Way of the 4 Elements (Reimagined)

This is a revised version of the Way of the 4 Elements monk to make it more balanced, versatile and fun to play. Playtesters and Feedback welcome.

Changes include:

• The costs of most disciple have been reduced, new ones have been added, including many elemental spells from other source books. Thanks to u/SpiketailDrake at reddit and dioxy, their Remastered version has an extended list of disciples, too, and I have been inspired. I might even straight up include some of their ideas.
• You now master the elements one after the other. Every new element broadens the list of disciples to choose from, so you only have a manageable amount of choices to begin. Each element favours a certain playstyle.
• You get cantrips, that you can use in combo to your martial arts.
• You gain the Bend Elements disciple to reduce elemental damage

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 phoenixes, fish, plants, mountains, and cresting waves.

Disciple of the Elements

The road to true mastery is long and every monk starts somewhere.

When you choose this tradition at 3rd level, choose one element to be the first you want to master. Each element is associated with certain damage types and has its own list of elemental disciplines, that harness the power of their respective element or elements.

The damage types change how certain special disciplines work.

You always have access to the list of special disciplines.

Element	Fire	Water	Earth	Air
Damage Types	Fire	Cold	Acid	Lightning/ Thunder

You master an additional element when you reach 6th, 11th, and finally 17th level, when you will have mastered all the elements.

Learning Elemental Disciplines. At 3rd level, you know 2 elemental discipline of your choice from the list of disciplines from your mastered element. You learn 2 additional disciplines every time you master a new element at 6th, 11th, and 17th level. They don’t have to be from the list of the new element, but they must be from a list of an element, that you have mastered.

Additionally, you always know the Elemental Attunement discipline and the Bend Elements discipline.

When you gain a level in this class, you can also replace one elemental discipline that you already have learned with a different discipline. The new discipline must be from a list of elemental disciplines of an element, that you have mastered.

Casting Elemental Spells. Some elemental disciplines allow you to cast spells. Wisdom is you spellcasting ability for these spells. See chapter 10 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.

Spending additional ki points. Once you reach 5th level in this class, you can spend additional ki points when you use an elemental disciplines, provided, that the discipline has an enhanced effect when used with more ki points. If a discipline allows you to cast a spell, spending more ki points increases the level of the 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 2 ki points to cast it as a 2nd-level spell (the discipline's base cost of 1 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.

Disciplines and Ki Points
Monk Levels	Maximum Ki Points for a Spell
5th-8th	2
9th-12th	3
13th-16th	4
17th-20th	5

Air

Damage types: lightning, thunder

Disciplines focused on pushing and keeping enemies away

Earth

Damage type: acid

Disciplines focused on reducing damage and dealing physical damage

Fire

Damage type: fire

Disciplines focus on damage and Area of Effect spells

Water

Damage type: cold

Disciplines focus on restricting enemy movement

Stance of Four Paths

Also at 3 level, your study of elemental powers allows you to weave them in your martial arts. You learn to cast 1 cantrip of your choice from the following list: acid splash, blade ward, control flames, fire bolt, frostbite, gust, lightning lure, mold earth, primal savagery, produce flame, ray of frost, shape water, shocking grasp, thunderclap.
You learn 1 additional cantrip when you reach 6th, 11th and 17th level. When you gain a level in this class you can swap a chosen cantrip against another cantrip from this list.

Like your elemental disciplines you can cast these cantrips without components and you gain special benefits with them:

• You can make one unarmed strike as a bonus action after casting one of these cantrips on your turn.
• Immediately after you take the Attack action or cast a cantrip on your turn, you can spend 1 ki point to make two unarmed strikes as a bonus action or cast another cantrip from this feature.

Primordial Style

Starting at 6th level, you become more adapt at using your elemental disciplines in harmony with your martial arts. When you use your action to use an elemental discipline, you can make one attack with an unarmed strike or monk weapon as a bonus action immediately before or after. You cannot use your Stunning Strike for that attack.

Stance of Four Paths - Cantrip

You learn to cast 1 cantrip of your choice from the following list: acid splash, blade ward, control flames, fire bolt, frostbite, gust, lightning lure, mold earth, primal savagery, produce flame, ray of frost, shape water, shocking grasp, thunderclap.

Primordial Body

Starting at 11 level, your ki harmonizes naturally with the elemental planes. Using your elemental disciplines offers you different advantages depending on the element.

Wild Fire

After using a fire discipline until the end of your next turn, the next fire discipline you use costs one ki point less.

