Feel free to use this, fellow DMs. Fellow adventurers of all shades, feedback is appreciated!
Monk Subclass: Way of Rhythm
Everything in motion generates its own rhythm. Living creatures make music with their heartbeats, plants pulse in time with the cycle of the sun, and machines hum quietly or cry loudly. The Monk who follows the Way of Rhythm has learned to harness these melodies as an analyst and an artist.
Dynamic Expression
At 3rd level, you’ve learned how to utilize your intuitive understanding of others in your interactions with them, allowing you to communicate more elegantly and effectively in a variety of ways. Whenever you make a Charisma check, you gain a bonus to the check equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of +1).
In addition, you gain proficiency in one of the following skills of your choice: Acrobatics, Performance, or Persuasion.
Dancer’s Technique
At 3rd level, you learn how to twist and turn quickly as part of your Flurry of Blows. Whenever you use Flurry of Blows, you gain the benefit of the Dodge action, and your walking speed increases by 10 feet until the end of the current turn.
In addition, at 3rd level, whips are considered Monk Weapons for you, though the whips that you acquire are often uncommonly elegant, resembling rhythmic gymnast ribbons.
Refined Routine
Starting at 6th level, when you use your Step of the Wind, you gain the benefits of both the Disengage and the Dash action.
In addition, at 6th level, you’ve learned to swiftly Leap to Your Feet. When you're prone, you can stand up by spending 5 feet of movement, rather than half your speed.
Magic in Motion
At 11th level, your mastery of even the most subtle movement becomes irresistible. You learn the Friends cantrip. In addition, you can cast each of the following spells without providing material components once per long rest: Blur, Calm Emotions, Enthrall, and Kinetic Jaunt. You can also cast these spells without providing material components by expending 2 Ki points. If your movement speed is reduced to 0, any spell cast via this feature automatically ends (standard concentration mechanics also apply). Use your Ki save DC as your Spell save DC.
Martial Rhythm
Starting at 17th level, when you use your Flurry of Blows, you can make one additional attack with it (up to a total of three Flurry of Blows attacks), and, unless your movement speed is reduced to 0, you gain a +1 bonus to your Armor Class until the start of your next turn.
Dynamic Expression is nice, but might be a bit strong for a ribbon feature. It would be good if you restrict how it applies a bit more. Maybe only to Performance, or maybe only when you spend a ki.
Dancer's Technique is very powerful. Getting two extra attacks and dodge for the same bonus action and ki point is pretty ridiculous. I would replace this with something else.
Refined Routine is good, if a little under-tuned for the level. Toss in another less-powerful feature alongside it and it'll be perfect.
Magic In Motion is interesting, if a bit unclear on wording. Are each of the spells able to be cast once per long rest, or is the feature as a whole only useable once per long rest? Do you have to spend ki points to forgo the material components, or are they automatically removed? Also, a couple of the spells don't fit too well.
Martial Rhythm is pretty weird, not sure how to feel about it. Actually, Dancer's Technique might be a pretty good feature at this level.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Look at what you've done. You spoiled it. You have nobody to blame but yourself. Go sit and think about your actions.
Don't be mean. Rudeness is a vicious cycle, and it has to stop somewhere. Exceptions for things that are funny. Go to the current Competition of the Finest 'Brews! It's a cool place where cool people make cool things.
How I'm posting based on text formatting: Mod Hat Off - Mod Hat Also Off (I'm not a mod)
I like the overall approach. The main problem for me with dancer monks is that we already have one - almost all of Drunken Master's features can be reflavored to fit a dancer theme.
Friends is nice thematically, but it's a bad, bad cantrip due to the fact that it only works on nonhostile creatures and then makes them hostile afterwards.
FoB does need an upgrade, but sooner as monk damage starts to fall behind at 11. An extra attack at 11 and then two at 17 could work, along with a couple other minor buffs that support the idea that FoB is some kind of battle dance thing.
Thank you both for the input! Clearly some of the abilities need to be shuffled around a bit- I'll share my thought process so you guys can show me the gaps in my reasoning?
