Monk Subclass: Jedi

[Human Paragon 3]

I was reading the Monk class and noticed that the class features of the monk would make a pretty decent Jedi or force-wielder. So I went ahead and created a subclass. The mechanics work identically to the Way of Four Elements monk, but with force-themed disciplines instead of elemental themed disciplines. Instead of Elemental Attunement, the monk receives Force Attuned and one other power it qualifies for at level 3, then chooses a new power at 6, 11, and 17.

Note that monks already get a lot of other jedi-like powers as class features (step of the wind, slow fall, deflect projectiles, and still mind cover most of the remaining canon jedi powers).




Extend Senses
The force extends your senses in all directions, giving you an uncanny ability to feel more than see your surroundings. You may spend 2 ki points as a bonus action to gain blindsight for one round out to a range of 30 feet, plus 10 feet for every additional ki point you spend.

Force Attuned
You gain the following abilities:
You can cast the mage hand and true strike cantrips if you did not know them already.
You know instinctively if any creature you can see has the ki class feature, and if you concentrate for a round, their Ki pool maximum.

Force Blade
When you use the attack action on your turn, you can manifest a gleaming blade of force, which you are proficient with and counts as a monk weapon. The blade persists until the start of your next turn and deals force damage equal to your martial arts dice plus your wisdom or dexterity modifier, whichever is higher. The force blade scores a critical hit on a 19 or 20, and it deals an additional d10 radiant damage on a critical hit.

Force Block
You can spend 2 ki points to cast shield.

Force Choke (requires level 17)
You can use your action and spend 6 ki points to choke a creature with the power of the force. That creature makes a constitution saving throw. If it fails, it immediately begins to suffocate and may not hold its breath. On each of its turns, the target can make another constitution saving throw to end this effect. The effect also ends if you cease to concentrate on it, just as if you were concentrating on a spell.

Force Hold (requires level 6)
You can spend 3 ki points to cast hold person.

Force Hurl (Requires level 17)
You can spend 5 ki points to cast animate objects.

Force Lightning
You can spend 2 ki points to cast witch bolt.

Force Push
You can create a blast of force energy that strikes like a might fist. As an action you can spend 2 ki points and choose a creature within 30 feet of you. That creature makes a strength saving throw. On a failed save, it takes 3d10 bludgeoning damage, plus an additional d10 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 bludgeoning damage and you do not push it back or knock it prone.

Mind Link (requires level 6)
You can spend 4 ki points to cast sending.

Mind Trick (requires level 6)
You can spend 3 ki points to cast suggestion.

Overwhelming Strike (requires level 11)
You can spend 4 ki points to cast staggering smite.

Powerful Hold (Requires level 17)
You can spend 5 ki points to cast hold monster.

Sense Other (requires level 11)
You can spend 4 ki points to cast locate creature.

Telekentic Mastery (requires level 17)
You can spend 5 ki points to cast telekenisis.

Whirlwind Attack (requires level 11)
You can use your action and spend 2 ki points to attack every creature within 5 feet of you with a separate melee attack against each creature.

[BRKNdevil]

So basically its an Elemental Monk with a Star Wars feel and the old version of the lightsaber where they just infused the Force into their blades?

[LibraryOgre]

One thing I did (in Castles and Crusades) was to declare that monks, when using Monk weapons, also did Monk damage and could take advantage of their weapons special properties. So a monk with a +1 flaming kama would always be considered to be using a flaming weapon (unless they turned the fire off), and would always have a +1 weapon, no matter how their strikes were narratively described. If they were using a trip weapon, THEY got the Trip quality.

It lead to monks being seen as very resourceful and flexible fighters who focused on special maneuvers, without sacrificing damage. It would work very will with prequel-style lightsaber fighting.

[Tenmujiin]

One thing I did (in Castles and Crusades) was to declare that monks, when using Monk weapons, also did Monk damage and could take advantage of their weapons special properties.

I'm fairly sure that is how 5e monks work anyway.

[Amnoriath]

I was reading the Monk class and noticed that the class features of the monk would make a pretty decent Jedi or force-wielder. So I went ahead and created a subclass. The mechanics work identically to the Way of Four Elements monk, but with force-themed disciplines instead of elemental themed disciplines. Instead of Elemental Attunement, the monk receives Force Attuned and one other power it qualifies for at level 3, then chooses a new power at 6, 11, and 17.

