WrittenInBlood
2015-11-12, 05:27 AM
This is an attempt to reshape Element Monk subclass to be more in line with the rest of partial-caster archetypes, as Eldritch Knight and Arcane Trickster, because I don’t like idea of fancy named spells and roughly stitched resource management submechanic of original Wot4E tradition.
Way of the four elements is widely considered unimpressive, so I gave it a boost in subclass features. To keep the flavor of weaving magic through flow of the Ki, I’ve borrowed Flexible Casting mechanic from Sorcerer class. That gave Element monks major increase of their base resource (potentially doubled Ki pool!) and (again, potentially) about twice as much low level spell slots than available for equally experienced Wizards and Land Druids with their Arcane/Natural recovery. So I rebalanced Ki flood and a ton of weak spell slots by giving Element Monks ability to fuel those latter with the former. Ta-da!
Monastic tradition features:
Spellcasting. When you choose this tradition at 3rd level, you learn magical disciplines that harness the power of the four elements, in your surroundings and in your own body as well.
Cantrips. You learn one cantrip of your choice from the sorcerer spell list. You learn an additional sorcerer cantrip of your choice at 10th level.
Spell Slots. The Element Monk Spellcasting table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these spells, you must expend a slot of the spell’s level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest. For example, if you know the 1st-level spell fire bolt and have a 1st-level and a 2nd-level spell slot available, you can cast fire bolt using either slot.
Spells Known of 1st-Level and Higher. You know three 1st-level sorcerer spells of your choice, two of which you must choose from the transmutation and evocation spells on the sorcerer spell list. The Spells Known column of the Element Monk Spellcasting table shows when you learn more sorcerer spells of 1st level or higher. Each of these spells must be an transmutation or evocation spell of your choice, and must be of a level for which you have spell slots. For instance, when you reach 7th level in this class, you can learn one new spell of 1st or 2nd level. The spells you learn at 8th, 14th, and 20th level can come from any school of magic. Whenever you gain a level in this class, you can replace one of the sorcerer spells you know with another spell of your choice from the sorcerer spell list. The new spell must be of a level for which you have spell slots, and it must be an transmutation or evocation spell, unless you’re replacing the spell you gained at 8th, 14th, or 20th level.
Spellcasting Ability. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for your sorcerer spells, since you learn your spells through inner discipline and intuitive grasp on magical powers. You use your Wisdom whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Wisdom modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a sorcerer spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.
Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier
Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier
Spellcasting focus. You can use an arcane focus as a spellcasting focus for your sorcerer spells.
Flexible Casting. You can use your Ki points to gain additional spell slots, or sacrifice spell slots to gain additional Ki points.
Creating Spell Slots. You can transform unexpended Ki points into one spell slot as a bonus action on your turn. The Sorcerer class Creating Spell Slots table shows the cost of creating a spell slot of a given level. You can create spell slots no higher in level than 4th. The created spell slots vanish at the end of a short rest.
Converting a Spell Slot to Ki Points. As a bonus action on your turn, you can expend one spell slot and gain a number of Ki points equal to the slot’s level. Ki points created this way cannot exceed your Ki points maximum.
Ki-empowered Spells. After reaching 6th level, when you cast a damaging spell of 1st level or higher with Instantaneous duration, you can spend Ki points to reroll spell damage dice. 1 reroll costs 1 Ki point, you must keep new result, and once rerolled die can’t be rerolled again.
Combat Magic. Beginning at 11th level, when you use Cast a spell action on your turn, you can make one unarmed strike as a bonus action.
Antimagic Stance. At 17th level you wield the magical forces with prowess that allows you to treat spell effects like mundane missiles. Whenever you’re the target of a ranged spell attack, you can use your reaction to spend 2 Ki points per that spell’s level to deflect it and ignore it’s effect entirely.
ELEMENT MONK SPELLCASTING
Level
Cantrips known
Ki points
Spells known
1th spell slots
2nd spell slots
3rd spell slots
4th spell slots
3rd
1
3 (5)
3
2 (3)
0 (1)
0 (1)
0 (0)
4th
1
4 (7)
4
3 (5)
0 (2)
0 (1)
0 (1)
5th
1
5 (8)
4
3 (5)
0 (3)
0 (1)
0 (1)
6th
1
6 (9)
4
3 (6)
0 (2)
0 (1)
0 (1)
7th
1
7 (15)
5
4 (8)
2 (5)
0 (3)
0 (2)
8th
1
8 (16)
6
4 (8)
2 (6)
0 (3)
0 (2)
9th
1
9 (17)
6
4 (9)
2 (6)
0 (3)
0 (2)
10th
2
10 (20)
7
4 (12)
3 (6)
0 (4)
0 (3)
11th
2
11 (21)
8
4 (12)
3 (7)
0 (4)
0 (3)
12th
2
12 (22)
8
4 (13)
3 (7)
0 (4)
0 (3)
13th
2
13 (29)
9
4 (16)
3 (9)
2 (6)
0 (4)
14th
2
14 (30)
10
4 (17)
3 (10)
2 (6)
0 (5)
15th
2
15 (31)
10
4 (17)
3 (10)
2 (7)
0 (5)
16th
2
16 (34)
11
4 (19)
3 (12)
3 (8)
0 (5)
17th
2
17 (35)
11
4 (20)
3 (13)
3 (8)
0 (5)
18th
2
18 (36)
11
4 (20)
3 (13)
3 (8)
0 (6)
19th
2
19 (40)
12
4 (23)
3 (15)
3 (9)
1 (7)
20th
2
20 (41)
13
4 (23)
3 (15)
3 (9)
1 (7)
(Numbers in parenthesis are the highest possible number of given resource, after exchanging all other resources to gain them.)
