Improved Way of the Four Elements

You follow a monastic tradition that teaches you to harness the elements. When you focus your ki, you can align yourself with the forces of creation and bend the four elements to your will, using them as an extension of your body. Some members of this tradition dedicate themselves to a single element, but others weave the elements together.

Many monks of this tradition tattoo their bodies with representations of their ki powers, commonly imagined as coiling dragons, but also as phoenix’s fish, plants, mountains, and cresting waves.

Disciple of the Elements

When you choose this tradition at 3rd level, you learn magical disciplines that harness the power of the four elements. A discipline requires you to spend ki points each time you use it.

You know three elemental disciplines of your choice, which are detailed in the “Elemental Disciplines” section below. You learn two additional elemental disciplines of your choice: at 6th, 11th, and 17th level and 1 discipline for 8th, and 14th level; for a total of 11 disciplines.

Whenever you learn a new elemental discipline, you can also replace one elemental discipline that you already know with a different discipline.

Casting Elemental Spells

Some elemental disciplines allow you to cast spells. See the Spellcasting section for the general rules of spellcasting. To cast one of these spells, you use its casting time and other rules, but you don’t need to provide material components for it.

Once you reach 5th level in this class, you can spend additional ki points to increase the level of an elemental discipline spell that you cast, provided that the spell has an enhanced effect at a higher level, as burning hands does. The spell’s level increases by 1 for each additional ki point you spend. For example, if you are a 5th-level monk and use Sweeping Cinder Strike to cast burning hands, you can spend 3 ki points to cast it as a 2nd-level spell (the discipline’s base cost of 2 ki points plus 1).

The maximum number of ki points you can spend to cast a spell in this way (including its base ki point cost and any additional ki points you spend to increase its level) is determined by your monk level, as shown in the Spells and Ki Points table.

Spells and Ki Points

Monk Levels	Maximum Ki Points for a Spell
5th–8th	3
9th–12th	4
13th–16th	5
17th–20th	6

Elemental Attunement

You can use your action to briefly control elemental forces within 60 feet of you, causing one of the following effects of your choice:

• Create a harmless, instantaneous sensory effect related to air, earth, fire, or water, such as a shower of sparks, a puff of wind, a spray of light mist, or a gentle rumbling of stone.
• Instantaneously light or snuff out a candle, a torch, or a small campfire.
• Chill or warm up to 1 pound of nonliving material for up to 1 hour. 
• Create elements within a 10ft. cube that last for 1 hour.

Additionally you also gain the following cantrips: control flames, gust, mold earth, and shape water. 

Elemental Disciplines

The elemental disciplines are presented in alphabetical order. If a discipline requires a level, you must be that level in this class to learn the discipline.

A Leaf Rising on the Wind

Your Slow Fall ability no longer requires a reaction to use, and instead you may use it automatically whenever you are conscious and not incapacitated, and it negates all falling damage regardless of distance. When you use the Slow Fall ability, you may also glide along the air to move 5 feet in any horizontal direction for every 5 feet that you fall.

Avatar of the Elements

As an ultimate display of your mastery of the elements, you can spend 6 ki as an action to have the elements of earth, fire, air, and water form a protective sphere around your body, gaining multiple benefits for 1 minute. While this ability is active, you have resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, slashing, cold, fire, lightning, and thunder damage.
You also gain a burrow, fly, and swim speed equal to your movement speed. Lastly, you can use any of the following abilities as a bonus action:
• You create a small earthquake on the ground in a 15-foot radius around you. Each creature in that area
must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, a creature takes 1d6 bludgeoning damage and is knocked prone.
• You create a line of fire 15 feet long and 5 feet wide extending from you in a direction you choose. Each creature in the line must make a Dexterity saving throw. A creature takes 3d6 fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
• You create a 15-foot cube of swirling wind centered on a point you can see within 60 feet of you. Each creature in that area must make a Constitution saving throw. A creature takes 1d10 bludgeoning damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. If a Large or smaller creature fails the save, that creature is also pushed up to 10 feet away from the center of the cube.
• You create a 15-foot cone of ice shards extending from your outstretched hand in a direction you choose. Each creature in the cone must make a Constitution save throw. A creature takes 2d6 cold damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. A creature that fails its save against this effect has its speed halved until the start of your next turn. (17th Level Required)

Blue Dragon’s Bolt

You focus your ki into a burning aura of energy that manifests as a force of nature. After a moment, the sphere bursts into a torrent of energy that races in a line away from you.
You can spend 3 ki points to cast lightning bolt.(11th Level Required)

Breath of Winter

You can spend 6 ki points to cast cone of cold. (17th Level Required)

Burning Ember Flourish

You reach out with your ki to snuff out a source of fire, causing it to go out with a bang or to sputter black smoke.
You can spend 2 ki points to cast pyrotechnics.(6th Level Required)

Call of the Four

You can spend 5 ki points to cast conjure elemental. (17th Level Required)

Champion of the Sky

You have become more sensitive to the slightest flow of the breeze. You gain blindsight out to a range of 30 feet. You however cannot see beyond solid barriers or ground. 

