Leveling Guide: Monk Level 1-5

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Martial Arts	Ki Points	Unarmored Movement	Features
1st	+2	1d4	—	—	Unarmored Defense, Martial Arts
2nd	+2	1d4	2	+10 ft.	Ki, Unarmored Defense
3rd	+2	1d4	3	+10 ft.	Monastic Tradition, Deflect Missiles
4th	+2	1d4	4	+10 ft.	New Feat, Slow Fall
5th	+3	1d6	5	+10 ft.	Extra Attack, Stunning Strike

---

1st Level

1st Level Monk

Initial HP = 8 + Constitution (CON) Modifier

Weapon Proficiency: Simple Weapons, Shortswords

Tool Proficiency: Choose one type of artisan’s tools or one musical instrument

One (1) 1d8 Hit Die

+2 Proficiency Bonus

Proficiency Bonus added to STR and DEX saving throws

Choice of Proficiency Bonus to Acrobatics, Athletics, History, Insight, Religion, or Stealth (Choose two)

Unarmored Defense

Martial Arts (1d4)

2nd Level

2nd Level Monk

Max HP increase. Add 1d8 + CON Modifier to the current total Max HP

One (1) additional 1d8 Hit Die

Ki (2 Points)

Unarmored Movement (+10 ft.)

3rd Level

3rd Level Monk

Max HP increase. Add 1d8 + CON Modifier to the current total Max HP

One (1) additional 1d8 Hit Die

One (1) additional Ki Point

Deflect Missiles

Monastic Tradition

4th Level

4th Level Monk

Max HP increase. Add 1d8 + CON Modifier to the current total Max HP

One (1) additional 1d8 Hit Die

One (1) additional Ki Point

Slow Fall

New Feat

5th Level

5th Level Monk

Max HP increase. Add 1d8 + CON Modifier to the current total Max HP

One (1) additional 1d8 Hit Die

One (1) additional Ki Point

Martial Arts die increased to 1d6

Extra Attack

Stunning Strike

Proficiency Bonus is increased by 1

---

1st Level

Unarmored Defense

While you are wearing no armor and not wielding a shield, your AC equals 10+dex mod+Wis Mod.

Martial Arts

You gain the following benefits while you are unarmed or wielding only monk weapons (Short Swords, or other simple melee weapon that is not two handed or heavy) and you aren't wearing armour 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.
• 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 Attacks action and attack with a quarter-staff, you can also make an unarmed strike as a bonus action, assuming you haven't already taken a bonus action this turn.

---

2nd Level

Ki

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. When you spend a ki point it is unavailable until you finish a short or long rest.
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 by 8+ Proficiency bonus + Wis Mod

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

Your speed increases by 10 feet while you are not wearing armour or wielding a shield.

---

3rd Level

Ki

You now have 3 Ki points to spend between Short or Long Rests.

Deflect Missiles

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 + Dex Mod + Monk Level.
If you reduce the damage to 0, you can catch the missile if its 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 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, which has a normal range of 20 ft and a long range of 60 ft.

Monastic Tradition

Choose one of the following paths to follow:

Way of the Open Hand

Open Hand Technique

You can manipulate your enemy's ki when you harness your own. Whenever you hit a creature with one of the attacks granted by your Flurry of Blows, you can impose one of the following effects on that target:

• It must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or be knocked prone.
• It must make a Strength saving throw. If it fails, you can push it up to 15 ft away from you.
• It can't Take reactions until the end of your next turn.

Way of the Shadow

Shadow Arts

Starting when you choose this tradition at 3rd level, you can use your ki to duplicate the effects of certain spells. As an action, you can spend 2 ki points to cast Darkness, darkvision, pass without trace, or silence, without providing the material components. Additionally, you gain the minor illusion cantrip if you don't already know it.

Way of the Four Elements

Disciple of The Elements

You learn magical disciplines that harness the power of the four elements. A discipline requires you to spend ki points each time you use it.
You know the Elemental Attunement discipline and one other elemental discipline of your choice, which are detailed in the "Elemental Disciplines" section below.
Casting Elemental Spells. Some elemental disciplines allow you to cast spells. To cast one of these spells, you use its casting time and other rules, but you don't need to provide material components for it.

Elemental Disciplines

No Level Requirements

Elemental Attunement. You can use your action to briefly control elemental forces within 30 feet of you causing one of the following effects of your choice:

• Create a harmless, instantaneous sensory effect related to air, earth, fire, or water, such as a shower of sparks, a puff of wind, a spray of light mist, or a gentle rumbling of stone.
• Instantaneously light or snuff out a candle, a torch, or a small campfire.
• Chill or warm up to 1 pound of nonliving material for up to 1 hour.
• Cause Earth, Fire, Water, or Mist that can fit within a 1 ft cube to shape itself into a crude form you designate for 1 minute.

Fangs of the Fire Snake. When you use the Attack action on your turn, you can spend 1 ki point to cause tendrils of flame to stretch out from your fists and feet. Your reach with your unarmed strikes increase by 10 ft for that action, as well as the rest of the turn. A hit with such an attack deals fire damage instead of bludgeoning damage, and if you spend 1 ki point when the attack hits, it also deals an extra 1d10 fire damage.

Fist of four thunders. You can spend 2 ki points to cast Thunderwave.

Fist of Unbroken Air. You can create a blast of compressed air that strikes like a mighty fist. As an action, you can spend 2 ki points and choose a creature within 30 ft of you. That creature must make a Str saving throw. On a failed save, the creature within 30 ft of you. That creature must make a Str saving throw. On a failed save, the creature takes 3d10 bludgeoning damage, plus an extra 1d10 bludgeoning damage for each additional ki point you spend, and you can push the creature up to 20 ft away from you and knock it prone. On a successful save, the creature takes half as much damage, and you don't push it or knock it prone.

Rush of the Gale Spirits. You can spend 2 ki points to cast gust of wind.

Shape the Flowing River. As an action you can spend 1 ki point to choose an area of ice or water no larger than 30 feet on a side within 120 ft of you. You can change water to ice within the area and vice versa, and you can reshape ice in the area in any manner you choose. You can raise or lower the ice's elevation, create or fill in a trench, erect or flatten a wall, or form a pillar. The extent of any such changes can't exceed half the area's largest dimension. For example, if you affect a 30 ft square, you can create a pillar up to 15 ft high, raise or lower the square's elevation by up to 15 ft, dig a trench up to 15 ft deep, and so on. You can't shape the ice to trap or damage a creature in the area.

Sweeping Cinder Strike. You can spend 2 ki points to cast burning hands.

Water Whip. You can spend 2 ki points as an action to create a whip of water that shoves and pulls a creature to unbalance it. A creature that you can see that is within 30 ft of you must make a Dex saving throw. On a failed save, the creature thakes 3d10 bludgeoning damage, plus an extra 1d10 bludgeoning damage for each additional ki point you spend, and you can either knock it prone or pull it up to 25 ft closer to you. On a successful save, the creature takes half as much damage, and you don't pull it or knock it prone.

---

4th Level

Ki

You can now spend 4 Ki points between Short and Long Rests.

New Feat

Select a feature you meet the prerequisite for from the list Linked Here.

Slow Fall

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.

---

5th Level

Martial Arts

Your unarmed Strikes or strikes with your monk weapon deal 1d6 now.

Ki

You can now spend 5 Ki points between Short and Long Rests.

Extra Attack

You can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

Stunning Strike

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.

---

Monk Leveling Chart

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