Flurry of Blows. You can spend 1 ki power to make one more unarmed strikes on your turn.
Defensive Stance You can spend 1 ki point to take the Dodge action as a bonus action on your turn. While in your defensive stance, you can make opportunity attacks to any creature that moves more than 5 feet while within your reach without using your reaction.
Lightning Step You can spend 1 ki point to teleport up to twice your movement to an unoccupied space that you can see as a bonus action on your turn.
I like the Lightning Step idea. I think the monk could really use a teleport and or flying skill.
I'd prefer a long floating jump like you see in kung fu movies...
Here is something to think about. Monster's of the multiverse got rid of short rest recharging abilities on their creatures. And we haven't seen short rest ability recovery for quite a while. In addition most of the monsters that had their unarmed attacks changed to a d4 now have them being changed to a d6 matching the unarmed fighting style from tasha's.
With these in mind what if martial arts die starts at a d6 and ki only recovers on a long rest. What would the changes look like then?
Here is something to think about. Monster's of the multiverse got rid of short rest recharging abilities on their creatures. And we haven't seen short rest ability recovery for quite a while. In addition most of the monsters that had their unarmed attacks changed to a d4 now have them being changed to a d6 matching the unarmed fighting style from tasha's.
With these in mind what if martial arts die starts at a d6 and ki only recovers on a long rest. What would the changes look like then?
The first change we'd suggest is just "monks can spend ten minutes/a hour to regain all ki" and then all the exact same changes we already suggest.
I would presume the people behind the next Monk will obviously have changed things around, like increasing total amount of ki, reduced amount of ki needed for a monk to thrive, or more likely have completely rebuilt monk.
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if I edit a message, most of the time it's because of grammar. The rest of the time I'll put "Edit:" at the bottom.
Here is something to think about. Monster's of the multiverse got rid of short rest recharging abilities on their creatures. And we haven't seen short rest ability recovery for quite a while. In addition most of the monsters that had their unarmed attacks changed to a d4 now have them being changed to a d6 matching the unarmed fighting style from tasha's.
With these in mind what if martial arts die starts at a d6 and ki only recovers on a long rest. What would the changes look like then?
The first change we'd suggest is just "monks can spend ten minutes/a hour to regain all ki" and then all the exact same changes we already suggest.
I would presume the people behind the next Monk will obviously have changed things around, like increasing total amount of ki, reduced amount of ki needed for a monk to thrive, or more likely have completely rebuilt monk.
This thread is about suggestions for the team working on monk with the idea of what we are seeing with other changes and with the knowledge that it is supposed to be backwards compatible.
Example. Ki now recovers on a long rest. Ki is still= to monk level. The martial arts die now starts at a d6, d8,d10,d12, 2d12 at level 20. At level 2 you gain the ability to flurry, patient defense, and step of wind a number of times = 2x proficiency bonus, afterwards you must either spend 1 ki or take a long rest to do so again. Slow fall= proficiency bonus, same thing as above. Deflect missile, throw it back a number of times= PB and then same as above. Stunning strike you may do so a number of times = monk level but again may spend ki to do so again........
Flurry of Blows. You can spend 1 ki power to make one more unarmed strikes on your turn.
Defensive Stance You can spend 1 ki point to take the Dodge action as a bonus action on your turn. While in your defensive stance, you can make opportunity attacks to any creature that moves more than 5 feet while within your reach without using your reaction.
Lightning Step You can spend 1 ki point to teleport up to twice your movement to an unoccupied space that you can see as a bonus action on your turn.
I like the Lightning Step idea. I think the monk could really use a teleport and or flying skill.
I'd prefer a long floating jump like you see in kung fu movies...
Flurry of blow allows it to be used even if the action or bonus action has been used, practically always as long as there are ki points.
Defensive Stance allows the monk to counterattack as well defend himself, the price of a ki in this way is better used. But I would hate it if they made the tunnel fighter official at no cost for the fighter.
Lightning Step in addition to disengaging and dashing, if the monk attacked tletransport is practically an attack with advantage. With this option, the technique is finally worth 1 punt ki.
Here is something to think about. Monster's of the multiverse got rid of short rest recharging abilities on their creatures. And we haven't seen short rest ability recovery for quite a while. In addition most of the monsters that had their unarmed attacks changed to a d4 now have them being changed to a d6 matching the unarmed fighting style from tasha's.
With these in mind what if martial arts die starts at a d6 and ki only recovers on a long rest. What would the changes look like then?
The first change we'd suggest is just "monks can spend ten minutes/a hour to regain all ki" and then all the exact same changes we already suggest.
I would presume the people behind the next Monk will obviously have changed things around, like increasing total amount of ki, reduced amount of ki needed for a monk to thrive, or more likely have completely rebuilt monk.
This thread is about suggestions for the team working on monk with the idea of what we are seeing with other changes and with the knowledge that it is supposed to be backwards compatible.
Example. Ki now recovers on a long rest. Ki is still= to monk level. The martial arts die now starts at a d6, d8,d10,d12, 2d12 at level 20. At level 2 you gain the ability to flurry, patient defense, and step of wind a number of times = 2x proficiency bonus, afterwards you must either spend 1 ki or take a long rest to do so again. Slow fall= proficiency bonus, same thing as above. Deflect missile, throw it back a number of times= PB and then same as above. Stunning strike you may do so a number of times = monk level but again may spend ki to do so again........
Nice, but unfortunately it gets complicated because you have to keep track of how many times you have used each technique in addition to how many ki you have left...
exactly, which is why I was asking for other people's ideas. I mean the similar issue is with the warlock. The easiest solve for the warlock is just make them a normal caster, give them their paetron spells and then invocations are their unique thing, but that would feel to close to a sorcerer another option I have thought of was they have spell slots = to warlock levels, but that becomes crazy later on and starts out really bad. The other option is number of spells equal to PB and can cast each of their patron spells once per long without a spell slot, but this makes them too reliant on their patron spells. Make it double PB and then they are too powerful early on, which some would say they are already front loaded.
But wizards does appear to be moving away from 1 hour rest recovery, and I think the classes that are reliant on short rest abilities should be thinking about that.
Edit: So in short, what if they put you in charge of the Monk class. They said the new monk must be backwards compatible with the subclasses that DO NOT appear in the original PHB. We want the Martial arts die at level one to be bumped to d6 and we are getting rid of 1 hour recovery abilities as the 1 hour rest mechanic as too many players ignored it. So I want you to rebalance the Monk with all of this in mind? (I ask this because I feel like this is what the monk developer may have actually been asked to do).
