IDontCare
2023-02-18, 03:27 PM
Hey guys.
I'm probably not the only one, but when I first learned about the Way of the Four Elements monk I envisionned Aang, from the Avatar animated series. But then, as I learned more about the system and I played the game myself, this subclass felt more like "monk with spells" and less like elemental bending.
I haven't played the 4 elements monk in an actual game myself, I think I'd like to do that one day to see what it's really like. But simply reading it, I didn't like the way they handled the use of the elements, by simply casting spells. I wanted to think about features that no other class could do, and that would be really tied with how they attack and flow through combat.
Here we go:
Way of the Four Elements
You follow a monastic tradition that teaches you to harness the elements. When you focus your ki, you can align yourself with the forces of creation and bend the four elements to your will, using them as an extension of your body. Some members of this tradition dedicate themselves to a single element, but others weave the elements together. Many monks of this tradition tattoo their bodies with representations of their ki powers, commonly imagined as coiling dragons, but also as phoenixes, fish, plants, mountains, and cresting waves.
Elemental Bending
When you choose this tradition at 3rd level you learn how to bend to your will the elements surrounding you. You learn the cantrips Shape Water, Mold Earth, Control Flames and Gust. You only need to perform the somatics components to cast them.
Elemental Trance
Also at 3rd level, you learn how to attune yourself with the elements. On your turn you can enter a trance as a bonus action, or by spending 2 ki points. When you do so, you can choose one of the following element and gain its benefits.
Water
You draw movement from the flowing river and take a graceful posture, weaving your gestures seamlessly one into another. If a creature makes a melee attack against you, you can use your reaction to make a melee weapon attack against that creature.
Earth
You draw stability from the ground and take a sturdy posture, firmly anchoring yourself. You cannot be knocked prone, and you gain tremorsense in a 30 feet radius.
Fire
You draw power from your breath and take an aggressive posture, ready to release your passion onto the world. Your melee weapon attacks made with a monk weapon or an unarmed strike deal an additionnal 1d4 fire damage.
Air
You draw freedom from the wind and take a quick and light posture, evasively jumping from enemy to enemy. You cannot be restrained, and during your turn, if you make a melee attack with a monk weapon or an unarmed strike against a creature, that creature can't make opportunity attacks against you for the rest of your turn.
During your trance on your turn, you can change the element you're attuned to as a bonus action, or by spending 1 ki point. Your trance lasts for 1 minute. It ends early if you are knocked unconscious. You can also end your trance on your turn as a bonus action.
Powerful Trance
Starting at 6th level, your synergy with the four elements enhance your abilities. During a trance, once per turn, you can spend 1 ki point and replace one of your attacks with a special attack, depending on the element you're currenty attuned to.
Water
You create a water whip from a source of water you can see within 30 feet of you and use it to strike a creature within 10 feet of the whip. It must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or be knocked prone. The target must be no more than one size larger than you.
Earth
You erect rocks around a creature that you can detect using your tremorsense. It must succeed on a Strength saving throw or be restrained. At the start of each of its turns it can attempt an Athletics (Strength) check to break free from the rocks.
Fire
You cast the Fire Bolt cantrip for 1d10 damage, and can change its damage type to thunder instead of fire. You use your Wisdom as your spellcasting ability.
Air
You create a strong gust of wind. Affected creatures must succeed a Dexterity saving throw or be pushed away from you. You can either target a single creature you see within 30 feet of you and push it up to 20 feet, or target any number of creatures you see within 10 feet of you and push them up to 10 feet.
Flowing with the elements
When you reach 11th level, your mastery of the four elements is unparallaled and you have learned to incorporate them seamlessly in the flow of combat . When you are in an elemental trance, you can replace any number of your attacks with the special attacks from your Powerful Trance feature. You still have to spend 1 ki point each time you replace one attack with a special attack.
One with the elements
At 17th level, you become an avatar of the natural forces themselves. Your trance ends early only if you fall unconscious or if you choose to end it. Also, when you enter an elemental trance, you can spend 8 ki points to become one with the elements for 1 minute. During that time you are attuned to the four elements simultaneously, thus gaining all the benefits from your Elemental Trance feature, and can use all special attacks from your Powerful Trance feature. While you are one with the elements, these special attacks do not cost you any ki point, and they are even more powerful:
Water
You can now choose a source of water up to 60 feet of you, and the range of the whip increases to 20 feet. You can target a creature up to two sizes larger than you.
Earth
Creatures you target have disadvantage on their initial saving throw, and subsequent saving throws they make at the start of their turn to break free.
Fire
Your damage increases to 2d10.
Air
You can now target a single creature you see up to 60 feet of you and push it up to 40 feet, or target any number of creatures you see within 20 feet of you and push them up to 20 feet.