Frozen Heart

After using a water discipline, the air around you begins to freeze and snow and frozen mist start to drift of you. Until the start of your next turn, any hostile creature ending its turn within 5 feet of you takes 1d10 cold damage.

Earths Endurance

After using an earth discipline, you can choose one of slashing, piercing or bludgeoning damage. You gain resistance to that damage type until the start of your next turn.

Embrace the Sky

Immediately after you used an air discipline, can fly up to 20 feet in any direction without provoking an attack of opportunity.

Neutral Stance

Immediately when using a special discipline or once per turn while under the effect of one, you can choose an additional option and gain its benefits until the end of your turn. If the discipline requires concentration, your concentration counts for both effects, but other restrictions, like not being able to cast elemental weapon twice on the same weapon, still apply. At the end of your turn, you can decide which effect to keep for the rest of the duration.

Stance of Four Paths - Cantrip

You learn to cast 1 cantrip of your choice from the following list: acid splash, blade ward, control flames, fire bolt, frostbite, gust, lightning lure, mold earth, primal savagery, produce flame, ray of frost, shape water, shocking grasp, thunderclap.

Elemental Soul

At 17 level, your control over the elements heighten, allowing you to focus it when needed. After a creature rolled a saving throw against one of your elemental disciples, you can spend 1 ki point to force it to reroll the save.

Stance of Four Paths - Cantrip

You learn to cast 1 cantrip of your choice from the following list: acid splash, blade ward, control flames, fire bolt, frostbite, gust, lightning lure, mold earth, primal savagery, produce flame, ray of frost, shape water, shocking grasp, thunderclap.

Elemental Disciplines

At 3rd level, you know 2 elemental discipline of your choice from the list of disciplines from your first mastered element. You learn 2 additional disciplines every time you master a new element at 6th, 11th, and 17th level. They don’t have to be from the list of the new element, but they must be from a list of an element, that you have mastered.

When you gain a level in this class, you can also replace one elemental discipline that you already have learned with a different discipline. The new discipline must be from a list of elemental disciplines of an element, that you have mastered.

Additionally, you always know the Elemental Attunement discipline and the Bend Elements discipline. They don’t count against the number of disciples that you can learn. Choose those 2 first when selecting disciplines.

Elemental Discipline Lists

Air

 Earth

 Water

Fire

Special

---

 

Beat of the Butterfly

Element: Wind

You can spend 5 ki points to cast Control Winds.

Source: Elemental Evil

Bend Elements

Element: Special

When a creature within 30 feet of you, including you, takes acid, cold, fire, lightning, or thunder damage, you can use your reaction and spend 1 ki point to bend and absorb some of the elemental energy. If the triggering damage is from an element, that you have mastered, you don’t have to spend the initial ki point. When you absorb the energy, the damage is reduced by 1d10 + your Wisdom modifier + your monk level.
Also, the next time you roll damage for an unarmed strike or elemental discipline until the end of your next round, you add an additional martial arts die of the triggering type to the roll, plus an extra martial arts die for each additional ki point you spend.

Starting at 11th level, you can use Neutral Stance to change the damage type of any added damage dice to another element you have mastered.

Breath of Winter

Element: Water

You can spend 5 ki points to cast Cone of Cold.

Chains of Wind and Water

Element: Water

You can spend 5 ki points to cast Maelstrom.

Source: Elemental Evil

Channel Elemental Chaos

Element: Special

You can spend 3 ki points to cast Elemental Weapon] on a monk weapon or your body. If you choose the weapon, the spell ends early, if you don’t hold the weapon anymore. You must choose a damage type from an element you have mastered.

Claw of the Thunderbird

Element: Air

You can cast Booming Blade with your Stance of Four Paths feature.

Source: Elemental Evil

Clench of the North Wind

Element: Air

You can spend 2 ki points to cast Hold Person.

Crushing Hand of the Mountain

Element: Earth

You can spend 2 ki points to cast maximilian’s earthen grasp.

Curtain of Tears

Element: Water

You can spend 3 ki points to cast Wall of Water.

Source: Elemental Evil

Dance of Three Ways

Element: Fire

You summon six spheres of earth from the ground, suspend them in the air around you, and ignite them with your fiery ki. With a thought, you launch these blazing meteors at your foe. You can spend 3 ki points to cast melf’s minute meteors.

Dive of the Snow Owl

Element: Water

You can spend 1 ki point to cast Ice Knife.