And yes, it is similar to the Drunken Master in theory, but I feel it's a stronger pushback against the OneD&D College of Dance. However, it's likely not going to overstep true CHA classes' face abilities because the Monk can't afford to build up their actual CHA score, as they need to focus on DEX, WIS, and CON, and removing the extra performance proficiencies would probably preserve that protection even more.
Dynamic Expression: Because the Fey Wanderer Ranger gains what's essentially this feature (Otherworldly Glamour) at third level as well, and both Monks and Rangers typically suffer from MADness, it seemed appropriate- though perhaps gaining the extra proficiency could come later, or the bonus could be half WIS mod rounded up.
Dancer's Technique: the Drunken Master gets Disengage in her version of this feature, which seems equivalent to me in terms of escaping harm's path to Dodge, but Dodge felt better on the Rhythmic subclass due to the DEX save bonus. If the extra 10ft were removed, would this feature feel less "dangerous" to balance? The whip also opens up potentially staying out of harm's way, but using Flurry of Blows requires getting up close and personal. Benefitting from a whip and FoBs on the same turn is basically impossible, so the whip proficiency is flavor more than anything else.
Refined Routine: perhaps swapping this and the more powerful features of Dancer's Technique would improve the balance and progression of power in the subclass?
Magic in Motion: "can cast each of the following spells...once per long rest"- the strength of that feature is that it's designed to maximize Ki (as one of the biggest complaints about the Monk is that their Ki gets consumed too swiftly). Two of those spells essentially replace Disengage or Dodge, but last for many rounds (assuming concentration is maintained movement speed isn't 0). The others offer the monk more utility both in combat and out of it. Having free casts is a bit more powerful than what the Shadow Monk gets, but the Shadow monk gets her spells at 3rd level, not 11th. And Friends, given the free casts of four second level spells after every long rest, is more a flavor addition than anything else.
Totally reworked and re-arranged, and I believe I caught the error of my ways with Dynamic Expression. Rangers are meant to be good at everything, experts at some things even, while Monks are not. Monks have niches, rangers have. Range lol
Way of Rhythm Monk Subclass 5e
Everything in motion generates its own rhythm. Living creatures make music with their heartbeats, plants pulse in time with the cycle of the sun, and machines hum quietly or cry clamorously. Often having a background as an Entertainer, the Monk who follows the Way of Rhythm has learned to harness these melodies as an analyst and an artist.
Dynamic Expression
At 3rd level, you’ve learned how to utilize your intuitive understanding of others in your interactions with them, allowing you to communicate more elegantly and effectively in a variety of ways. You gain any two of the following skill proficiencies: Acrobatics, Athletics, Deception, Intimidation, Performance, Persuasion, or Sleight of Hand.
Artist’s Arsenal
At 3rd level, you gain proficiency with whips, which are considered Monk Weapons for you. The whips that you acquire are often uncommonly elegant, resembling ribbons of a rhythmic gymnast.
Demoralizing Dance
At 3rd level, your confidence can demoralize your enemies. Whenever you hit a creature with one of your Flurry of Blows attacks, the creature takes extra damage equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of +1).
At 11th level, apply the extra damage of this feature to all hits you accomplish against other creatures, including hits landed as part of a reaction, regardless of whether or not you choose to use Flurry of Blows on that turn.
Elegant Recovery
At 6th level, you’ve learned to swiftly Leap to Your Feet. When you're prone, you can stand up by spending 5 feet of movement, rather than half your speed, as if hitting the ground and leaping up again was part of your act all along.
In addition, starting at 6th level, when you are hit by an attack, you can expend 1 Ki point as a reaction to grant yourself a bonus to your Armor Class equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of +1) until the start of your next turn, potentially causing the triggering attack to miss.
Magic in Motion
At 6th level, your mastery of even the most subtle movement becomes irresistible. You learn the Friends cantrip. In addition, you can cast each of the following spells without providing material components once per long rest: Calm Emotions, Enthrall, and Kinetic Jaunt. You can also cast these spells without providing material components by expending 2 Ki points. If your movement speed is reduced to 0, any spell cast via this feature automatically ends (standard concentration mechanics also apply). Use your Ki save DC as your Spell save DC.
