PDA

View Full Version : D&D 5e/Next Fixing the Four Elements Monk



Phelan Boots
2017-06-27, 04:15 PM
To start with, I know I'm late to this bandwagon, and it's probably all been done before. However, I'm gonna do it anyway, even if I never get a chance to play my fix.

This was what I came up with after reading multiple opinions on the problems facing the Four Elements Monk. The biggest issue I saw, is that they're a 1/3rd caster who's big reward for leveling up is getting to pick new spells...5 whole times. Compared to an Eldritch Knight or Arcane Trickster who get to pick new spells and do cool things alongside choose new spells.

TLDR: The Fix

When you choose this tradition 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.
You know the Elemental Attunement discipline and one other elemental discipline of your choice, which are detailed in the "Elemental Disciplines" section below. You learn one additional elemental discipline of your choice at 6th, 11th, and 17th level.
Whenever you learn a new elemental discipline, you can also replace one elemental discipline that you already know with a different discipline.

Casting Elemental Spells. Some elemental disciplines allow you to cast spells. 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 don't need to provide material components for it.
Once you reach 5th level in this class, you can spend additional ki points to increase the level of an elemental discipline spell that you cast, provided that the spell has an enhanced effect at a higher level, as burning hands 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 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 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. At 5th level, you may spend up to 3 ki points; this increases to 4 ki points at 9th level, 5 at 13th level, and 6 at 17th level.
Literally nothing has changed here. This is the "Spell Casting" feature for Monks. Move along.

After using an action for an Elemental Discipline you may make an unarmed attack as a bonus action, or spend 1 Ki to make two unarmed attacks as a bonus action.
Do you know what's cool about Monks? Punching baddies in the face! You know what's not cool about Wot4E Monks? Not getting to punch baddies in the face when you cast. So what's cool about revised Wot4E Monks? Pulling a baddie to you with Water Whip and then punching them in the face! (BTW - this makes Whater Whip cool again!)

You learn the Gust, Control Flame, Shape Water, and Mold Earth cantrips and can cast them as elemental disciplines.
This is mostly a ribbon. The Elemental Attunement discipline is borderline interesting at level 3. At level 6 I'm bored with it and want to dump it for *real* disciplines. Now you can and still have some situationally useful cantrips a to fall back on.

Your Ki Points increase by an amount equal to your Wisdom modifier. (Minimum of 1)
A main complaint of Wot4E Monks is that they burn Ki too fast. Now you have just a little more to play with, but not much more and you need to invest in an important stat to get it. Be most casty and punchy!

When you are hit by an attack, and you are within 5 feet of the ground, you may use your reaction to spend 1 Ki point to increase your AC by an amount equal to your Constitution Modifier (Minimum of 1) until the start of your next turn. You may choose to do this after the attack is rolled, but before knowing if it hits or misses.
A 1 Ki Shield "spell" that relies on a somewhat off stat. Plus there is no unique, thematic Earth based elemental discipline to choose from, as there are with the other elements. This fills that gap.

You gain a flying speed of 60ft.

Additionally, when you use your Deflect Missile feature you impose disadvantage on all ranged attacks made against you until the start of your next turn.
Flight is always cool, but this is more than flight. First, this is flying around water whipping fools into the air and beating them back down with your fists. To be fair though, you should have been doing that since level 11, when the Ride the Wind became available to you. What's the second thing this does for you? Oh right, you no longer need Ride the Wind and you no longer need to spend Ki to fly! Essentially you're picking up a bonus Elemental Discipline and gaining efficiency on your resources. Finally, Deflect Missile becomes better when you're flying around and can't use Will of Stone. That's cool too, I guess.

How Broken is this?

Great question! The answer is...possibly a little? That's what you're here for. The way I see it though, if you're gonna play a Wot4E Monk to epic tier, you should get to be the mother-effin Avatar. On the other hand, all of your primary attributes become really important, even more than a normal Monk.

For full disclosure purposes, I decided to pursue this fix after trying to see how broken I could make a Hill Dwarf Monk with Durable, the Dwarven Resilience UA Racial Feat, and a Periapt of Wound Closure. At that time I decided a Long-Death Monk with that could heal a flat 25 hp after Bonus Action Dodging was probably near unkillable. That combo is probably borderline broken on any Monk subclass though. A Dwarf Monk is really just begging to be elementally themed though, and vanilla Wot4E sucks hard by comparison.

Anyway, enough rambling. Thoughts and opinions?