first outline for an improved D&D monk

well here is my first post as I got told that I should put my ideas online,

so here I go with my D&D monk outline.

On building better monks

Most people when building a better monk than to fix the ki issue by the agreed-upon increase so the class plays better being dynamic. Whilst that is certainly an improvement I have noted that what we get to spend it on is limited meaning they all tend to do the same thing this could be better, also a lot of the ways boil down to a fighting style and that makes for dull sub class themes.

So I have decided to fix both at the same time making monk more customization and ideally interesting. Note one of the things I want to fix is the inability in raw to play a strength monk and I intend to fix that at level one but at this moment it is little more an afterthought.

First concept martial art styles technicality at present there are no present martial art styles just abilities having variety would be nice

imitating the genres these characters are inspired by would be wise so I have created a system designed to solve this.

1st level

Martial Arts Styles

At 2nd level, your training in combat arts has finalized granting you two styles of your choice from three categories: weapon, martial, and energy.

Styles are defined as as versatile meaning they can be used with dex or str as the attacking state

Weapon styles let the user fight with a certain class of weapon better than anything else as well as providing ki empowered tricks with the weapons.

Martial styles are the classic fists, kicks and other such unarmed fighting styles many of the base sub-classes of the books get broken down into styles as most of the sub-classes are just the way they fight not what should define them

energy styles are magical and based on the more supernatural concepts, fist of flame or freezing blasts of ice these styles are designed to create more magical effects it also offers ranged options or the ability to damage certain enemy types and adding more damage types as options for the monk.

Martial styles: I will need to do some reading here on different martial arts as I want at least a good cross-section of the different kinds of none weapon fighting, likely to start in the east and work west and south, this is also likely to end up the most massive selection area.

I know that whatever drunken boxing is really called will end up here.

some of the styles of kung fu will end up here.

karate will end up here

will need at least one grappling one at some point.

Weapon styles: blade and fist style, polearms/staffs, two-handed weapons, and chain weapons(sickle and chain, Nunchaku that sort of thing.)

Energy styles: the hardest to describe but let's face it at some point everyone wanted a Hadouken or a Kamehameha in D&D thus this is the area for such feats, I will have one for each of the following damage types:

Acid: The corrosive spray of a black dragon’s breath and the dissolving enzymes secreted by a black pudding deal acid damage.

Cold: The infernal chill radiating from an ice devil’s spear and the frigid blast of a white dragon’s breath deal cold damage.

Fire: Red dragons breathe fire, and many spells conjure flames to deal fire damage.

Force: Force is pure magical energy focused into a damaging form. Most effects that deal force damage are spells, including magic missile and spiritual weapon.

Lightning: A lightning bolt spell and a blue dragon’s breath deal lightning damage.

Necrotic: Necrotic damage, dealt by certain undead and a spell such as chill touch, withers matter and even the soul.

Poison: Venomous stings and the toxic gas of a green dragon’s breath deal poison damage.

Psychic: Mental abilities such as a psionic blast deal psychic damage.

Radiant: Radiant damage, dealt by a cleric’s flame strike spell or an angel’s smiting weapon, sears the flesh like fire and overloads the spirit with power.

Thunder: A concussive burst of sound, such as the effect of the thunderwave spell, deals thunder damage.

Monastic Tradition

When you reach 3rd level, you commit yourself to a tradition. The tradition you choose grants you features at 3rd level and again at 7th, 10th, 15th, and 18th level.

Your tradition grants you features at 3rd level and again at 6th, 11th, and 17th level.

 

On what should and should not be a traditio

I hate the traditions that seem to amount to cool fighting moves and I prefer ones with strong thematic ideas so the way of the shadow could stay mostly intact but a way of the drunken master brakes down into a fighting style. 

will need to really do some research here as this is by far the most difficult area to fix plus good subclasses can make or break a 5e class.