Way of the 4 elements is often considered the worst subclass, how do you build one?

[Rfkannen]

Way of the 4 elements is often considered the worst subclass in all of 5e, there are popular fixes, homebrews, wotc is making the way of ascending dragon which is very similar, but way of the 4 elements is still in the phb as is.

People normally avoid the subclass, but what is the best way to take advantage of it? What builds make it work as well as it can? Are there any dips or multiclasses which help it shine? What do you think is the best way to build a way of the 4 elements monks?

I am in particular looking for builds that only use material published by wotc. (Phb, Tasha's, xanathar's, ect)

[whateew]

Are we talking purely legal, or homebrew allowed?

Either way, recently I think Tasha's made a significant buff to them. Being able to make a bonus action weapon attack if ki has been spent is fantastic for this subclass - adding a quarterstaff strike is fantastic, dealing 1d8 + Dex after a "spell" means that if you can get 3 people in range, sweeping cinder strike will definitely be worth using over flurry of blows, and it might help lead to circumstances where water whip etc is useful too. Honestly, that alone helps the monk a decent bit, it no longer feels wasteful to use your spells as much. However, I'm not sure how well that scales.

See if you can work with a party that takes short rests reliably, it helps a lot with ki usage.

Otherwise, a fun combo is with shadow touched - RAW using your water whip or unbroken air doesn't break invisibility (and probably RAI, since sage advice confirmed that dragons breath weapon doesn't break invisibility either.) False life also works nicely to boost a fragile monk

[x3n0n]

Way of the 4 elements is often considered the worst subclass in all of 5e, there are popular fixes, homebrews, wotc is making the way of ascending dragon which is very similar, but way of the 4 elements is still in the phb as is.

People normally avoid the subclass, but what is the best way to take advantage of it? What builds make it work as well as it can? Are there any dips or multiclasses which help it shine? What do you think is the best way to build a way of the 4 elements monks?

One of the known issues with classes that use the Attack action is that they're not particularly strong vs a mob. That's the key strength of an Elemonk; I would take an AoE spell at every level up through 11: thunderwave, shatter, then swapping in fireball. With the extra pick (swapping out Elemental Attunement at 6th), I'd probably take one of their unique single-target abilities: Water Whip or Fist of Unbroken Air.

If using Tasha's, be sure to take advantage of Ki-Fueled Attack. I recommend taking a ranged weapon with Dedicated Weapon so you can use a discipline and then follow up with a ranged attack.

Beyond that, they're just a Monk. Emphasize Dex and Wis, and, if V.Human, take a useful feat. Mobile helps emphasize the "striker" role. Magic Initiate and/or Ritual Caster are flavorful utility. Defensive Duelist can help as well, but is better later in your career. Multiclassing is very painful because it delays key late-career abilities, especially Diamond Soul, which totally changes your role in the party. If you're going to get that far, I wouldn't take more than a single-level dip of anything.

[MaxWilson]

Ki Fueled Strike from Tasha's fixes some of the bad feels at low levels and adds to the awesome at level 11+, and is the only Tasha's rule that I actually use besides sorc domain spells.

But if running a pure PHB Elemonk, my experience is that you NEED to give yourself something fun to do that doesn't cost ki. Take Athletics proficiency and the Defensive Duelist feat and carry a bow. Take Thunderwave early, Hold Person and Shatter at 6th level. Now you're a generalist warrior whose decision tree looks something like:


Lone bad guy (e.g. when other PCs are dealing with the others already)? Stunning Strike if a tough enemy who cannot be kited, kite if applicable, Grapple + prone otherwise and then beat them to death with advantage.

Spellcaster humanoid? Stunning Strike or Hold Person, depending on range and anticipated saving throws. Or kite from beyond spellcasting range if applicable.

