What do you think of the tweaks I did? are they too much or not really fixing the limitations the class has?
Inspired by what Thrikeen was going for, plus what I liked from Haraviks and Aanx tweaks, and numerous ideas i read in this thread.
Class Features
As a monk, you gain the following class features.
Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1d8 per monk level Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + your Constitution modifier Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8+ your Constitution modifier per monk level after 1st
Proficiencies
Armor: None Weapons: Simple weapons, shortswords and pikes. Tools: Choose one type of artisan's tools or one musical instrument Saving Throws:Wisdom, Dexterity Skills: Choose two from Acrobatics, Athletics, History, Insight, Medicine, Religion, and Stealth
Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
(a) a shortsword or (b) any simple weapon
(a) a dungeoneer's pack or (b) an explorer's pack
10 darts
Unarmored Defense
Beginning at 1st level, while you are wearing no armor and not wielding a shield, your AC equals 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Wisdom modifier.
Martial Arts
At 1st level, your practice of martial arts gives you mastery of combat styles that use unarmed strikes and monk weapons, which are shortswords, pikes and any simple melee weapons that don't have the two-handed or heavy property.
You gain the following benefits while you are unarmed or wielding only monk weapons and you aren't wearing heavy armor or wielding a shield:
You can use Dexterity instead of Strength for the attack and damage rolls of your unarmed strikes and monk weapons.
You can roll a d4 in place of the normal damage of your unarmed strike or monk weapon. This die size increase as you gain monk levels, d6 at 5th, d8 at 9th, d10 at 13th and finally d12 at 17th.
When you use the Attack action with an unarmed strike or a monk weapon on your turn, you can make one unarmed strike as a bonus action. For example, if you take the Attack action and attack with a quarterstaff, you can also make an unarmed strike as a bonus action, assuming you haven't already taken a bonus action this turn.
Certain monasteries use specialized forms of the monk weapons. For example, you might use a club that is two lengths of wood connected by a short chain (called a nunchaku) or a sickle with a shorter, straighter blade (called a kama). Whatever name you use for a monk weapon, you can use the game statistics provided for the weapon on the Weapons page.
Ki
Starting at 2nd level, your training allows you to harness the mystic energy of ki. Your access to this energy is represented by a number of ki points. Your monk level + your wisdom modifier + your proficiency bonus determine the number of points you have.
You can spend these points to fuel various ki features. You start knowing three such features: Flurry of Blows, Patient Defense, and Step of the Wind. You learn more ki features as you gain levels in this class.
When you spend a ki point, it is unavailable until you finish a short or long rest, at the end of which you draw all of your expended ki back into yourself. You must spend at least 30 minutes of the rest meditating to regain your ki points.
Some of your ki features require your target to make a saving throw to resist the feature's effects. The saving throw DC is calculated as follows:
Ki save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier
Flurry of Blows. Immediately after you take the Attack action on your turn, you can spend 1 ki point to make two additional unarmed strikes as part of the same action.
Flurry of Blows (Optional Variant). Immediately after you take the Attack action on your turn, you can spend 2 ki points to make two unarmed strikes as a bonus action. The amount of unarmed strikes increase as you gain levels in this class following your Proficiency Bonus, as do the cost for every additional unarmed strike by 1 ki point for each subsequent strike (max of 6 ki points).
Patient Defense. You can spend 1 ki point to use your reaction to add your proficiency bonus to your AC for that attack, potentially causing the attack to miss you.
Step of the Wind. You can spend 2 ki point to freely take the Dodge, Disengage or Dash action as a bonus action on your turn, and your jump distance is doubled for the turn.
Martial Techniques (Optional)
Replaces the Ki Response feature.
At 2nd level, you learn maneuvers that are fueled by special dice called Technique dice.
The number of Ki points you now have is determined by this class's Proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier.
Maneuvers
You learn two maneuvers of your choice, which are chosen from the list of maneuvers available to fighters with the Battle Master archetype. Many maneuvers enhance an attack in some way. You can use only one maneuver per attack.
You learn one additional maneuver of your choice at 5th, 9th, 13th, and 17th levels. Each time you learn a new maneuver, you can also replace one maneuver you know with a different one.
Technique Dice
You have five Technique dice, which are equal to your martial arts die. A Technique die is expended when you use it. You regain all of your expended Technique dice when you finish a short or long rest.
Additionally, you can spend a Ki point to preform a maneuver without adding the martial arts die to the attack's damage roll.
Saving Throws
Some of your maneuvers require your target to make a saving throw to resist the maneuver's effects. The saving throw DC is calculated as follows:
Maneuver save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom or Dexterity modifier (your choice)
Unarmored Movement
Starting at 2nd level, your speed increases by 10 feet while you are not wearing armor or wielding a shield. This bonus increases when you reach certain monk levels, as shown in the Monk table.
At 9th level, you gain the ability to move along vertical surfaces and across liquids on your turn without falling during the move.
Dedicated Weapon (Optional)
Also at 2nd level, you train yourself to use a variety of weapons as monk weapons, not just simple melee weapons and shortswords. Whenever you finish a short or long rest, you can touch one weapon, focus your ki on it, and then count that weapon as a monk weapon until you use this feature again.
The chosen weapon must meet these criteria:
The weapon must be a simple or martial weapon.
You must be proficient with it.
It must lack the heavy and special properties, This criteria can be ignored if Way of the Kensei is the monostatic tradition you have chosen.
Fighting Style
At 2nd level, you adopt a particular style of fighting as your specialty. Choose one of the following options. You can't take a Fighting Style option more than once, even if you later get to choose again.
Blind Fighting. You have blind sight with a range of 10 feet. Within that range, you can effectively see anything that isn't behind total cover, even if you're blinded or in darkness. Moreover, you can see an invisible creature within that range, unless the creature successfully hides from you.
Mariner (UA). As long as you are not wearing heavy armor or using a shield, you have a swimming speed and a climbing speed equal to your normal speed, and you gain a +1 bonus to armor class.
Tunnel Fighter (UA). As a bonus action, you can enter a defensive stance that lasts until the start of your next turn. While in your defensive stance, you can make opportunity attacks without using your reaction, and you can use your reaction to make a melee attack against a creature that moves more than 5 feet while within your reach.
Ranged Melee Fighting. When use a two-handed or versatile melee weapon, add 5 feet to your reach when you Attack with it, as well as when determining your reach for Opportunity Attacks with it.
Two-Weapon Fighting. When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack.
Monastic Tradition
When you reach 3rd level, you commit yourself to a monastic tradition. Your tradition grants you features at 3rd level and again at 6th, 11th, and 17th level.
Deflect Attack
Starting at 3rd level, you can spend 1 ki point to use your reaction to deflect an attack or catch the missile when you or one of your allies within your range are hit by an attack. When you do so, the damage you take from the attack is reduced by 1d10 + your Dexterity modifier + your monk level.
When you reduce the damage to 0 and if you catch the missile provided it is small enough for you to hold in one hand and you have at least one hand free. If you catch a missile in this way, you can make a ranged attack with a range of 20/60 using the weapon or piece of ammunition you just caught, as part of the same reaction. You make this attack with proficiency, regardless of your weapon proficiencies, and the missile counts as a monk weapon for the attack.
Ki-Fueled Attack (Optional)
Also at 3rd level, if you spend 1 ki point or more as part of your action on your turn, you can make one attack with an unarmed strike or a monk weapon as a bonus action before the end of the turn.
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 10th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.
Martial Versatility (Optional)
Whenever you reach a level in this class that grants the Ability Score Improvement feature, you can replace a fighting style you know with another fighting style available to rangers. This replacement represents a shift of focus in your martial practice.
Slow Fall
Beginning at 4th level, you can use your reaction when you fall to reduce any falling damage you take by an amount equal to five times your monk level. Moreover you can use your Dexterity modifier to determine your Jump distance.
Quickened Healing (Optional)
Also at 4th level, as an action, you can spend 2 ki points and roll a Martial Arts die. You or one of your allies regain a number of hit points equal to the number rolled plus your proficiency bonus.
Extra Attack
Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.
Stunning Strike
Starting at 5th level, you can interfere with the flow of ki in an opponent's body. When you hit another creature with a melee weapon attack, you can spend 1 ki point to attempt a stunning strike. The target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or become dazed. On a failed save the target has a -2 penalty to attack rolls, ability checks and Dexterity saving throws and it can’t take reactions until the end of your next turn.
Beginning at 9 level, on a failed Constitution saving throw the target is stunned until the end of your next turn, and at 17th level every time you make a critical hit the enemy is automatically stunned until the end of your next turn.
Focused Aim (Optional)
Also at 5th level, when you miss with an attack roll, you can spend 1 to 3 ki points to increase your attack roll by 2 for each of these ki points you spend, potentially turning the miss into a hit.
Ki-Empowered Strikes
Starting at 6th level, your unarmed strikes count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.
Ki Response
At 7th level, your training in the mystic art of Ki has grown; providing you access to additional features.
Counter-Strike: When a creature misses you with an attack, you can use your reaction and expend 1 ki point to make a melee weapon attack against the creature. (Riposte)
Puppeteer-Strike: When you hit a creature with an attack, you can expend a ki point to maneuver one of your comrades into a more advantageous position. You choose a friendly creature who can see or hear you. That creature can use its reaction to move up to half its speed without provoking opportunity attacks from the target of your attack.(Maneuvering Attack)
First-Strike: When a creature you can see moves into your reach, you can use your reaction to expend one Ki point and make one attack against the creature, using that weapon or unarmed strike. (Brace)
Evasion
At 7th level, your instinctive agility lets you dodge out of the way of certain area effects, such as a blue dragon's lightning breath or a fireball spell. When you are subjected to an effect that allows you to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, you instead take no damage if you succeed on the saving throw, and only half damage if you fail.
Stillness of Mind
Starting at 7th level, you have advantage on saving throws against being charmed or frightened. This applies to initial saves as well as ongoing saving throws. If you become aware that you or one of your allies are charmed or frightened you can use your action to end one of these effects.
Pressure Points
At 10th level, when you channel ki into your attacks you augment its effectiveness.
Whenever you hit a creature with one of the attacks granted by your Flurry of Blows, you can impose one of the following effects on the target:
Weakened Body. The target has disadvantage on the next saving throw it makes before the end of your next turn.
Terror Touch. The target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or become frightened of you until the end of your next turn.
Blind Rage. The target suffers disadvantage on all attack rolls against targets other than you until the end of your next turn.
Tender Flesh. The target gains vulnerability to bludgeoning damage until the end of your next turn.
