Wisefool
2018-08-20, 09:18 PM
This is my homebrew monk I play in my game. So far he has reached 5th level, but is a level behind in progression as I took a Cleric dip after the group lost the player running a Cleric. It was a good RP session as Bahamut recognized my bloodline and helped unlock my powers. Silver ancestry, but the cold resistance has yet to come into play for my character. I generally save the Scales ability for big fights as it takes up 50% of my current ki pool and I like using ki to Flurry and the Cleric dip gave me Warding Flare which has made it even tougher to hit my character.
3rd Level - Dragon Resilience
* Choose/Roll for Dragon Ancestry
* Gain resistance to < chosen dragon type damage >
* As a bonus action, spend 2 ki points to grow dragon scales and gain +2 AC for one hour
* Scales can be dismissed early with a bonus action OR by resting OR if ki points drop to 0
This tweak will pop up a lot as I believe since these draconic powers are in truth physical manifestations of the monk's ki energy that they should not remain if the character runs out of ki or if the monk is trying to draw spent ki back inside them during a rest. This also adds a strategic wrinkle to their ki usage.
6th Level - Draconic Claws
* As a bonus action, you can manifest dragon claws on your hands/feet that enhance your unarmed strikes. Unarmed strikes can now deal slashing damage and the martial arts die increases by 1 size for unarmed strikes.
* Once per round, you can expend 2 ki points to add 1d6 < dragon type damage > to your unarmed strikes that lasts until the start of your next turn.
* The claws remain until dismissed with a bonus action OR by resting OR if ki points fall to 0.
11th Level - Dragon Wings
* For your action, you may use 2 ki points, to sprout a pair of dragon wings and tail from your back, gaining a flying speed equal to your current speed. They last until you dismiss them as a bonus action OR by resting OR ki points reach 0.
* After transformation, as a bonus action, you can expend 2 ki points to unleash a tail attack with a 10ft reach. The attack forces a STR saving throw on the target. Failed save results in 2d10 bludgeoning damage and the target is pushed 10ft back and knocked prone. Successful save only deals half damage.
So major tweaks here. I am getting a 2-for-1 in abilities, so I nerfed them a bit. The Sorcerer's Wings come at free cost, I added a 2 ki cost here due to the addition of the tail. I also made it an action instead of a bonus action. I figure such a dramatic transformation requires a full action. The tail attack is a weaker version of 4E Monk's Fist of Unbroken Air, which has 30ft range, pushes 20ft, and deals 3d10 on failed saves.
17th Level - Draconic Breath
* 5 ki points, uses ki save DC (WIS) instead of CON, deals 6d6 < dragon type damage > in the same size and shape of the dragonborn ability, half damage on successful save.
* On a failed save, the following effect (from the Contagion spell) is applied based on dragon type and remains until target succeeds a ki save DC at the end of its turn.
---Acid: Flesh Rot. The creature's flesh decays. The creature has disadvantage against CHA checks and vulnerable to all damage.
---Cold: Icy Doom. The creature begins to bleed uncontrollably. The creature has disadvantage on CON checks and STs. In addition, whenever the creature takes damage, it is stunned until the end of its turn.
---Fire: Mindfire. The creature's mind becomes feverish. The creature has disadvantage on INT checks and STs, and the creature behaves as if under the effects of the confusion spell during combat.
---Lightning: Seizure. The creature is overcome with shaking. The creature has disadvantage on DEX checks, STs, and attack rolls that use DEX.
---Poison: Filth Fever. A raging fever sweeps through the creature's body. The creature has disadvantage on STR checks, STs, and attack rolls using STR.
The 17th level has been the toughest to devise. My DM initally pushed for the Sorcerer's Draconic Presence here, but he and I agree the breath weapon makes the best capstone as it epitomizes the draconic transformation, but as mentioned here it is rather weak damage for the tradition's capstone. But I don't want to go overboard on damage so we focused potential secondary effects. I searched the spell book for spells that would evenly match the different types, and I think Contagion does the trick perfectly. Basically, the monk's bad dragon breath is coughing nasty germs in the form of their ki onto the targets. Beautiful! Also since the monk's ki save DC is based of WIS, I left Contagion's WIS effect Blinding Sickness out.
Dragonborn Monks do toss a wrench into this capstone. Fortunately, my DM banned the race from our game, so there's no conflict there. But in games where there are dragonborn, do I allow them to stack their natural breath weapon on top for a 11d6 breath weapon plus the riders? Even though their natural weapon is a CON save vs. the monk's WIS save? And say someone decides to play a red dragonborn and chooses green ancestry for their monk tradition? Does their capstone deal 5d6 fire damage + 6d6 poison damage + inflict Filth Fever on a failed save? There are cases of double forms of damage from one attack, so I might allow this. Dragonborns are rather sub-optimal that getting a more powerful capstone over non-dragonborn Way of the Dragon monks would be a nice reward if their character reaches that level. Just spitballing here.