When this state end, you gain one level of exhaustion.
I'm probably not the only one, but when I first learned about the Way of the Four Elements monk I envisionned Aang, from the Avatar animated series. But then, as I learned more about the system and I played the game myself, this subclass felt more like "monk with spells" and less like elemental bending.
I haven't played the 4 elements monk in an actual game myself, I think I'd like to do that one day to see what it's really like. But simply reading it, I didn't like the way they handled the use of the elements, by simply casting spells. I wanted to think about features that no other class could do, and that would be really tied with how they attack and flow through combat.
Here we go:
Way of the Four Elements
You follow a monastic tradition that teaches you to harness the elements. When you focus your ki, you can align yourself with the forces of creation and bend the four elements to your will, using them as an extension of your body. Some members of this tradition dedicate themselves to a single element, but others weave the elements together. Many monks of this tradition tattoo their bodies with representations of their ki powers, commonly imagined as coiling dragons, but also as phoenixes, fish, plants, mountains, and cresting waves.
Elemental Bending
When you choose this tradition at 3rd level you learn how to bend to your will the elements surrounding you. You learn the cantrips Shape Water, Mold Earth, Control Flames and Gust. You only need to perform the somatics components to cast them.
Elemental Trance
Also at 3rd level, you learn how to attune yourself with the elements. On your turn you can enter a trance as a bonus action, or by spending 2 ki points. When you do so, you can choose one of the following element and gain its benefits.
Water
You draw movement from the flowing river and take a graceful posture, weaving your gestures seamlessly one into another. If a creature makes a melee attack against you, you can use your reaction to make a melee weapon attack against that creature.
Earth
You draw stability from the ground and take a sturdy posture, firmly anchoring yourself. You cannot be knocked prone, and you gain tremorsense in a 30 feet radius.
Fire
You draw power from your breath and take an aggressive posture, ready to release your passion onto the world. Your melee weapon attacks made with a monk weapon or an unarmed strike deal an additionnal 1d4 fire damage.
Air
You draw freedom from the wind and take a quick and light posture, evasively jumping from enemy to enemy. You cannot be restrained, and during your turn, if you make a melee attack with a monk weapon or an unarmed strike against a creature, that creature can't make opportunity attacks against you for the rest of your turn.
During your trance on your turn, you can change the element you're attuned to as a bonus action, or by spending 1 ki point. Your trance lasts for 1 minute. It ends early if you are knocked unconscious. You can also end your trance on your turn as a bonus action.
Powerful Trance
Starting at 6th level, your synergy with the four elements enhance your abilities. During a trance, once per turn, you can spend 1 ki point and replace one of your attacks with a special attack, depending on the element you're currenty attuned to.
Water
You create a water whip from a source of water you can see within 30 feet of you and use it to strike a creature within 10 feet of the whip. It must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or be knocked prone. The target must be no more than one size larger than you.
Earth
You erect rocks around a creature that you can detect using your tremorsense. It must succeed on a Strength saving throw or be restrained. At the start of each of its turns it can attempt an Athletics (Strength) check to break free from the rocks.
Fire
You cast the Fire Bolt cantrip for 1d10 damage, and can change its damage type to thunder instead of fire. You use your Wisdom as your spellcasting ability.
Air
You create a strong gust of wind. Affected creatures must succeed a Dexterity saving throw or be pushed away from you. You can either target a single creature you see within 30 feet of you and push it up to 20 feet, or target any number of creatures you see within 10 feet of you and push them up to 10 feet.
Flowing with the elements
When you reach 11th level, your mastery of the four elements is unparallaled and you have learned to incorporate them seamlessly in the flow of combat . When you are in an elemental trance, you can replace any number of your attacks with the special attacks from your Powerful Trance feature. You still have to spend 1 ki point each time you replace one attack with a special attack.
One with the elements
At 17th level, you become an avatar of the natural forces themselves. Your trance ends early only if you fall unconscious or if you choose to end it. Also, when you enter an elemental trance, you can spend 8 ki points to become one with the elements for 1 minute. During that time you are attuned to the four elements simultaneously, thus gaining all the benefits from your Elemental Trance feature, and can use all special attacks from your Powerful Trance feature. While you are one with the elements, these special attacks do not cost you any ki point, and they are even more powerful:
Water
You can now choose a source of water up to 60 feet of you, and the range of the whip increases to 20 feet. You can target a creature up to two sizes larger than you.
Earth
Creatures you target have disadvantage on their initial saving throw, and subsequent saving throws they make at the start of their turn to break free.
Fire
Your damage increases to 2d10.
Air
You can now target a single creature you see up to 60 feet of you and push it up to 40 feet, or target any number of creatures you see within 20 feet of you and push them up to 20 feet.
When this state end, you gain one level of exhaustion.