Purity of Body
At 10th level, your mastery of the ki flowing through you makes you immune to disease and poison.
Timeless Body
At 10th level, your ki sustains you so that you suffer none of the frailty of old age, and you can't be aged magically. You can still die of old age, however. In addition, you no longer need food or water.
Tongue of the Sun and Moon
Starting at 13th level, you learn to touch the ki of other minds so that you understand all spoken languages, whenever you make a skill check that requires Charisma, you can add your Wisdom modifier to it. Moreover, any creature that can understand a language can understand what you say.
Empty Mind (Optional)
At 13th level, you have practiced emptying your mind of all thoughts, desires, and assumptions. When your mind is clear, you are free from your ego and are able to act spontaneously and fluidly without emotion and hesitation.
When you hit a creature with an attack roll, you can target it as your Sole Focus for 1 minute or until you lose your concentration (as if you were concentrating on a spell).
Every time that you hit the Sole Focus and deal damage to it, including when you target it, you increase that damage by your Martial Arts die.
You can use this feature to target a Sole Focus a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a short or long rest.
Empty Mind (Optional)
For Flurry of Blows (Optional Variant)
At 13th level, you have practiced emptying your mind of all thoughts, desires, and assumptions. When your mind is clear, you are free from your ego and are able to act spontaneously and fluidly without emotion and hesitation.
When you hit a creature with an attack roll, you can target it as your Sole Focus for 1 minute or until you lose your concentration (as if you were concentrating on a spell).
The first time on each of your turns that you hit the Sole Focus and deal damage to it, including when you target it, you increase that damage by your Martial Arts die.
You can use this feature to target a Sole Focus a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a short or long rest.
Diamond Soul
Beginning at 14th level, your mastery of ki grants you proficiency in all saving throws.
Additionally, whenever you make a saving throw and fail, you can spend 1 ki point to reroll it and take the second result.
Empty Body
Beginning at 18th level, you can use your action to spend 4 ki points to become invisible for 1 minute. During that time, you also have resistance to all damage but force damage.
Additionally, you can spend 4 ki points to cast the Astral Projection spell, without needing material components. When you do so, you can't take any other creatures with you.
Perfect Self
At 20th level, when you roll for initiative and have no ki points remaining, you regain half your total Ki points. Additionally, your Flurry of Blows feature no longer costs Ki.
Not sure what you mean by “freely take the Dodge, Disengage, or Dash action”. Do you mean it does not take any action at all? Maybe word it (no action required) or something like that?
It seems makings SotW 2 Ki kind of nerfs it, though I see why you did this. Would it make sense for it to be 1 Ki to use as a Bonus Action and 2 Ki for no Action required?
What do you think of the tweaks I did? are they too much or not really fixing the limitations the class has?
I've added some of my own advice inside the spoiler.
Inspired by what Thrikeen was going for, plus what I liked from Haraviks and Aanx tweaks, and numerous ideas i read in this thread.
Class Features
As a monk, you gain the following class features.
Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1d8 per monk level Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + your Constitution modifier Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8+ your Constitution modifier per monk level after 1st
Proficiencies
Armor: None Weapons: Simple weapons, shortswords and pikes. Tools: Choose one type of artisan's tools or one musical instrument Saving Throws:Wisdom, Dexterity Skills: Choose two from Acrobatics, Athletics, History, Insight, Medicine, Religion, and Stealth
Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
(a) a shortsword or (b) any simple weapon
(a) a dungeoneer's pack or (b) an explorer's pack
10 darts
Unarmored Defense
Beginning at 1st level, while you are wearing no armor and not wielding a shield, your AC equals 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Wisdom modifier.
Martial Arts
At 1st level, your practice of martial arts gives you mastery of combat styles that use unarmed strikes and monk weapons, which are shortswords, pikes and any simple melee weapons that don't have the two-handed or heavy property. (I don't understand why you list the pike as a monk weapon and then say that monk weapons are weapons that don't have the two-handed or heavy property. At this point I recommend that you simply don't limit monk weapons. Simply say that every weapon the monk has proficiency in are monk weapons.)
You gain the following benefits while you are unarmed or wielding only monk weapons and you aren't wearing heavy armor or wielding a shield:
You can use Dexterity instead of Strength for the attack and damage rolls of your unarmed strikes and monk weapons.
You can roll a d4 in place of the normal damage of your unarmed strike or monk weapon. This die size increase as you gain monk levels, d6 at 5th, d8 at 9th, d10 at 13th and finally d12 at 17th.
When you use the Attack action with an unarmed strike or a monk weapon on your turn, you can make one unarmed strike as a bonus action. For example, if you take the Attack action and attack with a quarterstaff, you can also make an unarmed strike as a bonus action, assuming you haven't already taken a bonus action this turn.
Certain monasteries use specialized forms of the monk weapons. For example, you might use a club that is two lengths of wood connected by a short chain (called a nunchaku) or a sickle with a shorter, straighter blade (called a kama). Whatever name you use for a monk weapon, you can use the game statistics provided for the weapon on the Weapons page.
Ki
Starting at 2nd level, your training allows you to harness the mystic energy of ki. Your access to this energy is represented by a number of ki points. Your monk level + your wisdom modifier + your proficiency bonus determine the number of points you have.
You can spend these points to fuel various ki features. You start knowing three such features: Flurry of Blows, Patient Defense, and Step of the Wind. You learn more ki features as you gain levels in this class.
When you spend a ki point, it is unavailable until you finish a short or long rest, at the end of which you draw all of your expended ki back into yourself. You must spend at least 30 minutes of the rest meditating to regain your ki points. ok
Some of your ki features require your target to make a saving throw to resist the feature's effects. The saving throw DC is calculated as follows:
Ki save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier
Flurry of Blows. Immediately after you take the Attack action on your turn, you can spend 1 ki point to make two additional unarmed strikes as part of the same action. (I don't understand, here you mean that in addition to the bonus unarmed strike you can do two other unarmed attacks?)
Flurry of Blows (Optional Variant). Immediately after you take the Attack action on your turn, you can spend 2 ki points to make two unarmed strikes as a bonus action. The amount of unarmed strikes increase as you gain levels in this class following your Proficiency Bonus, as do the cost for every additional unarmed strike by 1 ki point for each subsequent strike (max of 6 ki points). (There is a lack of information here about how you can scale up unarmed strikes in levels. However, 6 attacks seems a lot to me)
Patient Defense. You can spend 1 ki point to use your reaction to add your proficiency bonus to your AC for that attack, potentially causing the attack to miss you.
Step of the Wind. You can spend 2 ki point to freely take the Dodge, Disengage or Dash action as a bonus action on your turn, and your jump distance is doubled for the turn. (you can spend 1 ki point to move like the wind, during your turn you can be fast (dash), or elusive (dodge) or unpredictable (disengage) like the wind)
Martial Techniques (Optional)
Replaces the Ki Response feature.(to be improved or inserted elsewhere.)
At 2nd level, you learn maneuvers that are fueled by special dice called Technique dice.
The number of Ki points you now have is determined by this class's Proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier.
Maneuvers
You learn two maneuvers of your choice, which are chosen from the list of maneuvers available to fighters with the Battle Master archetype. Many maneuvers enhance an attack in some way. You can use only one maneuver per attack.
You learn one additional maneuver of your choice at 5th, 9th, 13th, and 17th levels. Each time you learn a new maneuver, you can also replace one maneuver you know with a different one. (this is basically a subclass in itself. In my opinion it needs to be reduced. You could put it as an aption in the fighting style feature.)
Technique Dice
You have five Technique dice, which are equal to your martial arts die. A Technique die is expended when you use it. You regain all of your expended Technique dice when you finish a short or long rest.
Additionally, you can spend a Ki point to preform a maneuver without adding the martial arts die to the attack's damage roll.
Saving Throws
Some of your maneuvers require your target to make a saving throw to resist the maneuver's effects. The saving throw DC is calculated as follows:
Maneuver save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom or Dexterity modifier (your choice) (in my opinion you should keep only wisdom to be consistent with ki feature)
Unarmored Movement
Starting at 2nd level, your speed increases by 10 feet while you are not wearing armor or wielding a shield. This bonus increases when you reach certain monk levels, as shown in the Monk table.
At 9th level, you gain the ability to move along vertical surfaces and across liquids on your turn without falling during the move.
Dedicated Weapon (Optional)
Also at 2nd level, you train yourself to use a variety of weapons as monk weapons, not just simple melee weapons and shortswords. Whenever you finish a short or long rest, you can touch one weapon, focus your ki on it, and then count that weapon as a monk weapon until you use this feature again. (In my opinion you might as well delete this feature and make every weapon a monk weapon)
The chosen weapon must meet these criteria:
The weapon must be a simple or martial weapon.
You must be proficient with it.
It must lack the heavy and special properties, This criteria can be ignored if Way of the Kensei is the monostatic tradition you have chosen.
Fighting Style
At 2nd level, you adopt a particular style of fighting as your specialty. Choose one of the following options. You can't take a Fighting Style option more than once, even if you later get to choose again.
Blind Fighting. You have blind sight with a range of 10 feet. Within that range, you can effectively see anything that isn't behind total cover, even if you're blinded or in darkness. Moreover, you can see an invisible creature within that range, unless the creature successfully hides from you.
Mariner (UA). As long as you are not wearing heavy armor or using a shield, you have a swimming speed and a climbing speed equal to your normal speed, and you gain a +1 bonus to armor class.
Tunnel Fighter (UA). As a bonus action, you can enter a defensive stance that lasts until the start of your next turn. While in your defensive stance, you can make opportunity attacks without using your reaction, and you can use your reaction to make a melee attack against a creature that moves more than 5 feet while within your reach.
Ranged Melee Fighting. When use a two-handed or versatile melee weapon, add 5 feet to your reach when you Attack with it, as well as when determining your reach for Opportunity Attacks with it.
Two-Weapon Fighting. When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack.
Monastic Tradition
When you reach 3rd level, you commit yourself to a monastic tradition. Your tradition grants you features at 3rd level and again at 6th, 11th, and 17th level.
Deflect Attack
Starting at 3rd level, you can spend 1 ki point to use your reaction to deflect an attack or catch the missile when you or one of your allies within your range are hit by an attack. When you do so, the damage you take from the attack is reduced by 1d10 + your Dexterity modifier + your monk level. (Okay, but you need to correct the text below so that it follows your edit.)