Additionally, if a creature makes a ranged attack against you, they have disadvantage on the attack roll. If the creature making the ranged attack is within range of your blindsight and already has disadvantage, the attack automatically misses. (11th Level Required)

Changing the Tide

You flow like water, guiding an attack against you to a nearby enemy.
When a creature that you can see targets you with an attack and either misses or you pass your saving throw, you may spend 1 ki point to redirect that attack to another creature within 5 feet of you as a reaction. Use the result of the creature’s attack roll or save DC to determine if the redirected attack hits the new target.(17th Level Required)

Clench of the North Wind

You can spend 2 ki points to cast hold person. (6th Level Required)

Crushing Hand of the Mountain

You can spend 2 ki points to cast maximilian’s earthen grasp. (6th Level Required)

Curtain of Unyielding Wind

You can spend 2 ki to cast warding wind. (6th Level Required)

Dance of the Three Ways

You can spend 3 ki points to cast melf’s minute meteors. (11th Level Required)

Earth Reaches for Sky

You can spend 3 ki points to cast erupting earth. (11th Level Required)

Effortless Step

The air around you works in unison with your movements, rising you up as you jump. Your jump height and distance are doubled (quadrupled with Step of the Wind) and you gain advantage on Strength (Athletics) checks related to jumping.

Enduring Mountain Stance

Your body and mind becomes as rigid and unyielding as the ground below you. Your ki roots your feet into the ground and you become immovable. When you use the Dodge action, you cannot be moved, pushed, grappled, frightened, or knocked prone against your will until the start of your next turn, even if magically compelled to do so. You must be standing on the ground to use this ability.

Eternal Mountain Defense

You can spend 4 ki points to cast stoneskin, targeting yourself. (11th Level Required)

Eye of the Hurricane

You stretch out your ki to embrace the winds. You can spend 5 ki points to cast control winds. (17th Level Required)

Eyes of Fire

Your eyes glow red as you scan the area, seeing the heat sources around you as clearly as light sources.
You may spend 2 ki points to gain magical infravision for 1 minute with a range of 60 feet. This infravision allows you to magically see any heat source within range, revealing the size, location, and general form of each heat source, but not any other details. This ability reveals heat sources that are invisible, hidden, obscured, or located on the other side of walls or other barriers you could not normally see through. However, the ability does not allow you to see through magical darkness, ice, snow, or water, and does not function on creatures that do not produce any heat, such as undead and constructs.(6th Level Required)

Falling Comet

You cool the air in the skies above you, condensing the water droplets into freezing rain and sleet.
You can spend 3 ki points to cast sleet storm.(11 Level Required)

Fangs of the Fire Snake

Your arms and legs become enveloped in roaring gouts of flame. When you make an unarmed attack on your turn, you can choose to strike out tendrils of flames which stretch out beyond your normal reach. Your reach increases by 5 feet for that attack, and it deals fire damage instead of bludgeoning damage. If the attack hits you can spend 1 ki point to deal an extra 1d10 fire damage.

Fist of Four Thunders

You can spend 1 ki points to cast thunderwave.

Fist of Unbroken Air

You summon a swirling wind and concentrate it around your fist. When you make an unarmed attack on your turn, you can choose to strike out condensed bursts of air which stretch out beyond your normal reach. Your reach increases by 10 feet for that attack. If the attack hits you can spend 1 ki point to force the target to make a Strength saving throw or be pushed back 10 feet and be knocked prone.

Flame Strike

You can spend 5 ki points to cast flame strike. (11th Level Required)

Flames of the Phoenix

You can spend 3 ki points to cast fireball. (11th Level Required)

Golden Snake’s Icy Path

Whenever you take the Dash action, until the end of your turn for any movement you make along a surface you can leave a trail of slippery ice. This ice counts as difficult terrain and lasts until the start of your next turn.

Gong of the Summit

You can spend 2 ki points to cast shatter. (6th Level Required)

Impenetrable Iron Tortoise Shell

You summon a momentary barrier of earth to defend yourself or an ally.
As a reaction, you may spend 2 point of ki to use your Deflect Missiles ability on any ranged or melee attack you can see within 30 feet of you. Any damage not prevented by this ability is taken by the original target of the attack. (6th Level Required)

Mist Stance

You can spend 3 ki points to cast gaseous form, targeting yourself. (11th Level Required)

Mold the Mountain

You can spend 4 ki points to cast stone shape or 5 ki to cast transmute rock.(17th Level Required)

Mote of the Sun

You can spend 2 ki points to cast flaming sphere. (6th Level Required)

Patient Badger Listens

You reach out with your ki to the ground beneath you. You sense disturbances in the earth as easily as you see with your eyes.
You can spend 2 ki points as a bonus action to gain tremorsense with a range of 30 feet and a burrow speed equal to half of your modified land speed for up to 1 minute (as if concentrating on a spell). Your movement leaves behind a tunnel that remains for as long as this ability is active, and then collapses.(6th Level Required)

Raise the Still Waters

You touch the body of water with your ki, coaxing it to change its form. You can spend 4 ki points to cast control water.(11th Level Required)

Raise the Troubled Earth

You can spend 3 ki to cast wall of sand. (11th Level Required)

Red Dragon’s Claws

You can spend 2 ki points to cast scorching ray. (6th Level Required)

Ride the Wind

You can spend 3 ki points to cast fly, targeting yourself. (11th Level Required)

River of Hungry Flame

You can spend 4 ki points to cast wall of fire. (11th Level Required)

Rumbling Badger

You can spend 1 ki point to cast earth tremor.