Way of the four elements is widely considered unimpressive, so I gave it a boost in subclass features. To keep the flavor of weaving magic through flow of the Ki, I’ve borrowed Flexible Casting mechanic from Sorcerer class. That gave Element monks major increase of their base resource (potentially doubled Ki pool!) and (again, potentially) about twice as much low level spell slots than available for equally experienced Wizards and Land Druids with their Arcane/Natural recovery. So I rebalanced Ki flood and a ton of weak spell slots by giving Element Monks ability to fuel those latter with the former. Ta-da!
Monastic tradition features:
Spellcasting. When you choose this tradition at 3rd level, you learn magical disciplines that harness the power of the four elements, in your surroundings and in your own body as well.
Cantrips. You learn one cantrip of your choice from the sorcerer spell list. You learn an additional sorcerer cantrip of your choice at 10th level.
Spell Slots. The Element Monk Spellcasting table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these spells, you must expend a slot of the spell’s level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest. For example, if you know the 1st-level spell fire bolt and have a 1st-level and a 2nd-level spell slot available, you can cast fire bolt using either slot.
Spells Known of 1st-Level and Higher. You know three 1st-level sorcerer spells of your choice, two of which you must choose from the transmutation and evocation spells on the sorcerer spell list. The Spells Known column of the Element Monk Spellcasting table shows when you learn more sorcerer spells of 1st level or higher. Each of these spells must be an transmutation or evocation spell of your choice, and must be of a level for which you have spell slots. For instance, when you reach 7th level in this class, you can learn one new spell of 1st or 2nd level. The spells you learn at 8th, 14th, and 20th level can come from any school of magic. Whenever you gain a level in this class, you can replace one of the sorcerer spells you know with another spell of your choice from the sorcerer spell list. The new spell must be of a level for which you have spell slots, and it must be an transmutation or evocation spell, unless you’re replacing the spell you gained at 8th, 14th, or 20th level.
Spellcasting Ability. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for your sorcerer spells, since you learn your spells through inner discipline and intuitive grasp on magical powers. You use your Wisdom whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Wisdom modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a sorcerer spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.
Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier
Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier
Spellcasting focus. You can use an arcane focus as a spellcasting focus for your sorcerer spells.
Flexible Casting. You can use your Ki points to gain additional spell slots, or sacrifice spell slots to gain additional Ki points.
Creating Spell Slots. You can transform unexpended Ki points into one spell slot as a bonus action on your turn. The Sorcerer class Creating Spell Slots table shows the cost of creating a spell slot of a given level. You can create spell slots no higher in level than 4th. The created spell slots vanish at the end of a short rest.
Converting a Spell Slot to Ki Points. As a bonus action on your turn, you can expend one spell slot and gain a number of Ki points equal to the slot’s level. Ki points created this way cannot exceed your Ki points maximum.
Ki-empowered Spells. After reaching 6th level, when you cast a damaging spell of 1st level or higher with Instantaneous duration, you can spend Ki points to reroll spell damage dice. 1 reroll costs 1 Ki point, you must keep new result, and once rerolled die can’t be rerolled again.
Combat Magic. Beginning at 11th level, when you use Cast a spell action on your turn, you can make one unarmed strike as a bonus action.
Antimagic Stance. At 17th level you wield the magical forces with prowess that allows you to treat spell effects like mundane missiles. Whenever you’re the target of a ranged spell attack, you can use your reaction to spend 2 Ki points per that spell’s level to deflect it and ignore it’s effect entirely.
ELEMENT MONK SPELLCASTING
Level
Cantrips known
Ki points
Spells known
1th spell slots
2nd spell slots
3rd spell slots
4th spell slots
3rd
1
3 (5)
3
2 (3)
0 (1)
0 (1)
0 (0)
4th
1
4 (7)
4
3 (5)
0 (2)
0 (1)
0 (1)
5th
1
5 (8)
4
3 (5)
0 (3)
0 (1)
0 (1)
6th
1
6 (9)
4
3 (6)
0 (2)
0 (1)
0 (1)
7th
1
7 (15)
5
4 (8)
2 (5)
0 (3)
0 (2)
8th
1
8 (16)
6
4 (8)
2 (6)
0 (3)
0 (2)
9th
1
9 (17)
6
4 (9)
2 (6)
0 (3)
0 (2)
10th
2
10 (20)
7
4 (12)
3 (6)
0 (4)
0 (3)
11th
2
11 (21)
8
4 (12)
3 (7)
0 (4)
0 (3)
12th
2
12 (22)
8
4 (13)
3 (7)
0 (4)
0 (3)
13th
2
13 (29)
9
4 (16)
3 (9)
2 (6)
0 (4)
14th
2
14 (30)
10
4 (17)
3 (10)
2 (6)
0 (5)
15th
2
15 (31)
10
4 (17)
3 (10)
2 (7)
0 (5)
16th
2
16 (34)
11
4 (19)
3 (12)
3 (8)
0 (5)
17th
2
17 (35)
11
4 (20)
3 (13)
3 (8)
0 (5)
18th
2
18 (36)
11
4 (20)
3 (13)
3 (8)
0 (6)
19th
2
19 (40)
12
4 (23)
3 (15)
3 (9)
1 (7)
20th
2
20 (41)
13
4 (23)
3 (15)
3 (9)
1 (7)
(Numbers in parenthesis are the highest possible number of given resource, after exchanging all other resources to gain them.)