When you reduce the damage to 0 and if you catch the missile provided it is small enough for you to hold in one hand and you have at least one hand free. If you catch a missile in this way, you can make a ranged attack with a range of 20/60 using the weapon or piece of ammunition you just caught, as part of the same reaction. You make this attack with proficiency, regardless of your weapon proficiencies, and the missile counts as a monk weapon for the attack.
Ki-Fueled Attack (Optional)
Also at 3rd level, if you spend 1 ki point or more as part of your action on your turn, you can make one attack with an unarmed strike or a monk weapon as a bonus action before the end of the turn.
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 10th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.
Martial Versatility (Optional)
Whenever you reach a level in this class that grants the Ability Score Improvement feature, you can replace a fighting style you know with another fighting style available to rangers. This replacement represents a shift of focus in your martial practice.
Slow Fall
Beginning at 4th level, you can use your reaction when you fall to reduce any falling damage you take by an amount equal to five times your monk level. Moreover you can use your Dexterity modifier to determine your Jump distance.
Quickened Healing (Optional)
Also at 4th level, as an action, you can spend 2 ki points and roll a Martial Arts die. You or one of your allies regain a number of hit points equal to the number rolled plus your proficiency bonus.
Extra Attack
Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.
Stunning Strike
Starting at 5th level, you can interfere with the flow of ki in an opponent's body. When you hit another creature with a melee weapon attack, you can spend 1 ki point to attempt a stunning strike. The target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or become dazed. On a failed save the target has a -2 penalty to attack rolls, ability checks and Dexterity saving throws and it can’t take reactions until the end of your next turn.
Beginning at 9 level, on a failed Constitution saving throw the target is stunned until the end of your next turn, and at 17th level every time you make a critical hit the enemy is automatically stunned until the end of your next turn.
Focused Aim (Optional)
Also at 5th level, when you miss with an attack roll, you can spend 1 to 3 ki points to increase your attack roll by 2 for each of these ki points you spend, potentially turning the miss into a hit.
Ki-Empowered Strikes
Starting at 6th level, your unarmed strikes count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.
Ki Response
At 7th level, your training in the mystic art of Ki has grown; providing you access to additional features. (to be improved or inserted elsewhere.)
Counter-Strike: When a creature misses you with an attack, you can use your reaction and expend 1 ki point to make a melee weapon attack against the creature. (Riposte)
Puppeteer-Strike: When you hit a creature with an attack, you can expend a ki point to maneuver one of your comrades into a more advantageous position. You choose a friendly creature who can see or hear you. That creature can use its reaction to move up to half its speed without provoking opportunity attacks from the target of your attack.(Maneuvering Attack)
First-Strike: When a creature you can see moves into your reach, you can use your reaction to expend one Ki point and make one attack against the creature, using that weapon or unarmed strike. (Brace)
Evasion
At 7th level, your instinctive agility lets you dodge out of the way of certain area effects, such as a blue dragon's lightning breath or a fireball spell. When you are subjected to an effect that allows you to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, you instead take no damage if you succeed on the saving throw, and only half damage if you fail.
Stillness of Mind
Starting at 7th level, you have advantage on saving throws against being charmed or frightened. This applies to initial saves as well as ongoing saving throws. If you become aware that you or one of your allies are charmed or frightened you can use your action to end on yourself or one willing creature that you touch one of these effects. (the term that says "if you are aware" is confusing, and the advantage does not disappear after the first save)
Pressure Points
At 10th level, when you channel ki into your attacks you augment its effectiveness. (to be improved or inserted elsewhere.)
Whenever you hit a creature with one of the attacks granted by your Flurry of Blows, you can impose one of the following effects on the target:
Weakened Body. The target has disadvantage on the next saving throw it makes before the end of your next turn.
Terror Touch. The target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or become frightened of you until the end of your next turn.
Blind Rage. The target suffers disadvantage on all attack rolls against targets other than you until the end of your next turn.
Tender Flesh. The target gains vulnerability to bludgeoning damage until the end of your next turn.
Purity of Body
At 10th level, your mastery of the ki flowing through you makes you immune to disease and poison.
Timeless Body
At 10th level, your ki sustains you so that you suffer none of the frailty of old age, and you can't be aged magically. You can still die of old age, however. In addition, you no longer need food or water.
Tongue of the Sun and Moon
Starting at 13th level, you learn to touch the ki of other minds so that you understand all spoken languages, whenever you make a skill check that requires Charisma, you can add your Wisdom modifier to it. Moreover, any creature that can understand a language can understand what you say.
Empty Mind (Optional)
At 13th level, you have practiced emptying your mind of all thoughts, desires, and assumptions. When your mind is clear, you are free from your ego and are able to act spontaneously and fluidly without emotion and hesitation.
When you hit a creature with an attack roll, you can target it as your Sole Focus for 1 minute or until you lose your concentration (as if you were concentrating on a spell).
Every time that you hit the Sole Focus and deal damage to it, including when you target it, you increase that damage by your Martial Arts die.
You can use this feature to target a Sole Focus a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a short or long rest.
Empty Mind (Optional)
For Flurry of Blows (Optional Variant)
At 13th level, you have practiced emptying your mind of all thoughts, desires, and assumptions. When your mind is clear, you are free from your ego and are able to act spontaneously and fluidly without emotion and hesitation.
When you hit a creature with an attack roll, you can target it as your Sole Focus for 1 minute or until you lose your concentration (as if you were concentrating on a spell).
The first time on each of your turns that you hit the Sole Focus and deal damage to it, including when you target it, you increase that damage by your Martial Arts die.
You can use this feature to target a Sole Focus a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a short or long rest.
Diamond Soul
Beginning at 14th level, your mastery of ki grants you proficiency in all saving throws.
Additionally, whenever you make a saving throw and fail, you can spend 1 ki point to reroll it and take the second result.
Empty Body
Beginning at 18th level, you can use your action to spend 4 ki points to become invisible for 1 minute. During that time, you also have resistance to all damage but force damage.
Additionally, you can spend 4 ki points to cast the Astral Projection spell, without needing material components. When you do so, you can't take any other creatures with you.
Perfect Self
At 20th level, when you roll for initiative and have no ki points remaining, you regain half your total Ki points. Additionally, your Flurry of Blows feature no longer costs Ki.
What's wrong with this feature is the constraint that you don't have to have ki points to activate it.
From my point of view you need to start cutting some things in your class, there is really too much stuff. As ThriKreenWarrior says well we don't have to create a monk can do everything, but one who fits into a group and fights in a group. One characteristic of this edition is simplicity, and having too many features does not make the game easy.
I can see your point, and it does simplify it further if we just remove the two-handed, special or heavy restriction thus not needing dedicated weapon, this would also finally add value to the underwhelming weapon master feat.
I don't know what you mean by highlighting the meditation on Ki and writing Ok but Ok.
I'll reword Flurry of Blows to explain that it is adding two more strikes no action required, the total amount would be 3 with the initial attack, 4 with bonus action unarmed strike, 5 with extra attack.
6 Ki 6 Additional unarmed strikes are meant to be an optional feature that the Game Master can decline giving to the player.
Can you explain what needs to be Improved for Martial Technique?
Martial Technique is an optional feature that offers an alternate playstyle for the class, giving the option of wisdom or dexterity allows for ease of use for those who have higher dexterity or wisdom mod.
I will reword the second paragraph to specify that it is solely about catching and throwing the missile back.
I believe the "If you are aware" implies that your character must roll either an insight or arcana check to notice they are charmed or frightened, unless it is visibly obvious I.E running away from source of fear or acting out of character.
Can you explain what needs to improved or where Ki Response and Pressure Points should be inserted to?
You make a point about the limitation of the capstone.
I can see your point, and it does simplify it further if we just remove the two-handed, special or heavy restriction thus not needing dedicated weapon, this would also finally add value to the underwhelming weapon master feat.
I don't know what you mean by highlighting the meditation on Ki and writing Ok but Ok. (Sorry, it was to say that it is interesting and I could take a cue).
I'll reword Flurry of Blows to explain that it is adding two more strikes no action required, the total amount would be 3 with the initial attack, 4 with bonus action unarmed strike, 5 with extra attack. (From my point of view that's too many attacks. Maybe we should give less importance to "Flurry of blow" feature, but if this is your goal "flurry of blow" should become the central skill of the class itself and the other skills should act as support)
6 Ki 6 Additional unarmed strikes are meant to be an optional feature that the Game Master can decline giving to the player. (I think the master has enough work to do.... don't give him more work. I think the rules need to be clear and easy to understand.)
Can you explain what needs to be Improved for Martial Technique? (Sorry, what I meant was that you need to simplify it. You've pretty much copied and pasted a key feature from one of the coolest classes in 5e. If you want it to become the core of the monk class that's more than fine, but as I explained before, the other skills afterwards must become a support of this one).
Martial Technique is an optional feature that offers an alternate playstyle for the class, giving the option of wisdom or dexterity allows for ease of use for those who have higher dexterity or wisdom mod. (if it is a ability that uses ki, it should consequently be under the "ki" feature and according to logic it should follow the Ki save DC rule on wisdom. If you insert more variants you will only confuse the player).
I will reword the second paragraph to specify that it is solely about catching and throwing the missile back
I believe the "If you are aware" implies that your character must roll either an insight or arcana check to notice they are charmed or frightened, unless it is visibly obvious I.E running away from source of fear or acting out of character. (We can say that the monk feels that something is wrong with his mind since he has to pass a saving throw and can decide to free his mind to get rid of the mental attack, This ability only works if it is a direct attack on the monk's mind)
Can you explain what needs to improved or where Ki Response and Pressure Points should be inserted to? (Again, this skill seems put there without a basis. I basically have the three very powerful ki techniques. I suggest to put all ki techniques in the "ki" feature and separate them by level and put a maximum number of techniques accessible, like in teh eldritch invocations of the warlock class)
You make a point about the limitation of the capstone.
In general, you have a lot of ingredients, now you have to put them in order and make choices. I don't think you can keep everything, the class would become unbalanced. You need to figure out what you want the main characteristics of the monk to be and focus on those.
I'm going to have to disagree with you on the flurry of blows tweak I did, Yes it does add one more attack but the point is to free up the bonus action to do other things besides the bonus action unarmed strike.
I also disagree on the whole it gives more work to the GM, saying No to an optional feature is possible because their word is final, main rule of D&D is that its the Gm's say not the player.
Its hard to simplify a feature that already makes sense, though I agree it makes sense as Subclass but it also works at making a variant Monk class altogether akin to Spell-less ranger.
I also disagree that It must Follow Ki save DC, as Maneuvers themselves are more about using your attack stat to accomplish these actions rather than spirituality.
