Class Feature Variants: Monk

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When you become a monk, you can choose to replace all instances in all your monk class features where you would use your Dexterity score or modifier with your Strength score or modifier respectively.

### Academic Monk (Optional)

*1st-level monk feature (replaces Spellcasting Ability)*

While many monastic orders achieve an understanding of Ki through acute self-insight and spiritual attunement, academic orders develop a working knowledge through intense study and sharpness of mind. Students that struggle with one approach often make great strides when presented with the other.

When you become a monk, you can choose to replace all instances in all your monk class features where you would use your Wisdom score or modifier with your Intelligence score or modifier respectively.

### Proficiencies

*1st-level monk feature (enhances Proficiencies)*

**Weapons:** See Weapons List: Rearmed

### Martial Arts

*1st-level monk feature (enhances Martial Arts)*

Your unarmed strikes gain the parry and riposte properties, but you can only use these properties against weapons that deal bludgeoning damage.

### Deflect Blows (Optional)

*3rd-level monk optional feature (alternative to Deflect Missiles)*

You can use your reaction to parry your opponent when you are hit by a melee weapon attack. When you do so, the damage you take from the attack is reduced by 1d10 + half your monk level.

If you reduce the damage to 0 and the target is Large or smaller, you can spend 1 ki to force the target to make a Strength saving throw. On a failed save, you can either push the target up to 10 feet away from you in a straight line or to knock it prone. Starting at 11th level, you can use this ability on Huge or smaller creatures.

### Meditation

*4th-level monk optional feature*

At 4th level, you begin to seek nirvana through meditation. As a bonus action, you can sit down and close your eyes to begin meditating. Until you end your meditation, you are prone, blind, and incapacitated. While you are meditating, you become one with your body and are able to sustain yourself indefinitely; you do not need to eat or sleep. If you meditate for 4 hours, you gain the benefits of a long rest. Starting at 10th level, you stop aging and no longer need to breathe while in meditation.

### Ki-Inhibiting Strikes (Optional)

*5th-level monk optional feature (alternative to Stunning Strike)*

You can interfere with the flow of ki in an opponent's body in various ways. When you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you can spend 1 ki point to use one of the following abilities:

* Dazing Strike
* You overload the target's mind, disrupting its ability to take actions. The target must succeed on a Constitution or Wisdom saving throw (your choice) or be slowed until the end of your next turn.
* Isolating Strike
* You overload the target's senses and prevent them from functioning properly. The target must succeed on a Constitution or Wisdom saving throw (your choice) or become blinded and deafened until the end of your next turn.
* Restraining Strike
* You overload the target's joints and muscles, preventing it from moving. The target must succeed on a Dexterity or Constitution saving throw (your choice) or be restrained until the end of your next turn.

### Unfaltering Soul (Optional)

*7th-level monk optional feature (alternative to Stillness of Mind)*

If you are incapacitated at the end of your turn and have at least 1 hit point, you can spend 2 ki points to immediately end the effect causing that condition on yourself (no action required).

### Wind Walker

*9th-level monk feature (enhances Step of the Wind)*

When you use Step of the Wind, you can forfeit up to half of your movement to instead fly the distance you forfeited. You fall if you end your flight in the air and nothing else is holding you aloft.

### Diamond Body

*13th-level monk feature (enhances Patient Defense)*

When you use Patient Defense, you also gain resistance to one damage type of your choice until the start of your next turn.

### Spider Technique

*15th-level monk feature (enhances Unarmored Movement)*

You gain the ability to move upside down along ceilings while leaving your hands free on your turn without falling during the move.

### Ki Magic (Optional)

*18th-level monk optional feature (alternative to Empty Body)*

Your mastery over ki grants you limited spellcasting abilities. You have five special spell points that fuel this spellcasting, and you regain all expended points when you finish a long rest. Any spell cast using this ability is cast at its lowest level, uses your ki save DC as its spell save DC, and does not require any material components.

With this feature, you can cast *dispel magic* (costs 2 points), *feign death* (1 point), *freedom of movement* (2 points), *gentle repose* (1 point), *lesser restoration* (2 points), *protection from poison* (1 point), or *see invisibility* (1 point).

### Perfect Self

*20th-level monk feature (enhances Perfect Self)*

At 20th level, when you start your turn and have a number of ki points remaining that is less than your proficiency bonus, roll 1d6. On a 6, you regain 1 ki point.

### Perfect Soul (Optional)

*20th-level monk optional feature (alternative to Perfect Self)*

You have become a living paragon of discipline and focus. Your Dexterity and Wisdom scores increase by 4. Your maximum for those scores is now 24.