Here is something to think about. Monster's of the multiverse got rid of short rest recharging abilities on their creatures. And we haven't seen short rest ability recovery for quite a while. In addition most of the monsters that had their unarmed attacks changed to a d4 now have them being changed to a d6 matching the unarmed fighting style from tasha's.
With these in mind what if martial arts die starts at a d6 and ki only recovers on a long rest. What would the changes look like then?
The first change we'd suggest is just "monks can spend ten minutes/a hour to regain all ki" and then all the exact same changes we already suggest.
I would presume the people behind the next Monk will obviously have changed things around, like increasing total amount of ki, reduced amount of ki needed for a monk to thrive, or more likely have completely rebuilt monk.
This thread is about suggestions for the team working on monk with the idea of what we are seeing with other changes and with the knowledge that it is supposed to be backwards compatible.
Example. Ki now recovers on a long rest. Ki is still= to monk level. The martial arts die now starts at a d6, d8,d10,d12, 2d12 at level 20. At level 2 you gain the ability to flurry, patient defense, and step of wind a number of times = 2x proficiency bonus, afterwards you must either spend 1 ki or take a long rest to do so again. Slow fall= proficiency bonus, same thing as above. Deflect missile, throw it back a number of times= PB and then same as above. Stunning strike you may do so a number of times = monk level but again may spend ki to do so again........
Nice, but unfortunately it gets complicated because you have to keep track of how many times you have used each technique in addition to how many ki you have left...
I don’t know, I’m fairly certain that there are some newer subclasses out there that have a use X so many times per long rest or by expending a spell slot or something to keep doing it. So it’s not unheard of. Maybe I’m wrong.
I think it may have been in this thread or another monk thread that I had considered a Ki-less monk core class and only subclasses use Ki for some abilities and it was along similar lines.
Maybe I’m just used to DDB character sheets helping track things like this, maybe it’s more problematic with pen and paper or other non-DDB digital sheets.
Here is something to think about. Monster's of the multiverse got rid of short rest recharging abilities on their creatures. And we haven't seen short rest ability recovery for quite a while. In addition most of the monsters that had their unarmed attacks changed to a d4 now have them being changed to a d6 matching the unarmed fighting style from tasha's.
With these in mind what if martial arts die starts at a d6 and ki only recovers on a long rest. What would the changes look like then?
The first change we'd suggest is just "monks can spend ten minutes/a hour to regain all ki" and then all the exact same changes we already suggest.
I would presume the people behind the next Monk will obviously have changed things around, like increasing total amount of ki, reduced amount of ki needed for a monk to thrive, or more likely have completely rebuilt monk.
This thread is about suggestions for the team working on monk with the idea of what we are seeing with other changes and with the knowledge that it is supposed to be backwards compatible.
Example. Ki now recovers on a long rest. Ki is still= to monk level. The martial arts die now starts at a d6, d8,d10,d12, 2d12 at level 20. At level 2 you gain the ability to flurry, patient defense, and step of wind a number of times = 2x proficiency bonus, afterwards you must either spend 1 ki or take a long rest to do so again. Slow fall= proficiency bonus, same thing as above. Deflect missile, throw it back a number of times= PB and then same as above. Stunning strike you may do so a number of times = monk level but again may spend ki to do so again........
Nice, but unfortunately it gets complicated because you have to keep track of how many times you have used each technique in addition to how many ki you have left...
I don’t know, I’m fairly certain that there are some newer subclasses out there that have a use X so many times per long rest or by expending a spell slot or something to keep doing it. So it’s not unheard of. Maybe I’m wrong.
I think it may have been in this thread or another monk thread that I had considered a Ki-less monk core class and only subclasses use Ki for some abilities and it was along similar lines.
Maybe I’m just used to DDB character sheets helping track things like this, maybe it’s more problematic with pen and paper or other non-DDB digital sheets.
If one were to make such a system, one would have to think of at-will powers, like cantrips from spellcasters. If the monk were to be left with no powers based on his expertise and no more ki, what would he be left with? At least spellcasters have cantrips.
The problem is that the monk even with the support of ki is a class that becomes weak after level 11-15 compared to other classes, if he remained without ki it would be a disaster. At least if the situation became complicated the master could create a good situation to make a short rest, but a long rest is a bit more complicated. I can already imagine the monk who instead of continuously requesting short rests would switch to long rests instead, leading to a worse situation.
Following on from what was said earlier, I made a modification to my monk prototype. It is well known again that many martial arts are based on grappling and keys. Jujitsu/judo is the pinnacle of this type of martial art, taken up later by MMA. But it is known that grappling and key techniques are based on the combination of dexterity and technique, and only if technique is lacking does strength come first.
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 any Simple and Martial Weapons, that lack the heavy and special properties. You gain the following benefits while you are unarmed or wielding weapons that you have proficiency and you aren't wearing 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.
When you want to grab a creature or wrestle with it, you can use Dexterity (Acrobatics) instead of Strength (Athletics) check.
You can roll a d4 in place of the normal damage of your unarmed strike or monk weapon. This die changes as you gain monk levels, as shown in the Martial Arts column of the Monk table.
Once per turn, when you hit a creature with an attack that deals bludgeoning damage, you can move it 5 feet to an unoccupied space.
You can make one unarmed strike as a bonus action.
Following on from what was said earlier, I made a modification to my monk prototype. It is well known again that many martial arts are based on grappling and keys. Jujitsu/judo is the pinnacle of this type of artimartial, taken up later by MMA. But it is known that grappling and key techniques are based on the combination of dexterity and technique, and only if technique is lacking does strength come first.
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 any Simple and Martial Weapons, that lack the heavy and special properties. You gain the following benefits while you are unarmed or wielding weapons that you have proficiency and you aren't wearing 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.
When you want to grab a creature or wrestle with it, you can use Dexterity (Acrobatics) instead of Strength (Athletics) check.
You can roll a d4 in place of the normal damage of your unarmed strike or monk weapon. This die changes as you gain monk levels, as shown in the Martial Arts column of the Monk table.
Once per turn, when you hit a creature with an attack that deals bludgeoning damage, you can move it 5 feet to an unoccupied space.
You can make one unarmed strike as a bonus action.
Having competed in judo for years, I can confirm that this is based in reality. Technique, form, and leverage play much greater roles in nage-waza (throws) and katame-waza (ground grappling) than strength. My wife was on the team with me in college. I outweighed her by 80 lbs and she could toss me quite easily.