If we follow your logic then deflect missile, quickened healing, stunning strike, focused aim and empty body should go under Ki, which would just make the progression harder to follow and the beginning feature list longer.
Look I understand that your ideal Monk Class isn't what Wotc have put out but what I myself am doing is working with the Monk they put out and Improving upon it. Yes it is in my own point of view of improvement as it is with yours when we post, but when you critique something you should approach it without bias on what you want and more about balance, fun-factor and power progression. So I respectfully ask you to step back from your Ideal Monk view and provide critiques that looks at the criteria I put forward.
My goal is not to criticize your monk variant, I answered you with the idea of helping. My advice was only advice and if you misunderstood, I apologize for not being clear. If you didn't like my advice, I can understand, I am not forcing you to follow what I wrote.
No please do criticise it, it's just your critques sound skewed towards your idealised Monk rather than a general improvement to the base Monk Class.
You'd most likely be better suited for revising the 4 elements Monk subclass into being the magical spiritualist you and I want rather than an entire class overhaul.
I decided to try to craft a design for monk that addresses most of the concerns raised. Removing the "Unarmored" restriction on abilities and adding light armor proficiency resolves the MAD nature of needing WIS + DEX for AC. Removing the restrictions on the unarmed bonus strike frees up the regular action for disengage or dodge at LVL 1. Increasing the number of unarmed strikes that are possible in Tiers 3 and 4 improves scaling. I replaced the martial arts die with expertise in unarmed strikes at LVL 6 for simplicity (high accuracy + low damage instead of low accuracy + high damage), but can understand if others have a preference for the martial arts die.
I am slightly concerned it is front loaded in the first few levels, but could not find places to push abilities to later levels. There are no ribbon features. Diamond Soul was flattened to be more gradual over multiple levels.
Super Simple Monk
Hit Points: (unchanged)
Hit Dice: 1d8 per monk level Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + your Constitution modifier Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per monk level after 1st
Proficiencies (added light armor)
Armor: Light armor Weapons: simple weapons, short swords Tools: Choose one type of artisan’s tools or one musical instrument Saving Throws: Strength, Dexterity Skills: Choose two from Acrobatics, Athletics, History, Insight, Religion, and Stealth
Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background: (a) a shortsword or (b) any simple weapon (a) a dungeoneer’s pack or (b) an explorer’s pack (a) 10 darts or (b) a shortbow and a quiver of 20 arrows
LVL 1
Unarmored Defense (unchanged)
Beginning at 1st level, while you are wearing no armor and not wielding a shield, your AC equals 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Wisdom modifier.
Martial Arts (heavily editted)
At 1st level, your practice of martial arts gives you mastery of combat styles that use unarmed strikes and simple weapons.
You gain the following benefits as long as you are unarmored or wearing armor you are proficient with.
You can use Dexterity instead of Strength for the attack and damage rolls of your unarmed strikes and simple weapons. [Alternative: You may use DEX instead of STR for weapons you are proficient in that lack the heavy or two handed property.]
You can roll a d4 in place of the normal damage of your unarmed strike.
You can make one unarmed strike as a bonus action.
Certain monasteries use specialized forms of the monk weapons. For example, you might use a club that is two lengths of wood connected by a short chain (called a nunchaku) or a sickle with a shorter, straighter blade (called a kama). Whatever name you use for a monk weapon, you can use the game statistics provided for the weapon in the Weapons section.
Note 1: shortswords are finesse and can already use Dexterity. Note 2: Instead of a Martial Arts die, LVL 6 gives expertise in unarmed strikes, which increases accuracy, which increases damage. Note 3: An unconditional bonus action unarmed strike means dodge or disengage can be taken as a regular action. Tier 1 survivability issue solved.
LVL 2
Ki (10 minute meditation for 1 ki matches ritual spellcasting time)
Starting at 2nd level, your training allows you to harness the mystic energy of ki. Your access to this energy is represented by a number of ki points. Your monk level determines the number of points you have, as shown in the Ki Points column of the Monk table.
You can spend these points to fuel various ki features. You start knowing three such features: Flurry of Blows, Patient Defense, and Step of the Wind. You learn more ki features as you gain levels in this class.
You can't use ki if you are wearing armor or shields you are not proficient with.
When you spend a ki point, it is unavailable until you finish a short or long rest, at the end of which you draw all of your expended ki back into yourself. You must spend at least 30 minutes of the rest meditating to regain all your ki points. Other than a rest, you may meditate for 10 minutes to regain 1 ki point.
Some of your ki features require your target to make a saving throw to resist the feature’s effects. The saving throw DC is calculated as follows: Ki save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier
Flurry of blows (Now part of the Attack action, freeing up Bonus Action. Scales in Tier 3 and 4)
As part of the Attack action, you may spend 1 ki to make 1 additional unarmed strike. At LVL 11, you may spend 2 ki to make 2 unarmed attacks with this feature. At LVL 17, you may spend 3 ki to make 3 unarmed attacks with this feature.
Patient Defense (copied from other's ideas to be a reaction, then combined with Deflect Missiles)
When you are attacked, you may use your reaction and 1 ki to add your proficiency bonus to your AC, potentially causing the attack to miss. You can do this after seeing the results of the roll. If a missed attack was a missile small enough to fit in your hand and you have a hand free, the missile is caught. At LVL 9, if the attack misses, you may make a melee attack as part of the same reaction. If a missile was caught, it can be used as a ranged attack instead with proficiency and with damage 1d4 + Dexterity Modifier and the missile has a normal range of 20 feet and a long range of 60 feet. At LVL 14, this ability does not consume your reaction if your attack hits.
Step of the wind: (now with wall running)
You can spend 1 ki point to take the Disengage or Dash action as a bonus action on your turn, and your jump distance is doubled for the turn. Until the end of your turn, you may move along vertical surfaces and across liquids. At LVL 13 when you use this feature, you have a flying speed equal to your walking speed until the end of your turn.
Note: Wall running gives the monk unique capabilities inside and outside combat. Waiting till 9th level is after druids can wild shape into spiders, after Spider Climb can be cast, and after uncommon items like Flying Broom or Flying boots or Slippers of Spider Climbing are available.
Monk Movement (adjusted to allow for armor)
Starting at 2nd level, your speed increases by 10 feet. This bonus increases when you reach certain monk levels, as shown in the Monk table.
Fighting style
You adopt a particular style of fighting as your specialty. Choose one of the following options. You can’t take a Fighting Style option more than once, even if you later get to choose again.
Blessed Warrior You learn two cantrips of your choice from the cleric spell list. They count as monk spells for you, and Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for them. Whenever you gain a level in this class, you can replace one of these cantrips with another cantrip from the cleric spell list.
Blind Fighting You have blindsight with a range of 10 feet. Within that range, you can effectively see anything that isn't behind total cover, even if you're blinded or in darkness. Moreover, you can see an invisible creature within that range, unless the creature successfully hides from you.
Druidic Warrior You learn two cantrips of your choice from the druid spell list. They count as monk spells for you, and Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for them. Whenever you gain a level in this class, you can replace one of these cantrips with another cantrip from the druid spell list.
Thrown Weapon Fighting You can draw a weapon that has the thrown property as part of the attack you make with the weapon. In addition, when you hit with a ranged attack using a thrown weapon, you gain a +2 bonus to the damage roll.
Unarmed Fighting Your unarmed strikes can deal bludgeoning damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength or Dexterity modifier on a hit. If you aren't wielding any weapons or a shield when you make the attack roll, the d6 becomes a d8. At the start of each of your turns, you can deal 1d4 bludgeoning damage to one creature grappled by you.
Martial Versatility Whenever you reach a level in this class that grants the Ability Score Improvement feature, you may shift the focus of your martial practice. Replace a fighting style you know with another fighting style available to monks.
LVL 3
Monastic Tradition subclass feature
Slow Fall
Beginning at 3rd level, you can use your reaction when you fall to reduce any falling damage you take by an amount equal to five times your monk level. As part of the same reaction, you may spend 1 ki to reduce the falling damage of one creature you can touch.
"Don't worry, I can catch you!" said the halfling monk to the centaur cleric.
LVL 4
Ability Score increase (unchanged)
When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.
Using the optional feats rule, you can forgo taking this feature to take a feat of your choice instead.
Diamond Soul (split across levels 4, 8, 10, 12, 16, and 19)
Whenever you reach a level in this class that grants the Ability Score Improvement feature, you gain proficiency in a saving throw of your choice.
LVL 5
Extra Attack (unchanged)
Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.
Stunning Strike (I tried to devise a way to split this across multiple levels, but could not figure out a way.)
Starting at 5th level, you can interfere with the flow of ki in an opponent’s body. When you hit another creature with an unarmed strike, you can spend 1 ki point to attempt a stunning strike. The target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or be stunned until the beginning of your next turn. Starting at 15th level, you may spend a second ki point to force the saving throw to be made with disadvantage.
LVL 6
Ki-Empowered Strikes (expertise)
Starting at 6th level, your unarmed strikes count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage. You gain expertise in unarmed strikes. Double your proficiency bonus for your unarmed strikes.
Movement increase
Monastic Tradition subclass feature
LVL 7
Evasion (unchanged)
At 7th level, your instinctive agility lets you dodge out of the way of certain area effects, such as a blue dragon’s lightning breath or a fireball spell. When you are subjected to an effect that allows you to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, you instead take no damage if you succeed on the saving throw, and only half damage if you fail.
Stillness of Mind (simplified)
Starting at 7th level, if at the start of your turn you are charmed or frightened, make a saving throw to possibly end the effect. This occurs even if your character is not aware of the effect.
LVL 8
ASI
saving throw proficiency
LVL 9
Patient Defense upgrade
LVL 10
Movement increase
Diamond Soul reroll
Whenever you make a saving throw and fail, you can spend 1 ki point to rerol it and take the second result.
LVL 11
Flurry of blows upgrade
Monastic Tradition subclass feature
LVL 12
ASI saving throw proficiency
LVL 13
Step of the wind upgrade
LVL 14
Patient Defense upgrade Movement increase
LVL 15
Stunning Strike upgrade
LVL 16
ASI saving throw proficiency
LVL 17
Flurry of blows upgrade Monastic Tradition subclass feature
LVL 18
Movement increase
Empty Body (unchanged)
Beginning at 18th level, you can use your action to spend 4 ki 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 points to cast the astral projection spell, without needing material components. When you do so, you can’t take any other creatures with you.
