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View Full Version : D&D 5e/Next Need Ideas for 6th Level Feature for Lightning Monk



JMAP94
2018-12-25, 01:04 AM
The Problem I'm DMing and I'm making a Lightning themed Monastic Tradition for the 5e monk. I'm using the Way of Shadow as a balance guide. I want an idea for some sort of passive or at will ability I can give the player at 6th level. Spitball any ideas you have here, but,if you want there's additional information in the Spoiler.

Merry Christmas, and Thank You.

Some background InfoThe character my player wants to play as is a Aaracockra monk, who's monastic order teaches that strife makes one stronger, and believes in harnessing one's anger. In my world, this monastic order has this ritual (at level 3) where the character is taken to the elemental plane, and must fight a lightning elemental,, and throughout the battle, exchange parts of their ki and form with each hit, and at the end of the ritual, the lightning elemental and the monk are forced back into the material plane. The monk becomes part elemental, and the elemental becomes part mortal (possessing an incomplete/imperfect form similar to the monk, usually lacking in eyes). Theirs more story stuff with that, but I don't want to go into it. The feature at 3rd level is like the one from Way of Shadow. He can cast thunderwave, lightning claw (burning hands, but with lightning), blur, and expeditious retreat with ki. At 11th level, he will be able to cast lightning bolt and call lightning with ki. At 17th level, he will be able to cast "Thunderdome/Storm of Kord" which is a homebrew spell we both created for a previous version of this monk, which is a cross between compelled duel, tiny hut, and fog cloud.

My Ideas so Far....I really don't want just another way to spend ki, as I think that the main weakness of the Four Elements monk is that all its class features require the same resource. I was thinking about giving him lightning absorption so he can use his lightning damage abilities as a heal (I've given him shocking grasp cantrip), but I think that's kind of boring, and such a non-interactive hard counter to certain scenarios. Might still do that as part of a capstone feature.... I was also considering some sort of speed boost, but monks and Aarackockras already have speed up the wazoo and the class feature I made at 3rd level already gives him expeditious retreat and blur. I've asked him for input, but he can't come up with anything that would be balanced, and have flavor. Another idea I had was allowing him to cast "Elemental Weapon" on his fists using ki (provided he must choose lightning).

sandmote
2018-12-25, 02:23 AM
My first thought is to simply knock off the Way of Shadows:
Sky Traveler
At 6th level, whenever you are not underground or indoors, as a bonus action you can teleport up to 60 feet to an unoccupied space you can see that is also not underground or indoors. You then have advantage on the first melee attack you make before the end of the turn.

Alternatively, knock off the Storm Sorcerer:
Flow of Air
Once per turn, you can cause whirling gusts of elemental air to briefly surround you, allowing you to travel your next 10 feet of movement without provoking opportunity attacks.

In some cases that can conserve a ki point.

Either something like that, or actually just give them Storm Guide.

JMAP94
2018-12-25, 11:04 AM
My first thought is to simply knock off the Way of Shadows:
Sky Traveler
At 6th level, whenever you are not underground or indoors, as a bonus action you can teleport up to 60 feet to an unoccupied space you can see that is also not underground or indoors. You then have advantage on the first melee attack you make before the end of the turn.


I like this idea a lot. I think that's the way I'm going to go, and then I'm going to give lightning resistance at 6th level, then lightning ammunity at 11th level, and finally lightning absorption at 17th level (in addition to all other stuff).