Easy example of acrobatics (dex) vs. strength. One of the drills that we did in class was for one person to try to crawl across the mat with another person standing and holding their belt. The standing person could use whatever legal technique they could to stop the person from crossing. I was paired up with a guy that was about thirty lbs of muscle larger than me. He was flying across the mat, dragging me. I grabbed the back of his gi, jumped, and shot one leg under his torso as I did a front roll to his side. As i rolled, I grabbed his arm on the side where I rolled. My grip and momentum cause him to flip and land on his back. I shot my second leg over his head and cranked back with a juji gatame (arm lock).
When you want to grab a creature or wrestle with it, you can use Dexterity (Acrobatics) instead of Strength (Athletics) check.
I like it! That is necessary to allow for monk grappling builds. Personally, I feel grappling is more of an Open Hand monk style. Regardless of whether this becomes part of the main class or a subclass, here are additional ways to improve monk grappling. Assuming Dexterity (Acrobatics) is used, all 3 are not needed.
You gain expertise in Acrobatics.
You may perform a Grapple or Shove instead of any bonus action or reaction attack. (Expanding it outside the Attack action.)
Whenever you hit with an unarmed strike, you may immediately attempt a Grapple or Shove contest. (This feels more Open Hand.)
At 1st level, your practice of martial arts gives you mastery of combat styles that use unarmed strikes and monk weapons, which are any Simple and Martial Weapons, that lack the heavy and special properties. You gain the following benefits while you are unarmed or wielding weapons that you have proficiency and you aren't wearing 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.
When you want to grab a creature or wrestle with it, you can use Dexterity (Acrobatics) instead of Strength (Athletics) check.
You can roll a d4 in place of the normal damage of your unarmed strike or monk weapon. This die changes as you gain monk levels, as shown in the Martial Arts column of the Monk table.
Once per turn, when you hit a creature with an attack that deals bludgeoning damage, you can move it 5 feet to an unoccupied space.
You can make one unarmed strike as a bonus action.
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 determines the number of points you have, as shown in the Ki Points column of the Monk table. Additionally, when you score a critical hit you regain 1 ki power. You can spend these points to fuel various ki features. You start knowing three such features: Flurry of Blows, Defensive Stance and Lightning Step. You learn more ki features as you gain levels in this class. When you spend a ki power, 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 powers. 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. You can spend 1 ki power to make one more unarmed strikes on your turn.
Defensive Stance You can spend 1 ki point to take the Dodge action as a bonus action on your turn. While in your defensive stance, you can make opportunity attacks to any creature that moves more than 5 feet while within your reach without using your reaction.
Lightning Step You can spend 1 ki point to teleport up to twice your movement to an unoccupied space that you can see as a bonus action on your turn.
Ki Martial Arts
Starting at 2nd level, you learn the KMA Techniques that are fueled by your Ki. You learn one KMA Technique of your choice. You can use only one KMA technique per attack. You learn one additional technique of your choice at 5th, 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level. Each time you learn new techniques, you can also replace one techniques you know with a different one. You can use one technique for any attacks you successfully perform, each technique consumes 1 ki power. <<it would be interssing if tenchiche ki specials of the subclass could be added in the subclasses as in the case of warlock invocations.>>
2nd level:
Grappling Strike Immediately after you hit a creature with a melee attack on your turn, you can try to grapple the target as a bonus action. Add the Martial die to your Athletics or Acrobatics check, and for each unarmed attack you make in your bonus action, you can add your wisdom modifier to the damage (minimum of +1).
Ki Emamation When you make a Charisma (Intimidation), a Charisma (Performance), or a Charisma (Persuasion) check, you can add the Martial die to the ability check.
Ninja When you make a Dexterity (Stealth) check or an initiative roll, you can add one Martial die to the roll, provided you aren't incapacitated.
Tactical Assessment When you make an Intelligence (Investigation), an Intelligence (History), or a Wisdom (Insight) check, you can add the Martial die to the ability check.
5th level:
Bait and Switch When you're within 5 feet of a creature on your turn, you can switch places with that creature, provided you spend at least 5 feet of movement and the creature is willing and isn't incapacitated. This movement doesn't provoke opportunity attacks. Roll the Martial die. Until the start of your next turn, you or the other creature (your choice) gains a bonus to AC equal to the number rolled.
Blinded Your fingers hit the target eyes. You add the Martial die to the attack's damage roll, and it must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or be blind until the end of your next turn.
Distracting Strike When you hit a creature with a melee attack, you can distract the creature, giving your allies an opening. You add the Martial die to the attack's damage roll. The next attack roll against the target by an attacker other than you has advantage if the attack is made before the start of your next turn.
Evasive Footwork When you move, rolling the Martial die and adding the number rolled to your AC until you stop moving. Life Force As a bonus action, you can roll a Martial Arts die and you or one willing creature that you touch regain a number of hit points equal to the number rolled plus your proficiency bonus.
Lunging Strike When you make a melee melee attack on your turn, you can increase your reach for that attack by 5 feet. If you hit, you add the Martial die to the attack's damage roll.
Precision Strike When you make a melee attack roll against a creature, you can add your Martial die to the roll. You can use this technique before or after making the attack roll, but before any effects of the attack are applied.
Pushing Strike When you hit a creature with a melee attack, you can attempt to drive the target back. You add the Martial die to the attack's damage roll, and if the target is Large or smaller, it must make a Strength saving throw. On a failed save, you push the target up to 15 feet away from you.
Stunning Strike You can interfere with the flow of ki in an opponent's body. When you hit another creature with a melee weapon attack, You add the Martial die to the attack's damage roll, and it must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or be stunned until the end of your next turn.
Unbalancing Strike When you hit a creature with a melee attack, you can attempt to knock the target down. You add the Martial die to the attack's damage roll, and if the target is Large or smaller, it must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, you knock the target prone.
8th level:
Absorb Force When another creature damages you with a melee attack, you can use your reaction to reduce the damage by the number you roll on your Martial die + your Wisdom modifier.
Disarming Strike When you hit a creature with a melee attack, you can attempt to disarm the target, forcing it to drop one item of your choice that it's holding. You add the Martial die to the attack's damage roll, and the target must make a Strength saving throw. On a failed save, it drops the object you choose. The object lands at its feet.