Thanks for reading and what do you think of my reimagining of the Draconic Bloodline Sorcerer into a Monk?
3rd Level - Dragon Resilience
* Choose/Roll for Dragon Ancestry
* Gain resistance to < chosen dragon type damage >
* As a bonus action, spend 2 ki points to grow dragon scales and gain +2 AC for one hour
* Scales can be dismissed early with a bonus action OR by resting OR if ki points drop to 0
This tweak will pop up a lot as I believe since these draconic powers are in truth physical manifestations of the monk's ki energy that they should not remain if the character runs out of ki or if the monk is trying to draw spent ki back inside them during a rest. This also adds a strategic wrinkle to their ki usage.
6th Level - Draconic Claws
* As a bonus action, you can manifest dragon claws on your hands/feet that enhance your unarmed strikes. Unarmed strikes can now deal slashing damage and the martial arts die increases by 1 size for unarmed strikes.
* Once per round, you can expend 2 ki points to add 1d6 < dragon type damage > to your unarmed strikes that lasts until the start of your next turn.
* The claws remain until dismissed with a bonus action OR by resting OR if ki points fall to 0.
11th Level - Dragon Wings
* For your action, you may use 2 ki points, to sprout a pair of dragon wings and tail from your back, gaining a flying speed equal to your current speed. They last until you dismiss them as a bonus action OR by resting OR ki points reach 0.
* After transformation, as a bonus action, you can expend 2 ki points to unleash a tail attack with a 10ft reach. The attack forces a STR saving throw on the target. Failed save results in 2d10 bludgeoning damage and the target is pushed 10ft back and knocked prone. Successful save only deals half damage.
So major tweaks here. I am getting a 2-for-1 in abilities, so I nerfed them a bit. The Sorcerer's Wings come at free cost, I added a 2 ki cost here due to the addition of the tail. I also made it an action instead of a bonus action. I figure such a dramatic transformation requires a full action. The tail attack is a weaker version of 4E Monk's Fist of Unbroken Air, which has 30ft range, pushes 20ft, and deals 3d10 on failed saves.
17th Level - Draconic Breath
* 5 ki points, uses ki save DC (WIS) instead of CON, deals 6d6 < dragon type damage > in the same size and shape of the dragonborn ability, half damage on successful save.
* On a failed save, the following effect (from the Contagion spell) is applied based on dragon type and remains until target succeeds a ki save DC at the end of its turn.
---Acid: Flesh Rot. The creature's flesh decays. The creature has disadvantage against CHA checks and vulnerable to all damage.
---Cold: Icy Doom. The creature begins to bleed uncontrollably. The creature has disadvantage on CON checks and STs. In addition, whenever the creature takes damage, it is stunned until the end of its turn.
---Fire: Mindfire. The creature's mind becomes feverish. The creature has disadvantage on INT checks and STs, and the creature behaves as if under the effects of the confusion spell during combat.
---Lightning: Seizure. The creature is overcome with shaking. The creature has disadvantage on DEX checks, STs, and attack rolls that use DEX.
---Poison: Filth Fever. A raging fever sweeps through the creature's body. The creature has disadvantage on STR checks, STs, and attack rolls using STR.
The 17th level has been the toughest to devise. My DM initally pushed for the Sorcerer's Draconic Presence here, but he and I agree the breath weapon makes the best capstone as it epitomizes the draconic transformation, but as mentioned here it is rather weak damage for the tradition's capstone. But I don't want to go overboard on damage so we focused potential secondary effects. I searched the spell book for spells that would evenly match the different types, and I think Contagion does the trick perfectly. Basically, the monk's bad dragon breath is coughing nasty germs in the form of their ki onto the targets. Beautiful! Also since the monk's ki save DC is based of WIS, I left Contagion's WIS effect Blinding Sickness out.
Dragonborn Monks do toss a wrench into this capstone. Fortunately, my DM banned the race from our game, so there's no conflict there. But in games where there are dragonborn, do I allow them to stack their natural breath weapon on top for a 11d6 breath weapon plus the riders? Even though their natural weapon is a CON save vs. the monk's WIS save? And say someone decides to play a red dragonborn and chooses green ancestry for their monk tradition? Does their capstone deal 5d6 fire damage + 6d6 poison damage + inflict Filth Fever on a failed save? There are cases of double forms of damage from one attack, so I might allow this. Dragonborns are rather sub-optimal that getting a more powerful capstone over non-dragonborn Way of the Dragon monks would be a nice reward if their character reaches that level. Just spitballing here.
Thanks for reading and what do you think of my reimagining of the Draconic Bloodline Sorcerer into a Monk?