LVL 19
ASI saving throw proficiency
LVL 20 capstone
You take 1 level of Rogue. Ok, just kidding. Here is my idea. The numbers can be tuned for balance.
If you have less than 4 ki at the start of your turn, you gain 2 ki.
I really like a lot of this, but I think, with patient defense it kind of needs to work like shield and have it last until your next turn if we make it this way. Otherwise I personally prefer the idea of it just being part of your action similar to the way you made Flurry of blows. I also like the flexibility of flurry of blows. It acknowledges that ki is less of an issue at higher levels and we need more ways to burn it and nova with it.
Edit: xceltion you may wish to add level 9 step of the wind improvement. You can now achieve the wall and water running without taking the step of the wind action. This is to keep the combat utility you gain at 9. I would also suggest that the poison and disease immunity isn't quiet ribbon featue. Lots of poison damage in game.
Maybe make stunning strike gain "attack" at higher levels. This will especially help our subclasses that dont use unarmed strikes.
I do dig the ideas you're putting forward, might just follow suit with the unconditional unarmed strike for My revision as well.
You need to reword some of the features to be easier to understand or less wordy.
Martial arts can be shortened by just removing the whole armor thing, I just find it odd that martial arts locks you out if you have armor on but not Ki doesnt, which i like that yours locks you out if you have armor on.
Meditation for Ki is a good idea, but I Think 1 Ki might be Low, would proficiency bonus be alot, it offers good scaling imo.
Unarmored movement should still be Unarmored imo, because well Unarmored. Did I say Unarmored enough times? UNARMORED.....
I think the idea of Stillness of Mind is to make it easier to end the effect of those conditions, I'm a fan of just adding advantage to the saving throw.
I like the idea of adding saving throw proficiencies as they level rather 14th level.
Overall you make some solid points and adjustments but the soke of the wording may need trimming.
I've made some adjustments following some of your good recommendations on my Revised Monk, I tried to make the optional variant and replacer type features next to each other to be easier to identify and indicate their relation.
I also followed the trend of making the Bonus Action Unarmed Strike condition-less.
I tried to write down some advice in blue. The class you came up with is interesting, maybe you still need to fix some things like the "Patient Defense" feature. I hope my fixes are not too dry. My suggestions are just suggestions, I don't beg anyone to change anything, it's just my way of thinking. If I am offensive I apologize and I assure you that it is not my goal.
I decided to try to craft a design for monk that addresses most of the concerns raised. Removing the "Unarmored" restriction on abilities and adding light armor proficiency resolves the MAD nature of needing WIS + DEX for AC. Removing the restrictions on the unarmed bonus strike frees up the regular action for disengage or dodge at LVL 1. Increasing the number of unarmed strikes that are possible in Tiers 3 and 4 improves scaling. I replaced the martial arts die with expertise in unarmed strikes at LVL 6 for simplicity (high accuracy + low damage instead of low accuracy + high damage), but can understand if others have a preference for the martial arts die.
I am slightly concerned it is front loaded in the first few levels, but could not find places to push abilities to later levels. There are no ribbon features. Diamond Soul was flattened to be more gradual over multiple levels.
Super Simple Monk
Hit Points: (unchanged)
Proficiencies (added light armor)
Armor: Light armor Weapons: simple weapons, short swords Tools: Choose one type of artisan’s tools or one musical instrument Saving Throws: Strength, Dexterity Skills: Choose two from Acrobatics, Athletics, History, Insight, Religion, and Stealth
Equipment
LVL 1
Unarmored Defense (unchanged)
Beginning at 1st level, while you are wearing no armor and not wielding a shield, your AC equals 11 + your Dexterity modifier + your Wisdom modifier. (if you think that the monk have a low defense at low levels why not add +1 to the unarmored defense?)
Martial Arts (heavily editted)
At 1st level, your practice of martial arts gives you mastery of combat styles that use unarmed strikes and simple weapons.
You gain the following benefits as long as you are unarmored or wearing armor you are proficient with. (If the monk had expertise in heavy armor would it still have all the benefits of the feature? the shild?)
You can use Dexterity instead of Strength for the attack and damage rolls of your unarmed strikes and simple weapons. [Alternative: You may use DEX instead of STR for weapons you are proficient in that lack the heavy or two handed property.]
You can roll a d4 in place of the normal damage of your unarmed strike.
You can make one unarmed strike as a bonus action.
Certain monasteries use specialized forms of the monk weapons. For example, you might use a club that is two lengths of wood connected by a short chain (called a nunchaku) or a sickle with a shorter, straighter blade (called a kama). Whatever name you use for a monk weapon, you can use the game statistics provided for the weapon in the Weapons section.
Note 1: shortswords are finesse and can already use Dexterity. Note 2: Instead of a Martial Arts die, LVL 6 gives expertise in unarmed strikes, which increases accuracy, which increases damage. (I don't understand what you mean by expertise in unarmed strikes. <<Expertise is a feature that allows you to double your proficiency bonus for any check requiring the skill or tool you have expertise in>>) Note 3: An unconditional bonus action unarmed strike means dodge or disengage can be taken as a regular action. Tier 1 survivability issue solved.
LVL 2
Ki (10 minute meditation for 1 ki matches ritual spellcasting time)
Starting at 2nd level, your training allows you to harness the mystic energy of ki. Your access to this energy is represented by a number of ki points. Your monk level determines the number of points you have, as shown in the Ki Points column of the Monk table.
You can spend these points to fuel various ki features. You start knowing three such features: Flurry of Blows, Patient Defense, and Step of the Wind. You learn more ki features as you gain levels in this class.
You can't use ki if you are wearing armor or shields you are not proficient with.
When you spend a ki point, it is unavailable until you finish a short or long rest, at the end of which you draw all of your expended ki back into yourself. You must spend at least 30 minutes of the rest meditating to regain all your ki points. Other than a rest, you may meditate for 10 minutes to regain 1 ki point. (The idea is not bad, but there might be a simpler solution, like giving more ki points to lower levels. 4 ki at 2nd and 3rd level, 5 ki at 4th and 5th level and then go up gradually).
Some of your ki features require your target to make a saving throw to resist the feature’s effects. The saving throw DC is calculated as follows: Ki save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier
Flurry of blows (Now part of the Attack action, freeing up Bonus Action. Scales in Tier 3 and 4)
As part of the Attack action, you may spend 1 ki to make 1 additional unarmed strike. At LVL 11, you may spend 2 ki to make 2 unarmed attacks with this feature. At LVL 17, you may spend 3 ki to make 3 unarmed attacks with this feature.
Patient Defense (copied from other's ideas to be a reaction, then combined with Deflect Missiles)
When you are attacked, you may use your reaction and 1 ki to add your proficiency bonus to your AC, potentially causing the attack to miss. You can do this after seeing the results of the roll. If a missed attack was a missile small enough to fit in your hand and you have a hand free, the missile is caught. (Does this feature work only with ranged attacks or with all types of attacks?) At LVL 9, if the attack misses, you may make a melee attack as part of the same reaction. If a missile was caught, it can be used as a ranged attack instead with proficiency and with damage 1d4 + Dexterity Modifier and the missile has a normal range of 20 feet and a long range of 60 feet. At LVL 14, this ability does not consume your reaction if your attack hits. (My opinion, but I don't see how a person doesn't consume a reaction when the reaction has been there, maybe it's better that they don't consume the ki point).
Step of the wind: (now with wall running)
You can spend 1 ki point to take the Disengage or Dash action as a bonus action on your turn, and your jump distance is doubled for the turn. Until the end of your turn, you may move along vertical surfaces and across liquids. At LVL 13 when you use this feature, you have a flying speed equal to your walking speed until the end of your turn.
Note: Wall running gives the monk unique capabilities inside and outside combat. Waiting till 9th level is after druids can wild shape into spiders, after Spider Climb can be cast, and after uncommon items like Flying Broom or Flying boots or Slippers of Spider Climbing are available.
Monk Movement (adjusted to allow for armor)
Starting at 2nd level, your speed increases by 10 feet. This bonus increases when you reach certain monk levels, as shown in the Monk table.
Fighting style
You adopt a particular style of fighting as your specialty. Choose one of the following options. You can’t take a Fighting Style option more than once, even if you later get to choose again.
Blessed Warrior You learn two cantrips of your choice from the cleric spell list. They count as monk spells for you, and Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for them. Whenever you gain a level in this class, you can replace one of these cantrips with another cantrip from the cleric spell list.
Blind Fighting You have blindsight with a range of 10 feet. Within that range, you can effectively see anything that isn't behind total cover, even if you're blinded or in darkness. Moreover, you can see an invisible creature within that range, unless the creature successfully hides from you.
Druidic Warrior You learn two cantrips of your choice from the druid spell list. They count as monk spells for you, and Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for them. Whenever you gain a level in this class, you can replace one of these cantrips with another cantrip from the druid spell list.
Thrown Weapon Fighting You can draw a weapon that has the thrown property as part of the attack you make with the weapon. In addition, when you hit with a ranged attack using a thrown weapon, you gain a +2 bonus to the damage roll.
Unarmed Fighting Your unarmed strikes can deal bludgeoning damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength or Dexterity modifier on a hit. If you aren't wielding any weapons or a shield when you make the attack roll, the d6 becomes a d8. At the start of each of your turns, you can deal 1d4 bludgeoning damage to one creature grappled by you. (it is true that I did not understand what you mean when you wrote that the monk at LVL 6 get expertise in unarmed strikes, What advantage does this fighting style bring you?)
Martial Versatility Whenever you reach a level in this class that grants the Ability Score Improvement feature, you may shift the focus of your martial practice. Replace a fighting style you know with another fighting style available to monks.
LVL 3
Monastic Tradition subclass feature
Slow Fall
Beginning at 3rd level, you can use your reaction when you fall to reduce any falling damage you take by an amount equal to five times your monk level. As part of the same reaction, you may spend 1 ki to reduce the falling damage of one creature you can touch. (Interesting, but I find that on a game level being able to help only one person besides yourself is a limitation. If the group is larger you will have to make a choice who to save, at this point it is better to have a magic class with the 1st level spell "Feather Fall", at least it can save 5 people).
"Don't worry, I can catch you!" said the halfling monk to the centaur cleric.
LVL 4
Ability Score increase (unchanged)
When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.
Using the optional feats rule, you can forgo taking this feature to take a feat of your choice instead.
Diamond Soul (split across levels 4, 8, 10, 12, 16, and 19) (Do you mean to add the caret increase in another feture? If so I find it an unnecessary complication)
Whenever you reach a level in this class that grants the Ability Score Improvement feature, you gain proficiency in a saving throw of your choice.
LVL 5
Extra Attack (unchanged)
Stunning Strike (I tried to devise a way to split this across multiple levels, but could not figure out a way.)
Starting at 5th level, you can interfere with the flow of ki in an opponent’s body. When you hit another creature with an unarmed strike, you can spend 1 ki point to attempt a stunning strike. The target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or be stunned until the beginning of your next turn. (I find it interesting how you reduced the number of possible attacks with the stunning strike) Starting at 15th level, you may spend a second ki point to force the saving throw to be made with disadvantage.
LVL 6
Ki-Empowered Strikes (expertise)
Starting at 6th level, your unarmed strikes count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage. You gain expertise in unarmed strikes. Double your proficiency bonus for your unarmed strikes. (sorry, I don't understand, maybe you mean that your roll to hit uses twice the competence?).
Movement increase
Monastic Tradition subclass feature
LVL 7
Evasion (unchanged)
Stillness of Mind (simplified)
Starting at 7th level, if at the start of your turn you are charmed or frightened, make a saving throw to possibly end the effect. This occurs even if your character is not aware of the effect.
LVL 8
ASI
saving throw proficiency
LVL 9
Patient Defense upgrade
LVL 10
Movement increase
Diamond Soul reroll
Whenever you make a saving throw and fail, you can spend 1 ki point to rerol it and take the second result.
LVL 11
Flurry of blows upgrade
Monastic Tradition subclass feature
LVL 12
ASI saving throw proficiency
LVL 13
Step of the wind upgrade
LVL 14
Patient Defense upgrade Movement increase
LVL 15
Stunning Strike upgrade
LVL 16
ASI saving throw proficiency
LVL 17
Flurry of blows upgrade Monastic Tradition subclass feature
LVL 18
Movement increase
Empty Body (unchanged)
LVL 19
ASI saving throw proficiency
LVL 20 capstone
You take 1 level of Rogue. Ok, just kidding. Here is my idea. The numbers can be tuned for balance.
If you have less than 4 ki at the start of your turn, you gain 2 ki. (is even poorer than the original, give it at least 4ki)
So I was not the original author, but I feel I can still answer the question on "expertise with unarmed strikes". He is saying instead of adding your proficiency bonus and dex to your attack rolls you add double your proficiency bonus and your dex for unarmed strikes. Since he has removed the martial arts die he is counting on unarmed fighting style to work with it. The problem with the removed martial arts die is the subclasses. Since, again this is supposed to be suggestions for the new monk for the new PHB which Wizards has already stated will still be compatible and we have subclasses outside of the PHB that all refer to the martial arts die I feel like we are going to need to keep that aspect of monk.
All well thought out and excellent advice from everyone!
To explain the expertise in unarmed strikes, yes I was thinking the to hit roll would be computed as D20 + Dex Mod + 2*(proficiency bonus) instead of D20 + Dex Mod + proficiency bonus. After reading the other subclasses in depth, the martial arts dice is mentioned several times. The need for backward compatibility requires keeping the martial arts dice scaling. So I am going to scrap my idea for expertise.
Multiple subclasses also mention Flurry of Blows. That feature is painted into a corner with not much room for change. Which leaves step of the wind and patient defense the most likely features for adjustment. In hindsight, my version of patient defense had convoluted wording. The general idea was for it to be a reaction that increased in power with monk levels.
I no longer envy the task of the developers in revising the core monk class. Good luck to them!
All well thought out and excellent advice from everyone!
To explain the expertise in unarmed strikes, yes I was thinking the to hit roll would be computed as D20 + Dex Mod + 2*(proficiency bonus) instead of D20 + Dex Mod + proficiency bonus. After reading the other subclasses in depth, the martial arts dice is mentioned several times. The need for backward compatibility requires keeping the martial arts dice scaling. So I am going to scrap my idea for expertise.
Multiple subclasses also mention Flurry of Blows. That feature is painted into a corner with not much room for change. Which leaves step of the wind and patient defense the most likely features for adjustment. In hindsight, my version of patient defense had convoluted wording. The general idea was for it to be a reaction that increased in power with monk levels.
I no longer envy the task of the developers in revising the core monk class. Good luck to them!
While many abilities mention Flurry of blows, your solution actually works in tandem with quite a few of those. Open Hand, Shadow, and Elemental monk are all in the original PHB, so we can expect reprints of these subclasses. This leaves Drunken Fist, Kensei, Sun Soul, Ascendant Dragon, Astral Self and Mercy monks. Of these only Drunken Fist mentions flurry of blows by name for its 3rd level and 17th level features and your solution helps both of those. I think just scrapping the expertise, giving back the martial arts die and looking to include a couple more fighting styles, something to improve upon versatile weapons (which there are suggestions for even in the fighter forums) or even adding the dueling fighting style as an option.
Way of Sun Soul’s Radiant Sun Bolt has a replacement for Flurry of Blows.
“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”
If flurry of blows was moved to be part of the Attack action (instead of bonus action), then Sun Soul at LVL 5 could go nova with melee attack, sun bolt, spend 1 ki for Flurry of blows (1 unarmed strike), then spend 1 ki for bonus action 2 sun bolts. Therefore to avoid shenanigans, I believe Flurry of Blows will have to stay a bonus action.
Way of Mercy’s Hand of Healing ability was written assuming more than 1 attack during Flurry of Blows. That is another strike against moving Flurry of Blows to the Attack action.
Adding more unarmed strikes to Flurry of Blows still seems possible. I was concerned about the interaction with Drunken Master’s Intoxicated Flurry, but Drunken Master still pays 1 ki for 5 attacks.
What do you think of the tweaks I did? are they too much or not really fixing the limitations the class has?
Inspired by what Thrikeen was going for, plus what I liked from Haraviks and Aanx tweaks, and numerous ideas i read in this thread.
Class Features
As a monk, you gain the following class features.
Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1d8 per monk level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + your Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8+ your Constitution modifier per monk level after 1st
Proficiencies
Armor: None
Weapons: Simple weapons, shortswords and pikes.
Tools: Choose one type of artisan's tools or one musical instrument
Saving Throws:Wisdom, Dexterity
Skills: Choose two from Acrobatics, Athletics, History, Insight, Medicine, Religion, and Stealth
Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
Unarmored Defense
Beginning at 1st level, while you are wearing no armor and not wielding a shield, your AC equals 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Wisdom modifier.
Martial Arts
At 1st level, your practice of martial arts gives you mastery of combat styles that use unarmed strikes and monk weapons, which are shortswords, pikes and any simple melee weapons that don't have the two-handed or heavy property.
You gain the following benefits while you are unarmed or wielding only monk weapons and you aren't wearing heavy armor or wielding a shield:
Certain monasteries use specialized forms of the monk weapons. For example, you might use a club that is two lengths of wood connected by a short chain (called a nunchaku) or a sickle with a shorter, straighter blade (called a kama). Whatever name you use for a monk weapon, you can use the game statistics provided for the weapon on the Weapons page.
Ki
Starting at 2nd level, your training allows you to harness the mystic energy of ki. Your access to this energy is represented by a number of ki points. Your monk level + your wisdom modifier + your proficiency bonus determine the number of points you have.
You can spend these points to fuel various ki features. You start knowing three such features: Flurry of Blows, Patient Defense, and Step of the Wind. You learn more ki features as you gain levels in this class.
When you spend a ki point, it is unavailable until you finish a short or long rest, at the end of which you draw all of your expended ki back into yourself. You must spend at least 30 minutes of the rest meditating to regain your ki points.
Some of your ki features require your target to make a saving throw to resist the feature's effects. The saving throw DC is calculated as follows:
Ki save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier
action as a bonusaction on your turn, and your jump distance is doubled for the turn.Martial Techniques (Optional)
Replaces the Ki Response feature.
At 2nd level, you learn maneuvers that are fueled by special dice called Technique dice.
The number of Ki points you now have is determined by this class's Proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier.
Maneuvers
You learn two maneuvers of your choice, which are chosen from the list of maneuvers available to fighters with the Battle Master archetype. Many maneuvers enhance an attack in some way. You can use only one maneuver per attack.
You learn one additional maneuver of your choice at 5th, 9th, 13th, and 17th levels. Each time you learn a new maneuver, you can also replace one maneuver you know with a different one.
Technique Dice
You have five Technique dice, which are equal to your martial arts die. A Technique die is expended when you use it. You regain all of your expended Technique dice when you finish a short or long rest.
Additionally, you can spend a Ki point to preform a maneuver without adding the martial arts die to the attack's damage roll.
Saving Throws
Some of your maneuvers require your target to make a saving throw to resist the maneuver's effects. The saving throw DC is calculated as follows:
Maneuver save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom or Dexterity modifier (your choice)
Unarmored Movement
Starting at 2nd level, your speed increases by 10 feet while you are not wearing armor or wielding a shield. This bonus increases when you reach certain monk levels, as shown in the Monk table.
At 9th level, you gain the ability to move along vertical surfaces and across liquids on your turn without falling during the move.
Dedicated Weapon (Optional)
Also at 2nd level, you train yourself to use a variety of weapons as monk weapons, not just simple melee weapons and shortswords. Whenever you finish a short or long rest, you can touch one weapon, focus your ki on it, and then count that weapon as a monk weapon until you use this feature again.
The chosen weapon must meet these criteria:
Fighting Style
At 2nd level, you adopt a particular style of fighting as your specialty. Choose one of the following options. You can't take a Fighting Style option more than once, even if you later get to choose again.
Monastic Tradition
When you reach 3rd level, you commit yourself to a monastic tradition. Your tradition grants you features at 3rd level and again at 6th, 11th, and 17th level.
Deflect Attack
Starting at 3rd level, you can spend 1 ki point to use your reaction to deflect an attack or catch the missile when you or one of your allies within your range are hit by an attack. When you do so, the damage you take from the attack is reduced by 1d10 + your Dexterity modifier + your monk level.
When you reduce the damage to 0 and if you catch the missile provided it is small enough for you to hold in one hand and you have at least one hand free. If you catch a missile in this way, you can make a ranged attack with a range of 20/60 using the weapon or piece of ammunition you just caught, as part of the same reaction. You make this attack with proficiency, regardless of your weapon proficiencies, and the missile counts as a monk weapon for the attack.
Ki-Fueled Attack (Optional)
Also at 3rd level, if you spend 1 ki point or more as part of your action on your turn, you can make one attack with an unarmed strike or a monk weapon as a bonus action before the end of the turn.
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 10th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.