Source: Elemental Evil

Elemental Attunement

Element: Special

You can use your action to briefly control elemental forces within 30 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.
• Cause earth, fire, water, or mist that can fit within a 1-foot cube to shape itself into a crude form you designate for 1 minute.

Embrace of Rime

Element: Water

You can spend 2 ki points to cast Rime's Binding Ice.

Source: Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

Embrace of the Water Snake

Element: Water

You can spend 5 ki points to cast Watery Sphere.

Source: Elemental Evil

Eternal Mountain Defense

Element: Earth

You can spend 5 ki points to cast Stoneskin, targeting yourself.

Fangs of the Fire Snake

Element: Fire

When you use the Attack action on your turn, you can spend 1 ki point to cause tendrils of flame to stretch out from your fists and feet. Your reach with your unarmed strikes increases by 10 feet for that action, as well as the rest of the turn. A hit with such an attack deals fire damage instead of bludgeoning damage, and if you spend 1 ki point when the attack hits, it also deals an extra 1d10 fire damage.

Fist of Four Thunders

Element: Air

You can spend 1 ki points to cast Thunderwave.

Fist of Unbroken Air

Element: Air

You can create a blast of compressed air that strikes like a mighty fist. As an action, you can spend 1 ki points and choose a creature within 30 feet of you. That creature must make a Strength saving throw. On a failed save, the creature takes 3d10 bludgeoning damage, plus an extra 1d10 bludgeoning damage for each additional ki point you spend, and you can push the creature up to 20 feet away from you and knock it prone. On a successful save, the creature takes half as much damage, and you don't push it or knock it prone.

Flames of the Phoenix

Element: Fire

You can spend 3 ki points to cast Fireball.

Glacier Stance

Element: Water

You can spend 4 ki points to cast Ice Storm.

Gong of the Summit

Element: Air

You can spend 2 ki points to cast Shatter.

Gown of Spring Breeze

Element: Air

You can spend 2 ki points to cast Warding Wind.

Source: Elemental Evil

Grace of the Planeswalker

Element: Special

You can spend 3 ki points to attune your body to the elemental energy that suffuses your surroundings. Choose one element you have mastered. Until your next short rest you gain advantage on Strength, Dexterity and Constitution saving throws to withstand environmental hazards of the chosen element and its associated damage types. You also gain additional effects depending on the element.

• Fire: Your eyes adapt to falling ash and rising sand storms. You have advantage on saving throws against being blinded.
• Air: You can cast Levitate on yourself at will. You can also use your reaction to cast it, when you start falling. The spell ends automatically at the end of your turn.
• Earth: You also gain advantage on the listed saving throws against bludgeoning damage, and you gain advantage on saving throws and checks to resist being moved, pushed, grappled or knocked prone against your will. When you take the Dodge action, you become immune to these effects instead.
• Water: You gain a swimming speed up to your walking speed and can breath normally under water. You also gain blindsight up to 60 feet while within a body of water or fog, but not beyond its boundaries.

Heaven Splitting Axe

Element: Fire

You can spend 2 ki points to cast Aganazzar’s Scorcher.

Source: Elemental Evil

Hide of the Gargoyle

Element: Earth

You can spend 1 ki points to cover yourself in a layer of stone and dirt. You gain 5 temporary hit points. You gain 5 additional temporary hit points for each additional ki point you spend.

Hunt of the Sky Beast

Element: Air

You can spend 3 ki points to cast Lightning Bolt.

Kiss of the White Maiden

Element: Water

You can spend 1 ki point to cast Frost Fingers.

Source: Ice Wind Dale: Rim of the Frost Maiden

Mantle of the Dune Raider

Element: Earth

You can spend 3 ki points to cast Wall of Sand.

Mirror of the Ice Queen

Element: Water

You can spend 3 ki points to cast Sleet Storm.

Mist Stance

Element: Air

You can spend 3 ki points to cast Gaseous Form, targeting yourself.

Morning Dew Stride

Element: Air

You can spend 1 ki points to cast Fog Cloud.

Presence of the Thunder King

Element: Air

You can spend 4 ki points to cast Storm Sphere.

Source: Xanathar's Guide to Everything

Ride the Wind

Element: Air

You can spend 3 ki points to cast Fly, targeting yourself.

River of Hungry Flame

Element: Fire

You can spend 4 ki points to cast Wall of Fire.

Rush of the Gale Spirits

Element: Air

You can spend 1 ki points to cast Gust of Wind.

Rush of the Kelpie

Element: Water

You can spend 3 ki points to cast Tidal Wave.

