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Monk Class: Monastic Traditions and Orders
Monks walk a path of contradiction. They study their art as a wizard does and need no armor nor weapons. Yet they are deadly combatants, focusing on inner mastery through monastic traditions. In a monastery, a monk makes careful study of an energy that monastic traditions call Ki. This energy is an element that suffuses the multiverse, specifically the element that flows through living bodies. As they advance in the Way of their monastic traditions, monks harness the Ki within themselves to create magical effects and exceed their body’s physical capabilities. The worlds of Dungeons & Dragons contain a multitude of monasteries, each housing their own monastic orders, practicing their Way of monastic traditions across the realms.
Some monastic orders are associated with martial arts practice, and philosophical monastic traditions, each philosophy teaching a different Way to the physical, mental, and spiritual disciplines of the monk. Other monastic orders are associated with deities and their values. For example, the monasteries of Ilmater are named after flowers, and their orders carry the names of great heroes of the faith. Most monastic orders are small circles of no more than a dozen members, living in isolated monasteries. A few orders include hundreds of members and influence entire nations through their widespread presence. Playing the monk class offers many intriguing opportunities and interesting character ideas. To distinguish your monk character even further, consider the prominent monastic traditions and orders throughout the known worlds. Monastic Traditions, or monk subclasses.
Way of the Astral Self
Way of the Astral Self. Way of the Astral Self disciples believe their body to be an illusion. They see their Ki as a representation of their true form, an astral self. The astral self is a translucent embodiment of the monk’s ideologies, and may not look like the monk. An astral self of a human might be like a minotaur, the strength of which the monk feels within. Each astral self is unique, and some monks are known more for their astral self than for their physical appearance.
Way of the Astral Self initiates begin their learning with Arms of the Astral Self. They summon spectral arms to augment their unarmed strikes, replacing strength with wisdom when using the spectral arms. As they advance, they learn Visage of the Astral Self, granting dark vision, enhanced insight and intimidation, and ability to direct or amplify their words. Way of the Astral Self masters can cover their body with Body of the Astral Self, gaining energy deflection, reducing damage for acid, cold, fire, force, lightening, or thunder.
At the Way’s peak, they gain Awakened Astral Self, completing their connection to the astral self. They unleash its full potential, enhancing defense and attack for a short duration.
Way of the Ascendant Dragon
Way of the Ascendant Dragon. The dragon god Bahamut has traveled the material plane in the guise of a young monk, and legend says he founded the monastery of the Way of the Ascendant Dragon in this guise. The Way of the Ascendant Dragon teaches that by emulating dragons, disciples become integrated with the world and its magic. Disciples augment their prowess in battle by altering their spirit to resonate with draconic might. Way of the Ascendant Dragon initiates become Draconic Disciples, imbuing their strikes with acid, cold, fire, lightening, or poison.
Their Draconic Presence increases their intimidation and persuasion. Initiates can also attack with Breath of the Dragon, emulating an exhalation of draconic energy in either a cone or line of acid, cold, fire, lightening, or poison. As they advance, they can gain temporary flight using Wings Unfurled, allowing them to soar through the air. Way of the Ascendant Dragon masters can activate Aspect of the Wyrm to radiate an aura of frightful presence or resistance against acid, cold, fire, lightening, or poison.
At the Way’s Peak, their draconic spirits reach its peak with Ascendant Aspect, unleashing an explosive fury when activating their Aspect of the Wyrm, augmenting their Breath of the Dragon and gaining blind sight. Lastly, for an Ascendant Dragon monk, remember the quote from Fizban: “My favorite Ascendant Dragon monks all narrate their bodily attacks aloud with fun onomatopoias.” Way of the Drunken Master.
Way of the Drunken Master
Way of the Drunken Master disciples move with jerky, unpredictable movements of drunkards. Drunken Masters seem like incompetent combatants, but prove frustrating to engage in actual battle. Drunken Masters enjoy playing the fool. Their erratic stumbles concealing a carefully executed dance of blocks, parries, advances, attacks, and retreats. Way of the Drunken Master initiates learns the Drunken Technique, twisting and turning quickly in a fight, retreating safely out of reach after dishing out a Flurry of Blows.
As they advance, their Tipsy Sway can misdirect melee attacks to hit enemies nearby instead. They become surprisingly agile, leaping to their feet with exceptional speed when prone. Drunken Masters seems to have a Drunkard’s Luck, always getting a lucky bounce at the right moment when faced with attacks, spells, and various situations. At the Way’s Peak, they can go into an Intoxicated Frenzy, making an overwhelming number of attacks against a group of enemies with a Flurry of Blows.
Way of the Four Elements
Way of the Four Elements. Way of the Four Elements disciples harness the elements through focused Ki energy, bending the Four Elements to their will, using them as extensions of their body. Some dedicate to a single element, others weave the elements together. Many have tattoos representing their Ki powers, commonly imagined as coiling dragons, phoenixes, cresting waves and mountains. Way of the Four Elements initiates become Disciples of the Elements, attuning themselves to the elements. They learn Elemental Disciplines, using their Ki to mimic the casting of elemental spells. As they advance, they learn additional Elemental Disciplines, like Fangs of the Fire Snake to add fire damage to their strikes, Eternal Mountain Defense to cast Stone Skin, or Breath of Winter to cast Cone of Cold. Way of the Kensei.
Way of the Kensei
Way of the Kensei disciples train relentlessly until their weapon become an extension of their body. A Kensei views weapons like how a calligrapher regards a brush, tools to express the beauty of martial arts. Founded on sword mastery, the monastic tradition expanded to include any simple or martial weapon without the heavy or special property. The longbow is also a weapon of choice.
Way of the Kensei initiates devote themselves to one melee and one ranged weapon as their Kensei weapons, becoming experts in attacking and parrying with the weapons. As they advance, they become One with the Blade, extending their Ki into their Kensei weapons. The weapons become magical, dealing extra damage and overcomes resistance and immunity to non-magical damage. Way of the Kensei masters can augment their Kensei weapons further with their Ki to Sharpen the Blade, making attacks with the weapon more deadly for a short duration. At the Way’s Peak, their mastery of weapons grant them Unerring Accuracy, allowing them a chance to hit their enemies even when the attack seems destined to miss.
Way of the Long Death
Way of the Long Death. Way of the Long Death disciples obsess with the meaning and mechanics of dying through systematic study of dying creatures. They then use this knowledge to guide their understanding of martial arts. Way of the Long Death initiates have the Touch of Death that extracts vitality from a creature nearing its demise, granting themselves temporary hit points. As they advance, their soul are touched by the shadow of death. They can exude the Hour of Reaping, unsettling or terrifying those around them. Way of the Long Death masters gain Mastery of Death. They can use Ki to escape the grasp of death, retaining one hit point when their hit point is reduced to zero. At the Way’s Peak, they master Touch of the Long Death, channeling death energy into creatures, dealing devastating necrotic damage. Way of Mercy.
Way of Mercy
Way of Mercy disciples manipulate life force of others to aid those in need as wandering physicians. However, to those beyond help, they bring a swift end as an act of mercy. The walkers of this way usually don robes with deep cowls, and they often conceal their faces with masks known as Merciful Mask, presenting themselves as the faceless bringers of life and death. Way of Mercy initiates learn two acts of mercy. The Hand of Healing mends wounds with a touch, while Hand of Harm inflicts necrotic damage with a touch.
As they advance, they gain the Physician’s Touch. Their Hand of Healing cures diseased, blinded, deafened, paralyzed, poisoned, or stunned conditions. Their Hand of Harm adds poisoned condition. Way of Mercy masters can replace each strike of their Flurry of Blows with Hand of Healing or Hand of Harm, dealing a Flurry of Healing and Harm. At the Way’s Peak, they master the Hand of Ultimate Mercy, which can revive creatures that died within the past 24 hours. Way of the Open Hand.
Way of the Open Hand
Way of the Open Hand disciples are the ultimate masters of martial arts. They learn techniques to unbalance their opponents, manipulate Ki to heal damage, and practice advanced meditation of protection. Way of the Open Hand initiates learn the Open Hand technique that manipulates opponents’ Ki with their own. They can knock prone, push back, or negate reactions of opponents with their strikes. As they advance, their Wholeness of Body gives them the ability to heal themselves with their Ki. Way of the Open Hand masters practice Tranquility Meditations, imbuing themselves with the Sanctuary spell, lasting until the next long rest or ending conditions of the spell. At the Way’s Peak, they master the Quivering Palm. The palm strike sets up lethal vibrations in the enemy’s body, reducing the recipient’s hit points to zero on a failed constitution save.
Way of the Shadow
Way of the Shadow. Way of the Shadow disciples value stealth and subterfuge. Many are ninjas, spies, and assassins. The monasteries of this tradition expect the unquestioning obedience of their students. Some of these monasteries are formed by family clans of ninjas, sworn to secrecy about their arts and missions. Other monasteries are like thieves’ guilds, hiring services to nobles, merchants, or anyone paying a fee. Way of the Shadow initiates learn the Shadow Arts, using Ki to duplicate the effects of the spell’s darkness, dark vision, pass without trace, silence, and minor illusion.
As they advance, they learn the Shadow Step, stepping instantly between shadowed areas, gaining advantage on first melee attack when emerging from the shadow. Way of the Shadow Masters can become one with the shadows with Cloak of Shadows, turning invisible in dim light until attacking or casting spells. At the Way’s Peak, they become opportunists able to exploit a nearby enemy’s distraction when they are hit by an attack, putting in a melee attack of their own.
Way of the Sun Soul
Way of the Sun Soul. Way of the Sun Soul disciples channel life energy into searing bolts of light. They believe that meditation can unlock the indomitable light shed by the soul of every living thing. Way of the Sun Soul initiates can hurl radiant sun bolts, a ranged attack of searing bolts dealing radiant damage. As they advance, they learn the Searing Arc Strike, channeling their Ki into searing waves of energy, similar to the Burning Hand spell. Way of the Sun Soul Masters can create a Searing Sunburst, an orb of light that can be hurled at a point, exploding to deal radiant damage in a large radius.
At the Way’s Peak, the monk is wreathed in a luminous magical aura of Sun Shield, dealing radiant damage to enemies attacking the monk. Monastic Orders. Order of the Dark Moon.
Order of the Dark Moon
The Order of the Dark Moon are a sect of sorcerer monks who have dedicated their body, mind, and soul to Shar, the Goddess of Loss. The monks are her assassins, her enforcers, and her shadowy agents. Their training is diverse as are their skills, and their devotion to their Lady is absolute. The Dark Moon works openly where Shar’s worship is accepted and secretly where it isn’t. Its followers seek knowledge and conversation with shadow, believing true wisdom is found in darkness and loss. Monks of the Dark Moon follows the Way of the Shadow and may multiclass as sorcerers. Order of the Hin Fist.
Order of the Hin Fist
A halfling monastic order from Luiren, the Order of the Hin Fist turns the halfling’s natural confidence into a spiritual path for mastering themselves and their potential. Although only halflings can study Hin Fist in Luiren, enterprising Luiren monks have established monasteries outside Luiren, where the teachings have been open to students of other races. Monks of the Hin Fist follow the Way of the Open Hand and may multiclass as fighters, rogues, or paladins, usually of Yondalla. Order of the Long Death.
Order of the Long Death
The Order of the Long Death worships the principle of death itself, seeking life’s secrets through studying death. It is the condition of being dead that concerns them most, not what lies beyond in afterlife. Their monasteries are full of decaying, dying, and dead animal and plant specimens, which they study with detached interest. They eagerly welcome the diseased and the dying so that they might watch and record their deaths. If any seek release from pain through death, the monks provide it without moral qualms. In their perspective, death is the most natural thing in the world. Thus, the monks do not eschew nor fear death. Monks of the Long Death follow the Way of the Long Death and may multiclass as fighters, assassins, and black guards. Order of the Sun Soul.
Order of the Sun Soul
The Order of the Sun Soul believes living things harbor a fragment of the sun’s mystic essence within. Just as body has shadow, spirit has light. That light is called the Sun Soul within all beings. Monks of the Sun Soul train to tap their spiritual light within and manifest it as supernatural feats of prowess and endurance. To harness their internal light, they practice three pillars of spiritual development. First pillar, seek physical perfection. One should strive to make the body beautiful.
Fitness, cleanliness, and well-honed physicality open the way for the light of the Sun Soul to shine through. Second pillar, seek spiritual virtue. Recognize light in others, not just darkness. Grant and take each new chance to be virtuous. Third pillar, shine light into darkness. Share the soul’s light with the world. Light up dark places with your presence and banish shadow. Due to similar teachings, Order of Sun Soul associates with temples of Sune, Selûne, and Lathander faiths.
Order of the Yellow Rose
Order of the Yellow Rose. The Order of the Yellow Rose, also known as the Disciples of St. Sollars the Twice-Martyred, is a solitary monastery of Ilmater in the harsh Earthspur Mountains of Damara. Known for loyalty to allies and complete destruction of their enemies, the Order is greatly respected on matters of truth and diplomacy. The monks of the Yellow Rose work hard to survive in their harsh remote sanctuary. They use remorhaz to test their disciples, where young monks overcome fear and pain by riding the beasts.
Creating a Monk Character
For a monk, becoming an adventurer means leaving a structured communal lifestyle to become a wanderer, a harsh transition that monks don’t undertake lightly. As you make your monk character, think about your connection to the monastery where you spent years learning your skills. Were you an orphan left at the monastery? Did you enter this secluded life to hide from your crimes? Consider why you left. Did the head of your monastery choose you for a particularly important mission beyond?
Or were you cast out because of some violation of the community’s rules? Will you ever return to your home again?
