Editing Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition (section)

===[[Monk]]===
Uses dexterity for attack AND damage rolls at level one, cutting down on the class's infamous [[MAD|multiple ability dependency]], and now has a "Martial Arts" bonus that lets them deal the same scaling damage with all their weapons, not just their bare hands. As before, Monks have a resource called Ki, which they use on a number of abilities granted by their archetype, known as their Monastic Tradition.
* '''Way of the Open Hand''' (PHB): Your classic kung-fu master monk, complete with the famous ''quivering palm'' save-or-die power
* '''Way of Shadow''' (PHB): Grants all sorts of stealth bonuses, explicitly turning the monk into a [[ninja]] (reinforced by the fact typical ninja weapons - like kama or nunchucks - are called "monk weapons" here).
* '''Way of the Four Elements''' (PHB): Allows the monk to cast and make certain spells and attacks with elemental themes using Ki, appealing to ''[[Avatar: The Last Airbender]]'' fans.  Unfortunately underpowered, to the point where some claim having no specialization would be better. Nerdarchy released their own drastically rewritten version: https://nerdarchy.com/way-of-the-four-elements-monk-reborn-for-5e-dd/. It's far more viable, being the only thing in 5e that operates on a stance system so far.
* '''Way of the Long Death''' (Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide): This gives a monk the ability to heal itself by killing enemies like a Fiend pact Warlock, a fear effect, a powerful grab attack, and the ability to spend a ki point to keep on fighting at one hitpoint when an attack would normally knock them out. It also gives them the [[Fist of the North Star]].
* '''Way of the Sun Soul''' (Sword Cost Adventurer's Guide): ''HaDOUUUken!'' Sun Soul monks get ranged attacks, letting them throw bolts of magical radiance around whenever they want to (naturally, they're proficient in such attacks). They can spend ki to spam these energy blasts like regular monk fists, spend ki to mimic the effect of Burning Hands after they hit someone, they develop what amounts to a ''fireball'' attack that does Radiant damage, which can be further enhanced with ki, and they eventually can set up an aura of light that has the added effect of being able to burn someone who hits you in melee. Holds up well as the long-time undead-smiting monk sub-class. Was reprinted in Xanathar's Guide to Everything.
* '''Way of the Kensei''' (Xanathar's Guide to Everything): Taking its name from an "unarmored [[samurai]] weapon-master" [[kits|kit]] way back in the days of 1e, is a weapon-master monk, who gains free proficiency with three martial weapons and the ability to use weapons it's proficient with as "kensei weapons" - use Dex or Strength for attack & damage rolls, can substitute Martial Arts damage for the weapon's normal dice value, can deal +1d4 bludgeoning damage when striking with a kensei weapon, and can get +2 AC by forfeiting a strike with a wielded kensei weapon to instead make an unarmed strike. And that's just your first feature! It gets beefier thereafter; treating any kensai weapon it wields as being magical, being able to double its proficiency bonus for one attack roll once per short rest, spending ki points to buff attack & damage rolls, and finally being able to re-roll one missed attack per turn. This archetype got some revisions on the May 2017 UA.
* '''Way of Tranquility''' (UA: Monks): In essence, is a monk diplomancer; inclined towards pacifism, its powers mostly relate to non-violence - an inherent Sanctuary ability, what is essentially a [[Paladin|Lay On Hands]] trait (cure HP damage, poison and disease with a touch), free proficiency with either Performance or Persuasion, advantage on sincere attempts to defuse impending violence with a Charisma check, an at-will charm effect that makes a victim incapable of attacking, and finally the ability to do a huge amount of bonus damage to someone they see kill somebody else.
* '''Way of the Drunken Master''' (Xanathar's Guide to Everything): Would you believe us if we told you there's a real-life school of martial arts based around pretending to be drunk? This archetype is based on it. This is a fairly gimmicky sort of path, focused on improved action economy. Level 3's "Drunken Technique" grants it free Proficency in Performance and a boost to Flurry of Blows; the Drunken Master can, whilst using that feature, Disengage as a free action and boost their speed by 10 feet until the end of the turn when doing so. Level 6 gives them access to Tipsy Sway, which lets them, with the use of a Ki Point, use a reaction to being missed by an enemy melee attack to make that attack instead hit a third individual within 5 feet. Drunkard's Luck, their 11th level feature, gives them the ability to spend 1 ki point before making a saving throw to gain Advantage on that save. Finally, at level 17 they gain Intoxicated Frenzy, which means they get +3 attacks (maximum of 5) whilst using Flurry of Blows, so long as they aim each attack at a different target.
* '''Way of the [[Soul Knife]]''' (Mearls' Stream): Part of a grand stream in which Mearls outlined his plans on how to make [[psionics]] work through the subclass system, rather than trying to just make unique psionics classes.
* '''Way of the Astral Self''' (Tasha's Cauldron of Everything): aka the [[JoJo's Bizarre Adventure|Stand]] subclass. Yes, you literally summon aspects of a spiritual self that works in tandem with you, eventually growing more visible before a complete body.
* '''Way of Mercy''' (Tasha's Cauldron of Everything): These guys are a little more inspired by European monks and plague doctors than the usual [[Wuxia]]-inspired monk. They gain powers that alternatively harm and heal their allies and enemies, and their 17th level feature lets them put a target in literal suspended animation for a while. Pretty neat, overall.
**The Tasha's rewrite focuses more on being the combat medic. As you level up, you also gain the ability to cure certain conditions and poison enemies. The capstone ability also now resurrects a dead thing and cure them of any conditions they suffered.
* '''Way of the Ascendant Dragon''' (UA 2020: Subclasses Part 5): Become like a dragon. It starts off letting you deal elemental damage and limited uses of a personal breath weapon. Later levels grant temporary flight and various other dragon traits by channeling a special aura.