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Way of the Elemental Fist • Ki Master

About these subclasses

Way of the Elemental Fist, is all about adaptability and momentum—letting you shift between elemental stances to control the flow of combat depending on the situation. You’re constantly reading the fight and swapping stances to match. Start defensive or mobile, then shift into damage or control once the opportunity appears. The subclass rewards timing—choosing when to spend Stress and which stance to adopt is key. You won’t be the most armored or static fighter, but you excel at fluid combat, punishing mistakes, and adapting on the fly.

The Ki Master is a monk who has perfected the flow of inner energy, using Ki with precision to enhance every aspect of combat. Rather than relying on raw strength, they weave together mobility, control, and empowered strikes, turning each action into a calculated advantage. In play, the Ki Master rewards smart resource management—balancing Ki, Stress, and Hope to maintain momentum, adapt to threats, and capitalize on key moments. They excel at chaining abilities, controlling positioning, and sustaining themselves through disciplined focus, making them a versatile and highly reactive combatant.

Designed for class

Monk
Homebrew class
Monk
Way of the Elemental Fist

Way of the Elemental Fist

Spellcast Trait: Instinct

Play the Way of the Elemental Fist if you want to master all four elements

Foundation

Stance Change: Mark a Stress to Channel one of the following elemental battle stances. Lasts until you take Severe damage or until your next rest.

  • Fists of Tiamat: When an adversary within Melee range deals damage to you, they take 1d10 fire damage. You unarmed attacks are now considered fire damage.

  • Unbreakable Gaia: Gain a bonus to your Armour Slots equal to your Proficiency.

  • Kraken Kata: When you defeat an adversary within Melee range, all other adversaries within Very Close range cannot move or flee for one turn.

  • Windwaker: You take no fall damage.

Specialization

Stance Change Aura's: Once per rest while Channeling, you can add an aura to your current stance. The aura affects targets within Close range until your Channeling ends.

  • Fists of Tiamat Aura: When an adversary marks 1 or more Hit Points, they must also mark a an Armour Slot.

  • Unbreakable Gaia: When you or an ally takes damage from an attack beyond Melee range, reduce the damage by 1d8.

  • Kraken Kata Aura: When you defeat an adversary within Melee range you can mark a Stress to make all attackers within Close range temporarily Vulnerable.

  • Windwaker Aura: You and your allies gain a +1 bonus to Agility.

Mastery

Stance Change Aura's Enhanced: You further embody your element. While Channeling a stance, you gain the following additional aura effects:

  • Fists of Tiamat Aura: Your unarmed attacks now deal an additional 1d10 fire damage.

  • Unbreakable Gaia Aura: Your allies gain a bonus to their Armour Slots equal to your Proficiency. You now gain a double bonus to your Armour Slots equal to your Proficiency.

  • Kraken Kata Aura: When an attack against you succeeds, you can mark a Stress to make the attacker temporarily Vulnerable.

  • Windwaker Aura: You gain a +1 bonus to your Evasion and can fly. If you can already fly gain a +2 Evasion.

Ki Master

Ki Master

Spellcast Trait: Instinct

Play the Ki Master if you want to use your mind and body to its full capabilities

Foundation

Channel Ki: You have a pool of Ki points equal to your level. You can spend Ki to fuel special techniques. All Ki is restored when you complete any rest.

Ki infused palms: Spend 1 Ki to increase the damage die of your unarmed attacks by one size. You may also mark 1 Stress to target two creatures within Melee range with a single attack roll. This effect lasts until you take Severe damage or until your next rest.

Overwhelm: When you hit with an attack, you may spend 1 Ki to force the target to either mark 1 Stress or be thrown within Close range.

Specialization

Channel Ki Mind Mastery: Your Ki pool increases to twice your level.

Unbound Movement: Once per short rest, you may spend 2 Ki to perform an extraordinary feat of movement (such as running across water, leaping great distances, or scaling walls) without making a roll. When you do, gain 1 Hope and clear 1 Stress.

Stillness of Mind: When you mark more than 1 Hit Point from a single attack, you may spend 2 Ki to gain 1 Hope and clear 1 Stress.

Mastery

Channel Ki Body Mastery: You may spend Hope in place of Ki, and Ki in place of Hope, when using Ki abilities.

Perfected Strike: When you critically succeed on a melee weapon attack, you may spend half your current Ki points to gain 2 Hope, clear 2 Stress, and gain a +2 bonus to your Proficiency for that attack.

Ki Blast: Spend half your current Ki points to make an Agility Roll against all targets within Close range. On a success, deal d20 magic damage to each using your Proficiency. If you roll below 10 you may spend 2 additional Ki to make the blast do a minimum of 10 damage to each enemy.

