Monk tank/ sub class ki usage balance

[stoutstien]

I was kicking around the idea of redoing the 4E monk into a tank/ healing sub class. I like the remastered version but it doesn't meld monk and spell casting very well per round you cast or punch can't really do both.
I was thinking of making some of the weaker spells bonus actions and at a fixed caster lv such as earth tremor or remove the damge portion all together and make the monk immune to the difficult Terrain.

I just can't flush out a ki cost that is balanced against the other sub classes.

Edit: yes long death has the survivability to tank but no way to actively make enemies focus on it.

[Vogie]

You could possibly use Cavalier Fighter 3 / Long Death Monk X to be a tank. The Unwavering mark, plus possibly sentinel feat at some point, gives your target disadvantage on hitting anyone but you. There wouldn't be any healing, though.

You could do Cavalier Fighter 3 / Tranquility Monk X (UA) - tying the Unwavering Mark with the self-only-super-Sanctuary. Disadvantage to hit anyone but you, and hitting you requires a Wisdom Save. You can also heal with Healing hands using your Flurry of Blows.

Most likely you'd grab the Mariner fighting style (UA) to give a bonus to AC without wearing armor.

[Citan]

I was kicking around the idea of redoing the 4E monk into a tank/ healing sub class. I like the remastered version but it doesn't meld monk and spell casting very well per round you cast or punch can't really do both.
I was thinking of making some of the weaker spells bonus actions and at a fixed caster lv such as earth tremor or remove the damge portion all together and make the monk immune to the difficult Terrain.

I just can't flush out a ki cost that is balanced against the other sub classes.

Edit: yes long death has the survivability to tank but no way to actively make enemies focus on it.
Hi!

I don't know about remastered version, but I think for what you want it's actually easy enough.

If you want something that is already done, I can wrap up for you my Water Elemancer, which revolves around healing and protection.

Otherwise, here is a quick suggestion that should work well and be balanced, for you to fine-tweak... :)

Start with 4E as is (including the ki cost for spell ratio and "no-material needed" *but* dropping the "learn disciplines" concept for a more "known caster" feeling) then...
At level 3
1. "Healer basics"
a) Give him Spare the Dying cantrip, fluff it as internal positive energy or whatso.
b) Give him Healing Words: since it's a bonus action, you can mix it with normal Attack as anyone could do.
b) Give him Cure Wounds, fluff it in a similar way as Spare the Dying, except more powerful.
(I've been bothered by this from the start: I went with Healing Words because you'd like an archetype that mixes punches and heals, but it really does not fit: not only is Healing Words a "verbal" spell, it's also one of the best -and most used- features of Clerics/Bards/Druids: we should not eat into that.
To still get the target mix feeling, we'll instead give a "special version" of Cure Wounds as a bonus action later.
It also simplifies all the "range" thingy too.)

2. "Defender basics"
a) "Deflecting Palm": allow him to use a reaction to deflect a melee attack targeting an ally within 5 feet: that attack will be made with disadvantage.
b) " Focused Deflect" allow him to use Ki points on that reaction "deflect" to, in addition to that, increase the AC by 1 + 1 per ki spent, with maximum of Ki spent following the rules for spells.

3. "Spellcaster basics"
Give him ability to learn 2 more spells among Cure Wounds (now built-in), Longstrider, Bless, Shield of Faith and Sanctuary.
For all spells, range is limited to "self" (except Healing WordsCure Wounds and Spare the Dying which is "touch").

At level 6
1. Healer improvement:
Improve the Spare the Dying so that when Monk use it, target automatically regains 1 HP. Also allow him to use one Ki point for the target to regain additional HP equal to WIS modifier.

2. Defender improvement
a) Allow the "deflect reaction" to also work against ranged attacks.
b) Increase the range of "protection" to 10 feet (requires Monk to be able to move) and allow Monk to move up to 5 feet without triggering OA as part of that reaction.

3. Caster improvement:
Allow him 2 more spells learned among previous list, expanded with Aid, Warding Bond, Command, Heroism, Calm Emotions, Blindness.
For all spells, range now is "touch" (except Healing Words which is back to normal range).

At level 11
1. Healer Improvements
a) Make "Spare the Dying" also usable as a bonus action.
b) Allow him to use Martial Arts's bonus action attack or Flurry of Blows when using a "Monk spell" that targets a willing creature.

2. Defender improvement
When you use the "deflect as reaction" ability, the beneficial ally is bolstered with confidence and gains THP equal to CHA modifier.
Additionnally, if that resulted in triggering attack missing, it also gains a bonus equal to your CHA modifier to the next attack roll, ability check or saving throw it makes.

3. Caster improvements
Allow 2 more spells learned, with list expanded with the following: Bestow Curse, Vampiric Touch, Protection From Energy, Tongues, Lesser Restoration, Enhance Ability, See Invisibility.
Range restriction for all spells is now 30 feet (obviously spells that were "Touch" originally are not buffed... Yet. This is mainly for Bestow Curse: that spell is "touch" range for a reason).


