Player's Handbook
You follow a monastic tradition that teaches you to harness the elements. When you focus your ki, you can align yourself with the forces of creation and bend the four elements to your will, using them as an extension of your body. Some members of this tradition dedicate themselves to a single element, but others weave the elements together.
Many monks of this tradition tattoo their bodies with representations of their ki powers, commonly imagined as coiling dragons, but also as phoenixes, fish, plants, mountains, and cresting waves.
3rd-level Way of the Four Elements feature
When you choose this tradition at 3rd level, you gain proficiency in the Performance skill if you don't already have it. Your martial artYou 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. You learn one additional elemental discipline of your choice at 6th, 11th, and 17th level.
Whenever you learn a new elemental discipline, you can also replace one elemental discipline that you already know with a different discipline.
Casting Elemental Spells. Some elemental disciplines allow you to cast spells. See chapter 10 for the general rules of spellcasting. 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.
Once you reach 5th level in this class, you can spend additional ki points to increase the level of an elemental discipline spell that you cast, provided that the spell has an enhanced effect at a higher level, as Burning Hands does. The spell's level increases by 1 for each additional ki point you spend. For example, if you are a 5th-level monk and use Sweeping Cinder Strike to cast Burning Hands, you can spend 3 ki points to cast it as a 2nd-level spell (the discipline's base cost of 2 ki points plus 1).
The maximum number of ki points you can spend to cast a spell in this way (including its base ki point cost and any additional ki points you spend to increase its level) is determined by your monk level, as shown in the Spells and Ki Points table.
| Spells and Ki Points | |
| Monk Levels | Maximum Ki Points for a Spell |
| 5th-8th | 3 |
| 9th-12th | 4 |
| 13th-16th | 5 |
| 17th-20th | 6 |
The elemental disciplines are presented in alphabetical order. If a discipline requires a level, you must be the level in this class to learn the discipline.
Prerequisite: 17th Level
You can spend 6 ki points to cast Cone of Cold.
Prerequisite: 6th Level
You can spend 3 ki points to cast Hold Person.
You can use your action to briefly control elemental forces within 30 feet of you, causing one of the following effects of your choice:
Prerequisite: 17th Level
You can spend 5 ki points to cast Stoneskin, targeting yourself.
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 increases by 10 feet 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.
You can spend 2 ki points to cast Thunderwave.
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 feet of you. That creature must make a Strength 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 feet 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.
Prerequisite: 11th Level
You can spend 4 ki points to cast Fireball.
Prerequisite: 6th Level
You can spend 3 ki points to cast Shatter.
Prerequisite: 11th Level
You can spend 4 ki points to cast Gaseous Form, targeting yourself.
Prerequisite: 11th Level
You can spend 4 ki points to cast Fly, targeting yourself.
Prerequisite: 17th Level
You can spend 5 ki points to cast Wall of Fire.
You can spend 2 ki points to cast Gust of Wind.
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 feet 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-foot square, you can create a pillar up to 15 feet high, raise or lower the square's elevation by up to 15 feet, dig a trench up to 15 feet deep, and so on. You can't shape the ice to trap or injure a creature in the area.
You can spend 2 ki points to cast Burning Hands.
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 feet of you must make a Dexterity 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 either knock it prone or pull it up to 25 feet closer to you. On a successful save, the creature takes half as much damage, and you don't pull it or knock it prone.
Prerequisite: 17th Level
You can spend 6 ki points to cast Wall of Stone.
6th-level Way of the Four Elements feature
You learn one additional elemental discipline of your choice. You should know 2 elemental disciplines, as well as Elemental Attunement.
Whenever you learn a new elemental discipline, you can also replace one elemental discipline that you already know with a different discipline.
11th-level Way of the Four Elements feature
You learn one additional elemental discipline of your choice. You should know 3 elemental disciplines, as well as Elemental Attunement.
Whenever you learn a new elemental discipline, you can also replace one elemental discipline that you already know with a different discipline.
17th-level Way of the Four Elements feature
You learn one additional elemental discipline of your choice. You should know 4 elemental disciplines, as well as Elemental Attunement.
Whenever you learn a new elemental discipline, you can also replace one elemental discipline that you already know with a different discipline.
Monastic Traditions version 4.0.0 by Laserllama
The Way of the Four Elements was published in the Player's Handbook, and is widely considered to be one of the most unsatisfying subclasses in 5e. The Alternate Way of the Four Elements presented here is an attempt to bring this monk subclass up to par with other official Monastic Traditions.
Variant Rule: Spellcasting
The Alternate Way of the Four Elements presented here uses the warlock class, rather than the wizard, as the basis for its spellcasting abilities to better represent the raw power of nature. If you prefer more traditional spellcasting, use the progression found in the Eldritch Knight Fighter Archetype.
3rd-level Way of the Four Elements feature
You learn ancient monastic arts that allow you to cast spells:
| Four Elements Spellcasting | |||
| Monk Level | Spells Known | Spell Slots | Slot Level |
| 3rd | 2 | 1 | 1st |
| 4th | 2 | 2 | 1st |
| 5th | 3 | 2 | 1st |
| 6th | 3 | 2 | 1st |
| 7th | 4 | 2 | 2nd |
| 8th | 4 | 2 | 2nd |
| 9th | 5 | 2 | 2nd |
| 10th | 5 | 2 | 2nd |
| 11th | 5 | 2 | 2nd |
| 12th | 5 | 2 | 2nd |
| 13th | 6 | 2 | 3rd |
| 14th | 6 | 2 | 3rd |
| 15th | 6 | 2 | 3rd |
| 16th | 6 | 2 | 3rd |
| 17th | 7 | 2 | 3rd |
| 18th | 7 | 2 | 3rd |
| 19th | 7 | 2 | 4th |
| 20th | 7 | 2 | 4th |
You learn two cantrips of your choice from the Four Elements spell list at the end of this Tradition. You learn one additional Four Elements cantrip at 10th and 17th level.