Martial Versatility (Optional)
Whenever you reach a level in this class that grants the Ability Score Improvement feature, you can replace a fighting style you know with another fighting style available to rangers. This replacement represents a shift of focus in your martial practice.
Slow Fall
Beginning at 4th level, you can use your reaction when you fall to reduce any falling damage you take by an amount equal to five times your monk level. Moreover you can use your Dexterity modifier to determine your Jump distance .
Quickened Healing (Optional)
Also at 4th level, as an action, you can spend 2 ki points and roll a Martial Arts die. You or one of your allies regain a number of hit points equal to the number rolled plus your proficiency bonus.
Extra Attack
Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.
Stunning Strike
Starting at 5th level, you can interfere with the flow of ki in an opponent's body. When you hit another creature with a melee weapon attack, you can spend 1 ki point to attempt a stunning strike. The target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or become dazed. On a failed save the target has a -2 penalty to attack rolls, ability checks and Dexterity saving throws and it can’t take reactions until the end of your next turn.
Beginning at 9 level, on a failed Constitution saving throw the target is stunned until the end of your next turn, and at 17th level every time you make a critical hit the enemy is automatically stunned until the end of your next turn.
Focused Aim (Optional)
Also at 5th level, when you miss with an attack roll, you can spend 1 to 3 ki points to increase your attack roll by 2 for each of these ki points you spend, potentially turning the miss into a hit.
Ki-Empowered Strikes
Starting at 6th level, your unarmed strikes count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.
Ki Response
At 7th level, your training in the mystic art of Ki has grown; providing you access to additional features.
Evasion
At 7th level, your instinctive agility lets you dodge out of the way of certain area effects, such as a blue dragon's lightning breath or a fireball spell. When you are subjected to an effect that allows you to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, you instead take no damage if you succeed on the saving throw, and only half damage if you fail.
Stillness of Mind
Starting at 7th level, you have advantage on saving throws against being charmed or frightened. This applies to initial saves as well as ongoing saving throws. If you become aware that you or one of your allies are charmed or frightened you can use your action to end one of these effects.
Pressure Points
At 10th level, when you channel ki into your attacks you augment its effectiveness.
Whenever you hit a creature with one of the attacks granted by your Flurry of Blows, you can impose one of the following effects on the target:
Purity of Body
At 10th level, your mastery of the ki flowing through you makes you immune to disease and poison.
Timeless Body
At 10th level, your ki sustains you so that you suffer none of the frailty of old age, and you can't be aged magically. You can still die of old age, however. In addition, you no longer need food or water.
Tongue of the Sun and Moon
Starting at 13th level, you learn to touch the ki of other minds so that you understand all spoken languages, whenever you make a skill check that requires Charisma, you can add your Wisdom modifier to it. Moreover, any creature that can understand a language can understand what you say.
Empty Mind (Optional)
At 13th level, you have practiced emptying your mind of all thoughts, desires, and assumptions. When your mind is clear, you are free from your ego and are able to act spontaneously and fluidly without emotion and hesitation.
When you hit a creature with an attack roll, you can target it as your Sole Focus for 1 minute or until you lose your concentration (as if you were concentrating on a spell).
Every time that you hit the Sole Focus and deal damage to it, including when you target it, you increase that damage by your Martial Arts die.
You can use this feature to target a Sole Focus a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a short or long rest.
Empty Mind (Optional)
For Flurry of Blows (Optional Variant)
At 13th level, you have practiced emptying your mind of all thoughts, desires, and assumptions. When your mind is clear, you are free from your ego and are able to act spontaneously and fluidly without emotion and hesitation.
When you hit a creature with an attack roll, you can target it as your Sole Focus for 1 minute or until you lose your concentration (as if you were concentrating on a spell).
The first time on each of your turns that you hit the Sole Focus and deal damage to it, including when you target it, you increase that damage by your Martial Arts die.
You can use this feature to target a Sole Focus a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a short or long rest.
Diamond Soul
Beginning at 14th level, your mastery of ki grants you proficiency in all saving throws.
Additionally, whenever you make a saving throw and fail, you can spend 1 ki point to reroll it and take the second result.
Empty Body
Beginning at 18th level, you can use your action to spend 4 ki points to become invisible for 1 minute. During that time, you also have resistance to all damage but force damage.
Additionally, you can spend 4 ki points to cast the Astral Projection spell, without needing material components. When you do so, you can't take any other creatures with you.
Perfect Self
At 20th level, when you roll for initiative and have no ki points remaining, you regain half your total Ki points. Additionally, your Flurry of Blows feature no longer costs Ki.
@Avantura,
Not sure what you mean by “freely take the Dodge, Disengage, or Dash action”. Do you mean it does not take any action at all? Maybe word it (no action required) or something like that?
It seems makings SotW 2 Ki kind of nerfs it, though I see why you did this. Would it make sense for it to be 1 Ki to use as a Bonus Action and 2 Ki for no Action required?
EZD6 by DM Scotty
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/397599/EZD6-Core-Rulebook?
I agree that it does nerf it, but the idea is to make it no action required like you stated hence the higher cost.
From my point of view you need to start cutting some things in your class, there is really too much stuff. As ThriKreenWarrior says well we don't have to create a monk can do everything, but one who fits into a group and fights in a group. One characteristic of this edition is simplicity, and having too many features does not make the game easy.
In general, you have a lot of ingredients, now you have to put them in order and make choices. I don't think you can keep everything, the class would become unbalanced. You need to figure out what you want the main characteristics of the monk to be and focus on those.
Look I understand that your ideal Monk Class isn't what Wotc have put out but what I myself am doing is working with the Monk they put out and Improving upon it. Yes it is in my own point of view of improvement as it is with yours when we post, but when you critique something you should approach it without bias on what you want and more about balance, fun-factor and power progression. So I respectfully ask you to step back from your Ideal Monk view and provide critiques that looks at the criteria I put forward.
My goal is not to criticize your monk variant, I answered you with the idea of helping. My advice was only advice and if you misunderstood, I apologize for not being clear. If you didn't like my advice, I can understand, I am not forcing you to follow what I wrote.
No please do criticise it, it's just your critques sound skewed towards your idealised Monk rather than a general improvement to the base Monk Class.
You'd most likely be better suited for revising the 4 elements Monk subclass into being the magical spiritualist you and I want rather than an entire class overhaul.
Edit: fixed formatting.
I decided to try to craft a design for monk that addresses most of the concerns raised. Removing the "Unarmored" restriction on abilities and adding light armor proficiency resolves the MAD nature of needing WIS + DEX for AC. Removing the restrictions on the unarmed bonus strike frees up the regular action for disengage or dodge at LVL 1. Increasing the number of unarmed strikes that are possible in Tiers 3 and 4 improves scaling. I replaced the martial arts die with expertise in unarmed strikes at LVL 6 for simplicity (high accuracy + low damage instead of low accuracy + high damage), but can understand if others have a preference for the martial arts die.
I am slightly concerned it is front loaded in the first few levels, but could not find places to push abilities to later levels. There are no ribbon features. Diamond Soul was flattened to be more gradual over multiple levels.
Super Simple Monk
Hit Points: (unchanged)
Hit Dice: 1d8 per monk level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + your Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per monk level after 1st
Proficiencies (added light armor)
Armor: Light armor
Weapons: simple weapons, short swords
Tools: Choose one type of artisan’s tools or one musical instrument
Saving Throws: Strength, Dexterity
Skills: Choose two from Acrobatics, Athletics, History, Insight, Religion, and Stealth
Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
(a) a shortsword or (b) any simple weapon
(a) a dungeoneer’s pack or (b) an explorer’s pack
(a) 10 darts or (b) a shortbow and a quiver of 20 arrows
LVL 1
Unarmored Defense (unchanged)
Beginning at 1st level, while you are wearing no armor and not wielding a shield, your AC equals 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Wisdom modifier.
Martial Arts (heavily editted)
At 1st level, your practice of martial arts gives you mastery of combat styles that use unarmed strikes and simple weapons.
You gain the following benefits as long as you are unarmored or wearing armor you are proficient with.
Certain monasteries use specialized forms of the monk weapons. For example, you might use a club that is two lengths of wood connected by a short chain (called a nunchaku) or a sickle with a shorter, straighter blade (called a kama). Whatever name you use for a monk weapon, you can use the game statistics provided for the weapon in the Weapons section.
Note 1: shortswords are finesse and can already use Dexterity.
Note 2: Instead of a Martial Arts die, LVL 6 gives expertise in unarmed strikes, which increases accuracy, which increases damage.
Note 3: An unconditional bonus action unarmed strike means dodge or disengage can be taken as a regular action. Tier 1 survivability issue solved.
LVL 2
Ki (10 minute meditation for 1 ki matches ritual spellcasting time)
Starting at 2nd level, your training allows you to harness the mystic energy of ki. Your access to this energy is represented by a number of ki points. Your monk level determines the number of points you have, as shown in the Ki Points column of the Monk table.
You can spend these points to fuel various ki features. You start knowing three such features: Flurry of Blows, Patient Defense, and Step of the Wind. You learn more ki features as you gain levels in this class.
You can't use ki if you are wearing armor or shields you are not proficient with.
When you spend a ki point, it is unavailable until you finish a short or long rest, at the end of which you draw all of your expended ki back into yourself. You must spend at least 30 minutes of the rest meditating to regain all your ki points. Other than a rest, you may meditate for 10 minutes to regain 1 ki point.
Some of your ki features require your target to make a saving throw to resist the feature’s effects. The saving throw DC is calculated as follows:
Ki save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier
Flurry of blows (Now part of the Attack action, freeing up Bonus Action. Scales in Tier 3 and 4)
As part of the Attack action, you may spend 1 ki to make 1 additional unarmed strike.
At LVL 11, you may spend 2 ki to make 2 unarmed attacks with this feature.
At LVL 17, you may spend 3 ki to make 3 unarmed attacks with this feature.
Patient Defense (copied from other's ideas to be a reaction, then combined with Deflect Missiles)
When you are attacked, you may use your reaction and 1 ki to add your proficiency bonus to your AC, potentially causing the attack to miss. You can do this after seeing the results of the roll. If a missed attack was a missile small enough to fit in your hand and you have a hand free, the missile is caught.
At LVL 9, if the attack misses, you may make a melee attack as part of the same reaction. If a missile was caught, it can be used as a ranged attack instead with proficiency and with damage 1d4 + Dexterity Modifier and the missile has a normal range of 20 feet and a long range of 60 feet.
At LVL 14, this ability does not consume your reaction if your attack hits.
