D&D Monk Level Up – a step by step guide (5e)

I always found the level-up process to be one of the most enjoyable and rewarding nuances of any RPG, including Dungeons & Dragons.

It’s the feeling of seeing your character finally getting stronger after you spent so many hours slaying ferocious beasts, exploring dark dungeons, making new acquaintances, escaping from situations you couldn’t handle at your previous level, opening treasure chests filled with coins and jewels (and sometimes empty ones), and so on, that makes this part of the game so exciting.

When it comes to progress through levels in D&D there are quite a few things to remember and all the information you need are scattered on different pages of the Player’s Handbook (and sometimes on other manuals).

I’m pretty sure most of the players have already memorized all the pages they need to look at to level up their alter-ego, but for all the new players, for my friends that constantly ask me what to do when they have to level up and even for veterans who just want a tidy recap, I thought it would be handy to have a step by step guide to follow that will hopefully make the whole level-up process faster.

In this article, I’ll dive deep into the D&D Monk level up process, and in particular what new abilities and feats you’d unlock, as well as any change of the character’s stats.

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D&D Monk Level Up Advancement Table

Here’s a quick overview of the Monk level up advancement if you want to get a sneak peek or if you need a quick recap.

Keep scrolling for a deeper description of each level.

1st Level – Monk Starting Features & Abilities

Hit Points

• Basic Hit Points: 8 + Constitution (CON) modifier.
• Hit Dice: 1d8.

Proficiencies

• Armour: None.
• Weapons: Simple weapons, Shortswords.
• Tools: One type of artisan’s tools or one musical instrument.
• Proficiency bonus: +2.
• Saving Throws: Strength (STR) and Dexterity (DEX).
• Skills: Choose two from Acrobatics, Athletics, History, Insight, Religion, and Stealth.

Class Features

• Unarmored Defense
  While you aren’t wearing any armour, your Armour Class will be 10 + your Dexterity (DEX) modifier + your Wisdom (WIS) modifier.
• Martial Arts (1d4)
  You know plenty of combat styles that use unarmed strikes and monk weapons, which give you useful benefits.

2nd Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Ki (2 points)
  You have access to the mystic energy of ki, which allows you to use powerful features by spending ki points. Your level of Monk determines how many point you can spend between short or long rests.
• Unarmored Movement (+10 ft.)
  Your speed increases by 10 feet if you’re not wearing any armour or wielding a shield.

3rd Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Ki Points: +1.
• Monastic Tradition
  You can choose your subclass between the Way of the Open Hand, Way of Shadow, Way of the Four Elements, Way of Mercy, Way of the Ascendant Dragon, Way of the Astral Self, Way of the Drunken Master, Way of the Kensei, Way of the Long Death, and Way of the Sun Soul.
• Deflect Missiles
  You can use the reaction to deflect or catch a missile from a ranged attack. The damage you take is reduced by 1d10 + your Dexterity modifier + your monk level.
  If you manage to reduce the damage to 0 you can also use that missile you just caught to make a ranged attack as part of the same reaction phase.

4th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Ki Points: +1.
• Slow Fall
  You can use your reaction to reduce any falling damage you take.
• Ability Score Improvement: you can increase one ability score by 2 or increase two ability scores by 1. If you use the optional feats rule you can instead choose a Feat of your choice.

5th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Ki Points: +1.
• Proficiency Bonus: +1.
• Martial Arts die becomes 1d6.
• Extra Attack
  You can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you use the attack action on your turn.
• Stunning Strike
  When you hit an enemy with a melee attack, you can spend 1 Ki point to attempt a stunning strike (Consitution saving throw).

6th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Ki Points: +1.
• Unarmored Movement becomes 15 feet.
• Ki-Empowered Strikes
  Your unarmed strikes count as magical if the enemy is resistant or immune to nonmagical attacks and damage.
• New Monastic Tradition subclass feature: this depends on which Monastic Tradition you have chosen for your Monk.

7th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Ki Points: +1.
• Evasion
  Your extreme agility allows you to dodge certain area effects coming from those attacks that require you to make a Dexterity saving throw. If you pass it, you’ll take 0 damage instead of the standard half damage.
• Stillness of Mind
  You can use your action to terminate an effect on yourself that is causing you to be charmed or frightened.

8th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Ki Points: +1.
• Ability Score Improvement: you can increase one ability score by 2 or increase two ability scores by 1. If you use the optional feats rule you can instead choose a Feat of your choice.

9th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Ki Points: +1.
• Proficiency Bonus: +1.
• Unarmored Movement Improvement
  You gain the ability to move along vertical surfaces and across liquids without problems.

10th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Ki Points: +1.
• Unarmored Movement becomes 20 feet.
• Purity of Body
  You become immune to disease and poison.

11th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Ki Points: +1.
• Martial Arts die becomes 1d8.
• New Monastic Tradition subclass feature: this depends on which Monastic Tradition you have chosen for your Monk.

12th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Ki Points: +1.
• Ability Score Improvement: you can increase one ability score by 2 or increase two ability scores by 1. If you use the optional feats rule you can instead choose a Feat of your choice.

13th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Ki Points: +1.
• Proficiency Bonus: +1.
• Tongue of the Sun and Moon
  You can understand all spoken language and any creatures that can understand a language can also understand you.

14th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Ki Points: +1.
• Unarmored Movement becomes 25 feet.
• Diamond Soul
  You have proficiency in all saving throws and if you fail to pass it you can reroll the die by spending 1 Ki point.

15th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Ki Points: +1.
• Timeless Body
  Your ki sustains you so that you suffer none of the weaknesses of old age, and you don’t need to eat and drink anymore.

16th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Ki Points: +1.
• Ability Score Improvement: you can increase one ability score by 2 or increase two ability scores by 1. If you use the optional feats rule you can instead choose a Feat of your choice.

17th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Ki Points: +1.
• Proficiency Bonus: +1.
• Martial Arts die becomes 1d10.
• New Monastic Tradition subclass feature: this depends on which Monastic Tradition you have chosen for your Monk.

18th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Ki Points: +1.
• Unarmored Movement becomes 30 feet.
• Empty Body
  You can become invisible for 1 minute by spending 4 Ki points.

19th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Ki Points: +1.
• Ability Score Improvement: you can increase one ability score by 2 or increase two ability scores by 1. If you use the optional feats rule you can instead choose a Feat of your choice.

20th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Ki Points: +1.
• Perfect Self
  When you roll the initiative and you don’t have any Ki points left, you’ll regain 4 Ki points.