Lots of bad guys? Use an AoE. May be worth encouraging them to mob you first, e.g. run into the middle of the orc horde (Dodging with Patient Defense) to attack the chieftain on round one, then drop a Shatter on round two (after using Step of the Wind to Disengage out of the blast radius first). It's a lot of ki, but you're going to do at least triple as much damage as you could do with weapons, and that's why you saved your ki by grappling/proning in the smaller fights instead of wasting it on Flurry of Blows.

Anyway, I had a LOT of fun with a Defensive Duelist + Prodigy (Athletics) Elemonk, especially once Fireball came online. (At that point you can drop Fireballs right on top of yourself and just use Evasion to minimize the danger--no need to Disengage.) Being able to cast three Fireballs per short rest by level 12 is almost as much AoE as a Fiendlock gets, and more than the average wizard can afford. Of course it depends on whether your party uses Rope Trick as freely as mine did (or has some other way to get lots of short rests safely even in a dungeon crawl with wandering monsters).

It goes without saying that fun != powerful. I probably could have killed more monsters more safely as e.g. a Shepherd Druid spamming floods of velociraptors, but killing githyankis/onis/giants/etc. personally was less powerful but a lot of fun.


One of the known issues with classes that use the Attack action is that they're not particularly strong vs a mob. That's the key strength of an Elemonk; I would take an AoE spell at every level up through 11: thunderwave, shatter, then swapping in fireball. With the extra pick (swapping out Elemental Attunement at 6th), I'd probably take one of their unique single-target abilities: Water Whip or Fist of Unbroken Air.

If using Tasha's, be sure to take advantage of Ki-Fueled Attack. I recommend taking a ranged weapon with Dedicated Weapon so you can use a discipline and then follow up with a ranged attack.

Beyond that, they're just a Monk. Emphasize Dex and Wis, and, if V.Human, take a useful feat. Mobile helps emphasize the "striker" role. Magic Initiate and/or Ritual Caster are flavorful utility. Defensive Duelist can help as well, but is better later in your career. Multiclassing is very painful because it delays key late-career abilities, especially Diamond Soul, which totally changes your role in the party. If you're going to get that far, I wouldn't take more than a single-level dip of anything.

Yeah, what x3n0n said. Mobile instead of Defensive Duelist is valid, and a more mainstream choice. (Skirmishing instead of tanking.) Mobile goes well with kiting and ranged weapons. Just be sure you'll be happy with whatever you plan your non-ki-cost actions to be.

[Rfkannen]

Are we talking purely legal, or homebrew allowed?

Either way, recently I think Tasha's made a significant buff to them. Being able to make a bonus action weapon attack if ki has been spent is fantastic for this subclass - adding a quarterstaff strike is fantastic, dealing 1d8 + Dex after a "spell" means that if you can get 3 people in range, sweeping cinder strike will definitely be worth using over flurry of blows, and it might help lead to circumstances where water whip etc is useful too. Honestly, that alone helps the monk a decent bit, it no longer feels wasteful to use your spells as much. However, I'm not sure how well that scales.

See if you can work with a party that takes short rests reliably, it helps a lot with ki usage.

Otherwise, a fun combo is with shadow touched - RAW using your water whip or unbroken air doesn't break invisibility (and probably RAI, since sage advice confirmed that dragons breath weapon doesn't break invisibility either.) False life also works nicely to boost a fragile monk

Good question, added it to the main post. I was picturing purely legal.


Oh interesting about weapon attacks, I wonder if a gunner 4 elements monk would be good, a back line archer build that holds person with action, than attacks as a bonus action.

[MaxWilson]

Oh interesting about weapon attacks, I wonder if a gunner 4 elements monk would be good, a back line archer build that holds person with action, than attacks as a bonus action.

That approach sounds unlikely to pay off from a damage perspective. A half-feat and too much action economy spent in exchange for too little chance of success at getting an extra die of damage on your one bonus attack action. (If the plan is to enable other PCs to get crits, play something with more spell slots instead like a cleric or warlock.)

Besides, you don't need Gunner to avoid disadvantage if the target is already paralyzed. You only have disadvantage on a ranged attack if a non-incapacitated hostile is within 5' when you make the attack.