Hello, player in question chiming in.
I appreciate the responses, also to those who expressed that the breath weapon ability isn't fair for dragonborn monks- that actually doesn't apply in our case as dragonborn do not exist in our game world (and no this isn't my attempt to create one anyway).
I have a few tweaks of my own to the tradition that we are still debating (in bold):
3rd Level - Dragon Resilience
* Choose/Roll for Dragon Ancestry
* Gain resistance to < chosen dragon type damage >
* As a bonus action, spend 2 ki points to grow dragon scales and gain +2 AC for one hour
* Scales can be dismissed early with a bonus action OR by resting OR if ki points drop to 0
This tweak will pop up a lot as I believe since these draconic powers are in truth physical manifestations of my ki energy that they should not remain if I run out of ki or if I am trying to draw spent ki back inside me during a rest. This also adds a strategic wrinkle to my ki usage.
6th Level - Draconic Claws
* As a bonus action, you can manifest dragon claws on your hands/feet that enhance your unarmed strikes. Unarmed strikes can now deal slashing damage and the martial arts die increases by 1 size for unarmed strikes.
* Once per round, you can expend 2 ki points to add 1d6 < dragon type damage > with your unarmed strikes.
* The claws remain until dismissed with a bonus action OR by resting OR if ki points fall to 0.
11th Level - Dragon Wings
* For your action, you may use 2 ki points, to sprout a pair of dragon wings and tail from your back, gaining a flying speed equal to your current speed. They last until you dismiss them as a bonus action OR by resting OR ki points reach 0.
* As a bonus action, you can expend 2 ki points to unleash a tail attack with a 10ft reach. The attack forces a STR saving throw on the target. Failed save results in 2d10 bludgeoning damage and the target is pushed 10ft back and knocked prone. Successful save only deals half damage.
So major tweaks here. I am getting a 2-for-1 in abilities, so I nerfed them a bit. The Sorcerer's Wings come at free cost, I added a 2 ki cost here due to the addition of the tail. I also made it an action instead of a bonus action. I figure such a dramatic transformation requires a full action. The tail attack is a weaker version of 4E Monk's Fist of Unbroken Air, which has 30ft range, pushes 20ft, and deals 3d10 on failed saves.
17th Level - Draconic Breath
* 5 ki points, uses ki save DC (WIS) instead of CON, deals 6d6 < dragon type damage > in the same size and shape of the dragonborn ability, half damage on successful save.
* On a failed save, the following effect (from the Contagion spell) is applied based on dragon type and remains until target succeeds a ki save DC at the end of its turn.
---Acid: Flesh Rot. The creature's flesh decays. The creature has disadvantage against CHA checks and vulnerable to all damage.
---Cold: Icy Doom. The creature begins to bleed uncontrollably. The creature has disadvantage on CON checks and STs. In addition, whenever the creature takes damage, it is stunned until the end of its turn.
---Fire: Mindfire. The creature's mind becomes feverish. The creature has disadvantage on INT checks and STs, and the creature behaves as if under the effects of the confusion spell during combat.
---Lightning: Seizure. The creature is overcome with shaking. The creature has disadvantage on DEX checks, STs, and attack rolls that use DEX.
---Poison: Filth Fever. A raging fever sweeps through the creature's body. The creature has disadvantage on STR checks, STs, and attack rolls using STR.
The 17th level has been the toughest to devise. My DM and I agree the breath weapon makes the best capstone as it epitomizes the draconic transformation, but as mentioned here it is rather weak damage for the tradition's capstone. But I don't want to go overboard on damage so we focused potential secondary effects. I searched the spell book for spells that would evenly match the different types, and I think Contagion does the trick perfectly. Basically, the monk's bad dragon breath is coughing nasty germs onto the targets. Beautiful! Also since the monk's ki save DC is based of WIS, I left Contagion's WIS effect Blinding Sickness out.
Thanks for reading and what do you think of my reimagining of the Draconic Bloodline Sorcerer into a Monk?