Rush of the Gale Spirits

You can spend 2 ki points to cast gust of wind.

Shape of the Raincloud

You can spend 1 ki point to cast fog cloud or create or destroy water.

Shape the Flowing River

As an action, for 1 ki point you can choose an area of ice, earth, mud or water no larger than 30 feet on a side within 120 feet of you. You can change water to ice, mud to stone within the area and vice versa, and you can reshape materials in the area in any manner you choose. You can raise or lower the material’s  elevation, create or fill in a trench, erect or flatten a wall, or form a pillar. The extent of any such changes can’t exceed half the area’s largest dimension. For example, if you affect a 30-foot square, you can create a pillar up to 15 feet high, raise or lower the square’s elevation by up to 15 feet, dig a trench up to 15 feet deep, and so on. You can’t shape the structure to trap or damage a creature in the area. A wall or pillar you make with this ability has an AC 10 and 5 hit points. Reducing a wall or pillar to 0 hit points destroys it.

Strike of the Stormlord

You can spend 3 ki points to cast call lightning.(11th Level Required)

Swarming Ice Rabbit

A flurry of magic snowballs erupts from a point you choose within range.
You can spend 2 ki points to cast snilloc’s snowball swarm. (6th Level Required)

Sweeping Cinder Strike

You can spend 1 ki point to cast burning hands.

Sweeping Crosswind

A wall of strong wind rises from the ground, batting away anything in its path. You can spend 3 ki points to cast wind wall. (11th Level Required)

Swirling Crab’s Revenge

You can spend 5 ki points to cast maelstrom. (17th Level Required)

Tears of the North Wind

You can spend 3 ki points to cast ice storm. (11th Level Required)

Tidal Wave

You can spend 3 ki to cast tidal wave. (11th Level Required)

Unrelenting Flames

Your fiery ki infuses all your strikes, making them hit harder.
Whenever you roll a 1 on a damage die for an attack you make, including attacks made with monk weapons or spells, you can reroll the die. You must use the new roll, even if the new roll is a 1. (11th Level Required)

Water Whip

You can spend 1 ki point as a bonus action to create a whip of water that shoves and pulls a creature to unbalance it. A creature that you can see that is within 30 feet of you must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, the creature takes 2d10 bludgeoning damage, plus an extra 1d10 bludgeoning damage for each additional ki point you spend, and you can either knock it prone or pull it up to 25 feet closer to you. On a successful save, the creature takes half as much damage, and you don’t pull it or knock it prone.

Wave of Rolling Earth

You can spend 6 ki points to cast wall of stone. (17th Level Required)

Redirect Elements

Your exposure to the elements has hardened your defenses against them. When you reach 6th level whenever you take lightning, cold, thunder, or fire damage, you can use your reaction to reduce the damage taken from the attack by 1d10 + your Dexterity modifier + your monk level. Also the first time you hit with a melee attack on your next turn, the target takes an extra 1d6 damage of the triggering type.

Applied Elements

At 11th level you've learned how to use your elemental connection in tandem with your monk training.

Your core monk features are improved in the following ways.

• Air. When you use your Step of the Wind, your long jump and high jump is quadrupled.
• Earth. When you use your Slow Fall and reduce the damage taken from the fall to zero, you can spend 1 ki point to slam the earth and distribute that energy into the ground. Each creature within 10 ft. of where you landed must make a Strength saving throw. On a failed save,  a creature takes damage equal to two rolls of your Martial Arts die and is knocked prone. On a successful save, a creature takes half as much damage and is not knocked prone.
• Water. When you use your Flurry of Blows, you can channel the flow of a river to launch your foes back. When you hit with an attack granted to you by your flurry of blows, you can forgo the damage of the attack to push the creature up to 15 ft. away from you.
• Fire. When you use your Patient Defense and take damage from a melee attack, that creature takes fire damage equal to one roll of your Martial Arts die.

Elemental Traversal

At 17th level you can control the elements around you to travel safely through them. You can use your action to gain a flying, swimming, and climbing speed equal to your walking speed and a burrowing speed equal to half your walking speed. Additionally, you gain immunity to fire damage while moving. These benefits last until the end of your next turn. At the end of your next turn, you must spend 1 ki if you wish to maintain this effect until the end of next turn. If you do not spend ki to extend the effects and are flying, you fall until you hit the ground. If you are burrowing and lose your burrowing speed, you are stuck in place and suffocating.