Refined Routine
At 11th level, you learn how to twist and turn quickly as part of your Flurry of Blows. Whenever you use Flurry of Blows, you gain the benefit of the Dodge action.
Martial Rhythm
Starting at 17th level, when you use your Flurry of Blows, you can make one additional attack with it (up to a total of three Flurry of Blows attacks), and, unless your movement speed is reduced to 0, you gain a bonus to your Armor Class equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of +1) until the start of your next turn (this bonus can stack with your Elegant Recovery feature).
Something feels very off about adding another necessary stat to Monks, even though the features seem to be based on it being a rather low score. Elegant Recovery could probably scale just fine off of Wisdom, considering it's very unlikely it'll eclipse shield. Magic in Motion still contradicts itself by saying that the spells are cast without material components and that you need to spend 2 ki points to remove the material components. Refined Routine is good, maybe a bit on the overpowered side but honestly I couldn't tell you. Martial Rhythm's extra attack feels fine, but giving the possibility for your AC to be 10 + Dex + Wis + Cha + Cha is... confusing.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Look at what you've done. You spoiled it. You have nobody to blame but yourself. Go sit and think about your actions.
Don't be mean. Rudeness is a vicious cycle, and it has to stop somewhere. Exceptions for things that are funny. Go to the current Competition of the Finest 'Brews! It's a cool place where cool people make cool things.
How I'm posting based on text formatting: Mod Hat Off - Mod Hat Also Off (I'm not a mod)
At 11th level, using FoB essentially ensures that most attacks made against the character are made at disadvantage, so there's a roundabout "AC bonus" there as well, along with even better DEX saves, which is why I hesitated to have that Elegant Recovery bonus based in WIS. The potential 23 AC and disadvantage for most attacks against at level 11 feels a little crazy, since that's higher than most frontline characters can accomplish, and, with Ki recharging on a short rest, it's a combination likely to be used in every combat, especially if the DM runs low round count combat. And, given their Diamond Soul proficiency with all saves...I worry that basing that feature on WIS would be creating a nearly invincible monk. However, perhaps I should swap that and then rework Refined Rhythm into something else.
It says you can also cast the spells without material components via Ki, meaning no casting of them through that feature requires material components. I'll see if I can reword it to be less confusing.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
Feel free to use this, fellow DMs. Fellow adventurers of all shades, feedback is appreciated!
Monk Subclass: Way of Rhythm
Everything in motion generates its own rhythm. Living creatures make music with their heartbeats, plants pulse in time with the cycle of the sun, and machines hum quietly or cry loudly. The Monk who follows the Way of Rhythm has learned to harness these melodies as an analyst and an artist.
Dynamic Expression
At 3rd level, you’ve learned how to utilize your intuitive understanding of others in your interactions with them, allowing you to communicate more elegantly and effectively in a variety of ways. Whenever you make a Charisma check, you gain a bonus to the check equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of +1).
In addition, you gain proficiency in one of the following skills of your choice: Acrobatics, Performance, or Persuasion.
Dancer’s Technique
At 3rd level, you learn how to twist and turn quickly as part of your Flurry of Blows. Whenever you use Flurry of Blows, you gain the benefit of the Dodge action, and your walking speed increases by 10 feet until the end of the current turn.
In addition, at 3rd level, whips are considered Monk Weapons for you, though the whips that you acquire are often uncommonly elegant, resembling rhythmic gymnast ribbons.
Refined Routine
Starting at 6th level, when you use your Step of the Wind, you gain the benefits of both the Disengage and the Dash action.
In addition, at 6th level, you’ve learned to swiftly Leap to Your Feet. When you're prone, you can stand up by spending 5 feet of movement, rather than half your speed.
Magic in Motion
At 11th level, your mastery of even the most subtle movement becomes irresistible. You learn the Friends cantrip. In addition, you can cast each of the following spells without providing material components once per long rest: Blur, Calm Emotions, Enthrall, and Kinetic Jaunt. You can also cast these spells without providing material components by expending 2 Ki points. If your movement speed is reduced to 0, any spell cast via this feature automatically ends (standard concentration mechanics also apply). Use your Ki save DC as your Spell save DC.
Martial Rhythm
Starting at 17th level, when you use your Flurry of Blows, you can make one additional attack with it (up to a total of three Flurry of Blows attacks), and, unless your movement speed is reduced to 0, you gain a +1 bonus to your Armor Class until the start of your next turn.
Look at what you've done. You spoiled it. You have nobody to blame but yourself. Go sit and think about your actions.
Don't be mean. Rudeness is a vicious cycle, and it has to stop somewhere. Exceptions for things that are funny.
Go to the current Competition of the Finest 'Brews! It's a cool place where cool people make cool things.
How I'm posting based on text formatting: Mod Hat Off - Mod Hat Also Off (I'm not a mod)
I like the overall approach. The main problem for me with dancer monks is that we already have one - almost all of Drunken Master's features can be reflavored to fit a dancer theme.
Friends is nice thematically, but it's a bad, bad cantrip due to the fact that it only works on nonhostile creatures and then makes them hostile afterwards.
FoB does need an upgrade, but sooner as monk damage starts to fall behind at 11. An extra attack at 11 and then two at 17 could work, along with a couple other minor buffs that support the idea that FoB is some kind of battle dance thing.
My homebrew subclasses (full list here)
(Artificer) Swordmage | Glasswright | (Barbarian) Path of the Savage Embrace
(Bard) College of Dance | (Fighter) Warlord | Cannoneer
(Monk) Way of the Elements | (Ranger) Blade Dancer
(Rogue) DaggerMaster | Inquisitor | (Sorcerer) Riftwalker | Spellfist
(Warlock) The Swarm
Thank you both for the input! Clearly some of the abilities need to be shuffled around a bit- I'll share my thought process so you guys can show me the gaps in my reasoning?
And yes, it is similar to the Drunken Master in theory, but I feel it's a stronger pushback against the OneD&D College of Dance. However, it's likely not going to overstep true CHA classes' face abilities because the Monk can't afford to build up their actual CHA score, as they need to focus on DEX, WIS, and CON, and removing the extra performance proficiencies would probably preserve that protection even more.
Dynamic Expression: Because the Fey Wanderer Ranger gains what's essentially this feature (Otherworldly Glamour) at third level as well, and both Monks and Rangers typically suffer from MADness, it seemed appropriate- though perhaps gaining the extra proficiency could come later, or the bonus could be half WIS mod rounded up.
Dancer's Technique: the Drunken Master gets Disengage in her version of this feature, which seems equivalent to me in terms of escaping harm's path to Dodge, but Dodge felt better on the Rhythmic subclass due to the DEX save bonus. If the extra 10ft were removed, would this feature feel less "dangerous" to balance? The whip also opens up potentially staying out of harm's way, but using Flurry of Blows requires getting up close and personal. Benefitting from a whip and FoBs on the same turn is basically impossible, so the whip proficiency is flavor more than anything else.
Refined Routine: perhaps swapping this and the more powerful features of Dancer's Technique would improve the balance and progression of power in the subclass?
Magic in Motion: "can cast each of the following spells...once per long rest"- the strength of that feature is that it's designed to maximize Ki (as one of the biggest complaints about the Monk is that their Ki gets consumed too swiftly). Two of those spells essentially replace Disengage or Dodge, but last for many rounds (assuming concentration is maintained movement speed isn't 0). The others offer the monk more utility both in combat and out of it. Having free casts is a bit more powerful than what the Shadow Monk gets, but the Shadow monk gets her spells at 3rd level, not 11th. And Friends, given the free casts of four second level spells after every long rest, is more a flavor addition than anything else.
Help, where is my brain failing me?
Totally reworked and re-arranged, and I believe I caught the error of my ways with Dynamic Expression. Rangers are meant to be good at everything, experts at some things even, while Monks are not. Monks have niches, rangers have. Range lol
Way of Rhythm Monk Subclass 5e
Everything in motion generates its own rhythm. Living creatures make music with their heartbeats, plants pulse in time with the cycle of the sun, and machines hum quietly or cry clamorously. Often having a background as an Entertainer, the Monk who follows the Way of Rhythm has learned to harness these melodies as an analyst and an artist.