I appreciate the responses, also to those who expressed that the breath weapon ability isn't fair for dragonborn monks- that actually doesn't apply in our case as dragonborn do not exist in our game world (and no this isn't my attempt to create one anyway).
I have a few tweaks of my own to the tradition that we are still debating (in bold):
3rd Level - Dragon Resilience
* Choose/Roll for Dragon Ancestry
* Gain resistance to < chosen dragon type damage >
* As a bonus action, spend 2 ki points to grow dragon scales and gain +2 AC for one hour
* Scales can be dismissed early with a bonus action OR by resting OR if ki points drop to 0
This tweak will pop up a lot as I believe since these draconic powers are in truth physical manifestations of my ki energy that they should not remain if I run out of ki or if I am trying to draw spent ki back inside me during a rest. This also adds a strategic wrinkle to my ki usage.
6th Level - Draconic Claws
* As a bonus action, you can manifest dragon claws on your hands/feet that enhance your unarmed strikes. Unarmed strikes can now deal slashing damage and the martial arts die increases by 1 size for unarmed strikes.
* Once per round, you can expend 2 ki points to add 1d6 < dragon type damage > with your unarmed strikes.
* The claws remain until dismissed with a bonus action OR by resting OR if ki points fall to 0.
11th Level - Dragon Wings
* For your action, you may use 2 ki points, to sprout a pair of dragon wings and tail from your back, gaining a flying speed equal to your current speed. They last until you dismiss them as a bonus action OR by resting OR ki points reach 0.
* As a bonus action, you can expend 2 ki points to unleash a tail attack with a 10ft reach. The attack forces a STR saving throw on the target. Failed save results in 2d10 bludgeoning damage and the target is pushed 10ft back and knocked prone. Successful save only deals half damage.
So major tweaks here. I am getting a 2-for-1 in abilities, so I nerfed them a bit. The Sorcerer's Wings come at free cost, I added a 2 ki cost here due to the addition of the tail. I also made it an action instead of a bonus action. I figure such a dramatic transformation requires a full action. The tail attack is a weaker version of 4E Monk's Fist of Unbroken Air, which has 30ft range, pushes 20ft, and deals 3d10 on failed saves.
17th Level - Draconic Breath
* 5 ki points, uses ki save DC (WIS) instead of CON, deals 6d6 < dragon type damage > in the same size and shape of the dragonborn ability, half damage on successful save.
* On a failed save, the following effect (from the Contagion spell) is applied based on dragon type and remains until target succeeds a ki save DC at the end of its turn.
---Acid: Flesh Rot. The creature's flesh decays. The creature has disadvantage against CHA checks and vulnerable to all damage.
---Cold: Icy Doom. The creature begins to bleed uncontrollably. The creature has disadvantage on CON checks and STs. In addition, whenever the creature takes damage, it is stunned until the end of its turn.
---Fire: Mindfire. The creature's mind becomes feverish. The creature has disadvantage on INT checks and STs, and the creature behaves as if under the effects of the confusion spell during combat.
---Lightning: Seizure. The creature is overcome with shaking. The creature has disadvantage on DEX checks, STs, and attack rolls that use DEX.
---Poison: Filth Fever. A raging fever sweeps through the creature's body. The creature has disadvantage on STR checks, STs, and attack rolls using STR.
The 17th level has been the toughest to devise. My DM and I agree the breath weapon makes the best capstone as it epitomizes the draconic transformation, but as mentioned here it is rather weak damage for the tradition's capstone. But I don't want to go overboard on damage so we focused potential secondary effects. I searched the spell book for spells that would evenly match the different types, and I think Contagion does the trick perfectly. Basically, the monk's bad dragon breath is coughing nasty germs onto the targets. Beautiful! Also since the monk's ki save DC is based of WIS, I left Contagion's WIS effect Blinding Sickness out.
Thanks for reading and what do you think of my reimagining of the Draconic Bloodline Sorcerer into a Monk?
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