At level 17...
1. Healer Improvement
"Restoring Palm": swap any unarmed weapon attack with a healing touch to restore HP equal to a Healing Words spell by consuming 1 Ki.
"Bolstering Palm": you can swap any unarmed weapon attack to instead improve an ally's metabolism: spend 3 Ki to give him the benefits (but not drawbacks) described in the Haste spell, which last until the end of his next turn.

2. Defender improvement
a) Increase the "range" of Deflective Palm to 15 feet, provided the Monk is not under any effect limiting or restricting his movement. Monk can move within 5 feet of the ally targeted by the triggering attack as part of the reaction.
b) Allow the use of Restoring or Bolstering Palm as a reaction on any ally within 15 feet (same idea as above) that just suffered damage.

3. Caster improvements.
Allow two more spell known. Expand list with Death Ward, Freedom of Movement, Greater Restoration, Revivify.
All spells now have a range of 30 feet, even those that were originally "touch" (Bestow Curse, Spare the Dying, Vampiric Touch).
You can use Martial Arts's bonus action attack and Flurry of Blows when casting any "Monk spell".

----------
Ok, so, rough draft, but all the main ideas are here.
A few explanations about design choices...

1. Keeping 4E ki for cast ratio.
This is VERY important.
Or rather, VERY EXTREMELY REQUIRED.
As much as people on this forum (who, tbh, never really thought this through for most of them) may loathe it, reducing the ki cost to 1 per spell level could unbalance things *very* quickly.
Simply because while upcast is limited, "lowcast" is not.
The cost decided on Shadow and Sun Soul had a big, good reason: those spells are the only ones they have for their whole life, and are in essence limited in how far they can stay relevant with higher levels.
On an archetype that could learn a much wider array of spells, some of which scaling extremely well, it just can end as a mess too quickly. This is even truer for some healing and buff spells.
Just Healing Words could end far too powerful if for only 1 ki.

Consider two examples: first Healing Words
lvl 6 Monk: 3 VS 6 blowing all ki. Not too impressive right? Still, it's per short rest: you're already better than a Cleric (except Life) at keeping people standing without significiant opportunity cost action-economy wise.
lvl 12: 6 VS 12, still *every* short rest. Only a Divine Soul Sorcerer could boast pumping up to 12 Healing Words and that would come at a steep price due to entropy conversion. Also it would be per *long* rest, not short. You already broke everything.
Of course in reality it would be a waste of Ki to blow everything on this, but still you should be able to keep space for 2 casts and still get Ki to enjoy your class features.

Then Blindness: level 6 Monk: as-is, you can already cast it twice per short rest. With reduced cost, you could upcast it as 3rd level twice per short rest. See the big deal? You're pointing a big middle-finger to Warlock here. Except you also get many great features that Warlock doesn't have.
It gets much worse at level 12: now you could cast Blindness 6 times per short rest with reduced ki, or upcast it as a 4th level spell already.

So... You're still a martial character. Creating effects akin to divine (or arcanic for 4E) spells is supposed to take a big toll on you. It's not your primary schtick nor way of life.
Hence keeping 4e spellcasting rules.

2. Choice of spells and range limitation
This is a conscious choice of me, considering that Monk is all about mastering inner energy.
I would as such find strange for him to learn how to "send inner energy" so quickly. Hence the restrictions.

In the same mindstate, I only elected spells that could be fluffed as interacting with other creature's physiology, because spells like for example Guiding Bolt or Locate spells or Augury or Protection against Evil and Good seemed far too tightly intertwined with religion/divine bits to fit.

Also why I pushed a few spells later than they should be (Lesser Restoration, Revivify, See Invisibility, Enhance Ability), because their "offensive" or "complex" nature justified it imo.

I admit I go even further than WoTC here, seeing how they put Shatter at level 6, although this is mostly an exception: most disciplines are about "self" or "touch", and others can be reduced to "blast of energy" until level 17 so I may not be too far away actually.

Regarding the range restriction, it's up to you to take it or leave it. But if you leave it, I'd suggest then also removing spells akin more to "verbal" or "external intervention" like Command or Heroism.
Also, of course, there will be some refluff work to do for a good portion of all those spells. :)

3. Choice of "step by step" features
It's a bit cumbersome to follow, but allows to build on a few interesting ideas while keeping balance per level in check.

Of course for a real publish we'd need to make some arrangements to make it more readable and avoid all that redundancy. Also express a few important things like making the spell learning more progressive and allowing a swap maybe.
Still, there are other ways to achieve a similar result. :)

As a note, some ideas here are directly recycled from my homebrew. ^^

Tell me your thoughts about it.
If you like it, I can wrap up a full subclass by Monday evening (fluffs and balance tweaks included).

EDIT: I really couldn't go with Healing Words directly at level 3... XD

[Specter]

Very few people in the game have active ways to make people target them. As a Long Death Monk, you can take Sentinel, or take Cavalier levels, or Goading Attack.

And... Healing? Why?

[stoutstien]

we have a healing warlock, why not a monk? I do like the idea of some form of damage absorption instead of direct healing such as armor of a agathys and the aid spell. what if you could use stillness of mind as a touch action at a Ki cost?