The Four Elements Spellcasting table shows how many spell slots you have, and the level of those slots. All of your spell slots are the same level. To cast a Four Elements spell of 1st-level or higher, you must expend a spell slot. You use the spell's casting time and other rules, but your body is the spellcasting focus for these spells, and you don't need to provide any material components. You regain expended Four Elements spell slots when you finish a short or long rest.
For example, at 7th level, you have two 2nd-level spell slots. To cast the 1st-level spell burning hands, you must spend one of these Four Elements slots, and you cast it at 2nd-level.
You can draw upon your ki to regain your elemental powers. As a bonus action on your turn, you can expend a number of ki points equal to 1 + your Slot Level
to regain one of your expended Four Elements spell slots.
You learn two 1st-level spells of your choice from the Four Elements spell list at the end of this Tradition. The Spells Known column of the Four Elements Spellcasting table shows when you learn more spells. A spell you choose must be of a level no higher than what's shown in the Slot Level column for your level.
Whenever you gain a monk level, you can choose one Four Elements spell you know and replace it with another spell of your choice from the Four Elements spell list, which must be of a level for which you have Four Elements spell slots.
Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for your Four Elements spells, so you use Wisdom when a spell refers to your spellcasting ability, when setting a saving throw DC, and when making a spell attack roll.
Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier
Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier
6th-level Way of the Four Elements feature
You can infuse your fists with the power of the four elements. Whenever you make an unarmed strike, you can choose for it to deal bludgeoning, cold, fire, or thunder damage.
In addition, when you empower an unarmed strike in this way, your reach with that unarmed strike increases by 5 feet.
Finally, when you use your action to cast a Four Elements spell, you can make one unarmed strike as a bonus action.
11th-level Way of the Four Elements feature
You weave your martial arts with spiritual magic. When you cast a Four Elements spell with a casting time of 1 action, you can expend 2 ki points to cast it as a bonus action.
17th-level Way of the Four Elements feature
As an action, you can draw all four elements into yourself to take on an Elemental Form, gaining the following benefits:
Your Elemental Form lasts for 1 minute, but it ends early if you are incapacitated or use a bonus action to end it. Once you use this feature you must finish a long rest before you can use it again. When you have no uses remaining, you can expend 6 ki points to take on your Elemental Form again.
Here's is the spell list you consult to learn a Four Elements spell. Spells are organized by spell level, not character level.
| Cantrips | 2nd-level | 4th-level |
| blade ward control flames create bonfire druidcraft frostbite gust light magic stone mold earth produce flame ray of frost shape water thunderclap |
continual flame continual flame |
control water elemental bane fire shield freedom of movement ice storm resilient sphere stone shape stoneskin storm sphere wall of fire watery sphere |
| 1st-level | 3rd-level | |
| absorb elements armor of agathys burning hands create or destroy water earth tremor fog cloud frost fingers hellish rebuke ice knife* sanctuary thunderwave witch bolt |
call lighting erupting earth fireball fly gaseous form lighting bolt meld into stone minute meteors sleet storm thunder step tidal wave wall of sand wall of water wind wall |
Way of the Elements Remastered
You follow a monastic tradition that teaches you to harness the elements. When you focus your ki, you can align yourself with the forces of creation and bend the four elements to your will, using them as an extension of your body. Some members of this tradition dedicate themselves to a single element, but others weave the elements together.
Many monks of this tradition tattoo their bodies with representations of their ki powers, commonly imagined as coiling dragons, but also as phoenixes, fish, plants, mountains, and cresting waves.
3rd-level Way of the Four Elements feature
When you choose this tradition at 3rd level, you learn how to manipulate the four elements in subtle ways. You learn two of the following cantrips: control flames, gust, mold earth , or shape water. You learn two additional cantrips from this list at 6th level.
3rd-level Way of the Four Elements feature
At 3rd level, you learn magical disciplines that harness the power of the four elements. Some disciplines require you to spend ki points when you use them.
You learn two elemental disciplines of your choice, which are detailed in the elemental disciplines sections below. You learn two additional elemental disciplines of your choice at 6th, 11th, and 17th level.
Whenever you learn a new elemental discipline, you can also replace one elemental discipline that you already know with a different discipline.
Some elemental disciplines allow you to cast spells. See chapter 10 of the Player’s Handbook for the general rules of spellcasting. 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. When you cast a spell with a discipline, it is cast at the spell’s lowest level unless otherwise specified.
Once you reach 5th level in this class, you can spend additional ki points to increase the level of an elemental discipline spell that you cast, provided that the spell has an enhanced effect at a higher level, as burning hands does. The spell’s level increases by 1 for each additional ki point you spend. For example, if you are a 5th-level monk and use Sweeping Cinder Strike to cast burning hands, you can spend 2 ki points to cast it as a 2nd-level spell (the discipline’s base cost of 1 ki point plus 1).
The maximum number of ki points (its base ki point cost plus any additional points) that you can spend on the spell is 2, unless a discipline specifies otherwise. This maximum increases to 3 at 9th level, 4 at 13th level, and 5 at 17th level.
Starting at 3rd level, you can learn the following disciplines:
Starting at 6th level, you can learn the following disciplines:
Starting at 11th level, you can learn the following disciplines:
Starting at 17th level, you can learn the following disciplines: