The Monk Revised

W
e all know that monk isn’t well-designed Proficiencies
So this unearthed arcana is to improve on Armor: None

some of the monk features and add some Weapons: Simple weapons, shortswords

other ones while keeping the gameplay Tools: Any one type of artisan’s tools or any one musical
theme of monk as a skirmisher. instrument of your choice

Saving Throws: Strength, Dexerity

Class Features Skills: Choose 2 from Acrobatics, Athletics, History,

As a Monk, you gain the following class features Insight, Religion, and Stealth.

Hit Points Equipment

1d8 per monk level
You start with the following equipment, in addition to
Hit Dice:
Hit Points at 1st Level:8 + your Constitution modifier
the equipment granted by your background:
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 8 (or 5) + your Constitution (a) a shortsword or (b) any simple weapon
modifier per monk level after 1st
(a) a dungeoneer’s pack or (b) an explorer’s pack
10 darts
Alternatively, you may start with 5d4 gp to buy your
own equipment.

The Monk
Level Proficiency Bonus Features Martial Arts Ki Points Unarmored Movement
1st +2 Unarmored Defense,Martial Arts 1d4 - -
2nd +2 Ki,Dedicated Weapon,Unarmored Movement 1d4 2 +10 ft.
3rd +2 Deflect,Monastic Tradition,Ki-Fueled Attack 1d4 3 +10 ft.
4th +2 Ability Score Improvement,Slow Fall,Quickened Healing 1d6 4 +10 ft.
5th +3 Extra Attack,Stunning Strike,Focused Aim 1d6 5 +10 ft.
6th +3 Ki-Empowered Strikes,Monastic Tradition feature 1d6 6 +15 ft.
7th +3 Evasion,Stillness of Mind 1d8 7 +15 ft.
8th +3 Ability Score Improvement 1d8 8 +15 ft.
9th +4 Unarmored Movement improvement 1d8 9 +15 ft.
10th +4 Purity of Body 1d8 10 +20 ft.
11th +4 Monastic Tradition feature 1d10 11 +20 ft.
12th +4 Ability Score Improvement 1d10 12 +20 ft.
13th +5 Tongue of the Sun and Moon 1d10 13 +20 ft.
14th +5 Diamond Soul 1d10 14 +25 ft.
15th +5 Timeless Body 1d12 15 +25 ft.
16th +5 Ability Score Improvement 1d12 16 +25 ft.
17th +6 Monastic Tradition feature 1d12 17 +25 ft.
18th +6 Empty Body 1d12 18 +30 ft.
19th +6 Ability Score Improvement 1d12 19 +30 ft.
20th +6 Perfect Self 1d12 20 +30 ft.

   

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 Unarmored Defense monk level determines the number of points you have,  
Beginning at 1st level, while you are wearing no armor as shown in the Ki Points column of the Monk table.
and not wielding a shield, your AC equals 10 + your You can spend these points to fuel various ki features.
Dexterity modifier + your Wisdom modifier. You start knowing three such features: Flurry of Blows,
Patient Defense, and Step of the Wind. You learn more
Martial arts ki features as you gain levels in this class.
Your practice of martial arts gives you mastery of When you spend a ki point, it is unavailable until you
combat styles that use unarmed strikes and monk finish a short or long rest, at the end of which you draw
weapons, which are shortswords and any simple melee all of your expended ki back into yourself. You must
weapons that don’t have the two-handed or heavy spend at least 30 minutes of the rest meditating to
property. regain your ki points.
You gain the following benefits while you are Some of your ki features require your target to make
unarmed or wielding only monk weapons and you aren’t a saving throw to resist the feature’s effects. The saving
wearing armor or wielding a shield: throw DC is calculated as follows:
You can use Dexterity instead of Strength for the
attack and damage rolls of your unarmed strikes and
monk weapons.
You can roll a d4 in place of the normal damage of Immediately after you take the
your unarmed strike or monk weapon. This die Flurry of Blows.
Attack action on your turn, you can spend 1 ki point
changes as you gain monk levels, as shown in the to make two unarmed strikes as a bonus action.
Martial Arts column of the Monk table. Patient Defense. When you spend 1 ki point, you can
When you use the Attack action with an unarmed take the Dodge action as a bonus action on your
strike or a monk weapon on your turn, you can make turn.
one unarmed strike as a bonus action. For example, Step of the Wind. You can take the Disengage or
if you take the Attack action and attack with a Dash action as a bonus action on your turn, and your
quarterstaff, you can also make an unarmed strike as jump distance is doubled for the turn. ( Formerly
a bonus action, assuming you haven’t already taken a took 1 ki point, but reduced to a free resource to
bonus action this turn. compete with other classes )
Dedicated Weapon Guiding Hand. You can take the Help action as a
You train yourself to use a variety of weapons as monk bonus on your turn
weapons.  
Whenever you finish a short or long rest, you can
touch one weapon, focus your ki on it, and then count
that weapon as a monk weapon until you use this
feature again.
The chosen weapon must meet these criteria:
The weapon must be a simple or martial weapon.
You must be proficient with it. (It must lack the
heavy and special properties.)
Unarmored Movement
Starting at 2nd level, your speed increases by 10 feet
while you are not wearing armor or wielding a shield.
This bonus increases when you reach certain monk
levels, as shown in the Monk table.
At 9th level, you gain the ability to move along vertical
surfaces and across liquids on your turn without falling
during the move.
Ki
Starting at 2nd level, your training allows you to
harness the mystic energy of ki. Your access to this
energy is represented by a number of ki points. Your