Goading Attack When you hit a creature with a melee attack, you can attempt to goad the target into attacking you. You add the Martial die to the attack's damage roll, and the target must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the target has disadvantage on all attack rolls against targets other than you until the end of your next turn.
Murderer Intent When you hit a creature with a melee attack, you can attempt to frighten the target. You add the Martial die to the attack's damage roll, and the target must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, it is frightened of you until the end of your next turn.
Pressure Point You hit the nerves of your target. You add the Martial die to the attack's damage roll, and it must succeed on a Charisma saving throw or not be able to move, swimming or fly until the end of your next turn.
12th level:
Dazing Attack You blow to the enemy temple. You add the Martial art die to the attack's damage roll, and it must make a Intelligence saving throw. If it fails, it can’t take a reaction until the end of its next turn. Moreover, on its next turn, it must choose whether it gets a move, an action, or a bonus action; it gets only one of the three.
Devious Strike Whenever a creature within your reach attacks an ally, you can use your reaction to make one opportunity attack. If you hit, you add the Martial die to the attack's damage roll.
Puppet When you hit a creature with a melee attack, you can attempt to control its mind with your ki. The target must succeed on a Charisma saving throw or immediately use its reaction to make one weapon attack, adding the Martial die to the attack's damage roll against a creature other than itself that you mentally choose. The controlled creature can move half its movement in this reaction.
Quick Toss As a bonus action, you can make a ranged attack with a weapon that has the thrown property. You can draw the weapon as part of making this attack. If you hit, add the Martial die to the weapon's damage roll.
Sweeping-Strike When you hit a creature with a melee attack, you can attempt to damage another creature with the same attack. Choose another creature within 5 feet of the original target. If the original attack roll would hit the second creature, it takes damage equal to the number you roll on your Martial die. The damage is of the same type dealt by the original attack.
16th level:
Counter-Strike When a creature misses you with a melee attack, you can use your reaction to make a unarmed attack against that creature. If you hit, you add the Martial die to the attack's damage roll.
Mental Shock When you hit a creature with a melee weapon/unarmed attack, you can attempt to damage its mind with your ki. The target must succeed on an Intelligence saving throw or take one Martial art die psychic damage and subtract 1d6 from the next saving throw it makes before the end of your next turn.
Voiceless You blow to the enemy throat. You add the Martial die to the attack's damage roll, and it must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or not being able to speak until the end of your next turn.
I like the ideas. One thing maybe to clarify some of the individual descriptions. Some are based on Battlemaster maneuvers which use superiority dice. But some of the descriptions, like for the 5th level Blinded, can be confusing since it says add MA die to damage. Maybe it should say something like “roll a Martial Arts die and add it to the damage roll” or “roll an additional Martial Arts die and add it to the damage roll”. If you are already using your MA die, instead of a weapons damage die, it kind of reads weird the way it is.
You follow a monastic tradition that teaches you to harness the elements. When you focus your ki, you can align yourself with the forces of creation and bend the elements to your will, using them as an extension of your body. Some members of this tradition dedicate themselves to a single element, but others weave the elements together.
Many monks of this tradition tattoo their bodies with representations of their ki powers, commonly imagined as coiling dragons, but also as phoenixes, fish, plants, mountains, and cresting waves.
Disciple of the Elements When you choose this tradition at 3rd level, you learn magical disciplines that harness the power of the elements. A discipline requires you to spend ki points each time you use it. The number of spells you know is based on your level in this class.
Whenever you learn a new elemental discipline, you can also replace one elemental discipline that you already know with a different discipline.
Casting Elemental Spells. Some elemental disciplines allow you to cast spells. See chapter 10 for the general rules of spellcasting. To cast one of these spells, you use its casting time and other rules, but you don't need to provide material components for it. Once you reach 5th level in this class, you can spend additional ki points to increase the level of an elemental discipline spell that you cast, provided that the spell has an enhanced effect at a higher level, as Burning Hands does. The spell's level increases by 1 for each additional ki point you spend. For example, if you are a 5th-level monk and you cast Burning Hands, you can spend 2 ki points to cast it as a 2nd-level spell.
The maximum number of ki points you can spend to cast a spell in this way (including its base ki point cost and any additional ki points you spend to increase its level) is determined by your monk level, as shown in the Spells and Ki table.
Spellcasting Ability. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for your Monk spells, being spells powered by your ki.
Spell Save DC= 8 + your proficency bonus + your Wisdom modifier
Spell attack modifer = your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier
Spellcasting Focus. You can use a Ki focus as a spellcasting focus for your Monk spells. A Ki focus can be a bandage, a tattoo or necklace, a staff made entirely from an ancient tree, or an object incorporating elemental rocks.
Powerful Ki At 3rd level, the amount of your ki increases equal to your proficiency bonus + your wisdom modifier as you gain levels in this class.
Master of Elements At 6th level, you learn to modify elements to your liking. All spells that contain the elements in the table below can be exchanged for another element. If the spell requires a saving throw this is based on the chosen element and not on the original spell information.
ELEMENTS SAVE Acid / Fire / Lightening = Dexterity Cold / Poison / Thunder = Constitution Force = Strength
Elemental Martial Arts Beginning at 11th level, when you perform a spell that uses ki you can use Flurry of Blow, Defensive Stance or Lightening Step without having to expend ki. Additionally, when you make a critical attack you recover an amount of ki equal to your wisdom modifier.
Wonder of the Elements At 17th level, you can choose one spell per level that is found in your list, these spells now cost one ki less as if they were of a lower level.
Spells:
Cantrips (0 Level) Acid Splash Booming Blade Control Flames Create Bonfire Dancing Lights Fire Bolt Frostbite Green-Flame Blade Gust Light Lightning Lure Mold Earth Poison Spray Produce Flame Ray of Frost Shape Water Shocking Grasp Thunderclap
1st Level Absorb Elements Acid Stream (UA) Arcane Weapon (UA) Armor of Agathys Burning Hands Catapult Chaos Bolt Chromatic Orb Create or Destroy Water Detect Poison and Disease Earth Tremor Fog Cloud Frost Fingers Guiding Bolt Hellish Rebuke Ice Knife Longstrider Magnify Gravity Searing Smite Thunderous Smite Thunderwave Witch Bolt Zephyr Strike
3rd Level Ashardalon's Stride Call Lightning Create Food and Water Daylight Elemental Weapon Erupting Earth Fireball Flame Arrows Flame Stride (UA) Fly Freedom of the Waves HB Gaseous Form Glyph of Warding Haste Lightning Arrow Lightning Bolt Meld into Stone Melf's Minute Meteors Protection from Energy Pulse Wave Sleet Storm Stinking Cloud Thunder Step Tidal Wave Wall of Water Water Breathing Water Walk Wind Wall
4th Level Arcane Eye Conjure Minor Elementals Control Water Elemental Bane Fire Shield Freedom of Movement Galder's Speedy Courier Gravity Sinkhole Ice Storm Stone Shape Stoneskin Storm Sphere Summon Elemental Summon Construct Vitriolic Sphere Wall of Fire Watery Sphere Widogast's Web of Fire HB
I think creating a new energy source only complicates things. But I don't think it's a bad idea, it's like energy for martial arts and energy for magical arts, which as an end result merge together creating a new power....
