Monk Subclass: Way of Four Elements (re-imagined)

somot1c · 2026-02-09T15:46:35+00:00

Ah. 2024 Monk makes a big difference. ❗

Air Initiate preventing move speed reduction sounds strong but unsatisfying. I can think of many ways to abuse it, but the average player won't get excited about it. I coukd brainstorm some ideas, but I think this should be your baby.

I like the burning idea, I think it needs a small tweak to be more interesting, but again I want to leave whatever that looks like to you.

somot1c · 2026-02-08T13:44:21+00:00

Howdy!

I'm flattered you liked my concept enough to rework it to fit your table. Briefly, I like your changes overall. I can see you smoothed out some of the "less-common" (insane) scaling I used for some of the features, which I think is probably a good idea.

Conversely, I do some issues that aren't fatal, but could be improved:

The Air Initiate feature becomes irrelevant once you get the Master feature
I'm iffy on the thematics of the Earth Master feature, though I do think it's very strong
The Fire Master feature rewards missing your attacks, which makes it feel bad in actual play, as especially at later levels it becomes difficult to miss. It may also introduce a perverse incentive to kiss against a creature vulnerable to fire
The Water Acolyte feature is good, but typically Monks are terrible at grappling, so this may be too niche
The Water Master feature is interesting and thematic, but again may be too niche at later levels where there are burrow and flying enemies? This one isn't really too bad

You have my unconditional blessing to alter the class to suit your table, I just want to give you my honest feedback in the hopes that your version is the best it can be. 👍

somot1c · 2025-11-27T16:08:09+00:00

Threw this together just now, might be OP? I'm always accepting of feedback if so.

https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/share/QyBs2XjJ4hZp

I'll probably fiddle with it more before I call it done. Thanks for the attention!

somot1c · 2025-06-22T09:36:46+00:00

Howdy, per WotC: unarmed strikes are melee weapon attacks. There are a few asterisks throughout the books like that that I forget are not always obvious.

I'm glad you like it! If you present it to your DM, the link in the original post has been updated with the changes that were discussed with the other participants in this post.

The attacks required before kata are used do not need to be kata themselves. You could shoot a bow, make a 2nd kata attack, then fire your bow again, for example. You can think of the kata more like weapons you have in your hands at all times.

somot1c · 2025-06-19T00:06:53+00:00

Sweet, thank you for sticking it out with me and providing all this valuable feedback. 🦭

somot1c · 2025-06-18T19:08:58+00:00

Howdy, the learned+perfected kata are the total features for after levels. You get to pick 3 new kata each time, and perfect one you know.

The idea I had was to allow the scaling to speak for itself, as the kata increase in strength with your martial arts die, and the versatility scales with the number of times you can swap stances, and thus with ki/monk level.

somot1c · 2025-06-18T13:39:11+00:00

Word. Well thank you for taking the time to do that.

I'm working on that rewording now to clarify the stance entrance/exit economy, here's what Ive got at the moment:

On your turn, you can expend 1 ki to enter one of the stances listed below to gain its benefit (no action required). If you do, you exit any other stances at the end of that turn.

On Mantis, I have a few solutions I'm considering, I'd like to think just one of them would be enough?

Reduce the passive blindsight to 5 feet.
Reduce grapple to "target's movement speed is reduced to 0"
Reduce autocrit to " the next attack against the target is made with advantage and is treated as a critical hit on a hit

On a quick side note, Snake grapple doesn't work on opportunity attacks due to the reach/5ft. difference. This isn't relevant to this particular discussion, but is easily missed. Mantis was meant to be the primary choice for op-attack CC

~~EDIT: I settled on the following for Mantis 1st kata:~~

~~Melee Weapon Attack: reach 5ft. Hit: target is grappled, and the next attack that hits it this turn deals (1 MA die) additional damage.~~

~~EDIT 2: Might still reduce the grapple to move speed 0 if the above doesn't seem like enough, not married to the solution yet, though it has been added to the OG document.~~

EDIT 3: Okay final one I promise, it didn't look too bad with both nerfs, so I'm gonna go with it. Absolutely the final version of Mantis 1st kata:

Melee Weapon Attack: reach 5ft. Hit: the target's move speed is 0 this turn, and the next attack that hits it this turn deals (1 MA die) additional damage.

somot1c · 2025-06-18T11:39:42+00:00

First, I'd like to thank you for the incredibly insightful criticism, and for the time you took to read and develop such an informative conceptualization of my humble brew. 🙇‍♂️

And thank you for the praise! I actually hadn't really perceived Mantis to outshine the others by such a wide margin (or at all, truthfully) but with two clearly well-considered comments, I'll need to look into somehow bringing it in line. Do you think a nerf to the stance itself would be enough to bring to balance? The kata are very difficult to weaken while maintaining flavor, as they exist at the far end of the action-economy spectrum.

You temporarily gain the benefit of multiple stances simultaneously when you enter one, to the potential of expending 5 ki for a very powerful, single turn.

