Reimagining Three Monk Subclasses for 5.5e

Monks of this tradition train relentlessly with their weapons, to the point that the weapon becomes like an extension of the body. Their proficiency and mastery of weapons will sometimes garner titles such as “Kensei” (or “Sword Saint”) or “Man-at-Arms”.

Founded on a mastery of sword fighting, the tradition has expanded to include many different weapons. To them, a weapon is perceived much in the same way as a pen or brush. Whatever the weapon, the monk views it as a tool used to express the beauty and precision of the martial arts. That such mastery makes a monk of this tradition a peerless warrior is but a side effect of intense devotion, practice, and study.

Level 3: Armament Arts

Your special martial arts training leads you to master the use of certain weapons. This path also includes instruction in the deft strokes of calligraphy or painting. You gain the following benefits:

Additional Monk Weapons. Choose two types of weapons: one melee weapon and one ranged weapon. Each of these weapons can be any Simple or Martial weapon that lacks the Heavy and Special properties. The longbow is also a valid choice. You gain proficiency with these weapons if you don't already have them. Weapons of the chosen types are Monk weapons for you. When you reach Monk levels 6, 11, and 17, you can choose another type of weapon for this feature following the criteria above.

Agile Parry. While wielding a Monk weapon, you gain a bonus to the damage reduced by your Deflect Attacks feature equal to your Proficiency Bonus. If you redirect the attack as part of its reaction, a creature which fails its Dexterity saving throw takes additional damage equal to your Proficiency Bonus. This additional damage is the same type as that dealt by the weapon you are wielding. 

Deft Strike. Once on each of your turns, when you hit a target with a Monk weapon, you can spend 1 focus point to cause the weapon to deal extra damage of the weapon’s type to the target equal to your Martial Arts die.

Level 3: Monk Weapon Mastery

Your training with weapons allows you to use the mastery property of two kinds of Monk weapons of your choice. Whenever you finish a Long Rest, you can practice weapon drills and change one of those weapon choices. 

When you reach Monk levels 6, 11, and 17 you gain the ability to use the mastery of one additional Monk weapon using this feature. 

Level 6: One with the Blade

You are able to channel your focus into your Monk weapons, granting the following benefits:

Empowered Armaments. Whenever you deal damage with a Monk weapon, it can deal your choice of Force damage or its normal damage type. 

Heavy Strikes. While wielding a Monk weapon that is a Simple or Martial melee weapon, you can expend two Focus points (no action required) to infuse the weapon with supernatural weight. Choose one of the following mastery properties: Cleave, Graze, or Push. The weapon gains this property, which replaces any other mastery property available to the chosen weapon. It retains this property for 1 minute, but ends early if you gain the Incapacitated condition or use this feature again. 

Level 11: Sharpen the Blade

You gain the ability to augment your weapons further with your focus. You can expend up to 3 focus points by taking a Bonus Action to grant one Monk weapon you touch a bonus to attack and damage rolls when you attack with it. The bonus equals the number of focus points you spent. This bonus lasts for 1 minute or until you use this feature again. This feature has no effect on a magic weapon that already has a bonus to attack and damage rolls.

Level 17: Unerring Accuracy

Your mastery of weapons grants you extraordinary accuracy. Once on each of your turns, if you miss with an attack roll using a Monk weapon, you can reroll it. If the attack would still miss following the reroll, you can deal Force damage to the creature equal to the ability modifier you used to make the attack roll. This damage can be increased only by increasing the ability modifier. 

Monks following the path of the Long Death are obsessed with the meaning and mechanics of dying. They capture creatures and prepare elaborate experiments to capture, record, and understand the moments of their demise. They then use this knowledge to guide their understanding of martial arts, yielding a deadly fighting style.

Level 3: Touch of Death

Your study of death allows you to extract vitality from another creature as it nears its demise. When you reduce a creature within 5 feet of you to 0 hit points, you gain Temporary Hit Points equal to your Wisdom modifier + your Monk level. 

Additionally, when you hit a creature with an Unarmed Strike, you can remove 5 or more Temporary Hit Points that you have. For every 5 Temporary Hit Points removed this way, the target takes extra Necrotic damage equal to one roll of your Martial Arts Die. 