But for the time being I opted for an expansion of ki reserve equal to proficiency + wisdom modifier and an expansion of the choice of spells.
But maybe what you mean is something like that? or something like battle master attacks but with Avatar-like attacks?
Secret Technique. You can spend 1 ki to make a melee attack against one creature within 5 feet of you as an action. Choise one damage type: acid, cold, fire, lightning or force. On a hit, the target suffers the attack’s normal effects, and you can change the damage done in the chosen element. Each element will require a different saving throw. Fire and Electricity will require dexterity, Cold and Acid will require Constitution, and Force will require strength. You can add special effects to your ki weapon attack:
Ki Extension Your attack becomes a 10 feet ranged attack, at 5th level 30 feet, at 11th level 90 feet, at 17th level 120 feet, and any enemies that is within 5 feet of the affected enemy take elemental damage equal to your wisdom modifier.
Ki Burst. You can choose to hit your enemy, and any other enemy within 5 feet of you must pass a saving throw or take elemental damage. At 11th level 10 feet, at 17th level 15 feet.
Ki Tremor. You can choose to hit your enemy and any enemy within 5 feet of you must pass a saving throw or be knocked prone. At 5th level 10 feet, at 11th level 15 feet, at 17th level 20 feet. The elemental energy lingers in the affected area making it a difficult terrain until the end of your next turn.
The elemental damage will increase according to your level in this class. At 5th level, the damage increases by one martial art die of the chosen element on a hit (1d6 / 1d8), at 11th level increase by another (2d8 / 2d10) and 17th level yet another (3d12).
On the topic of 4 Elements Monk, I was thinking of a way to combine Cantrips and Attacks. Being able to do so is comparable to other subclasses (Eldritch Knight, Blade singer) that mix martials and spell casting. Otherwise the value of casting a cantrip in combat never comes close to the value Extra Attack brings at Level 5.
LVL 3 You gain the ability to cast the cantrips Control Flames, Shape Water, Mold Earth, and Gust. You may replace any attack during your Action, Bonus Action, or Reaction with a casting of one of these cantrips.
The idea is that at Level 3, a 4 Elements Monk can replace their main Action attack and 2 flurry of blows with up to 3 non-damaging cantrips. At level 5 with Extra Attack, both main Action attacks could be cantrips, resulting in casting up to 4 cantrips in a turn. These cantrips do not do damage, but they do reward creativity. Casting Shape Water twice in a turn allows the water to be shaped and then frozen. A single casting of Mold Earth creates cover after attacking. Multiple castings of Mold Earth make difficult terrain to help keep enemies away. Replacing an opportunity attack with Mold Earth or Shape Water can keep an enemy from running away. Multiple castings of Control Flames can darken all light sources, put out a major fire, or start a forest fire. Gust could be useful for rearranging the battlefield.
I suspect that 4E monk will have to be turned into a 1/3 caster like Arcane Trickster or Eldritch Knight, solely for spell slots to avoid the Ki limitation. Available spells would likely come from the Druid's Evocation and Transmutation.
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I'd prefer a long floating jump like you see in kung fu movies...
Here is something to think about. Monster's of the multiverse got rid of short rest recharging abilities on their creatures. And we haven't seen short rest ability recovery for quite a while. In addition most of the monsters that had their unarmed attacks changed to a d4 now have them being changed to a d6 matching the unarmed fighting style from tasha's.
With these in mind what if martial arts die starts at a d6 and ki only recovers on a long rest. What would the changes look like then?
The first change we'd suggest is just "monks can spend ten minutes/a hour to regain all ki" and then all the exact same changes we already suggest.
I would presume the people behind the next Monk will obviously have changed things around, like increasing total amount of ki, reduced amount of ki needed for a monk to thrive, or more likely have completely rebuilt monk.
if I edit a message, most of the time it's because of grammar. The rest of the time I'll put "Edit:" at the bottom.
This thread is about suggestions for the team working on monk with the idea of what we are seeing with other changes and with the knowledge that it is supposed to be backwards compatible.
Example. Ki now recovers on a long rest. Ki is still= to monk level. The martial arts die now starts at a d6, d8,d10,d12, 2d12 at level 20. At level 2 you gain the ability to flurry, patient defense, and step of wind a number of times = 2x proficiency bonus, afterwards you must either spend 1 ki or take a long rest to do so again. Slow fall= proficiency bonus, same thing as above. Deflect missile, throw it back a number of times= PB and then same as above. Stunning strike you may do so a number of times = monk level but again may spend ki to do so again........
Flurry of blow allows it to be used even if the action or bonus action has been used, practically always as long as there are ki points.
Defensive Stance allows the monk to counterattack as well defend himself, the price of a ki in this way is better used. But I would hate it if they made the tunnel fighter official at no cost for the fighter.
Lightning Step in addition to disengaging and dashing, if the monk attacked tletransport is practically an attack with advantage. With this option, the technique is finally worth 1 punt ki.
Nice, but unfortunately it gets complicated because you have to keep track of how many times you have used each technique in addition to how many ki you have left...
exactly, which is why I was asking for other people's ideas. I mean the similar issue is with the warlock. The easiest solve for the warlock is just make them a normal caster, give them their paetron spells and then invocations are their unique thing, but that would feel to close to a sorcerer another option I have thought of was they have spell slots = to warlock levels, but that becomes crazy later on and starts out really bad. The other option is number of spells equal to PB and can cast each of their patron spells once per long without a spell slot, but this makes them too reliant on their patron spells. Make it double PB and then they are too powerful early on, which some would say they are already front loaded.
But wizards does appear to be moving away from 1 hour rest recovery, and I think the classes that are reliant on short rest abilities should be thinking about that.
