Way of the Arcane Hand (2024)

Monks who practice the Way of the Arcane Hand have trained their bodies and souls to be attuned to the weave of arcane magic. They can harness those cosmic energies and use them to fuel their martial practices. Monks of this tradition, although not mageborn, have gained control over the rawest and most natural forms of power.

All content in this homebrew subclass belongs to Dungeon Dudes and is part of Sebastian Crow's Guide to Drakkenheim. I do not claim ownership, I'm bringing the subclass to DnD Beyond for ease of use. 

I don't post classes but I needed a working version of this subclass and I figured I was not the only one who needed it. If a feature is not working please comment by going into the details page on the homebrew and typing a comment. Currently Spellcasting works (allowing you to pick spells) as well as erudite education (giving proficiency and the bonus to ability checks) and spell resistance (Properly adding the resistance and advantage).

Spellcasting

When you reach 3rd level, you gain the ability to cast spells. See Spell Rules for the general rules of spellcasting and the Spells Listing for the wizard spell list.

Arcane Focus
You can use a monk weapon as an arcane focus for your spellcasting.

Cantrips
You learn two cantrips of your choice from the wizard spell list. You learn an additional wizard cantrip of your choice at 10th level.

Spell Slots
The Way of the Arcane Hand Spellcasting table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your wizard spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these spells, you must expend a slot of the spell’s level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.
For example, if you know the 1st-level spell thunderwave and have a 1st-level and a 2nd-level spell slot available, you can cast thunderwave using either slot.

Spells Known of 1st-Level and Higher
You know three 1st-level wizard spells of your choice. The Spells Known column of the Way of the Arcane Hand Spellcasting table shows when you learn more wizard spells of 1st level or higher of a level for which you have spell slots. For instance, when you reach 7th level in this class, you can learn one new spell of 1st or 2nd level.
Whenever you gain a level in this class, you can replace one of the wizard spells you know with another spell of your choice from the wizard spell list. The new spell must be of a level for which you have spell slots.

Spellcasting Ability
Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for your wizard spells, since you learn your spells through contemplation and meditation. You use your Wisdom whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Wisdom modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a wizard spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier
Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier

 

Spellcasting

Level	Spells Prepared	— Spell Slots per Spell Level —
		1st	2nd	3rd	4th
3rd	3	2	—	—	—
4th	4	3	—	—	—
5th	4	3	—	—	—
6th	4	3	—	—	—
7th	5	4	2	—	—
8th	6	4	2	—	—
9th	6	4	2	—	—
10th	7	4	3	—	—
11th	8	4	3	—	—
12th	8	4	3	—	—
13th	9	4	3	2	—
14th	10	4	3	2	—
15th	10	4	3	2	—
16th	11	4	3	3	—
17th	11	4	3	3	—
18th	11	4	3	3	—
19th	12	4	3	3	1
20th	13	4	3	3	1

Erudite Education

3rd-level Way of the Arcane Hand feature
You gain proficiency in the Arcana skill. Whenever you make an Intelligence ability check, you gain a bonus to the check equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of +1).

Eldritch Flurry

3rd-level Way of the Arcane Hand feature
Whenever you take the Attack action on your turn, you can cast one of your cantrips in place of one of those attacks. When you use your Flurry of Blows, you can cast a spell with a casting time of 1 action as a bonus action instead of making unarmed strikes. Finally, when you use your action to cast a spell, you may treat this as taking an attack with a monk weapon for the purposes of your other monk features.

Arcane Empowerment

6th-level Way of the Arcane Hand feature
While you are concentrating on a spell, you add twice the spell’s level to the damage rolls of your unarmed strikes and attacks made with monk weapons.

Focus Power

11th-level Way of the Arcane Hand feature
When you cast a spell, you can expend ki points to increase the level of the spell as if you’d cast the spell using a higher level spell slot. You must use a spell slot as normal to cast the spell, then expend 1 ki point for each level you increase the spell in this way. You can increase the spell’s level higher than your highest-level spell slot to a maximum level equal to your proficiency bonus. For example, if you’re an 11th-level Way of the Arcane Hand monk, when you cast the spell scorching ray using a 2nd-level spell slot, you could expend 2 ki points to cast the spell as 4th-level spell.

Spell Resistance

11th-level Way of the Arcane Hand feature
You have advantage on saving throws against spells and magical effects. Furthermore, you have resistance to damage from spells and magical effects.

Meditative Casting

17th-level Way of the Arcane Hand feature
Starting at 17th level, when you cast a spell with a casting time of 1 action that requires your concentration, you can expend ki points equal to the spell’s level to modify the spell so that it does not require your concentration. Instead, the spell lasts up to 1 minute, or its maximum duration, whichever is shorter.