Monks of the Way of the Living Forest tap into the life force of plants to strike down the enemies of the wilds and preserve the balance of nature. By adopting techniques learned from mystical "great trees", they blend martial arts with the natural magic of the forest.

While there are religious and druidic orders who teach the Way of the Living Forest, some instead learn their techniques by befriending ancient treants or meditating in magical glades.

Some of those who follow the Way of the Living Forest are hermits devoted to protecting a singular tree, while others are gregarious wanderers, advocating for the forest as they travel the world experiencing the many facets of nature.

Green Tongue

Starting when you choose this tradition at 3rd level, your innate link to nature allows you to communicate in a limited manner with plants and Plant-type creatures. They can understand the meaning of your words, though you have no special ability to understand them in return. You have advantage on all Charisma checks you make to influence them.

Gifts of the Great Trees

Also at 3rd level, your learn techniques called Tree Stances which each embody the attributes of one of the great trees. You learn two stances of your choice from the list detailed in the "Tree Stances" section below. You learn one more stance each at levels 5, 7, 9, 11, 13 and 15. You may also swap out a stance you know for another from this list whenever you gain a level in this class, if you so choose.

Regardless of how many stances you know, you may only adopt one stance at a time. The stance you adopt grants you both a passive ability and access to an additional effect that requires ki. The passive effect persists until you adopt a new stance, while the additional effect can be activated by spending 2 ki points as a bonus action. You can change the tree stance you have adopted by meditating for at least 30 minutes as part of a short or long rest.

Acacia Stance

The hardy acacia protects you from both arid climes and close-up attacks. You ignore the negative effects of Extreme Heat (DMG p.110).

Activating this stance causes you to sprout sharp thorns all over your body for 1 minute. Whenever you are hit by a melee attack during this time, the attacker must make a Dexterity saving throw or take piercing damage equal to your monk level.

Bonsai Stance

The meticulously crafted bonsai grants you inner peace and a new perspective. You have advantage on saving throws against being Charmed or Frightened.

When you activate this stance, your body shrinks down to match the diminutive bonsai. For 1 minute, your size decreases by one category. Your smaller form makes you harder to hit, granting you advantage on Dexterity saving throws and +2 to your AC.

Mangrove Stance

The water-loving mangrove ensures you feel as at home in the swamp as in the forest. You have a swim speed equal to your walking speed and can hold your breath for twice the normal duration.

Activating this stance causes the ground around you to transform into a swampy morass with radius 10 feet. For 1 minute, the area moves with you and is considered difficult terrain to all other creatures. Enemies who end their turn within this radius must succeed on a Strength saving throw or become Restrained by the muck and roots. Restrained creatures can repeat the saving throw at the end of their following turns, ending it on a success.

Oak Stance

The sturdy oak stands firm and weathers all. You have advantage on any skill checks or saving throws made to resist falling prone or being moved against your will.

When you activate this stance you grow a layer of thick bark all over your skin, granting you resistance to bludgeoning, piercing and slashing damage from non-magical effects for 1 minute.

Redwood Stance

The mighty redwood grants you its phenomenal strength. You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift.

When you activate this stance, your physical stature grows to match your enhanced strength. For 1 minute you increase in size by one category and your maximum HP increases by an amount equal to your Monk level plus your Wisdom modifier. You also gain advantage on Strength checks and Strength saving throws.

Rowan Stance

The mystical rowan imparts a portion of its innate magic. You learn the Druid cantrips druidcraft, guidance and shillelagh, if you do not already know them.

When you activate this stance, you magically generate a number of berries equal to your monk level plus your Wisdom modifier. These berries function identically to those created by the spell goodberry.

Sakura Stance

The fragrant sakura imbues you with its bewitching beauty. You gain a bonus to Persuasion and Performance checks equal to your Wisdom modifier.

When this stance is activated, beautiful cherry blossoms bloom all over you, enveloping you in their alluring aroma. Choose a number of humanoids up to your Wisdom modifier which you can see within 30 feet. They must make a Wisdom saving throw, and do so with advantage if you or your companions are fighting it. If they fail, they are Charmed by you for 1 minute, or until you or your companions do anything harmful to them. The charmed creatures regard you as a friendly acquaintance, but when the effect ends they know they were charmed by you.

Spruce Stance

The festive spruce shields you from frigid weather while its needles dampen your footfalls. You ignore the negative effects of Extreme Cold (DMG p.110).

Activating this stance causes you to sprout protective needles all over your body for 1 minute. For the duration, you are resistant to cold damage and you gain all the benefits of the spell pass without trace.

Willow Stance

The flexible willow grants you increased reach with your attacks. The range of your unarmed strikes increases to 10 feet.

While this stance is active, long willow branches whip out from your limbs when you attack. For 1 minute, the range of your unarmed strikes increases to 15 feet and they deal extra slashing damage equal to your Wisdom modifier.

Yew Stance

The morbid yew imbues you with its toxic nature. You gain resistance to poison damage and advantage on Saving Throws against becoming Poisoned.

After you activate this stance, potent poison enhances your attacks for 1 minute. Any creature you hit with an unarmed strike must make a Constitution saving throw or become Poisoned for 1 minute. While Poisoned in this way, they take poison damage equal to your Wisdom modifier at the start of their turn. An affected creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of their turns, ending it on a success.

Sun Drinker

As you deepen your connection to the living forest, you learn to draw energy from the sun like the trees themselves. From 6th level, whenever you finish a short or long rest during which you spent at least 30 minutes meditating in an area of bright light, you gain temporary hit points. If the light was natural sunlight you gain temporary HP equal to a roll of your Martial Arts die, plus your Wisdom Modifier. If the light was from any other source, you gain half as many.

Fickle Forestry

Also from 6th level, you can use your ki to circumvent your usual meditation period and quickly change your adopted Tree Stance. As an action, you may spend 2 ki points in order to change the stance you have adopted.

Monastic Grafting

After reaching 11th level, your mastery over the flow of ki through nature allows you to maintain a connection with multiple great trees at once. You can now adopt two Tree Stances at any one time, but may still only change one each time you would usually adopt a new stance.

As a bonus action, you can spend 4 ki points to activate the additional effects of both of your current Tree Stances at once.

One with the Forest

By the time you reach 17th level, your ki has become so intertwined with the lifeforce of the forest that you can embody the strengths of any great tree with ease. You know all ten Tree Stances and changing your adopted stance as an action no longer requires you to expend ki points.