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Deflect
Starting at 3rd level, you can use your reaction to
deflect or soften blows directed at you
Deflect Missiles. When you are hit by a ranged
weapon attack, the damage you take from the attack
is reduced by 1d10 + your Dexterity modifier + your
monk level. If you reduce the damage to 0, you can
When you are
catch the missile if it is small enough for you to hold
in one hand and you have at least one hand free. If
you catch a missile in this way, you can spend 1 ki
point to make a ranged attack (range 20/60 feet) with
the weapon or piece of ammunition you just caught,
as part of the same reaction. You make this attack
with proficiency, regardless of your weapon
proficiencies, and the missile counts as a monk
weapon for the attack.
Deflect Strike. When you are hit by a melee attack,
the damage you take from the attack is reduced by
your Strength or Dexterity modifier + your Martials
Arts die. If you reduce the damage to 0, you can
immediately spend 1 ki point to make a melee attack
as part of the same reaction.
Ki-Fueled Attack
If you spend 1 ki point or more as part of your action on
your turn, you can make one attack with an unarmed
strike or a monk weapon as a bonus action before the
end of the turn.
Slow Fall
Beginning at 4th level, you can use your reaction when
you fall to reduce any falling damage you take by an
amount equal to five times your monk level.
Quickened Healing
As an action, you can spend 2 ki points and roll a
Martial Arts die. You regain a number of hit points equal
to the number rolled plus your proficiency bonus
modifier.
Starting at 6th level, your unarmed strikes count as  
magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and
immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.
Evasion
At 7th level, your instinctive agility lets you dodge out of
the way of certain area effects, such as a blue dragon’s
lightning breath or a fireball spell.
subjected to an effect that allows you to make a
Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, you
instead take no damage if you succeed on the saving
throw, and only half damage if you fail.
Stillness of Mind
Starting at 7th level, at the start of your turn, you can
use your action to end one effect on yourself that is
causing you to be charmed or frightened.
Unarmored Movement Improved
At 9th level, you gain the ability to move along vertical
surfaces and across liquids on your turn without falling
during the move.
Purity of Body
At 10th level, your mastery of the ki flowing through you
makes you immune to disease and poison.
Tongue of the Sun and Moon
Starting at 13th level, you learn to touch the ki of other
minds so that you understand all spoken languages.
Moreover, any creature that can understand a language
can understand what you say.
Cat Warrior
Kyoung Hwan Kim

Stunning Strike
Starting at 5th level, you can interfere with the flow of ki
in an opponent’s body. When you hit another creature
with a melee weapon attack, you can spend 1 ki point to
attempt a stunning strike. The target must succeed on a
Constitution saving throw or be stunned until the end of
your next turn.
Focused Aim
When you miss with an attack roll, you can spend 1 to 3
ki points to increase your attack roll by 2 for each of
these ki points you spend, potentially turning the miss
into a hit.
 
Ki-Empowered Strike

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Diamond Soul  
Beginning at 14th level, your mastery of ki grants you
proficiency in all saving throws, death saving throws
included.
( Formerly, it wasn’t implied that death saving throws
were included and after Jeremy Crawford confirmed it, I
have decided to add it. )
Additionally, whenever you make a saving throw and
fail, you can spend 1 ki point to reroll it and take the
second result.
Empty Body
Beginning at 18th level, you can use your action to
spend 4 ki points to become invisible for 1 minute.
During that time, you also have resistance to all damage
but force damage.
Additionally, you can spend 8 ki points to cast the
astral projection spell, without needing material
components. When you do so, you can’t take any other
creatures with you.
Perfect Body
At 20th level, when you roll for initiative and have no ki
points remaining, you regain 6 ki points.