Edit: So in short, what if they put you in charge of the Monk class. They said the new monk must be backwards compatible with the subclasses that DO NOT appear in the original PHB. We want the Martial arts die at level one to be bumped to d6 and we are getting rid of 1 hour recovery abilities as the 1 hour rest mechanic as too many players ignored it. So I want you to rebalance the Monk with all of this in mind? (I ask this because I feel like this is what the monk developer may have actually been asked to do).
I don’t know, I’m fairly certain that there are some newer subclasses out there that have a use X so many times per long rest or by expending a spell slot or something to keep doing it. So it’s not unheard of. Maybe I’m wrong.
I think it may have been in this thread or another monk thread that I had considered a Ki-less monk core class and only subclasses use Ki for some abilities and it was along similar lines.
Maybe I’m just used to DDB character sheets helping track things like this, maybe it’s more problematic with pen and paper or other non-DDB digital sheets.
EZD6 by DM Scotty
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/397599/EZD6-Core-Rulebook?
It was this thread that posited a Ki-less monk class but IDR who said it.
If one were to make such a system, one would have to think of at-will powers, like cantrips from spellcasters. If the monk were to be left with no powers based on his expertise and no more ki, what would he be left with? At least spellcasters have cantrips.
The problem is that the monk even with the support of ki is a class that becomes weak after level 11-15 compared to other classes, if he remained without ki it would be a disaster. At least if the situation became complicated the master could create a good situation to make a short rest, but a long rest is a bit more complicated. I can already imagine the monk who instead of continuously requesting short rests would switch to long rests instead, leading to a worse situation.
Following on from what was said earlier, I made a modification to my monk prototype. It is well known again that many martial arts are based on grappling and keys. Jujitsu/judo is the pinnacle of this type of martial art, taken up later by MMA. But it is known that grappling and key techniques are based on the combination of dexterity and technique, and only if technique is lacking does strength come first.
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 any Simple and Martial Weapons, that lack the heavy and special properties. You gain the following benefits while you are unarmed or wielding weapons that you have proficiency and you aren't wearing armor or wielding a shield:
Having competed in judo for years, I can confirm that this is based in reality. Technique, form, and leverage play much greater roles in nage-waza (throws) and katame-waza (ground grappling) than strength. My wife was on the team with me in college. I outweighed her by 80 lbs and she could toss me quite easily.
Easy example of acrobatics (dex) vs. strength. One of the drills that we did in class was for one person to try to crawl across the mat with another person standing and holding their belt. The standing person could use whatever legal technique they could to stop the person from crossing. I was paired up with a guy that was about thirty lbs of muscle larger than me. He was flying across the mat, dragging me. I grabbed the back of his gi, jumped, and shot one leg under his torso as I did a front roll to his side. As i rolled, I grabbed his arm on the side where I rolled. My grip and momentum cause him to flip and land on his back. I shot my second leg over his head and cranked back with a juji gatame (arm lock).
I like it! That is necessary to allow for monk grappling builds. Personally, I feel grappling is more of an Open Hand monk style. Regardless of whether this becomes part of the main class or a subclass, here are additional ways to improve monk grappling. Assuming Dexterity (Acrobatics) is used, all 3 are not needed.
This the development of the monk version based on martial arts. I'm still thinking about how to distribute the levels of the techniques.
https://www.gmbinder.com/share/-N2hgQPfu4S59XT2gRNa
https://www.reddit.com/r/UnearthedArcana/comments/uzrigt/new_variation_of_monk_focused_on_martial_arts_i/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
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 any Simple and Martial Weapons, that lack the heavy and special properties. You gain the following benefits while you are unarmed or wielding weapons that you have proficiency and you aren't wearing armor or wielding a shield:
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 determines the number of points you have, as shown in the Ki Points column of the Monk table. Additionally, when you score a critical hit you regain 1 ki power. You can spend these points to fuel various ki features. You start knowing three such features: Flurry of Blows, Defensive Stance and Lightning Step. You learn more ki features as you gain levels in this class. When you spend a ki power, 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 powers. 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
Ki Martial Arts
Starting at 2nd level, you learn the KMA Techniques that are fueled by your Ki. You learn one KMA Technique of your choice. You can use only one KMA technique per attack. You learn one additional technique of your choice at 5th, 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level. Each time you learn new techniques, you can also replace one techniques you know with a different one. You can use one technique for any attacks you successfully perform, each technique consumes 1 ki power. <<it would be interssing if tenchiche ki specials of the subclass could be added in the subclasses as in the case of warlock invocations.>>
2nd level:
Grappling Strike Immediately after you hit a creature with a melee attack on your turn, you can try to grapple the target as a bonus action. Add the Martial die to your Athletics or Acrobatics check, and for each unarmed attack you make in your bonus action, you can add your wisdom modifier to the damage (minimum of +1).
Ki Emamation When you make a Charisma (Intimidation), a Charisma (Performance), or a Charisma (Persuasion) check, you can add the Martial die to the ability check.
Ninja When you make a Dexterity (Stealth) check or an initiative roll, you can add one Martial die to the roll, provided you aren't incapacitated.
Tactical Assessment When you make an Intelligence (Investigation), an Intelligence (History), or a Wisdom (Insight) check, you can add the Martial die to the ability check.
5th level:
Bait and Switch When you're within 5 feet of a creature on your turn, you can switch places with that creature, provided you spend at least 5 feet of movement and the creature is willing and isn't incapacitated. This movement doesn't provoke opportunity attacks. Roll the Martial die. Until the start of your next turn, you or the other creature (your choice) gains a bonus to AC equal to the number rolled.
Blinded Your fingers hit the target eyes. You add the Martial die to the attack's damage roll, and it must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or be blind until the end of your next turn.
Distracting Strike When you hit a creature with a melee attack, you can distract the creature, giving your allies an opening. You add the Martial die to the attack's damage roll. The next attack roll against the target by an attacker other than you has advantage if the attack is made before the start of your next turn.
Evasive Footwork When you move, rolling the Martial die and adding the number rolled to your AC until you stop moving.
Life Force As a bonus action, you can roll a Martial Arts die and you or one willing creature that you touch regain a number of hit points equal to the number rolled plus your proficiency bonus.
Lunging Strike When you make a melee melee attack on your turn, you can increase your reach for that attack by 5 feet. If you hit, you add the Martial die to the attack's damage roll.
Precision Strike When you make a melee attack roll against a creature, you can add your Martial die to the roll. You can use this technique before or after making the attack roll, but before any effects of the attack are applied.
Pushing Strike When you hit a creature with a melee attack, you can attempt to drive the target back. You add the Martial die to the attack's damage roll, and if the target is Large or smaller, it must make a Strength saving throw. On a failed save, you push the target up to 15 feet away from you.
Stunning Strike You can interfere with the flow of ki in an opponent's body. When you hit another creature with a melee weapon attack, You add the Martial die to the attack's damage roll, and it must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or be stunned until the end of your next turn.
Unbalancing Strike When you hit a creature with a melee attack, you can attempt to knock the target down. You add the Martial die to the attack's damage roll, and if the target is Large or smaller, it must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, you knock the target prone.
8th level:
Absorb Force When another creature damages you with a melee attack, you can use your reaction to reduce the damage by the number you roll on your Martial die + your Wisdom modifier.
Disarming Strike When you hit a creature with a melee attack, you can attempt to disarm the target, forcing it to drop one item of your choice that it's holding. You add the Martial die to the attack's damage roll, and the target must make a Strength saving throw. On a failed save, it drops the object you choose. The object lands at its feet.
Goading Attack When you hit a creature with a melee attack, you can attempt to goad the target into attacking you. You add the Martial die to the attack's damage roll, and the target must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the target has disadvantage on all attack rolls against targets other than you until the end of your next turn.
Murderer Intent When you hit a creature with a melee attack, you can attempt to frighten the target. You add the Martial die to the attack's damage roll, and the target must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, it is frightened of you until the end of your next turn.
Pressure Point You hit the nerves of your target. You add the Martial die to the attack's damage roll, and it must succeed on a Charisma saving throw or not be able to move, swimming or fly until the end of your next turn.
12th level:
Dazing Attack You blow to the enemy temple. You add the Martial art die to the attack's damage roll, and it must make a Intelligence saving throw. If it fails, it can’t take a reaction until the end of its next turn. Moreover, on its next turn, it must choose whether it gets a move, an action, or a bonus action; it gets only one of the three.
Devious Strike Whenever a creature within your reach attacks an ally, you can use your reaction to make one opportunity attack. If you hit, you add the Martial die to the attack's damage roll.
Puppet When you hit a creature with a melee attack, you can attempt to control its mind with your ki. The target must succeed on a Charisma saving throw or immediately use its reaction to make one weapon attack, adding the Martial die to the attack's damage roll against a creature other than itself that you mentally choose. The controlled creature can move half its movement in this reaction.
Quick Toss As a bonus action, you can make a ranged attack with a weapon that has the thrown property. You can draw the weapon as part of making this attack. If you hit, add the Martial die to the weapon's damage roll.
Sweeping-Strike When you hit a creature with a melee attack, you can attempt to damage another creature with the same attack. Choose another creature within 5 feet of the original target. If the original attack roll would hit the second creature, it takes damage equal to the number you roll on your Martial die. The damage is of the same type dealt by the original attack.
16th level:
Counter-Strike When a creature misses you with a melee attack, you can use your reaction to make a unarmed attack against that creature. If you hit, you add the Martial die to the attack's damage roll.
Mental Shock When you hit a creature with a melee weapon/unarmed attack, you can attempt to damage its mind with your ki. The target must succeed on an Intelligence saving throw or take one Martial art die psychic damage and subtract 1d6 from the next saving throw it makes before the end of your next turn.
Voiceless You blow to the enemy throat. You add the Martial die to the attack's damage roll, and it must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or not being able to speak until the end of your next turn.
I like the ideas. One thing maybe to clarify some of the individual descriptions. Some are based on Battlemaster maneuvers which use superiority dice. But some of the descriptions, like for the 5th level Blinded, can be confusing since it says add MA die to damage. Maybe it should say something like “roll a Martial Arts die and add it to the damage roll” or “roll an additional Martial Arts die and add it to the damage roll”. If you are already using your MA die, instead of a weapons damage die, it kind of reads weird the way it is.
EZD6 by DM Scotty
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/397599/EZD6-Core-Rulebook?
Thank you for the advice ThriKreenWarrior. Here is the link to the corrected version.
I also added new versions of the subclasses shadow, open hand, I still miss the 4 elements.
https://www.gmbinder.com/share/-N2hgQPfu4S59XT2gRNa
Way of the Elemental Bending
You follow a monastic tradition that teaches you to harness the elements. When you focus your ki, you can align yourself with the forces of creation and bend the elements to your will, using them as an extension of your body. Some members of this tradition dedicate themselves to a single element, but others weave the elements together.
Many monks of this tradition tattoo their bodies with representations of their ki powers, commonly imagined as coiling dragons, but also as phoenixes, fish, plants, mountains, and cresting waves.
When you choose this tradition at 3rd level, you learn magical disciplines that harness the power of the elements. A discipline requires you to spend ki points each time you use it. The number of spells you know is based on your level in this class.
Spells know:
LEV 0 1 2 3 4
3rd 2 2 - - -
6th 3 3 2 - -
11th 4 4 3 2 -
17th 4 4 4 3 2
Whenever you learn a new elemental discipline, you can also replace one elemental discipline that you already know with a different discipline.
Casting Elemental Spells. Some elemental disciplines allow you to cast spells. See chapter 10 for the general rules of spellcasting. To cast one of these spells, you use its casting time and other rules, but you don't need to provide material components for it. Once you reach 5th level in this class, you can spend additional ki points to increase the level of an elemental discipline spell that you cast, provided that the spell has an enhanced effect at a higher level, as Burning Hands does. The spell's level increases by 1 for each additional ki point you spend. For example, if you are a 5th-level monk and you cast Burning Hands, you can spend 2 ki points to cast it as a 2nd-level spell.
The maximum number of ki points you can spend to cast a spell in this way (including its base ki point cost and any additional ki points you spend to increase its level) is determined by your monk level, as shown in the Spells and Ki table.
MONK LEVEL KI
5th-8th = 2
9th-12th = 3
13th-16th = 4
17th-20th = 5
Spellcasting Ability. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for your Monk spells, being spells powered by your ki.
Spell Save DC= 8 + your proficency bonus + your Wisdom modifier
Spell attack modifer = your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier
Spellcasting Focus. You can use a Ki focus as a spellcasting focus for your Monk spells. A Ki focus can be a bandage, a tattoo or necklace, a staff made entirely from an ancient tree, or an object incorporating elemental rocks.
