JMAP94
2018-12-25, 01:04 AM
The Problem I'm DMing and I'm making a Lightning themed Monastic Tradition for the 5e monk. I'm using the Way of Shadow as a balance guide. I want an idea for some sort of passive or at will ability I can give the player at 6th level. Spitball any ideas you have here, but,if you want there's additional information in the Spoiler.
Merry Christmas, and Thank You.
Some background InfoThe character my player wants to play as is a Aaracockra monk, who's monastic order teaches that strife makes one stronger, and believes in harnessing one's anger. In my world, this monastic order has this ritual (at level 3) where the character is taken to the elemental plane, and must fight a lightning elemental,, and throughout the battle, exchange parts of their ki and form with each hit, and at the end of the ritual, the lightning elemental and the monk are forced back into the material plane. The monk becomes part elemental, and the elemental becomes part mortal (possessing an incomplete/imperfect form similar to the monk, usually lacking in eyes). Theirs more story stuff with that, but I don't want to go into it. The feature at 3rd level is like the one from Way of Shadow. He can cast thunderwave, lightning claw (burning hands, but with lightning), blur, and expeditious retreat with ki. At 11th level, he will be able to cast lightning bolt and call lightning with ki. At 17th level, he will be able to cast "Thunderdome/Storm of Kord" which is a homebrew spell we both created for a previous version of this monk, which is a cross between compelled duel, tiny hut, and fog cloud.
My Ideas so Far....I really don't want just another way to spend ki, as I think that the main weakness of the Four Elements monk is that all its class features require the same resource. I was thinking about giving him lightning absorption so he can use his lightning damage abilities as a heal (I've given him shocking grasp cantrip), but I think that's kind of boring, and such a non-interactive hard counter to certain scenarios. Might still do that as part of a capstone feature.... I was also considering some sort of speed boost, but monks and Aarackockras already have speed up the wazoo and the class feature I made at 3rd level already gives him expeditious retreat and blur. I've asked him for input, but he can't come up with anything that would be balanced, and have flavor. Another idea I had was allowing him to cast "Elemental Weapon" on his fists using ki (provided he must choose lightning).
Merry Christmas, and Thank You.
Some background InfoThe character my player wants to play as is a Aaracockra monk, who's monastic order teaches that strife makes one stronger, and believes in harnessing one's anger. In my world, this monastic order has this ritual (at level 3) where the character is taken to the elemental plane, and must fight a lightning elemental,, and throughout the battle, exchange parts of their ki and form with each hit, and at the end of the ritual, the lightning elemental and the monk are forced back into the material plane. The monk becomes part elemental, and the elemental becomes part mortal (possessing an incomplete/imperfect form similar to the monk, usually lacking in eyes). Theirs more story stuff with that, but I don't want to go into it. The feature at 3rd level is like the one from Way of Shadow. He can cast thunderwave, lightning claw (burning hands, but with lightning), blur, and expeditious retreat with ki. At 11th level, he will be able to cast lightning bolt and call lightning with ki. At 17th level, he will be able to cast "Thunderdome/Storm of Kord" which is a homebrew spell we both created for a previous version of this monk, which is a cross between compelled duel, tiny hut, and fog cloud.
My Ideas so Far....I really don't want just another way to spend ki, as I think that the main weakness of the Four Elements monk is that all its class features require the same resource. I was thinking about giving him lightning absorption so he can use his lightning damage abilities as a heal (I've given him shocking grasp cantrip), but I think that's kind of boring, and such a non-interactive hard counter to certain scenarios. Might still do that as part of a capstone feature.... I was also considering some sort of speed boost, but monks and Aarackockras already have speed up the wazoo and the class feature I made at 3rd level already gives him expeditious retreat and blur. I've asked him for input, but he can't come up with anything that would be balanced, and have flavor. Another idea I had was allowing him to cast "Elemental Weapon" on his fists using ki (provided he must choose lightning).