Monk

Arcane Hand

Source: Guide to Drakenhime Pg 161

Monks who practice the Way of the Arcane Hand have trained their bodies and souls to be attuned to the weave of arcane magic. They can harness those cosmic energies and use them to fuel their martial practices. Monks of this tradition, although not mageborn, have gained control over the rawest and most natural forms of power.

Player Story Tips & Ideas Text

What to Expect A Monk that can cast spells. Acts as a half caster (Lv 4 Spells Max) with the ability to weave spells and unarmed attacks together during your turns. You get a damage buff to unarmed strikes while concentrating on a spell and are able to upcast spells using Ki points rather than spell slots. the Wizard spell list is used.

What would DM Darwin Change? Text

Astral Self

Source: Tasha's Cauldron of Everything

A monk who follows the Way of the Astral Self believes their body is an illusion. They see their ki as a representation of their true form, an astral self. This astral self has the capacity to be a force of order or disorder, with some monasteries training students to use their power to protect the weak and other instructing aspirants in how to manifest their true selves in service to the mighty

Player Story Tips & Ideas Text

What to Expect A Monk with the ability to use astral energy to create ethereal visions of themselves in the form of arms, masks and the whole upper torso at higher levels. You can punch with the arms, see in magical darkness with the mask, give yourself defences against elemental attack and buff your own attacks. a lot of cool versatile things both in and out of Combat and is very cool overall looking Role play wise.

What would DM Darwin Change? Text

Ascendant Dragon

Source: Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

The fundamental teaching of this tradition holds that by emulating dragons, a monk becomes a more integrated part of the world and its magic. By altering their spirit to resonate with draconic might, monks who follow this tradition augment their prowess in battle, bolster their allies, and can even soar through the air on draconic wings. But all this power is in service of a greater goal: achieving a spiritual unity with the essence of the Material Plane.

Player Story Tips & Ideas Text

What to Expect Dragon flavoured Monk. Gain a bunch of dragon themed abilities such as frightful presence, the ability to have elemental strikes, temporary spectral wings and even a breath weapon that scales as you level up.

What would DM Darwin Change? Text

Drunken Master

Source: Xanathar's Guide to Everything

The Way of the Drunken Master teaches its students to move with the jerky, unpredictable movements of a drunkard. A drunken master sways, tottering on unsteady feet, to present what seems like an incompetent combatant who proves frustrating to engage. The drunken master’s erratic stumbles conceal a carefully executed dance of blocks, parries, advances, attacks, and retreats.
A drunken master often enjoys playing the fool to bring gladness to the despondent or to demonstrate humility to the arrogant, but when battle is joined, the drunken master can be a maddening, masterful foe.

Player Story Tips & Ideas Text

What to Expect A Monk with abilities themed around their skill proficiencies and being even harder to hit. Spending Ki points to redirect missed enemies attacks to hit other enemies, Gaining skills with performance and brewers supplies. get up from prone really easily and some big group attack at higher levels to use when surrounded.

What would DM Darwin Change? Text

Four Elements

Source: 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.

Player Story Tips & Ideas Text

What to Expect Everything changed when the fire nation attacked. A Monk with elemental bending, you are playing the Avatar but still got alot of training to do as you gain more and more abilities the higher your level. has access to Elemental disciplines. a unique source of features specific for this subclass similar to a Warlock's eldritch invocations.

What would DM Darwin Change? Text

D&D 5th 2024 Version Available

Kensei

Source: Xanathar's Guide to Everything

Monks of the Way of the Kensei train relentlessly with their weapons, to the point that the weapon becomes like an extension of the body. Founded on a mastery of sword fighting, the tradition has expanded to include many different weapons.
A kensei sees a weapon much in the same way a calligrapher or a painter regards a pen or brush. Whatever the weapon, the kensei views it as a tool used to express the beauty and precision of the martial arts. That such mastery makes a kensei a peerless warrior is but a side effect of intense devotion, practice, and study.

Player Story Tips & Ideas Text

What to Expect Its like your playing Absolver but you always have a weapon. Monk subclass specialising in weapon combat and able to apply their skills normally reserved to unarmed strikes to a select few themed weapons.