Powerful Ki
At 3rd level, the amount of your ki increases equal to your proficiency bonus + your wisdom modifier as you gain levels in this class.
Master of Elements
At 6th level, you learn to modify elements to your liking. All spells that contain the elements in the table below can be exchanged for another element. If the spell requires a saving throw this is based on the chosen element and not on the original spell information.
ELEMENTS SAVE
Acid / Fire / Lightening = Dexterity
Cold / Poison / Thunder = Constitution
Force = Strength
Beginning at 11th level, when you perform a spell that uses ki you can use Flurry of Blow, Defensive Stance or Lightening Step without having to expend ki. Additionally, when you make a critical attack you recover an amount of ki equal to your wisdom modifier.
Wonder of the Elements
At 17th level, you can choose one spell per level that is found in your list, these spells now cost one ki less as if they were of a lower level.
Spells:
Cantrips (0 Level)
Acid Splash
Booming Blade
Control Flames
Create Bonfire
Dancing Lights
Fire Bolt
Frostbite
Green-Flame Blade
Gust
Light
Lightning Lure
Mold Earth
Poison Spray
Produce Flame
Ray of Frost
Shape Water
Shocking Grasp
Thunderclap
1st Level
Absorb Elements
Acid Stream (UA)
Arcane Weapon (UA)
Armor of Agathys
Burning Hands
Catapult
Chaos Bolt
Chromatic Orb
Create or Destroy Water
Detect Poison and Disease
Earth Tremor
Fog Cloud
Frost Fingers
Guiding Bolt
Hellish Rebuke
Ice Knife
Longstrider
Magnify Gravity
Searing Smite
Thunderous Smite
Thunderwave
Witch Bolt
Zephyr Strike
2nd Level
Aganazzar's Scorcher
Continual Flame
Darkvision
Dragon's Breath
Dust Devil
Earthbind
Flame Blade
Flaming Sphere
Gust of Wind
Heat Metal
Icingdeath's Frost (UA)
Kinetic Jaunt
Levitate
Magic Weapon
Maximillian's Earthen Grasp
Melf's Acid Arrow
Protection from Poison
Pyrotechnics
Rime's Binding Ice
Scorching Ray
See Invisibility
Shatter
Skywrite
Snilloc's Snowball Storm
Warding Wind
3rd Level
Ashardalon's Stride
Call Lightning
Create Food and Water
Daylight
Elemental Weapon
Erupting Earth
Fireball
Flame Arrows
Flame Stride (UA)
Fly
Freedom of the Waves HB
Gaseous Form
Glyph of Warding
Haste
Lightning Arrow
Lightning Bolt
Meld into Stone
Melf's Minute Meteors
Protection from Energy
Pulse Wave
Sleet Storm
Stinking Cloud
Thunder Step
Tidal Wave
Wall of Water
Water Breathing
Water Walk
Wind Wall
4th Level
Arcane Eye
Conjure Minor Elementals
Control Water
Elemental Bane
Fire Shield
Freedom of Movement
Galder's Speedy Courier
Gravity Sinkhole
Ice Storm
Stone Shape
Stoneskin
Storm Sphere
Summon Elemental
Summon Construct
Vitriolic Sphere
Wall of Fire
Watery Sphere
Widogast's Web of Fire HB
I think creating a new energy source only complicates things. But I don't think it's a bad idea, it's like energy for martial arts and energy for magical arts, which as an end result merge together creating a new power....
But for the time being I opted for an expansion of ki reserve equal to proficiency + wisdom modifier and an expansion of the choice of spells.
But maybe what you mean is something like that? or something like battle master attacks but with Avatar-like attacks?
Secret Technique. You can spend 1 ki to make a melee attack against one creature within 5 feet of you as an action. Choise one damage type: acid, cold, fire, lightning or force. On a hit, the target suffers the attack’s normal effects, and you can change the damage done in the chosen element.
Each element will require a different saving throw. Fire and Electricity will require dexterity, Cold and Acid will require Constitution, and Force will require strength. You can add special effects to your ki weapon attack:
Ki Extension Your attack becomes a 10 feet ranged attack, at 5th level 30 feet, at 11th level 90 feet, at 17th level 120 feet, and any enemies that is within 5 feet of the affected enemy take elemental damage equal to your wisdom modifier.
Ki Burst. You can choose to hit your enemy, and any other enemy within 5 feet of you must pass a saving throw or take elemental damage. At 11th level 10 feet, at 17th level 15 feet.
Ki Tremor. You can choose to hit your enemy and any enemy within 5 feet of you must pass a saving throw or be knocked prone. At 5th level 10 feet, at 11th level 15 feet, at 17th level 20 feet. The elemental energy lingers in the affected area making it a difficult terrain until the end of your next turn.
The elemental damage will increase according to your level in this class. At 5th level, the damage increases by one martial art die of the chosen element on a hit (1d6 / 1d8), at 11th level increase by another (2d8 / 2d10) and 17th level yet another (3d12).
On the topic of 4 Elements Monk, I was thinking of a way to combine Cantrips and Attacks. Being able to do so is comparable to other subclasses (Eldritch Knight, Blade singer) that mix martials and spell casting. Otherwise the value of casting a cantrip in combat never comes close to the value Extra Attack brings at Level 5.
LVL 3
You gain the ability to cast the cantrips Control Flames, Shape Water, Mold Earth, and Gust.
You may replace any attack during your Action, Bonus Action, or Reaction with a casting of one of these cantrips.
The idea is that at Level 3, a 4 Elements Monk can replace their main Action attack and 2 flurry of blows with up to 3 non-damaging cantrips. At level 5 with Extra Attack, both main Action attacks could be cantrips, resulting in casting up to 4 cantrips in a turn. These cantrips do not do damage, but they do reward creativity. Casting Shape Water twice in a turn allows the water to be shaped and then frozen. A single casting of Mold Earth creates cover after attacking. Multiple castings of Mold Earth make difficult terrain to help keep enemies away. Replacing an opportunity attack with Mold Earth or Shape Water can keep an enemy from running away. Multiple castings of Control Flames can darken all light sources, put out a major fire, or start a forest fire. Gust could be useful for rearranging the battlefield.
I suspect that 4E monk will have to be turned into a 1/3 caster like Arcane Trickster or Eldritch Knight, solely for spell slots to avoid the Ki limitation. Available spells would likely come from the Druid's Evocation and Transmutation.