Monk (Astral Self)

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Overview & Creation

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Features	Martial Arts	Ki Points	Unarmored Movement
1	+2	Unarmored Defense , Martial Arts	1d4	-	+ 0 ft.
2	+2	Ki , Unarmored Movement	1d4	2	+ 10 ft.
3	+2	Deflect Missiles , Monastic Tradition : Astral Self, Tradition Feature : Arms of the Astral Self	1d4	3	+ 10 ft.
4	+2	Ability Score Improvement , Slow Fall	1d4	4	+ 10 ft.
5	+3	Extra Attack, Stunning Strike	1d6	5	+ 10 ft.
6	+3	Ki-Empowered Strikes, Tradition Feature : Visage of the Astral Self	1d6	6	+ 15 ft.
7	+3	Evasion, Stillness of Mind	1d6	7	+ 15 ft.
8	+3	Ability Score Improvement	1d6	8	+ 15 ft.
9	+4	Unarmored Movement improvement	1d6	9	+ 15 ft.
10	+4	Purity of Body	1d6	10	+ 20 ft.
11	+4	Tradition Feature : Body of the Astral Self	1d8	11	+ 20 ft.
12	+4	Ability Score Improvement	1d8	12	+ 20 ft.
13	+5	Tongue of the Sun and Moon	1d8	13	+ 20 ft.
14	+5	Diamond Soul	1d8	14	+ 25 ft.
15	+5	Timeless Body	1d8	15	+ 25 ft.
16	+5	Ability Score Improvement	1d8	16	+ 25 ft.
17	+6	Tradition Feature : Awakened Astral Self	1d10	17	+ 25 ft.
18	+6	Empty Body	1d10	18	+ 30 ft.
19	+6	Ability Score Improvement	1d10	19	+ 30 ft.
20	+6	Perfect Soul	1d10	20	+ 30 ft.

 

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Class Features

Level 1

Unarmored Defense

Beginning at 1st level, while you are wearing no armor and not wielding a shield, your AC equals 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Wisdom modifier.  

Martial Arts

At 1st level, your practice of martial arts gives you mastery of combat styles that use unarmed strikes and monk weapons, which are shortswords and any simple melee weapons that don't have the two-handed or heavy property.   You gain the following benefits while you are unarmed or wielding only monk weapons and you aren't wearing armor or wielding a shield:  

• 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 your unarmed strike or monk weapon. This die changes as you gain monk levels, as shown in the Martial Arts column of the Monk table.
• When you use the Attack action with an unarmed strike or a monk weapon on your turn, you can make one unarmed strike as a bonus action. For example, if you take the Attack action and attack with a quarterstaff, you can also make an unarmed strike as a bonus action, assuming you haven't already taken a bonus action this turn.

  Certain monasteries use specialized forms of the monk weapons. For example, you might use a club that is two lengths of wood connected by a short chain (called a nunchaku) or a sickle with a shorter, straighter blade (called a kama). Whatever name you use for a monk weapon, you can use the game statistics provided for the weapon on the Weapons page.  

Level 2

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 monk level determines the number of points you have, as shown in the Ki Points column of the Monk table.   You can spend these points to fuel various ki features. You start knowing three such features: Flurry of Blows, Patient Defense, and Step of the Wind. You learn more ki features as you gain levels in this class.   When you spend a ki point, it is unavailable until you finish a short or long rest, at the end of which you draw all of your expended ki back into yourself. You must spend at least 30 minutes of the rest meditating to regain your ki points.   Some of your ki features require your target to make a saving throw to resist the feature's effects. The saving throw DC is calculated as follows:   Ki save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier   Flurry of Blows. Immediately after you take the Attack action on your turn, you can spend 1 ki point to make two unarmed strikes as a bonus action. Patient Defense. You can spend 1 ki point to take the Dodge action as a bonus action on your turn. Step of the Wind. You can spend 1 ki point to take the Disengage or Dash action as a bonus action on your turn, and your jump distance is doubled for the turn.  

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.  

Level 3

Monastic Tradition: Astral Self

When you reach 3rd level, you commit yourself to a monastic tradition. Your tradition grants you features at 3rd level and again at 6th, 11th, and 17th level. For more info on the subclass, see Info.  

Arms of the Astral Self

At 3rd level, your mastery of your ki allows you to summon a portion of your astral self. As a bonus action, you can spend 1 ki point to summon the arms of your astral self. When you do so, each creature of your choice that you can see within 10 feet of you must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or take force damage equal to two rolls of your Martial Arts die.   For 10 minutes, these spectral arms hover near your shoulders or surround your arms (your choice). You determine the arms' appearance, and they vanish early if you are incapacitated or die.   While the spectral arms are present, you gain the following benefits:

• You can use your Wisdom modifier in place of your Strength modifier when making Strength checks and Strength saving throws.
• You can use the spectral arms to make unarmed strikes.
• When you make an unarmed strike with the arms on your turn, your reach for it is 5 feet greater than normal.
• The unarmed strikes you make with the arms can use your Wisdom modifier in place of your Strength or Dexterity modifier for the attack and damage rolls, and their damage type is force.