Source: Elemental Evil

Sense Elements

Element: Special

You can spend 2 ki points to connect your senses to with the elemental forces in your surroundings. Choose one element you have mastered. Until the start of your next short rest you gain its benefits.

• Fire: You have darkvision out to a range of 30 feet and can cast see invisibility at will. The spell only affects targets within 30 feet.
• Air: You can cast clairvoyance at will. You must choose a location with air within 300 feet and you can only hear through the created sensor.
• Earth: You have tremorsense with a range of 30 feet. While you have tremorsense, you are also aware of any mineral deposits or hollow spaces in a stone object or structure within range as long as you touch its surface.
• Water: You can cast clairvoyance at will. You must choose a location on or under water within 300 feet of you and you can only see through the created sensor.

Shape the Flowing River

Element: Water

As an action, you can spend 1 ki point to choose an area of ice or water no larger than 30 feet on a side within 120 feet of you. You can change water to ice within the area and vice versa, and you can reshape ice in the area in any manner you choose. You can raise or lower the ice'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 ice to trap or injure a creature in the area.

Step of the Elements

Element: Special

When you use your Step of the Wind feature, you can spend an additional ki point to choose one element you have mastered. For the next 1 minute you gain the benefit of the chosen element, whenever you take the Dash or Disengage Action. You cannot use this discipline again while still under under one of its effects.

• Fire: Flames blast from your feet. When you move within 5 feet of a creature or an object that isn't being worn or carried, it takes 1d4 fire damage from your trail of heat. A creature or object can take this damage only once during a turn. This die change as you gain monk levels, as shown in the Martial Arts column of the Monk table.

• Water: A layer of eyes sprawls from your feet. When you move within 5 feet of a creature, that creatures speed is reduced by 10 feet. A creature can suffer this reduction only once during a turn. You can move over water, creating a 5 foot wide bridge of ice that melts at the end of your turn.

• Air: You don't take attacks of opportunity when you Dash and your walking speed is doubled when you disengage.

• Earth: When you take the Dash or Disengage action, choose any number of large or smaller creatures within 5 feet. The creatures must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or be grappled by the earth around you and dragged with you as you move. The grapple ends automatically at the end of your turn, if the creature moved up to your unarmored movement bonus or if it would ever move on a field without earth. A creature can choose to fail this save.

Strike of Winter Nights

Element: Water

When you use the Attack action on your turn, you can spend 1 ki point to cause numbing cold to extrude from your fists and feet. When you hit a creature with an unarmed strike for that action, as well as the rest of the turn, its speed is reduced by 10 feet. A hit with such an attack deals cold damage instead of bludgeoning damage, and if you spend 1 ki point when the attack hits, it also deals an extra 1d10 cold damage.

Sun Ignition Strike

Element: Fire

You can spend 5 ki points to cast Immolation.

Source: Elemental Evil

Sweeping Cinder Strike

Element: Fire

You can spend 1 ki points to cast Burning Hands.

Tears of the Forrest God

Element: Earth

You can spend 4 ki points to cast Vitriolic Sphere.

Source: Elemental Evil

Tides of Celestia

Element: Water

You can spend 1 ki points to cast Create or Destroy Water.

Tip the Scale

Element: Earth

You can spend 3 ki points to cast Erupting Earth.

Source: Elemental Evil

Titan Step

Element: Earth

You can spend 1 ki points to cast Earth Tremor.

Source: Elemental Evil

Tomb of Fools

Element: Earth

You can spend 5 ki points to cast Transmute Rock.

Source: Xanathar's Guide to Everything

Touch of Rotting Water

Element: Earth

You can spend 2 ki points to cast Acid Arrow.

Touch of the Underdark

Element: Earth

You can spend 5 ki points and touch a plaster or stone surface (such as a wall, a ceiling, or a floor). A passage appears and lasts for 1 hour or until you dismiss it as an action. You choose the opening's dimensions: up to 5 feet wide, 8 feet tall, and 20 feet deep. The passage creates no instability in a structure surrounding it.

When the opening disappears, any creatures or objects still in the passage created by the discipline are safely ejected to an unoccupied space nearest to the surface on which you used the discipline.

Veil of the Depths

Element: Earth

You can spend 1 ki points to cast Tasha’s Caustic Brew.

Source: Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything

Water Whip

Element: Water

You can spend 1 ki points as an 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 [roll]3d10[/roll] bludgeoning damage, plus an extra [roll]1d10[/roll] 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

Element: Earth

You can spend 5 ki points to cast Wall of Stone.