D&D: Building a Way of the Four Elements Monk
D&D: Building a Way of the Four Elements Monk
Dungeons & Dragons: Unleash the Elemental Fury with Way of the Four Elements Monk
Water. Earth. Fire. Air. These four elements define a half-caster class for the typically martial-arts-focused monk in Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition. Get ready to channel your inner Avatar and wield the power of the elements as a Way of the Four Elements monk!
Playing a Way of the Four Elements monk can be a bit challenging for newcomers to the realm of ki powers. If you’re not into all the kicking and punching, maybe consider playing a sorcerer or wizard instead. But if you’re up for a rewarding and exhilarating subclass, then read on to discover the Way of the Four Elements!
Way Of The Four Elements Monk Features
As a Way of the Four Elements monk, you’ll learn to harness your ki to command the elements, combining intense physical prowess with elemental mastery. Starting at third level, embrace your role as a Disciple of the Elements. You’ll gain access to the Elemental Attunement discipline and one additional elemental discipline of your choice.
But hold on, the fun doesn’t stop there! At sixth, 11th, and 17th levels, you’ll unlock more elemental disciplines to expand your repertoire. Experiment and switch up your elemental disciplines as you grow in power. Your monk level must match the required level of the discipline you wish to learn.
How can Way of the Four Elements monks cast spells? Well, many elemental disciplines allow them to harness their ki points to unleash powerful spells. From casting Fist of Unbroken Air to summoning Rush of the Gale Spirits, your ki will become your source of elemental magic. Take a look at the table below for a full list of elemental disciplines available at each level:
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| Level | Elemental Disciplines |
|---|---|
| First Level | Fangs of the Fire Snake Fist of Four Thunders Fist of Unbroken Air Rush of the Gale Spirits Shape the Flowing River Sweeping Cinder Strike Water Whip |
| Sixth Level | Clench of the North Wind Gong of the Summit |
| 11th Level | Flames of the Phoenix Mist Stance Ride the Wind |
| 17th Level | Eternal Mountain Defense River of Hungry Flame Wave of Rolling Earth |
What’s even cooler? Starting at fifth level, you can spend additional ki points to cast elemental discipline spells at a higher level. This lets you tap into the enhanced effects of spells like Burning Hands or Thunderwave, making your elemental abilities even more devastating. Each additional ki point spent casts the spell one level higher, up to the maximum shown in the Spells and Ki Points table below:
| Monk Level | Maximum Ki Points per Spell |
|---|---|
| Fifth to Eighth | 3 |
| Ninth to 12th | 4 |
| 13th to 16th | 5 |
| 17th to 20th | 6 |
Best Species For A Way Of The Four Elements Monk
While any species can become a monk, some align better with the Way of the Four Elements’ abilities. Here are a few suggested species that synergize well with this subclass:
- Bugbear: Enjoy an extra five feet of reach and surprise your foes with the powerful Surprise Attack ability alongside other benefits like Darkvision, charm resistance, and stealth proficiency.
- Duergar: Gain poison resistance, advantage on saving throws against charm and stun effects, Darkvision up to 120 feet, and access to powerful innate spells like Enlarge/Reduce and Invisibility.
- Goblin: Embrace the benefits of Fury of the Small, and enjoy Darkvision, charm resistance, and the ability to hide. Sure, you can already disengage as a bonus action, but who doesn’t love extra hiding options?
- Goliath: Utilize Stone’s Endurance to bolster your hit points, benefit from Athletics proficiency, and gain resistance to cold damage.
- Half-Orc: Savage Attacks can make your Flurry of Blows crits more powerful, Relentless Endurance keeps you fighting at zero hit points, and Darkvision is always handy.
- Half-Elf: Boost three stats, relish in Darkvision, charm resistance, and some extra skills.
- Human: Stat hungry? Humans got you covered with their generous stat boosts. You can even go variant human to start with a feat, which could grant your Way of the Four Elements monk access to a fun cantrip.
- Owlin: Take flight with the best of the flying races for a monk. Rain elemental chaos from above while zipping between shadows with flying, Darkvision, and stealth proficiency.
- Shifter: Maximize your hit points with temporary hit points during combat, benefit from Darkvision, and enjoy a useful skill proficiency.
- Tabaxi: Climb and maneuver with ease using Feline Agility, and relish in Darkvision and a climbing speed equal to your regular movement speed.
Best Ability Scores For A Way Of The Four Elements Monk
Just like other monks, the Way of the Four Elements requires you to focus on three key stats: Dexterity, Constitution, and Wisdom. However, Wisdom plays a greater role for this subclass as it not only boosts your AC but also powers your spellcasting abilities.
Strength, Intelligence, and Charisma don’t hold as much importance for monks, especially when considering how much you’ll want to pump up your Dexterity and Wisdom. Here’s a suggested starting ability score spread if you’re using the points-buy system for D&D 5e:
| Strength | Dexterity | Constitution | Intelligence | Wisdom | Charisma |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10(0) | 16(+3) | 14(+2) | 10(0) | 16(+3) | 8(-1) |
Best Starting Equipment For A Way Of The Four Elements Monk
Monks don’t rely heavily on equipment, and most of your damage will come from unleashing your elemental disciplines rather than strikes with a weapon.
At the start, you can choose either a shortsword or any simple weapon, although you’ll likely outgrow these weapons after a level or two. Opt for a dungeoneer’s pack for more useful equipment over an explorer’s pack, and bring along 10 darts for some ranged attacks before your elemental powers fully develop.
Keep in mind that monks don’t wear armor. Instead, they rely on their Dexterity and Wisdom modifiers when determining their AC.
Best Elemental Disciplines For A Way Of The Four Elements Monk
With numerous elemental disciplines to choose from, it’s important to select the most effective ones for your Way of the Four Elements monk. Since you can only equip four elemental disciplines at level 17, including the versatile Elemental Attunement, it’s crucial to sift through the options and find your favorites.
At level one, unleash your true potential with Fangs of the Fire Snake and Water Whip. Fangs of the Fire Snake grants you an extra 10 feet of reach on your unarmed strikes and deals additional fire damage. Meanwhile, Water Whip boasts greater single-target damage, has a reach of up to 30 feet, and gives you the ability to pull enemies into melee range or knock them prone.
Once you reach sixth level, Clench of the North Wind becomes a formidable choice as it allows you to cast hold person, controlling your foes’ actions. At 11th level, Flames of the Phoenix and Ride the Wind offer the opportunity to either unleash a fiery explosion with Fireball or take to the skies with Fly. Finally, at 17th level, River of Hungry Flame and Breath of Winter provide you with potent area of effect damage and crowd control.
Prepare to embrace the power of the elements and embark on a thrilling adventure as a Way of the Four Elements monk in Dungeons & Dragons!
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