What would DM Darwin Change? Text

Leaden Crown

Source: Grim Hollow Pg 54

In contrast to the esoteric ideals of other monastic traditions, monks of the Way of the Leaden Crown have practical aims: the self-governance of humanoid peoples. These monks see the history of the world as a series of clashes between groups of powerful beings, where humanoids were at best collateral damage and at worst disposable pawns.
To break this cycle of dependence and destruction, monks of the Way of the Leaden Crown master mental powers to fight back against the otherworldly powers of the multiverse and protect humanoid sovereignty. One component of this plan involves training to do battle with powerful outsiders. The other equally important component is ensuring that humanoid societies are prepared to overthrow those powerful outsiders already dominating them. To that end, these monks seek political positions that place them in or near decision-making roles where they can influence humanoids to fight back against arch seraphs, arch daemons, and primordials

Player Story Tips & Ideas a Monk who has chosen a different path of enlightenment to most other monasteries more logical and cynical. Might be seen as advisors or bodyguards for higher up officials

What to Expect Hand to Hand combat with Psionic features, Casting specific spells with Ki points not requiring components, Stacking burst damage and extra reach + pushing or pulling foes on hit.

What would DM Darwin Change? 'Subtle Hand' make the 10ft reach permanent, I know why they made it only active on your turn so you couldn't opportunity attack at range, but characters with a reach weapon can already do that so why not this subclass?
'Unsubtle Strike' let it be used multiple times a turn.
'Psychic Crush' Have the 1d8 Damage scale with higher levels OR add more Pressure points with the same cost of Ki points.

Long Death

Source: Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide

an Edjy Monk, cool dark and mysterious with abilities to heal off killing creatures, fearing weak willed foes. cheat death and also do a massive damaging attack at higher levels.

Mercy

Source: Tasha's Cauldron of Everything

D&D 5th 2024 Version Available

Acupuncture, Chiropractor, masseuse. All apply to the Mercy monk. A really cool subclass that offers team support in the way of healing and disease curing while in the same breath able to deal extra necrotic damage to foes as part of their unarmed strikes. At the highest levels they can even bring the recently deceased back to life with a firm grasp and Ki points. AND you get a cool Mask.

Open Hand

Source: Player's Handbook

D&D 5th 2024 Version Available

A Monk themed Monk, Gives more options for martial art themed attacks or modifiers to unarmed strikes as well as some abilities to sustain themselves with self healing and a super strong anime attack at higher levels

Pride

Source: Grim Hollow Pg 55

What to Expect
Monk wanting to be at Half health at all times and complaining when they go down to 0HP more than others or that a AOE heal caught them ruining their buffs.

Playing as SUBCLASS
Playing a not so humble monk. full of themselves and prideful. Experienced players will make this theme work really well without ruining the rest of the groups gameplay.

What would DM Darwin Change?
Give the player a magic item that halves their HP and doesn't let it go above with healing. make it permanent (Unable to be removed) and cost attunment and offer a buff from the item that gets better with the character's level.

Serpent

Source: Guide to Drakenhime Pg 163

A Monk that specialises in polearms, not only that but they get to jump around like they are using the insect glaive from monster hunter. get massive reach, the ability to take some fancy moves part of their opportunity attacks and other reactions, deal extra poison damage on attacks and other really cool stuff, perfect for a specialised themed polearm character.

Shadow

Source: Player's Handbook

D&D 5th 2024 Version Available

A Monk but sneaky, has access to alot of stealth themed spells fulled by their Ki points as well as some fancy movement options when the area is free of light and can ever turn invisible in the shadows at higher levels.

Specter

Source: Hexbound Pg 24

a really cool and interesting subclass all about inflecting levels of exhaustion on your foes with each unarmed strike. as you gai levels your features lean into this giving you more damage when targeting exhausted creatures and able to heal off the damage delt also. very cool.

Sun Soul

Source: Xanathar's Guide to Everything

Have you ever wanted to shoot Ki blasts like a DBZ character? Well the Sun Soul subclass lets you do that. Letting you fuel various fire and radiant themed spells/Attacks with you Ki points and some special explosive moves.