Note that monks already get a lot of other jedi-like powers as class features (step of the wind, slow fall, deflect projectiles, and still mind cover most of the remaining canon jedi powers).




Extend Senses
The force extends your senses in all directions, giving you an uncanny ability to feel more than see your surroundings. You may spend 2 ki points as a bonus action to gain blindsight for one round out to a range of 30 feet, plus 10 feet for every additional ki point you spend.

Force Attuned
You gain the following abilities:
You can cast the mage hand and true strike cantrips if you did not know them already.
You know instinctively if any creature you can see has the ki class feature, and if you concentrate for a round, their Ki pool maximum.

Force Blade
When you use the attack action on your turn, you can spend 1 ki point to manifest a gleaming blade of force, which you are proficient with and counts as a monk weapon. The blade persists until the start of your next turn and deals force damage equal to your martial arts dice plus your wisdom or dexterity modifier, whichever is higher. The force blade scores a critical hit on a 19 or 20, and it deals an additional d10 radiant damage on a critical hit.

Force Block
You can spend 2 ki points to cast shield.

Force Choke (requires level 17)
You can use your action and spend 6 ki points to choke a creature with the power of the force. That creature makes a constitution saving throw. If it fails, it immediately begins to suffocate and may not hold its breath. On each of its turns, the target can make another constitution saving throw to end this effect. The effect also ends if you cease to concentrate on it, just as if you were concentrating on a spell.

Force Hold (requires level 6)
You can spend 3 ki points to cast hold person.

Force Hurl (Requires level 17)
You can spend 5 ki points to cast animate objects.

Force Lightning
You can spend 2 ki points to cast witch bolt.

Force Push
You can create a blast of force energy that strikes like a might fist. As an action you can spend 2 ki points and choose a creature within 30 feet of you. That creature makes a strength saving throw. On a failed save, it takes 3d10 bludgeoning damage, plus an additional d10 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 bludgeoning damage and you do not push it back or knock it prone.

Mind Link (requires level 6)
You can spend 4 ki points to cast sending.

Mind Trick (requires level 6)
You can spend 3 ki points to cast suggestion.

Overwhelming Strike (requires level 11)
You can spend 4 ki points to cast staggering smite.

Powerful Hold (Requires level 17)
You can spend 5 ki points to cast hold monster.

Sense Other (requires level 11)
You can spend 4 ki points to cast locate creature.

Telekentic Mastery (requires level 17)
You can spend 5 ki points to cast telekenisis.

Whirlwind Attack (requires level 11)
You can use your action and spend 4 ki points to attack every creature within 5 feet of you with a separate melee attack against each creature.




It is definitely a good alternative to the Way of the Elements if they don't want to go down that route.

[BRKNdevil]

I'm fairly sure that is how 5e monks work anyway.

The only thing they don't do though is take the Ki Strike class feature effect. That only effects unarmed strikes

[Easy_Lee]

Very cool. I'm unsure why force blade has a ki cost, though. Since you give up a feature for it, and since it's basically force damage + part of champion 3, it probably ought to be free. Whirlwind attack is also overvalued, considering that the equivalent hunter feature has the same opportunity cost (take it in place of a different archetype feature, give up your action), but has no resource cost.

[DracoKnight]

Very cool. I'm unsure why force blade has a ki cost, though. Since you give up a feature for it, and since it's basically force damage + part of champion 3, it probably ought to be free. Whirlwind attack is also overvalued, considering that the equivalent hunter feature has the same opportunity cost (take it in place of a different archetype feature, give up your action), but has no resource cost.

I, too, feel that your Force Blade should be free as is. BUT I feel that I would also say that the Force Blade, if it costs 1 Ki, should persist until you dismiss it. In exchange for allowing it to persists, I would drop the improved crit die (1d10) and say that it deals an extra 1d4 on a crit. And you should have to have a longsword hilt made by a blacksmith. Not a whole longsword, just the hilt. This shouldn't cost too terribly much. The longsword in the PHB is 15gp, I would say that this hilt could cost 5gp.

I would definitely play this. The Monk is probably my favorite class of 5e. :)

[Rogthnor]

Has this been used in play yet? If so, how did it go?

[Human Paragon 3]

Hasn't been used in action yet. I decided to change Force Blade to make it free to use.