 

Deflect Missiles

Starting at 3rd level, you can use your reaction to deflect or catch the missile when you are hit by a ranged weapon attack. When you do so, 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 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 with a range of 20/60 using 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.  

Level 4

Ability Score Improvement

When you reach 4th level, you can increase one Ability Score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two Ability Scores of your choice by 1. Through this way, you can't increase an Ability Score beyond 20. Alternatively, you can pick a feat.  

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.  

Level 5

Extra Attack

Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.  

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.  

Level 6

Ki-Empowered Strikes

Starting at 6th level, your unarmed strikes count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.  

Visage of the Astral Self

When you reach 6th level, you can summon the visage of your astral self. As a bonus action, or as part of the bonus action you take to activate Arms of the Astral Self, you can spend 1 ki point to summon this visage for 10 minutes. It vanishes early if you are incapacitated or die.   The spectral visage covers your face like a helmet or mask. You determine its appearance.   While the spectral visage is present, you gain the following benefits.   Astral Sight. You can see normally in darkness, both magical and nonmagical, to a distance of 120 feet.   Wisdom of the Spirit. You have advantage on Wisdom (Insight) and Charisma (Intimidation) checks.   Word of the Spirit. When you speak, you can direct your words to a creature of your choice that you can see within 60 feet of you, making it so only that creature can hear you. Alternatively, you can amplify your voice so that all creatures within 600 feet can hear you.  

Level 7

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. When you are 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.  

Stilness of Mind

Starting at 7th level, you can use your action to end one effect on yourself that is causing you to be charmed or frightened.  

Level 8

Ability Score Improvement

For detail see Ability Score Improvement  

Level 9

 

Level 10

Purity of Body

At 10th level, your mastery of the ki flowing through you makes you immune to disease and poison.  

Level 11

Body of the Astral Self

Starting at 11th level, when you have both your astral arms and visage summoned, you can cause the body of your astral self to appear (no action required). This spectral body covers your physical form like a suit of armor, connecting with the arms and visage. You determine its appearance.   While the spectral body is present, you gain the following benefits.   Deflect Energy. When you take acid, cold, fire, force, lightning, or thunder damage, you can use your reaction to deflect it. When you do so, the damage you take is reduced by 1d10 + your Wisdom modifier (minimum reduction of 1).   Empowered Arms. Once on each of your turns when you hit a target with the Arms of the Astral Self, you can deal extra damage to the target equal to your Martial Arts die.  

Level 12

Ability Score Improvement

For detail see Ability Score Improvement  

Level 13

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.  

Level 14

Diamond Soul

Beginning at 14th level, your mastery of ki grants you proficiency in all saving throws.   Additionally, whenever you make a saving throw and fail, you can spend 1 ki point to reroll it and take the second result.  

Level 15

Timeless Body

At 15th level, your ki sustains you so that you suffer none of the frailty of old age, and you can't be aged magically. You can still die of old age, however. In addition, you no longer need food or water.  

Level 16

Ability Score Improvement

For detail see Ability Score Improvement  

Level 17

Awakened Astral Self

Starting at 17th level, your connection to your astral self is complete, allowing you to unleash its full potential. As a bonus action, you can spend 5 ki points to summon the arms, visage, and body of your astral self and awaken it for 10 minutes. This awakening ends early if you are incapacitated or die.   While your astral self is awakened, you gain the following benefits.   Armor of the Spirit. You gain a +2 bonus to Armor Class.   Astral Barrage. Whenever you use the Extra Attack feature to attack twice, you can instead attack three times if all the attacks are made with your astral arms.  

Level 18

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.  

Level 19

 

Level 20

Perfect Self

At 20th level, when you roll for initiative and have no ki points remaining, you regain 4 ki points.

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Starting Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:  

• (a) a shortsword or (b) any simple weapon
• (a) a dungeoneer's pack or (b) an explorer's pack
• 10 darts

 

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Subclass Options

Monks are united in their ability to magically harness the energy that flows in their bodies. Whether channeled as a striking display of combat prowess or a subtler focus of defensive ability and speed, this energy infuses all that a monk does.   You must have a Dexterity score and a Wisdom score of 13 or higher in order to multiclass in or out of this class.   A monk who follows the Way of the Astral Self believes their body is an illusion. They see their ki as a representation of their true form, an astral self. This astral self has the capacity to be a force of order or disorder, with some monasteries training students to use their power to protect the weak and other instructing aspirants in how to manifest their true selves in service to the mighty.   Source: Tasha's Cauldron of Everything