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

 

Disciple of the Elements

At 3rd level, you learn magical disciplines that harness the power of the four elements. After a long rest, select a number of disciplines equal to your Wisdom modifier + half your Monk level, rounded down (minimum of 1). You have these disciplines prepared and can cast them so long as you have enough ki points to do so. See Casting Elemental Spells for more information.

Once you complete another long rest, you can alternate the disciplines you have prepared. During which, you must spend 1 minute per discipline meditating to harmonize your ki with it.

 

Casting Elemental Spells:

Some disciplines allow you to cast spells, for which, Wisdom is your spellcasting modifier. 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 do not need to provide material components.

Once you reach 5th level in this class, you can spend additional ki points to increase the level of a discipline spell that you cast, provided that the spell has an enhanced effect at a higher level. 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 (including its base ki cost and any additional ki you spend to increase its level) is determined by your monk level, as shown in the table below.

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

Synergising Elements

 Also at 3rd level, as you begin your training in the elements, you gain the following benefits:

• You gain proficiency with either Arcana or Nature.
• Your Ki Point maximum increases by an amount equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of 1).
• The Elemental Attunement and Avatar's Bolt Disciplines are always prepared for you, and do not count against the number of disciplines you can prepare each long rest.

Art of Balance

 At 6th level, if you use your action to cast a Discipline against one or more targets, any movement you make for the rest of the turn does not provoke opportunity attacks from the target or targets of that Discipline.

Enhanced Elements

 At 11th level, when you cast a Discipline that deals immediate damage, you can add your Wisdom modifier (minimum of +1) to the damage roll. The damage bonus applies to one damage roll of the Discipline, not multiple rolls.

Master of the Elements

 Reaching 17th level, you can cast each of the following spells once per long rest:

• Investiture of Flame
• Investiture of Ice
• Investiture of Stone
• Investiture of Wind

These spells do not require Concentration and last for their normal duration, unless you; cast another Investiture spell, consciously end one early, are incapacitated, or die.

Four Elements Disciplines: Spells

Requirement: 3rd Level

• Avatar's Defense: You can spend 1 ki point to cast Absorb Elements.
  
• Avatar's Sphere: You can spend 1 ki point to cast Chromatic Orb.
  
• Devil's Vengeance: You can spend 2 ki points to cast Hellish Rebuke.
  
• Fist of Four Thunders: You can spend 2 ki points to cast Thunderwave.
• Frost Giant's Aegis: You can spend 2 ki points to cast Armor of Agathys.
• Quake of the Mole: You can spend 2 ki points to cast Earth Tremor.
• Rush of the Gale Spirits: You can spend 2 ki points to cast Gust of Wind.
• Shattering Fox Fang: You can spend 2 ki points to cast Ice Knife.
• Stratus Static: You can spend 2 ki points to cast Witch Bolt.
• Sweeping Cinder Strike: You can spend 2 ki points to cast Burning Hands.

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 Requirement: 6th Level

• Avatar's Roar: You can spend 2 ki points to cast Dragon's Breath, targeting yourself.
• Boiling of Steel: You can spend 3 ki points to cast Heat Metal.
• Clench of the North Wind: You can spend 3 ki points to cast Hold Person.
• Drifting Star: You can spend 3 ki points to cast Flaming Sphere.
• Falling Autumn Leaves: You can spend 3 ki points to cast Scorching Ray.
• Gong of the Summit: You can spend 3 ki points to cast Shatter.
• Lift of the East Wind: You can spend 3 ki points to cast Levitate.
• Roar of the West Wind: You can spend 3 ki points to cast Warding Wind.
• Spear of Embers: You can spend 3 ki points to cast Aganazzar’s Scorcher.
• Step between the Fog: You can spend 3 ki points to cast Misty Step.
• Swarm of the Ice Wraith: You can spend 3 ki points to cast Snilloc’s Snowball Swarm.
• Wrap of the Earth Snake: You can spend 3 ki points to cast Maximilian’s Earthen Grasp.
  

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 Requirement: 11th Level

• Avatar's Guard: You can spend 3 ki points to cast Protection from Energy, targeting yourself.
• Become the Earth: You can spend 4 ki points to cast Meld into Stone.
• Earth Reaches for the Sky: You can spend 4 ki points to cast Erupting Earth.
• Flames of the Phoenix: You can spend 4 ki points to cast Fireball.
• Flooding Push: You can spend 4 ki points to cast Tidal Wave.
• Heave of the Ocean: You can spend 4 ki points to cast Wall of Water.
• Mist Stance: You can spend 4 ki points to cast Gaseous Form, targeting yourself.
• Orbiting Assault: You can spend 4 ki points to cast Melf’s Minute Meteors.
• Ride the Wind: You can spend 4 ki points to cast Fly, targeting yourself.
• Streaking Gale: You can spend 4 ki points to cast Wind Wall.
• Strike of the Gong: You can spend 4 ki points to cast Thunder Step.
• Voltaic Flash: You can spend 4 ki points to cast Lightning Bolt.

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Requirement: 17th Level

• Avatar's Curse: You can spend 4 ki points to cast Elemental Bane.
• Breath of Winter: You can spend 6 ki points to cast Cone of Cold.
• Eternal Mountain Defense: You can spend 5 ki points to cast Stoneskin, targeting yourself.
• Eye of the Hurricane: You can spend 5 ki points to cast Control Winds.
• Fire Giant's Barrier: You can spend 5 ki points to cast Fire Shield.
• Grip of the South Winds: You can spend 6 ki points to cast Hold Monster.
• Igniting Touch: You can spend 5 ki points to cast Immolation.
• Mold the Ocean: You can spend 5 ki points to cast Control Water.
• River of Hungry Flames: You can spend 5 ki points to cast Wall of Fire.
• Sealing of the Depths: You can spend 5 ki points to cast Watery Sphere.
• Vortex of Vengeance: You can spend 5 ki points to cast Maelstrom.
• Wave of Rolling Earth: You can spend 6 ki points to cast Wall of Stone.

Special Disciplines

Avatar's Bolt

Evocation cantrip

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: 60 feet

Components: V, S

Duration: Instantaneous

 You hurl a small mote of one of the four elements, which you choose before making the attack. Make a ranged ki attack against one creature within range, on a hit, the target takes 1d8 damage of the correlating type.

 Element type | Damage Type

                Air | Thunder

            Water | Cold

               Fire | Fire

             Earth | Force

 At Higher Levels. This spell’s damage increases by 1d8 when you reach 5th level (2d8), 11th level (3d8), and 17th level (4d8).

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Elemental Attunement

 This Discipline gains new features as you level up in this subclass.

 3rd level

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.

 6th level

You can now also replicate the following cantrips:

• Control Flames
• Gust
• Mold Earth
• Shape Water

 11th level

You can now use each of the Discipline's effects, as a bonus action.

 17th level

The range and area of effect for each feature is now doubled.

Four Elements Disciplines: Non-Spells

These Disciplines are available immediately after taking this subclass at 3rd level.

 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.

 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.

 Shape of 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 injure a creature in the area.

 Water Whip

You can spend 2 ki points 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 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.