Dynamic Expression
At 3rd level, you’ve learned how to utilize your intuitive understanding of others in your interactions with them, allowing you to communicate more elegantly and effectively in a variety of ways. You gain any two of the following skill proficiencies: Acrobatics, Athletics, Deception, Intimidation, Performance, Persuasion, or Sleight of Hand.
Artist’s Arsenal
At 3rd level, you gain proficiency with whips, which are considered Monk Weapons for you. The whips that you acquire are often uncommonly elegant, resembling ribbons of a rhythmic gymnast.
Demoralizing Dance
At 3rd level, your confidence can demoralize your enemies. Whenever you hit a creature with one of your Flurry of Blows attacks, the creature takes extra damage equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of +1).
At 11th level, apply the extra damage of this feature to all hits you accomplish against other creatures, including hits landed as part of a reaction, regardless of whether or not you choose to use Flurry of Blows on that turn.
Elegant Recovery
At 6th level, you’ve learned to swiftly Leap to Your Feet. When you're prone, you can stand up by spending 5 feet of movement, rather than half your speed, as if hitting the ground and leaping up again was part of your act all along.
In addition, starting at 6th level, when you are hit by an attack, you can expend 1 Ki point as a reaction to grant yourself a bonus to your Armor Class equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of +1) until the start of your next turn, potentially causing the triggering attack to miss.
Magic in Motion
At 6th level, your mastery of even the most subtle movement becomes irresistible. You learn the Friends cantrip. In addition, you can cast each of the following spells without providing material components once per long rest: Calm Emotions, Enthrall, and Kinetic Jaunt. You can also cast these spells without providing material components by expending 2 Ki points. If your movement speed is reduced to 0, any spell cast via this feature automatically ends (standard concentration mechanics also apply). Use your Ki save DC as your Spell save DC.
Refined Routine
At 11th level, you learn how to twist and turn quickly as part of your Flurry of Blows. Whenever you use Flurry of Blows, you gain the benefit of the Dodge action.
Martial Rhythm
Starting at 17th level, when you use your Flurry of Blows, you can make one additional attack with it (up to a total of three Flurry of Blows attacks), and, unless your movement speed is reduced to 0, you gain a bonus to your Armor Class equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of +1) until the start of your next turn (this bonus can stack with your Elegant Recovery feature).
Something feels very off about adding another necessary stat to Monks, even though the features seem to be based on it being a rather low score. Elegant Recovery could probably scale just fine off of Wisdom, considering it's very unlikely it'll eclipse shield. Magic in Motion still contradicts itself by saying that the spells are cast without material components and that you need to spend 2 ki points to remove the material components. Refined Routine is good, maybe a bit on the overpowered side but honestly I couldn't tell you. Martial Rhythm's extra attack feels fine, but giving the possibility for your AC to be 10 + Dex + Wis + Cha + Cha is... confusing.
Look at what you've done. You spoiled it. You have nobody to blame but yourself. Go sit and think about your actions.
Don't be mean. Rudeness is a vicious cycle, and it has to stop somewhere. Exceptions for things that are funny.
Go to the current Competition of the Finest 'Brews! It's a cool place where cool people make cool things.
How I'm posting based on text formatting: Mod Hat Off - Mod Hat Also Off (I'm not a mod)
At 11th level, using FoB essentially ensures that most attacks made against the character are made at disadvantage, so there's a roundabout "AC bonus" there as well, along with even better DEX saves, which is why I hesitated to have that Elegant Recovery bonus based in WIS. The potential 23 AC and disadvantage for most attacks against at level 11 feels a little crazy, since that's higher than most frontline characters can accomplish, and, with Ki recharging on a short rest, it's a combination likely to be used in every combat, especially if the DM runs low round count combat. And, given their Diamond Soul proficiency with all saves...I worry that basing that feature on WIS would be creating a nearly invincible monk. However, perhaps I should swap that and then rework Refined Rhythm into something else.
It says you can also cast the spells without material components via Ki, meaning no casting of them through that feature requires material components. I'll see if I can reword it to be less confusing.