Yet Another Four Elements Rework

You might be thinking "There's plenty of other homebrewed ways to rework this already. Why do we need another one?"

Well, we actually don't! Regardless, I'm a nerd so I thought I'd write up a version that met in the middle, making monk a 1/3 caster, but maintaining the use of ki points to cast spells.

Way of the Four Elements Features

Monk Level Feature 3rd Elemental Spellcasting, Elemental Guard 8th Quickened Elementalist 11th Magical Flurry, Shape Elements 17th Elemental Arcana

Spellcasting

When you choose this tradition at 3rd level, you learn to convert Ki into spell slots and cast elemental magic.

Cantrips. You learn four cantrips: thaumaturgy, and three cantrips of your choice from the Sorcerer spell list.

Spell Slots. You do not have any innate spell slots. At the start of each of your turns, you can spend ki points to create one spell slot. Creating this spell slot costs a number of ki points equal to the slot’s level + 1. The created spell slot vanishes at the start of your next turn.

The maximum number of ki points you can spend to create a spell slot in this way is determined by your Monk level, as shown in the Maximum Spell Slot Level column of the Way of the Four Elements Spellcasting table.

Spells Known of 1st-Level and Higher. You know three 1st level spells of your choice from the sorcerer class spell list: absorb elements, and two other spells from the evocation or transmutation spells on the sorcerer spell list.

The Spells Known column of the Way of the Four Elements Spellcasting table shows when you learn more sorcerer spells of 1st level or higher. Each of these spells must be an evocation or transmutation spell of your choice, and cannot be a cantrip. The spell cannot be above a certain level; the maximum level of a spell you can learn increases as you gain monk levels, as shown by the Learned Spell Level column of the Way of the Four Elements Spellcasting table.

The spells you learn at 8th. 14th, and 20th level can come from any school of magic.

Whenever you gain a level in this c1ass, you can replace one of the sorcerer spells you know (excluding absorb elements) with another spell of your choice from the sorcerer spell list. The new spell cannot be a cantrip, and must be of a level equal to or below your Known Spell Level. It must be an evocation or transmutation, unless you're replacing the spell you gained at 8th, 14th, ar 20th level.

Spellcasting Ability. You use your Charisma whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Charisma modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a Sorcerer spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one. Your Spell save DC is 8 + your proficiency bonus + your charisma modifier, and your Spell attack modifier is your Proficiency Bonus + your Charisma modifier.

When you cast a spell, you ignore any material components it requires.

Way of the Four Elements Spellcasting

Monk Level Spells Known Known Spell Level Maximum Spell Slot Level 3rd 3 1 1 4th 4 1 1 5th 4 1 2 6th 4 1 2 7th 5 2 2 8th 6 2 2 9th 6 2 3 10th 7 2 3 11th 8 3 3 12th 8 3 3 13th 9 3 4 14th 10 3 4 15th 10 3 4 16th 11 3 4 17th 12 3 6 18th 12 3 6 19th 12 4 6 20th 13 4 6

Elemental Fists

Starting at 3rd level, when you cast absorb elements, you may choose to make your unarmed strikes deal damage of the chosen type. This effect is almost permanent: it lasts until you use this feature again or end the effect as a bonus action.

Quickened Elementalist

Starting at 6th level, you may use a spell slot you created by spending ki points to cast a spell with a casting time of 1 action as a bonus action. Once you use this feature, you must finish a short or long rest before you use it again.

Magical Flurry

Starting at 11th level, immediately after you take the Cast a Spell action on your turn, you can spend 1 ki point to make two unarmed strikes as a bonus action.

Shape Elements

Starting at 11th level, when you cast a spell that forces other creatures to make a saving throw, you can protect some of those creatures from the spell's full force. To do so, you spend any number of ki points and choose a number of those creatures up to the number of ki points spent. A chosen creature automatically succeeds on its saving throw against the spell.

Elemental Arcana

Starting at 17th level, whenever you take a short rest, you may switch the spell you gained at 17th level with one of the following four 6th-level spells: Investiture of Flame, Investiture of Ice, Investiture of Stone, Investiture of Wind.

Heightened Spell. When you cast a spell that forces a creature to make a saving throw to resist its effects, you can spend 3 ki points to give one target of the spell disadvantage on its first saving throw made against the spell.

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Created by u/lu__ma using homebrewery.naturalcrit.com. I recommend making spells cost 1 less ki in a campaign where short rests are rare.