Way of the Frozen North

Prerequisite: Your race must have an animalistic heritage. For example; Loxodon-Elephant or Mammoth, Tabaxi-Jaguar, Lion, etc., Aarakocra-Giant Eagle, etc., Lizardfolk-Komodo Dragon, Monitor Lizard, etc. Humans may become a large ape or gorilla at the DM’s discretion.

Monk Level	Feature
3rd	Primal Instincts
6th	Summon the Arctic
11th	Cold Endurance
17th	Primal Heritage

 

Primal Instincts

At 3rd Level, you have begun to learn how to call on your primal training.

Beast Form

Your humanoid body begins to give way to your bestial ancestry. 

• At the beginning of combat, just after your initiative roll, roll a d20. 
• If a 1-15 is rolled, you maintain your humanoid form and choose your first action on your turn. 
• If a 16-20 is rolled, you spend your first action physically changing into a beast, depending upon your animalistic heritage. 
• Anything you are wearing, including armor and weapons, merges into this beast form.
• You must use this beast’s stat block while in this form. 
• The beast form lasts for 2 rounds and cannot be reverted until the end of your 2nd turn, you fall unconscious or die, whichever happens first. 
• When you revert to your normal form, you take one level of exhaustion.
• This beast form can only be used once per long rest.
• At your DM’s discretion, other situations may cause you to uncontrollably change into your beast form. This could include but is not limited to; being ambushed or surprise attacks, a full moon, an extremely stressful situation, etc. 

Frozen Fists

• You can call forth the ice in your soul and expend it through your unarmed strikes. 
• Once per turn, add 1d4 of cold damage to one unarmed strike attack per round on a hit. 
• This die changes as you gain monk levels, as shown in the Martial Arts column of the Monk table. 

 

Summon the Arctic

At 6th level, you have gained more control over your beast form. 

Beast Form

• At the beginning of combat, just after your initiative roll, roll a d20. If a 1-10 is rolled, you maintain your humanoid form and choose your first action on your turn. 
• If an 11-20 is rolled, you spend your first action physically changing into a beast. 
• This transformation lasts for 1 minute, until you die, become unconscious or you revert to your normal form as a bonus action. 
• When you revert to your normal form, you take one level of exhaustion.
• This beast form can only be used once per long rest.

 Freezing Blast

• You have also gained the ability to channel your ki into freezing blasts of frost. Immediately after you take the attack action on your turn, you can spend 2 ki points to cast the frost fingers spell as a bonus action.
• You can spend additional ki points to cast frost fingers at a higher-level spell. Each additional ki point you spend increases the spell’s level by 1. The maximum number of ki points (2 plus any additional points) that you can spend on the spell equals half your monk level.

Frost Fingers

Source: Icewind Dale - Rime of the Frostmaiden

1st-level evocation

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: Self (15-foot cone)

Components: V, S

Duration: Instantaneous

Freezing cold blasts from your fingertips in a 15-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a Constitution saving throw, taking 2d8 cold damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

The cold freezes non magical liquids in the area that aren't being worn or carried.

Cold Endurance

At 11th level, 

Beast Form

• You can now transform at will into your beast form using an action.
• This transformation lasts for a number of minutes equal to your proficiency bonus, until you become unconscious, die, or revert to your normal form as a bonus action. 
• You no longer suffer exhaustion when reverting to your normal form.

 Unfailing Endurance

• Because of your fortitude from living in the frozen north and learning to endure all it has to offer, you know how to channel your ki to protect yourself.  
• If you fail a saving throw, you can spend ki points to save instead, adding 1 to the dice roll for each spent ki point. 
• Lastly, you have advantage on saving rolls against fire and cold damage.

 

Primal Heritage

At 17th Level, you are now truly one with your beast form. 

Beast Form

• You are able to change at will, as long as you have no levels of exhaustion. 
• You can morph the form in a way to improve your fighting style.  
• You may choose which of your stats, actions, bonus actions and reactions to use and which to use from the Beast’s stat block when using your beast form. 
• No stats or actions can be stacked unless granted by another feature of your character. 
• Weapons can only be used in beast form if approved by the DM. 

Frozen Fortitude

You are now immune to any cold or fire damage or conditions. 

 

Beast Form

At 3rd Level, 

At the beginning of combat, just after your initiative roll, roll a d20. If a 1-15 is rolled, you maintain your humanoid form and choose your first action on your turn. If a 16-20 is rolled, you spend your first action physically changing into a beast, depending upon your animalistic heritage. 

• Anything you are wearing, including armor and weapons, merges into this beast form.
• You must use this beast’s stat block while in this form. 
• The beast form lasts for 2 rounds and cannot be reverted until the end of your 2nd turn, you fall unconscious or die, whichever happens first. 
• When you revert to your normal form, you take one level of exhaustion.
• This beast form can only be used once per long rest.
• At your DM’s discretion, other situations may cause you to uncontrollably change into your beast form. This could include but is not limited to; being ambushed or surprise attacks, a full moon, an extremely stressful situation, etc. 

At 6th Level, 

At the beginning of combat, just after your initiative roll, roll a d20. If a 1-10 is rolled, you maintain your humanoid form and choose your first action on your turn.  If an 11-20 is rolled, you spend your first action physically changing into a beast. 

• This transformation lasts for 1 minute, until you die, become unconscious or you revert to your normal form as a bonus action. 
• When you revert to your normal form, you take one level of exhaustion.
• This beast form can only be used once per long rest.

At 11th Level, 

You can now transform at will into your beast form using an action.

• This transformation lasts for a number of minutes equal to your proficiency bonus, until you become unconscious, die, or revert to your normal form as a bonus action. 
• You no longer suffer exhaustion when reverting to your normal form.

At 17th Level, 

You are able to change at will, as long as you have no levels of exhaustion. You can morph the form in a way to improve your fighting style.  

• You may choose which of your stats, actions, bonus actions and reactions to use and which to use from the Beast’s stat block when using your beast form. 
• No stats or actions can be stacked unless granted by another feature of your character. 
• Weapons can only be used in beast form if approved by the DM. 

 

 

Frozen Fists

• Once per turn, add 1d4 of cold damage to one unarmed strike attack per round on a hit. 
• This die changes as you gain monk levels, as shown in the Martial Arts column of the Monk table.

Freezing Blast

You have also gained the ability to channel your ki into freezing blasts of frost. Immediately after you take the attack action on your turn, you can spend 2 ki points to cast the frost fingers spell as a bonus action.

You can spend additional ki points to cast frost fingers at a higher-level spell. Each additional ki point you spend increases the spell’s level by 1. The maximum number of ki points (2 plus any additional points) that you can spend on the spell equals half your monk level.

Unfailing Endurance

If you fail a saving throw, you can spend ki points to save instead, adding 1 to the dice roll for each spent ki point. 

You also now have advantage on saving rolls against fire and cold damage.