Monk/Unearthed Arcana


 * To view the official mechanics and statistics of this class, see Monk.

The material in this article is presented for playtesting and to spark your imagination. These game mechanics are in draft form, usable in your campaign but not refined by full game design and editing. They aren't officially part of the game and aren't permitted in D&D Adventurers League events. Ask your Dungeon Master before using any material on this page.

If Wizards of the Coast decides to make this material official, it will be refined based on your feedback, and then it will appear in a D&D book.

= Class Feature Variants = (Unearthed Arcana: Class Feature Variants)

Ki Features
2nd-level monk feature (enhances Ki)

When you gain the Ki feature at 2nd level, you get access to the following features.

Distant Eye
When you make a ranged weapon attack, you can spend 1 ki point to prevent attacking at long range from imposing disadvantage on your attack rolls until the end of the current turn.

= Monastic Traditions = (Monk: Monastic Traditions)

Way of Tranquility
Monks of the Way of Tranquility see violence as a last resort. They use diplomacy, mercy, and understanding to resolve conflicts. If pushed, though, they are capable warriors who can bring an end to the unjust or cruel folk who refuse to listen to reason. When adventuring, these monks make excellent diplomats. They are also skilled in the healing arts, and can preserve their allies in the face of daunting foes.

Path of Tranquility
When you choose this tradition at 3rd level, you can become an island of calm in even the most chaotic of situations. With this feature, you can cast the Sanctuary spell on yourself, no material component required, and it lasts up to 8 hours. Its saving throw DC equals 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier. A creature that succeeds on the save is immune to this effect for 1 hour.

Once you cast the spell in this way, you can't do so again for 1 minute.

Healing Hands
Your mystical touch can heal wounds. Starting at 3rd level, you have a pool of magical healing power that replenishes when you take a long rest. With that pool, you can restore a total number of hit points equal to your monk level x 10.

As an action, you can touch a creature and draw power from the pool to restore a number of hit points to that creature, up to the maximum amount remaining in the pool.

Instead of healing the creature, you can expend 5 hit points from your pool of healing to cure the target of one disease or neutralize one poison affecting it. You can cure multiple diseases and neutralize multiple poisons with a single use of Healing Hands, expending hit points separately for each one.

When you use your Flurry of Blows, you can replace one of the unarmed strikes with a use of this feature.

This feature has no effect on undead and constructs.

Emissary of Peace
At 6th level, you gain the ability to diffuse violent situations. Whenever you make a Charisma check to calm violent emotions or to counsel peace, you have advantage on the roll. You must make this entreaty in good faith; it doesn't apply if proficiency in the Deception or Intimidation skill applies to your check.

You also gain proficiency in the Performance or Persuasion skill (choose one).

Douse the Flames of War
At 11th level, you gain the ability to temporarily extinguish a creature's violent impulses. As an action, you can touch a creature, and it must make a Wisdom saving throw with a DC equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier. The target automatically succeeds if it's missing any of its hit points. If the target fails the save, it can't attack for 1 minute. During that time, it also can't cast spells that deal damage or that force someone to make a saving throw.

This effect ends if the target is attacked, takes damage, or is forced to make a saving throw or if the target witnesses any of those things happening to its allies.

Anger of a Gentle Soul
At 17th level, you gain the ability to visit vengeance on someone who fells others. If you see a creature reduce another creature to 0 hit points, you can use your reaction to grant yourself a bonus to all damage rolls against the aggressor until the end of your next turn. The bonus equals your monk level.

Once you use this ability, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

= Subclasses, Part 5 = (Subclasses, Part 5)

Way of the Ascendant Dragon
Monks who follow the Way of the Ascendant Dragon revere the power and grandeur of dragons. They alter their own ki to resonate with draconic might, channeling it to augment their prowess in battle, soar through the air, and to bolster their allies.

As a follower of this Monastic Tradition, you decide how you unlocked the power of dragons through your ki. The Ascendant Dragon Origin table offers some possibilities.

Draconic Disciple
3rd-level Way of the Ascendant Dragon feature

You can channel your draconic ki to imbue your unarmed strikes with the essence of a dragon's breath and to use your connection with draconic creatures to magnify your presence. You gain the following benefits:
 * When you damage a target with an unarmed strike, you can change the damage type to acid, cold, fire, lightning, or poison.
 * If you can't already, you learn to speak, read, and write Draconic.
 * If you fail a Charisma (Intimidation) or Charisma (Persuasion) check, you can use your reaction to reroll the check, as you tap into the mighty presence of dragons. Once this feature turns a failure into a success, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.

Breath of the Dragon
3rd-level Way of the Ascendant Dragon feature

You can channel your ki into destructive waves of energy like the dragons you emulate. When you take the Attack action on your turn, you can replace one of the attacks with an exhalation of draconic energy in either a 20-foot cone or a 30-foot line that is 5 feet wide (your choice). Choose a damage type: acid, cold, fire, lightning, or poison. Each creature in the area must make a Dexterity saving throw against your ki save DC, taking damage of the chosen type equal to two rolls of your Martial Arts die on a failure, or half as much damage on a success.

At 11th level, the damage of your breath increases to three rolls of your Martial Arts die.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest. While you have no uses available, you can spend 1 ki point to use this feature again.

Wings Unfurled
6th-level Way of the Ascendant Dragon feature

When you use your Step of the Wind, you can unfurl spectral draconic wings from your back that vanish at the end of your turn. While the wings exist, you have a flying speed equal to your walking speed.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest. While you have no uses available, you can spend 1 additional ki point when you activate Step of the Wind to use this feature again.

Aspect of the Wyrm
11th-level Way of the Ascendant Dragon feature

The power of your draconic ki now radiates from you, protecting your allies from harm and punishing any who raise arms against them. As a bonus action, you can create an aura of draconic power that radiates 30 feet from you for 1 minute. Choose acid, cold, fire, lightning, or poison damage, and for the duration, you gain the following effects:
 * You and your allies within your aura gain resistance to the chosen damage type.
 * Waves of destructive energy flow out from you and your allies when any of you are attacked. When you or one of your allies in the aura is hit by an attack made by another creature within the aura, the target that was hit can use their reaction to deal an amount of damage of the chosen type equal to one roll of your Martial Arts die to the attacker.

Once you use this bonus action, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest, unless you expend 4 ki points to use it again.

Ascendant Aspect
17th-level Way of the Ascendant Dragon feature

Your draconic ki reaches its peak. You gain the following benefits:
 * You gain blindsight out to 30 feet. Within that range, you can effectively see anything that isn't behind total cover, even if you're blinded or in darkness. Moreover, you can see an invisible creature within that range, unless the creature successfully hides from you.
 * When you damage a creature with your Breath of the Dragon, the energy clings to the target. At the start of each of the creature's turns, it takes damage of the type your breath dealt equal to one roll of your Martial Arts die. At the end of its turn, the creature can repeat the save, ending the effect on itself on a success.
 * When you activate your Aspect of the Wyrm, draconic fury explodes from you. Choose any number of creatures you can see within your aura. Those creatures each take 4d10 acid, cold, fire, lightning, or poison damage (your choice).