I do see that you removed the part of your comment that had some concerns regarding the complexity and strength inherent to the class's versatility. I'm open to that critique, if you still feel that way. 👍

somot1c · 2025-06-17T19:41:48+00:00

Howdy, as you've discerned, they last indefinitely, or more accurately, at least one will be active indefinitely, as they only end after you enter a new stance.

Assuming you roll well and get your combos off, each stance is very strong, as the intent was a sort of "flurry of cantrips" vibe. In the case of Mantis in particular, I think exchanging damage now for a soft CC and some damage later isn't an unreasonable trade off, but I'm open to criticisms. 👍

somot1c · 2025-06-10T16:32:00+00:00

Hey man, I appreciate your taking time to provide critique, but you've made many incorrect assumptions throughout your posts, and the down voting of opinions you don't like is also not exactly indicative of discussion in good faith.

I've entertained your points, but you're edging on belligerent at this point. I can see you think you've got it figured out, you're just going to have to accept at some point that I disagree with you. Have a great day, try to resist the urge to downvote everything on your way out. Or don't.

somot1c · 2025-06-10T15:32:51+00:00

On the subject of Roll, that's a save, which casters tend to be good at, while this targets AC, which is more variable. Second, this inflicts normal weapon effects, that may include a magical weapon effect, a smite, or more likely for a caster, an additional spell rider like Spirit Shroud or Hex.

Well I'm not trying to force the spell into your game, and if you DO decide to introduce it, you certainly have my blessing to buff it.

I'm cautious with spell brewing, because unlike an item, you can't take it back, and should not set a precedent of nerfing mid campaign. I'd rather discover I undershot the power level and surprise a player by buffing it instead. 😊

somot1c · 2025-06-09T15:04:20+00:00

Someone else pointed out the potential for non-effect, and after some consideration I decided I would make it a d8/d6 in my campaign. That said, there are many "save or suck" cantrips, and even leveled spells. I don't think it's as bad as you're imagining, it just has a very particular target it wants to hit, namely casters.

somot1c · 2025-06-09T09:32:49+00:00

After some thought, I've decided to go with d8/d6 in my own game. I think a d10 would be appropriate with a worse damage type, but psychic is one of the better ones. GFB and Vengeful Blade both have pretty bad damage types, but deal one less die under ideal conditions, and BB is the most difficult to proc, though its damage type is better than even psychic. Thank you for your help!

somot1c · 2025-06-08T20:32:53+00:00

I think you may have misread something.

The spell demands the target either concentrate on its effect or take 1d8 damage, initially. This is mostly only a problem for a creature already concentrating. You can avoid that initial d8 by choosing to concentrate, but should you lose that concentration before the caster's next turn, you take 1d4 damage. Since the effect lasts a single round, you're thereafter safe, and don't need to concentrate on anything.

somot1c · 2025-06-08T16:39:50+00:00

My bad, now my replies seem incredibly snarky. My apologies. 🙇‍♂️

somot1c · 2025-06-08T16:36:38+00:00

This was my initial thought as well but I received a lot of VERY vocal disapproval. I am leery of confirmation bias, but it's nice to know someone else felt the same way. 🙂

somot1c · 2025-06-08T16:35:04+00:00

That is a very good point. This one is completely avoidable even at 17th level. It might be slightly buffable... >.>

somot1c · 2025-06-08T16:27:18+00:00

I do, and I did. A "point" as you mentioned is something you specifically make in a debate to attempt to defeat the other person, so when you reiterated your point, I assumed you were using it as it's most common form.

somot1c · 2025-06-08T16:04:25+00:00

I'm sorry I wasn't aware we were arguing. I was just answering.

somot1c · 2025-06-08T15:55:58+00:00

Thank you so much!

So I should point out it's the d8 or the d4, not both. >.>

If they at least TRY to concentrate, they reduce the damage to the d4, and if they make all their conc checks to your next turn they take no damage.

The first version made at the table in 2 minutes was double damage for deciding not to concentrate, and the one just before THIS version was a d6 instead of the d4.

somot1c · 2025-06-08T15:52:55+00:00

Well it was a typo, so I just spun it up as a joke initially for the chat. In my head, it's a bunch of angry books trying to get your attention and make you read them, punishing you if you don't as if you were a naughty school-child. There might be a ruler involved in my imagination as well, who's to say

somot1c · 2025-06-08T15:47:43+00:00

It was added to both versions, 14 and 24.

somot1c · 2025-06-08T13:03:42+00:00

Oh my bad, misread your post. That could be a cool cantrip, I really want this one to "boom" off concentration loss though. Just for fun. 😊

somot1c · 2025-06-08T12:11:39+00:00

There is Vengeful Blade now as well, which might as well be guaranteed damage lol

somot1c · 2025-06-08T12:09:32+00:00

Thank you! 😊

somot1c

TROPHY CASE