Bending of the elements is only possible after years worth of meditation and a heightened understanding of one's own internal energy eventually harnessing it to influence the elements. In battle monks of this tradition, known as Benders, are able to spend ki points to create powerful elemental attacks. With knowledge of elemental manipulation, Benders create simple elemental effects with minimal difficulty but with enough practice and experience they can learn to use their bending to greatly increase their combat effectiveness. 

Basics of Bending

When you choose this tradition at 3rd level, you begin to learn how to twist and turn the elements of nature at will. Choose one style of bending from Air, Earth, Fire, and Water. You learn an additional style of bending at 4th, 5th, and 6th level.

Airbending

You can cast the cantrip Gust.

Earthbending

You can cast the cantrip Mold Earth.

Firebending

You can cast the cantrip Control Flames. 

Waterbending

You can cast the cantrip Shape Water. 

Elemental Disciplines

Also 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. If a discipline allows you to cast a spell, you cast it at its lowest level.

You learn two elemental disciplines of your choice, from the list below. You learn two additional elemental disciplines of your choice at 6th, 11th, and 17th level. Whenever you learn new elemental disciplines, you can also replace one elemental discipline that you already know with a different discipline.

The elemental disciplines are presented in order of level required. You must be that level in this class to learn the discipline.

(Level 03) Fangs of the Fire Snake

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.

(Level 03) Fist of Four Thunders

You can spend 2 ki points to cast thunderwave.

(Level 03) Fist of Unbroken Air

You can create a blast of compressed air that strikes like a mighty fist. As an action, you can spend 2 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.

(Level 03) Rush of the Gale Spirits

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

(Level 03) 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.

(Level 03) Sweeping Cinder Strike

You can spend 2 ki points to cast burning hands.

(Level 03) 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.

(Level 06) Clench of the North Wind

You can spend 3 ki points to cast hold person. (6th Level Required)

(Level 06) Gong of the Summit

You can spend 3 ki points to cast shatter. (6th Level Required)

(Level 11) Flames of the Phoenix

You can spend 4 ki points to cast fireball. (11th Level Required)

(Level 11) Mist Stance

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

(Level 11) Ride the Wind

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

(Level 17) Breath of Winter

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

(Level 17) Eternal Mountain Defense

You can spend 5 ki points to cast stoneskin, targeting yourself. (17th Level Required)

(Level 17) River of Hungry Flame

You can spend 5 ki points to cast wall of fire. (17th Level Required)

(Level 17) Wave of Rolling Earth

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

Stone Step

At 6th level, you gain the ability to glide through earth and stone. When you are standing, laying, or sitting on earth or stone, as a bonus action you can move silently through it up to 60 feet to an unoccupied space of earth or stone connected to the point of origin. You then have advantage on the first melee attack you make before the end of the turn. This movement acts as a teleport, provoking no reactions.

Elemental Defenses

Starting at 11th level, your bending experience allows you to manipulate the elements subconsciously, minimize damage from such sources. You gain resistance to fire, cold, and lightning damage. You lose this benefit if you wear any armor. 

Avatar State

At level 17, you are able to access the power and wisdom of all your past lives for a moment, dramatically increasing elemental powers. Once per long rest, you can go into this state for one minute gaining the following abilities:

• You recover all spent ki points.
• You gain a swim, fly, and burrow speed of 50.
• Whenever the you create a fire, water, earth, or wind based effect any damage is maximized.

Whenever you take damage, you must roll a concentration check equal to half the damage. On a failure, the avatar state ends. This form of concentration does not interfere with concentration for spells.

You take one point of exhaustion and your ki points are reduced to 0 when the effects end and you must finish a long rest before you can use this ability again.

If you fall to 0 health while in the avatar state, roll a d20. On a 1, the cycle is broken and future access to the avatar state only lasts till the end of your turn.