Waterbending, one of the four elemental bending arts, is the hydrokinetic ability to control water in all of its various forms.

The art of waterbending is smooth and graceful. Most waterbending spells manipulate water in the environment, either utilizing bodies of water or condensing it from water vapour in the air. Some simple waterbending disciples can be performed by manipulating a small amount of water from the practitioner's waterskin. Waterbending is a versatile art, with subdisciplines including spiritual healing and bloodbending (in which the practitioner manipulates the water within the blood of a target).

Disciple of Waterbending

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

You know the Sculpt Water discipline and two other water disciplines of your choice, which are detailed in the “Waterbending Disciplines” section below. You learn one additional waterbending discipline of your choice at 4th, 6th, 8th, 9th, 11th, 13th, 15th, 17th, 19th, and 20th level.

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

Casting Waterbending Spells

Some waterbending 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 unless indicated below.

Once you reach 5th level in this class, you can spend additional ki points to increase the level of a waterbending discipline spell that you cast, provided that the spell has an enhanced effect at a higher level, as ice knife 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 Icicle Throw to cast ice knife, 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
3rd–4th	2
5th–8th	3
9th–12th	4
13th–16th	5
17th–20th	6

Waterbending Disciplines

The waterbending disciplines are presented in order of the level at which they are granted. If a discipline requires a level, you must be that level in this class to learn the discipline.

Sculpt Water

Automatically granted
As an action, you can cast shape water.

Cloud of Fog

You can spend 2 ki points to cast fog cloud.

Icicle Throw

You can spend 2 ki points to cast ice knife.

Improved Sculpt Water

You learn an improved version of the shape water cantrip.

When you cast improved shape water, you can perform the following additional tasks:

• You instantaneously freeze a small amount of the water into a shard of ice, which is launched at a creature of your choice within 30 feet of the water. Make a ranged spell attack against the creature. On a hit, the creature takes 1d8 piercing damage. The spell's damage increases by 1d8 when you reach 5th level (2d8), 11th level (3d8), and 17th level (4d8).

• You can maintain three (instead of two) of its non-instantaneous effects at a time, and can dismiss such an effect with a bonus action (instead of an action).

Shape the Flowing River

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 damage a creature in the area.

Water Whip

You can spend 2 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 3d10 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.

The total number of ki points spent as part of this action can not exceed the Maximum Ki Points for a Spell indicated in the Spells and Ki Points table.

Aquatic Manipulation

Prerequisite: 6th level
You gain a swimming speed equal to your walking speed.

Flurry of Snowballs

Prerequisite: 6th level
You can spend 3 ki points to cast Snilloc’s snowball swarm.

Healing of the Water Spirits

Prerequisite: 6th level
You can spend 2 ki points to cast cure wounds.

Minor Restoration of the Water Spirits

Prerequisite: 6th level
You can spend 3 ki points to cast lesser restoration.

Bloodbending

Prerequisite: 11th level
You can spend 3 ki points to cast hold person.

Revitalization of the Water Spirits

Prerequisite: 11th level, Healing of the Water Spirits
You can spend 4 ki points to cast revivify. Instead of its regular material components, this spell requires 300 gp worth of holy water to cast, which the spell consumes.

Sleet Storm

Prerequisite: 11th level
You can spend 3 ki points to cast sleet storm.

Water Walking

Prerequisite: 11th level
You can spend 3 ki points to cast water walk.

Water Wall

Prerequisite: 11th level
You can spend 4 ki points to cast wall of water.

Bloodbending Mastery

Prerequisite: 17th level, Bloodbending
You can spend 6 ki points to cast hold monster.

Breath of Winter

Prerequisite: 17th level
You can spend 6 ki points to cast cone of cold.

Hail Storm

Prerequisite: 17th level
You can spend 5 ki points to cast ice storm.

Major Restoration of the Water Spirits

Prerequisite: 17th level, Healing of the Water Spirits or Minor Restoration of the Water Spirits
You can spend 5 ki points to cast greater restoration. Instead of its regular material components, this spell requires 100 gp worth of holy water to cast, which the spell consumes.

Puppetmaster

Prerequisite: 17th level, Bloodbending
You can spend 6 ki points to cast dominate person.

Steer the Water

Prerequisite: 17th level
You can spend 5 ki points to cast control water.

Watery Prison

Prerequisite: 17th level
You can spend 5 ki points to cast watery sphere.

Whirlpool

Prerequisite: 17th level
You can spend 6 ki points to cast maelstrom, targeting a body of water.

Embodiment of Ice

Prerequisite: 20th level
You can spend 7 ki points to cast investiture of ice. The maximum number of ki points you can spend to cast this spell is 7.

Intermediate Waterbender

At 6th level, you gain access to intermediate waterbending disciplines, as indicated in the “Waterbending Disciplines” section above. You learn a waterbending discipline of intermediate difficulty or lower at 6th, 8th, and 9th level.

Advanced Waterbender

At 11th level, you gain access to advanced waterbending disciplines, as indicated in the “Waterbending Disciplines” section above. You learn an waterbending discipline of advanced difficulty or lower at 11th, 13th, and 15th level.

Master Waterbender

At 17th level, you gain access to master waterbending disciplines, as indicated in the “Waterbending Disciplines” section above. You learn a waterbending discipline of master difficulty or lower at 17th, 19th, and 20th level.