Tales and Chronicles
Jewel of the North, formerly know as vincegetorix
It has been said many times, the mink of the 4 elements is lackluster.
Even worst, it fails at emulating the fantasy behind the character's lore, such as the tropey X Bender from Avatar.
OTOH, the Sun Soul is okayish mechanically, and a little niche in themes, BUT their abilities are more evocative.
My idea would be to merge both archetypes in one, allowing the abilities of the Sun Soul to be of a chosen element instead of only Radiant/Fire.
My take is that even with all the features of the Sun Soul added to it, the 4 Elements would not be overpowered.
Way of the Four Elements
You follow a monastic tradition that teaches you to harness the elements. When you focus your ki, you can align yourself with the forces of creation and bend the four elements to your will, using them as an extension of your body. Some members of this tradition dedicate themselves to a single element, but others weave the elements together. The Wu Jen features some of the most devoted monk of the Four Elements. These mystics seek to lock themselves away from the world, denying the limits of the physical world and replacing it with a reality that they create for themselves. These mystics cast their minds into the world, seize control of its fundamental principles, and rebuild it.
3rd Level
Disciple of the Elements
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 **(see note) discipline and one other elemental discipline of your choice. 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.
Elemental Bolt
Starting when you choose this tradition at 3rd level, you can hurl searing bolts of elemental magic.
When you finish a long rest, pick one elemental type from Cold, Fire, Lightning or Magical Bludgeoning. You gain a new attack option that you can use with the Attack action. This special attack is a ranged spell attack with a range of 30 feet. You are proficient with it, you add your Dexterity modifier to its attack and damage rolls, and its damage die is a d4 of the type you chose. This die changes as you gain monk levels, as shown in the Martial Arts column of the Monk table.
When you take the Attack action on your turn and use this special attack as part of it, you can spend 1 ki point to make the special attack twice as a bonus action.
When you gain the Extra Attack feature, this special attack can be used for any of the attacks you make as part of the Attack action.
Primordial Arc Strike
At 6th level, you gain the ability to channel your ki into searing waves of energy. Immediately after you take the Attack action on your turn, you can spend 2 ki points to cast the Burning Hand spell as a bonus action. You can opt to replace the usual fire damage of the spell for the type of damage you chose for your Elemental Bolt feature.
You can spend additional ki points to cast Burning Hand as a higher-level spell. Each additional ki point you spend increases the spell's level by 1. The maximum number of ki points (2 plus any additional points) that you can spend on the spell equals half your monk level.
Elemental Escalation
At 11th level, you gain the ability to create an orb of elemental magic that erupts into a devastating explosion. As an action, you magically create an orb and hurl it at a point you choose within 150 feet, where it erupts into a sphere of energy for a brief but deadly instant.
Each creature in that 20-foot-radius sphere must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or take 2d6 damage of the type you chose for the Elemental bolt feature. A creature doesn't need to make the save if the creature is behind total cover that is opaque.
You can increase the sphere's damage by spending ki points. Each point you spend, to a maximum of 3, increases the damage by 2d6.
Geomantic Shield
At 17th level, you become wreathed in a briliant magical aura. You shed bright light in a 30-foot radius and dim light for an additional 30 feet. You can extinguish or restore the light as a bonus action.
If a creature hits you with a melee attack while this light shines, you can use your reaction to deal damage to the creature. The damage equals 5 + your Wisdom modifier of the type you chose for your Elemental Bolt feature.
**Elemental Attunement would allow, once per short rest, to change the elemental type of Elemental Bolt.
Even worst, it fails at emulating the fantasy behind the character's lore, such as the tropey X Bender from Avatar.
OTOH, the Sun Soul is okayish mechanically, and a little niche in themes, BUT their abilities are more evocative.
My idea would be to merge both archetypes in one, allowing the abilities of the Sun Soul to be of a chosen element instead of only Radiant/Fire.
My take is that even with all the features of the Sun Soul added to it, the 4 Elements would not be overpowered.
Way of the Four Elements
You follow a monastic tradition that teaches you to harness the elements. When you focus your ki, you can align yourself with the forces of creation and bend the four elements to your will, using them as an extension of your body. Some members of this tradition dedicate themselves to a single element, but others weave the elements together. The Wu Jen features some of the most devoted monk of the Four Elements. These mystics seek to lock themselves away from the world, denying the limits of the physical world and replacing it with a reality that they create for themselves. These mystics cast their minds into the world, seize control of its fundamental principles, and rebuild it.
3rd Level
Disciple of the Elements
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 **(see note) discipline and one other elemental discipline of your choice. 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.
Elemental Bolt
Starting when you choose this tradition at 3rd level, you can hurl searing bolts of elemental magic.
When you finish a long rest, pick one elemental type from Cold, Fire, Lightning or Magical Bludgeoning. You gain a new attack option that you can use with the Attack action. This special attack is a ranged spell attack with a range of 30 feet. You are proficient with it, you add your Dexterity modifier to its attack and damage rolls, and its damage die is a d4 of the type you chose. This die changes as you gain monk levels, as shown in the Martial Arts column of the Monk table.
When you take the Attack action on your turn and use this special attack as part of it, you can spend 1 ki point to make the special attack twice as a bonus action.
When you gain the Extra Attack feature, this special attack can be used for any of the attacks you make as part of the Attack action.
Primordial Arc Strike
At 6th level, you gain the ability to channel your ki into searing waves of energy. Immediately after you take the Attack action on your turn, you can spend 2 ki points to cast the Burning Hand spell as a bonus action. You can opt to replace the usual fire damage of the spell for the type of damage you chose for your Elemental Bolt feature.
You can spend additional ki points to cast Burning Hand as a higher-level spell. Each additional ki point you spend increases the spell's level by 1. The maximum number of ki points (2 plus any additional points) that you can spend on the spell equals half your monk level.
Elemental Escalation
At 11th level, you gain the ability to create an orb of elemental magic that erupts into a devastating explosion. As an action, you magically create an orb and hurl it at a point you choose within 150 feet, where it erupts into a sphere of energy for a brief but deadly instant.
Each creature in that 20-foot-radius sphere must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or take 2d6 damage of the type you chose for the Elemental bolt feature. A creature doesn't need to make the save if the creature is behind total cover that is opaque.
You can increase the sphere's damage by spending ki points. Each point you spend, to a maximum of 3, increases the damage by 2d6.
Geomantic Shield
At 17th level, you become wreathed in a briliant magical aura. You shed bright light in a 30-foot radius and dim light for an additional 30 feet. You can extinguish or restore the light as a bonus action.
If a creature hits you with a melee attack while this light shines, you can use your reaction to deal damage to the creature. The damage equals 5 + your Wisdom modifier of the type you chose for your Elemental Bolt feature.
**Elemental Attunement would allow, once per short rest, to change the elemental type of Elemental Bolt.