Printable cards

Foundation / Specialization / Mastery
Valor domain icon Sage domain icon
Way of the Elemental Fist
Monk

Way of the Elemental Fist

Foundation

SPELLCAST TRAIT: Instinct

Stance Change: Mark a Stress to Channel one of the following elemental battle stances. Lasts until you take Severe damage or until your next rest.

  • Fists of Tiamat: When an adversary within Melee range deals damage to you, they take 1d10 fire damage. You unarmed attacks are now considered fire damage.

  • Unbreakable Gaia: Gain a bonus to your Armour Slots equal to your Proficiency.

  • Kraken Kata: When you defeat an adversary within Melee range, all other adversaries within Very Close range cannot move or flee for one turn.

  • Windwaker: You take no fall damage.

Daggerheart Compatible. Daggerheart.comDaggerheart Compatible Logo
Card Backing
Valor domain icon Sage domain icon
Way of the Elemental Fist
Monk

Way of the Elemental Fist

Specialization

Stance Change Aura's: Once per rest while Channeling, you can add an aura to your current stance. The aura affects targets within Close range until your Channeling ends.

  • Fists of Tiamat Aura: When an adversary marks 1 or more Hit Points, they must also mark a an Armour Slot.

  • Unbreakable Gaia: When you or an ally takes damage from an attack beyond Melee range, reduce the damage by 1d8.

  • Kraken Kata Aura: When you defeat an adversary within Melee range you can mark a Stress to make all attackers within Close range temporarily Vulnerable.

  • Windwaker Aura: You and your allies gain a +1 bonus to Agility.

Daggerheart Compatible. Daggerheart.comDaggerheart Compatible Logo
Card Backing
Valor domain icon Sage domain icon
Way of the Elemental Fist
Monk

Way of the Elemental Fist

Mastery

Stance Change Aura's Enhanced: You further embody your element. While Channeling a stance, you gain the following additional aura effects:

  • Fists of Tiamat Aura: Your unarmed attacks now deal an additional 1d10 fire damage.

  • Unbreakable Gaia Aura: Your allies gain a bonus to their Armour Slots equal to your Proficiency. You now gain a double bonus to your Armour Slots equal to your Proficiency.

  • Kraken Kata Aura: When an attack against you succeeds, you can mark a Stress to make the attacker temporarily Vulnerable.

  • Windwaker Aura: You gain a +1 bonus to your Evasion and can fly. If you can already fly gain a +2 Evasion.

Daggerheart Compatible. Daggerheart.comDaggerheart Compatible Logo
Card Backing
Valor domain icon Sage domain icon
Ki Master
Monk

Ki Master

Foundation

SPELLCAST TRAIT: Instinct

Channel Ki: You have a pool of Ki points equal to your level. You can spend Ki to fuel special techniques. All Ki is restored when you complete any rest.

Ki infused palms: Spend 1 Ki to increase the damage die of your unarmed attacks by one size. You may also mark 1 Stress to target two creatures within Melee range with a single attack roll. This effect lasts until you take Severe damage or until your next rest.

Overwhelm: When you hit with an attack, you may spend 1 Ki to force the target to either mark 1 Stress or be thrown within Close range.

Daggerheart Compatible. Daggerheart.comDaggerheart Compatible Logo
Card Backing
Valor domain icon Sage domain icon
Ki Master
Monk

Ki Master

Specialization

Channel Ki Mind Mastery: Your Ki pool increases to twice your level.

Unbound Movement: Once per short rest, you may spend 2 Ki to perform an extraordinary feat of movement (such as running across water, leaping great distances, or scaling walls) without making a roll. When you do, gain 1 Hope and clear 1 Stress.

Stillness of Mind: When you mark more than 1 Hit Point from a single attack, you may spend 2 Ki to gain 1 Hope and clear 1 Stress.

Daggerheart Compatible. Daggerheart.comDaggerheart Compatible Logo
Card Backing
Valor domain icon Sage domain icon
Ki Master
Monk

Ki Master

Mastery

Channel Ki Body Mastery: You may spend Hope in place of Ki, and Ki in place of Hope, when using Ki abilities.

Perfected Strike: When you critically succeed on a melee weapon attack, you may spend half your current Ki points to gain 2 Hope, clear 2 Stress, and gain a +2 bonus to your Proficiency for that attack.

Ki Blast: Spend half your current Ki points to make an Agility Roll against all targets within Close range. On a success, deal d20 magic damage to each using your Proficiency. If you roll below 10 you may spend 2 additional Ki to make the blast do a minimum of 10 damage to each enemy.

Daggerheart Compatible. Daggerheart.comDaggerheart Compatible Logo
Card Backing

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