Base Class: Monk
Monks of the Way of the Searing 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.
A rework of the Sun Soul monastic tradition, meant to scale the power of the subclasses featured spells more closely to the wizard power progression. The idea was to ensure that the features feel exciting to unlock as levelling progresses, while keeping the power of the abilities gained relevant to the player level and the likely challenges they would be facing. A general list of change notes are as follows:
- Removed 6th level feature Searing Arc Strike, created 3rd level feature Power of The Sun:
- Moved Burning Hands to level 3 and added the light cantrip along with guiding bolt (another radiant thematic spell). These spells can still be cast at higher levels adhering to the condition from the level 6 feature, meaning that upcasting will be unlocked at level 6, allowing for the spells to remain as relevant options as player levels progress.
- I felt that gaining a level 1 spell as a level 3 monk will make the power of the spell more relevant to the user and the challenges they face at this level. The addition of the light cantrip and guiding bolt is to increase the amount of options the monk has in combat, while adhering to the radiant power of the sun theme of the subclass.
- Moved Burning Hands to level 3 and added the light cantrip along with guiding bolt (another radiant thematic spell). These spells can still be cast at higher levels adhering to the condition from the level 6 feature, meaning that upcasting will be unlocked at level 6, allowing for the spells to remain as relevant options as player levels progress.
- The 11th level feature Searing Sunburst has been moved to 6th level:
- Searing Sunburst has been updated to deal half damage on a successful saving throw instead of 0.
- An investment of half a Monk's ki at this level should yield some form of damage and not feel completely wasted, otherwise the ability feels like it isn't an option. This change lowers the risk and guarantees a little value for the ki being consumed, lowering the boom or bust nature of the feature.
- Searing Sunburst has been updated to deal half damage on a successful saving throw instead of 0.
- The 11th level feature Searing Sunburst has been replaced with Searing Sun Blast, a feature that allows the Monk to spend 6 ki to cast Sunbeam, a spell that better reflects the level, a number of times per day equal to half the Monk's proficiency modifier.
- It was my thought that what a Searing Soul Monk lacks in variety or choice, they make up for in potency. The current restriction on the amount of times Sunbeam can be cast a day is a WIP as I go about playtesting it. I don't believe that it is too much to allow the monk an additional use of the spell compared to their Wizard counterparts since what the Monk has in potency they lack in variety.
- The 17th level feature Sun Shield has been updated to reveal Invisible Creatures or Objects that are exposed to the bright light, much like a Lantern of Revealing.
- I am pretty happy leaving the capstone a little lackluster as the power gained at previous levels pushes this tradition to a place that I am happy with power wise. That being said, it did feel a little too lackluster being a glorified lantern, and with the addition of the light cantrip at level 3, I was having difficulty seeing this as anything other than a terribly boring feature. I believe this added bonus of revealing makes the feature a little more exciting to gain and keeps itself still relatively niche and avoids pushing this subclass too far over the top in viability.
Power of The Sun
Starting when you choose this tradition at 3rd level, you can use your ki to duplicate the effects of certain spells. As an action, you can spend 2 ki points to cast Burning Hands or Guiding Bolt without providing material components. Additionally, you gain the Light cantrip if you don't already know it.
At level 6 you can spend additional ki points to cast Burning Hands or Guiding Bolt as 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.
Radiant Sun Bolt
Starting when you choose this tradition at 3rd level, you can hurl searing bolts of magical radiance.
You gain a new attack option that you can use with the Attack action. This special attack is a ranged spell attack with a range of 30 feet. You are proficient with it, and you add your Dexterity modifier to its attack and damage rolls. Its damage is radiant, and its damage die is a d4. This die changes as you gain monk levels, as shown in the Martial Arts column of the Monk table.
When you take the Attack action on your turn and use this special attack as part of it, you can spend 1 ki point to make the special attack twice as a bonus action.
When you gain the Extra Attack feature, this special attack can be used for any of the attacks you make as part of the Attack action.
Searing Sunburst
At 6th level, you gain the ability to create an orb of light that erupts into a devastating explosion. As an action, you magically create an orb and hurl it at a point you choose within 150 feet, where it erupts into a sphere of radiant light for a brief but deadly instant.
Each creature in that 20-foot-radius sphere must succeed on a Constitution saving throw. A creature takes 2d6 radiant damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. A creature doesn't need to make the save if the creature is behind total cover that is opaque.
You can increase the sphere's damage by spending ki points. Each point you spend, up to a maximum of 3, increases the damage by 2d6.
Searing Sun Blast
Beginning at 11th level, you can spend 6 ki to cast Sunbeam as an action. You may use this action a number of times equal to half your proficiency modifier per long rest.
Sun Shield
At 17th level, you become wreathed in a luminous, magical aura, emitting the glow of the burning sun your power emulates. You shed bright light in a 30-foot radius and dim light for an additional 30 feet. Invisible Creatures and Objects are visible as long as they are in the bright light. The emitted light counts as daylight. You can extinguish or restore the light as a bonus action.
If a creature hits you with a melee attack while this light shines, you can use your reaction to deal radiant damage to the creature. The radiant damage equals 5 + your Wisdom modifier.
Previous Versions
| Name | Date Modified | Views | Adds | Version | Actions |
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2/18/2023 1:51:14 AM
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64
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1
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2.5
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Coming Soon
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