Step of the wind: (now with wall running)
You can spend 1 ki point to take the Disengage or Dash action as a bonus action on your turn, and your jump distance is doubled for the turn. Until the end of your turn, you may move along vertical surfaces and across liquids.
At LVL 13 when you use this feature, you have a flying speed equal to your walking speed until the end of your turn.
Note: Wall running gives the monk unique capabilities inside and outside combat. Waiting till 9th level is after druids can wild shape into spiders, after Spider Climb can be cast, and after uncommon items like Flying Broom or Flying boots or Slippers of Spider Climbing are available.
Monk Movement (adjusted to allow for armor)
Starting at 2nd level, your speed increases by 10 feet. This bonus increases when you reach certain monk levels, as shown in the Monk table.
Fighting style
You adopt a particular style of fighting as your specialty. Choose one of the following options. You can’t take a Fighting Style option more than once, even if you later get to choose again.
You learn two cantrips of your choice from the cleric spell list. They count as monk spells for you, and Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for them. Whenever you gain a level in this class, you can replace one of these cantrips with another cantrip from the cleric spell list.
You have blindsight with a range of 10 feet. Within that range, you can effectively see anything that isn't behind total cover, even if you're blinded or in darkness. Moreover, you can see an invisible creature within that range, unless the creature successfully hides from you.
You learn two cantrips of your choice from the druid spell list. They count as monk spells for you, and Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for them. Whenever you gain a level in this class, you can replace one of these cantrips with another cantrip from the druid spell list.
You can draw a weapon that has the thrown property as part of the attack you make with the weapon. In addition, when you hit with a ranged attack using a thrown weapon, you gain a +2 bonus to the damage roll.
Your unarmed strikes can deal bludgeoning damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength or Dexterity modifier on a hit. If you aren't wielding any weapons or a shield when you make the attack roll, the d6 becomes a d8. At the start of each of your turns, you can deal 1d4 bludgeoning damage to one creature grappled by you.
Martial Versatility
Whenever you reach a level in this class that grants the Ability Score Improvement feature, you may shift the focus of your martial practice. Replace a fighting style you know with another fighting style available to monks.
LVL 3
Monastic Tradition subclass feature
Slow Fall
Beginning at 3rd level, you can use your reaction when you fall to reduce any falling damage you take by an amount equal to five times your monk level.
As part of the same reaction, you may spend 1 ki to reduce the falling damage of one creature you can touch.
"Don't worry, I can catch you!" said the halfling monk to the centaur cleric.
LVL 4
Ability Score increase (unchanged)
When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.
Using the optional feats rule, you can forgo taking this feature to take a feat of your choice instead.
Diamond Soul (split across levels 4, 8, 10, 12, 16, and 19)
Whenever you reach a level in this class that grants the Ability Score Improvement feature, you gain proficiency in a saving throw of your choice.
LVL 5
Extra Attack (unchanged)
Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.
Stunning Strike (I tried to devise a way to split this across multiple levels, but could not figure out a way.)
Starting at 5th level, you can interfere with the flow of ki in an opponent’s body. When you hit another creature with an unarmed strike, you can spend 1 ki point to attempt a stunning strike. The target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or be stunned until the beginning of your next turn.
Starting at 15th level, you may spend a second ki point to force the saving throw to be made with disadvantage.
LVL 6
Ki-Empowered Strikes (expertise)
Starting at 6th level, your unarmed strikes count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.
You gain expertise in unarmed strikes. Double your proficiency bonus for your unarmed strikes.
Movement increase
Monastic Tradition subclass feature
LVL 7
Evasion (unchanged)
At 7th level, your instinctive agility lets you dodge out of the way of certain area effects, such as a blue dragon’s lightning breath or a fireball spell. When you are subjected to an effect that allows you to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, you instead take no damage if you succeed on the saving throw, and only half damage if you fail.
Stillness of Mind (simplified)
Starting at 7th level, if at the start of your turn you are charmed or frightened, make a saving throw to possibly end the effect. This occurs even if your character is not aware of the effect.
LVL 8
ASI
saving throw proficiency
LVL 9
Patient Defense upgrade
LVL 10
Movement increase
Diamond Soul reroll
Whenever you make a saving throw and fail, you can spend 1 ki point to rerol it and take the second result.
LVL 11
Flurry of blows upgrade
Monastic Tradition subclass feature
LVL 12
ASI
saving throw proficiency
LVL 13
Step of the wind upgrade
LVL 14
Patient Defense upgrade
Movement increase
LVL 15
Stunning Strike upgrade
LVL 16
ASI
saving throw proficiency
LVL 17
Flurry of blows upgrade
Monastic Tradition subclass feature
LVL 18
Movement increase
Empty Body (unchanged)
Beginning at 18th level, you can use your action to spend 4 ki 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 points to cast the astral projection spell, without needing material components. When you do so, you can’t take any other creatures with you.
LVL 19
ASI
saving throw proficiency
LVL 20 capstone
You take 1 level of Rogue. Ok, just kidding. Here is my idea. The numbers can be tuned for balance.
If you have less than 4 ki at the start of your turn, you gain 2 ki.
I really like a lot of this, but I think, with patient defense it kind of needs to work like shield and have it last until your next turn if we make it this way. Otherwise I personally prefer the idea of it just being part of your action similar to the way you made Flurry of blows. I also like the flexibility of flurry of blows. It acknowledges that ki is less of an issue at higher levels and we need more ways to burn it and nova with it.
Edit: xceltion you may wish to add level 9 step of the wind improvement. You can now achieve the wall and water running without taking the step of the wind action. This is to keep the combat utility you gain at 9. I would also suggest that the poison and disease immunity isn't quiet ribbon featue. Lots of poison damage in game.
Maybe make stunning strike gain "attack" at higher levels. This will especially help our subclasses that dont use unarmed strikes.
I do dig the ideas you're putting forward, might just follow suit with the unconditional unarmed strike for My revision as well.
You need to reword some of the features to be easier to understand or less wordy.
Martial arts can be shortened by just removing the whole armor thing, I just find it odd that martial arts locks you out if you have armor on but not Ki doesnt, which i like that yours locks you out if you have armor on.
Meditation for Ki is a good idea, but I Think 1 Ki might be Low, would proficiency bonus be alot, it offers good scaling imo.
Unarmored movement should still be Unarmored imo, because well Unarmored. Did I say Unarmored enough times? UNARMORED.....
I think the idea of Stillness of Mind is to make it easier to end the effect of those conditions, I'm a fan of just adding advantage to the saving throw.
I like the idea of adding saving throw proficiencies as they level rather 14th level.
Overall you make some solid points and adjustments but the soke of the wording may need trimming.
I've made some adjustments following some of your good recommendations on my Revised Monk, I tried to make the optional variant and replacer type features next to each other to be easier to identify and indicate their relation.
I also followed the trend of making the Bonus Action Unarmed Strike condition-less.
I tried to write down some advice in blue. The class you came up with is interesting, maybe you still need to fix some things like the "Patient Defense" feature. I hope my fixes are not too dry. My suggestions are just suggestions, I don't beg anyone to change anything, it's just my way of thinking. If I am offensive I apologize and I assure you that it is not my goal.
Note 1: shortswords are finesse and can already use Dexterity.
Note 2: Instead of a Martial Arts die, LVL 6 gives expertise in unarmed strikes, which increases accuracy, which increases damage. (I don't understand what you mean by expertise in unarmed strikes. <<Expertise is a feature that allows you to double your proficiency bonus for any check requiring the skill or tool you have expertise in>>)
Note 3: An unconditional bonus action unarmed strike means dodge or disengage can be taken as a regular action. Tier 1 survivability issue solved.
So I was not the original author, but I feel I can still answer the question on "expertise with unarmed strikes". He is saying instead of adding your proficiency bonus and dex to your attack rolls you add double your proficiency bonus and your dex for unarmed strikes. Since he has removed the martial arts die he is counting on unarmed fighting style to work with it. The problem with the removed martial arts die is the subclasses. Since, again this is supposed to be suggestions for the new monk for the new PHB which Wizards has already stated will still be compatible and we have subclasses outside of the PHB that all refer to the martial arts die I feel like we are going to need to keep that aspect of monk.
All well thought out and excellent advice from everyone!
To explain the expertise in unarmed strikes, yes I was thinking the to hit roll would be computed as D20 + Dex Mod + 2*(proficiency bonus) instead of D20 + Dex Mod + proficiency bonus. After reading the other subclasses in depth, the martial arts dice is mentioned several times. The need for backward compatibility requires keeping the martial arts dice scaling. So I am going to scrap my idea for expertise.
Multiple subclasses also mention Flurry of Blows. That feature is painted into a corner with not much room for change. Which leaves step of the wind and patient defense the most likely features for adjustment. In hindsight, my version of patient defense had convoluted wording. The general idea was for it to be a reaction that increased in power with monk levels.
I no longer envy the task of the developers in revising the core monk class. Good luck to them!
While many abilities mention Flurry of blows, your solution actually works in tandem with quite a few of those. Open Hand, Shadow, and Elemental monk are all in the original PHB, so we can expect reprints of these subclasses. This leaves Drunken Fist, Kensei, Sun Soul, Ascendant Dragon, Astral Self and Mercy monks. Of these only Drunken Fist mentions flurry of blows by name for its 3rd level and 17th level features and your solution helps both of those. I think just scrapping the expertise, giving back the martial arts die and looking to include a couple more fighting styles, something to improve upon versatile weapons (which there are suggestions for even in the fighter forums) or even adding the dueling fighting style as an option.
my latest version
https://www.gmbinder.com/share/-Mz734bN8gWVYvErwFpw
Way of Sun Soul’s Radiant Sun Bolt has a replacement for Flurry of Blows.
“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”
If flurry of blows was moved to be part of the Attack action (instead of bonus action), then Sun Soul at LVL 5 could go nova with melee attack, sun bolt, spend 1 ki for Flurry of blows (1 unarmed strike), then spend 1 ki for bonus action 2 sun bolts. Therefore to avoid shenanigans, I believe Flurry of Blows will have to stay a bonus action.
Way of Mercy’s Hand of Healing ability was written assuming more than 1 attack during Flurry of Blows. That is another strike against moving Flurry of Blows to the Attack action.
Adding more unarmed strikes to Flurry of Blows still seems possible. I was concerned about the interaction with Drunken Master’s Intoxicated Flurry, but Drunken Master still pays 1 ki for 5 attacks.
If you moved "flurry of blow" into the Attack action, what would be the synergy with "Action Surge" of the fighter?