of 1.
- Water: As long as you are conscious, you have advantage on reflex saving throws, and attacks against you are made with disadvantage.
- Wind: Your jumping distance is doubled. You may spend a bonus action to take the Disengage or Dash action, or may perform both by spending 1 KI.
Fast Movement (changes noted below)
Starting at 2nd Level, your speed increases by 10
Designer’s Note: Again our goal here is to remove the needless restriction against armor in the class. There is nothing game breaking about a monk in full plate moving really quickly; after all he has had to pay a lot for the privilege of wearing it. We are making some consideration that if the monk is slowed down this should affect his fast movement, but not eliminate it
Deflect Missiles (changes noted below)
If you catch a missile in this way, you can
Designer’s Note: This is a cool feature of the monk, and no need to spend their special resources on this. Monks are just good against archers, that’s a nice niche for them
Stunning Strike (Changes noted below)
When you hit another creature with a melee weapon Attack, you can
Designer’s Note: We had to adjust for the lesser KI pool, and the goal is to reduce the monk’s reliance on this ability in favor of other talents. On the one hand, he can attempt a stunning strike each round, which is quite good, but he can no longer spam multiple stun attempts a round…which was ultimately the real power of the ability.
Walk in the Heavens (New)
While in Wind Stance, you may treat liquids as a solid surface. If you spend 1 KI, you gain a fly speed equal to your speed until the start of your next turn.
Designer’s Note: So we are at the level where we can start pushing the Monk into cooler more high level abilities. This lets us mimic the incredible jumping prowess of many monks of legend, and really adds to the monk’s mobility
Fist of the Inferno (New)
While in Fire Stance, add +2 damage to all attacks made using Martial Arts
Designer’s Note: Complaints about Monk DPS are usually geared at 11+ level when the extra attacks from TWF stop scaling. This is a quick and easy way to touch up the Monk’s damage…but only if he committed to it using Fire Stance.
Tongue of the Sun and Moon (New)
You can communicate with any creature that knows a language. If you spend 1 KI, for 1 minute when the creature talks to you, it is under the effects of a Zone of Truth (no save).
Designer’s Note: Again, in terms of a 13th level ability, this isn’t that strong (casters have been able to do this since 3rd). But the fact that it simply works, no save, makes it special and interesting.
Dance of the Formless (New)
While in Water Stance, you have the benefit of a Freedom of Movement spell.
Designer’s Note: Now we are getting into some high level abilities. While spellcasters have had this ability since 7th level, we are giving the Monk a super version of it that is always on, as long as they are in the stance.
Timeless Body (changes noted below)
You no longer need food, water or air. Your body does not die of old age. (New) If you die, and receive healing within 1 minute of your death, you can return to life as if given the Revivify spell.
Designer’s Note: This ability before was complete fluff, which is not what we need at 15th level. First, removing Air is a cool ability (though still mostly fluff at this level). However, now the Monk can recover easily from even death, which is a cool and crunchy power.
Empty Body (changes noted below)
Beginning at 18th level, you can use your action to spend
Designer’s Note: we are simply adjusting the ability for the smaller KI pool, no actual change here.
Stance of Self (New)
At 19th level, the Monk has perfected his art to the point where it is now an innate part of him. You are no longer limited on how often you can switch stances, and switching stances no longer requires KI.
Perfect Self
At 20th level, the Monk can move faster than any other being. You have a second bonus action and a second reaction.
Designer’s Note: I always believe in making Capstones pop, and the old Monk capstone was quite lame. With this one, the Monk has gained something special in the form of extra bonus actions and reactions. This gives you an incredible amount of power and flexibility, but it is 20th level after all.
, but overall I like the idea of this a lot.
Part of the reason I used the elemental types is that I was thinking of updated the 4 elements monk to this model, and so I could naturally connect the stances to elemental effects.
