The Jade Lotus

The Jade Lotus are an order of monks who have devoted themselves to understanding and tapping into the deep part of nature that surrounds them. They seek enlightenment by living as naturally as they can and discovering where they as individuals fit into the perfect image of nature. Along this path to enlightenment the Monks have learned the ability to mix their ki with nature to assume amazing animalistic shapes and tap into druidic spells. A Jade Lotus monk trains his animal body to perform feats of primal fury, learning to tap into their reserves of spiritual energy even while they are in the shape of the mighty animals of nature that they seek to emulate. 

 

Jade Lotus Spellcasting Table

 

Monk Level	Cantrips Known	1st	2nd	3rd	4th
3rd	2	2	-	-	-
4th	2	3	-	-	-
5th	2	3	-	-	-
6th	2	3	-	-	-
7th	2	4	2	-	-
8th	2	4	2	-	-
9th	2	4	2	-	-
10th	3	4	3	-	-
11th	3	4	3	-	-
12th	3	4	3	-	-
13th	3	4	3	2	-
14th	3	4	3	2	-
15th	3	4	3	2	-
16th	3	4	3	3	-
17th	3	4	3	3	-
18th	3	4	3	3	-
19th	3	4	3	3	1
20th	3	4	3	3	1

 

Spell Casting

Drawing on the divine essence of nature itself, you can cast spells to shape that essence to your will. See spell rules for the general rules of spellcasting and the spells listing for the druid spell list.

Cantrips

Starting with 3rd level, you know two cantrips of your choice from the druid spell list. You learn additional druid cantrips of your choice at higher levels, as shown in the Cantrips Known column of the Druid table.

Preparing and Casting Spells

The Jade Lotus table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your druid spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these druid spells, you must expend a slot of the spell’s level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.

You prepare the list of druid spells that are available for you to cast, choosing from the druid spell list. When you do so, choose a number of druid spells equal to your Wisdom modifier + your monk level (minimum of one spell). The spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots.

You can also change your list of prepared spells when you finish a long rest. Preparing a new list of druid spells requires time spent in prayer and meditation: at least 1 minute per spell level for each spell on your list.

Spellcasting Ability

Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for your druid spells, since your magic draws upon your devotion and attunement to nature. You use your Wisdom whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Wisdom modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a druid spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier

Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier

Ritual Casting

You can cast a druid spell as a ritual if that spell has the ritual tag and you have the spell prepared.

Spellcasting Focus

You can use a druidic focus (see the adventuring gear section) as a spellcasting focus for your druid spells.

Jade Shape

Beginning at 3rd level you have learned to meld your ki with natural magic to transform yourself into an animal. 

 You can use your action to magically assume the shape of a beast that you have seen before. You can use this feature twice. You regain expended uses when you finish a Short or  Long Rest.

Your monk level determines the Beasts you can transform into, as shown in the Beast Shapes table. At 3rd level, for example, you can transform into any beast that has a Challenge rating of 1/4 or lower that doesn't have a flying or swimming speed.

Table: Beast Shapes

Level	Max. CR	Limitations	Example
3rd	1/4	No flying or swimming speed	Wolf
5th	1/2	No flying speed	Crocodile
9th	1	—	Giant Eagle

 

You can stay in a beast shape for a number of hours equal to half your monk level (rounded down). You then revert to your normal form unless you expend another use of this feature. You can revert to your normal form earlier by using a Bonus Action on Your turn. You automatically revert if you fall unconscious , drop to 0 Hit Points, or die.

While you are transformed, the following rules apply:

• Your game Statistics are replaced by the Statistics of the beast, but you retain your Alignment, personality, and Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores. You also retain all of your skill and saving throw proficiencies, in addition to gaining those of the creature. If the creature has the same proficiency as you and the bonus in its stat block is higher than yours, use the creature's bonus instead of yours. If the creature has any legendary or Lair Actions, you can't use them.
• When you transform, you assume the beast's Hit Points and Hit Dice. When you revert to your normal form, you return to the number of Hit Points you had before you transformed. However, if you revert as a result of Dropping to 0 Hit Points, any excess damage carries over to your normal form. For example, if you take 10 damage in animal form and have only 1 hit point left, you revert and take 9 damage. As long as the excess damage doesn't reduce your normal form to 0 Hit Points, you aren't knocked Unconscious.
• You can't cast Spells, and your ability to speak or take any action that requires hands is limited to the capabilities of your beast form. Transforming doesn't break your Concentration on a spell you've already cast, however, or prevent you from taking Actions that are part of a spell, such as Call Lightning, that you've already cast.
• You retain the benefit of any features from your class, race, or other source and can use them if the new form is physically capable of doing so. This includes the ability to use your ki to perform martial acts. Monks of the Jade Lotus train specifically to use their abilities while in their animal form. However, you can't use any of your Special Senses, such as Darkvision, unless your new form also has that sense. 
• You choose whether your Equipment falls to the ground in your space, merges into your new form, or is worn by it. Worn Equipment functions as normal, but the DM decides whether it is practical for the new form to wear a piece of Equipment, based on the creature's shape and size. Your Equipment doesn't change size or shape to match the new form, and any Equipment that the new form can't wear must either fall to the ground or merge with it. Equipment that merges with the form has no effect until you leave the form.

 

Jade Awakened 

While in your Shape of Jade you treat all weapon attacks of any animal you assume the shape of as a Monk Weapon. As such when you use the Attack action with a weapon on your turn, you can make one unarmed strike as a bonus action. For example, if you take the Bite action while in the Jade Shape of a Wolf , you can also make an unarmed strike as a bonus action, assuming you haven’t already taken a bonus action this turn.

Primal Jade

Starting at 6th level the weapon attacks of your animal forms count as  magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.

Nature's Recovery

Starting at 6th level when you expend hit dice during a short rest you regain health as if the maximum result of that dice was rolled. In addition you regain the use of two spent 1st level spell slots. Once this has been activated you are unable to benefit from this ability again until you complete a long rest. 

Empowered Jade Shape

Starting at 11th level you can transform into a beast with a challenge rating as high as your monk level divided by 4, rounded down. 

Additionally your ability to change into your animal shape is now a bons action. While in this state you can, as a bonus action, expend a spell slot to regain 1d8 health for each level of the expended spell. 

Nature's Fury

Beginning at 17th level your Jade Shape radiates with energy as long as you have reserves of ki to pull from. While in Jade Shape as long as you have ki in your ki pool you have immunity to poison damage and can't be poisoned, and have resistance to psychic damage. All Jade Shape natural attacks deal an additional 1d4 force damage. Any enemy no more than one size category larger than you that starts its turn adjacent to you must make a Strength Saving Throw against your spell save DC or lose their movement for the turn as the radiating ki from your body causes plant life to grow and entangle your foes.