Level 3: Unnatural Metabolism

Whenever you use your Uncanny Metabolism feature, do not roll your Martial Arts Die. You instead regain a number of Hit Points equal to your Monk level plus the highest value on your Martial Arts Die. For example, at Monk level 8 you would regain 16 Hit Points, instead of rolling 1d8 and adding 8 to it. 

Level 6: Hour of Reaping

You gain the ability to unsettle or terrify those around you, for your soul has been touched by the shadow of death. As a Magic action, each creature of your choice within 30 feet of you that can see you must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, a creature is Frightened of you until the end of your next turn. An affected creature can use an Action to repeat its Wisdom saving throw, ending the effect early on a success. 

Whenever you deal damage with your Unarmed Strike against a creature which failed its save against this feature, you can expend two Focus Points to extend the duration of this feature by 1 minute for that creature. 

Level 11: Mastery of Death

You use your familiarity with death to escape its grasp. When you would drop to 0 Hit Points, you can expend 1 Focus Point to drop to 1 Hit Point instead.

Level 17: Reaper’s Focus 

Your Flurry of Blows, Patient Defense, and Step of the Wind gain the following benefits. 

Flurry of Blows. You do not need to expend a Focus Point to use Flurry of Blows, provided each Unarmed Strike you make targets a creature that is Frightened of you. 

Patient Defense. When you expend a Focus Point to use Patient Defense, do not roll your Martial Arts Die twice for determining the number of Temporary Hit Points you gain. Instead, you gain 25 Temporary Hit Points. 

Step of the Wind. When you expend a Focus Point to use Step of the Wind, you gain a Flying speed equal to your Speed until the end of your turn. 

Monks of the Way of the Sun Soul learn to channel their own life energy into searing bolts of light. They teach that meditation can unlock the ability to unleash the indomitable light shed by the soul of every living creature.

Level 3: Radiant Sun Bolts

You gain a new attack option that you can use with the Attack action, which is a ranged spell attack with a range of 30 feet. Wisdom is your spellcasting modifier for this attack, and the attack deals Radiant damage dealt equal to one roll of your Martial Arts Die plus your Wisdom modifier on a hit. When you use Flurry of Blows, you can replace any of the Unarmed Strikes made as part of that feature with Radiant Sun Bolt attacks. 

Level 3: Spirit Barrier

You are able to focus your energy into a radiant shield to protect yourself. You can expend one Focus Point to cast Shield of Faith without spell components, targeting yourself. Wisdom is your spellcasting modifier for this spell. When you cast this spell, you can expend one additional Focus Point. When cast this way, the spell does not require Concentration, but its duration is reduced to 1 minute. 

Level 6: Harmful Radiance

When you hit a creature with a Radiant Sun Bolt, you can expend one Focus Point to debilitate the target using one of the options listed below.

Blinding Bolt. The target must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the target has the Blinded condition until the start of your next turn. Any creature that is relying on its Darkvision to see you has disadvantage on this saving throw. 

Burning Bolt. The target must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, the target begins Burning.

Level 11: Sun Shield

When you expend two Focus Points to use your Spirit Barrier feature, the spell’s effect is further modified in the following ways for its duration.

Aura of Dawn. You shed Bright Light in a 15 foot emanation and Dim Light an additional 15 feet . This light is treated as sunlight. 

Searing Shield. If a creature hits you with a melee attack, the target takes Radiant damage equal to your Wisdom modifier.

Level 17: Cosmic Warrior

As a Magic action, you can expend 3 Focus Points wreath yourself in radiance for 1 minute, until you have the Incapacitated condition, or until you end your turn in Darkness. While wreathed in this radiance, you gain the following benefits. 

Focused Beam Blast. Once per turn when you make an attack using your Radiant Sun Bolt, you can instead choose to target every creature in a 30 foot line (5 feet wide) originating from you. Compare your attack roll against each target’s AC individually. 

Instant Transposition. When you take the Dash action, you can teleport to a point that you can see instead of moving. When you do so, the maximum distance you can teleport is equal to your Speed.

Sunburst. While your Spirit Barrier is active, you can use a Bonus Action to dismiss it early, ending the spell and causing its radiant energy to explode outwards. Each creature of your choice within a 60 foot Emanation must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, a creature takes Radiant damage equal to one roll of your Martial Arts Die and has the Burning condition. On a successful save, a creature takes half as much damage and does not gain the Burning condition.