Unearthed Arcana - Monk - Monastic Traditions (Way of the Kensei & Way of Tranquility)

Oct 5, 2026

Playtest material for the monk class introduces new Monastic Traditions options at 3rd level: the Way of the Kensei and the Way of Tranquility. The Kensei path focuses on weapon mastery, letting you treat specific weapons as kensei weapons, choose Dexterity or Strength, add Martial Arts die options, and gain bonus-action offensive and defensive benefits, with further power growth at 6th, 11th, and 17th level. The Tranquility path emphasizes calm and healing, providing sanctuary casting, long-duration self protection, healing hands with restoration and disease/poison curing, peace-focused abilities, and battlefield de-escalation mechanics.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryComic

FormatPDF

Pages2

Reading Time1 min

AccessFree to download

Monastic Traditions

Way of the Kensei

Way of Tranquility

Unearthed Arcana: Monk Monastic Traditions At 3rd level, a monk gains the Monastic Tradition feature. Here are new options for that feature: the Way of the Kensei and the Way of Tranquility. Playtest Material The material here is presented for playtesting and to spark your imagination. These game mechanics are in draft form, usable in your campaign but not fully tempered by design iterations. They are not officially part of the game. For these reasons, material in this column is not legal in D&D Adventurers League events. Way of the Kensei Monks of the Way of Kensei train relentlessly with their weapons, to the point that the weapon becomes like an extension of the body. A kensei sees a weapon in much the same way a painter regards a brush or a writer sees parchment, ink, and quill. A sword or bow is a tool used to express the beauty and elegance of the martial arts. That such mastery makes a kensei a peerless warrior is but a side effect of intense devotion, practice, and study. Path of the Kensei When you choose this tradition at 3rd level, you learn to extend your knowledge of the martial arts beyond the standard array of monk weapons. You gain the following benefits: • You gain proficiency with three martial weapons of your choice. A martial weapon is considered a kensei weapon for you if you’re proficient with it. • Whenever you wield a kensei weapon, you choose whether to use Dexterity or Strength for the attack and damage rolls ofthe weapon, and you choose whether to use your Martial Arts damage die in place of the weapon’s damage die. • When you take the Attack action on your turn and hit a target with a kensei weapon, you can use a bonus action to pummel the target, dealing an additional 1d4 bludgeoning damage to that target and to any other target you hit with the weapon as part of the Attack. • If you make an unarmed strike as part of the Attack action on your turn and are holding akensei weapon, you can use that weapon to defend yourself. You gain a +2 bonus to AC until the start of your next turn while you are not incapacitated and the weapon is in your hand. One with the Blade At 6th level, you extend your ki into the weapons you hold, granting you the following benefits. Magic Weapons. Your attacks with your kensei weapons count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage. Precise Strike. You can focus your attention on a single target in battle to understand and overcome its defenses. As a bonus action, pick one creature you can see within 30 feet of you. The next weapon attack you make against that creature during the current turn adds double your proficiency bonus to the attack roll, rather than your normal proficiency bonus. Once you use this ability, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest. Sharpen the Blade At 11th level, you gain the ability to augment your weapons with the strength of your ki. As a bonus action, you can expend up to 3 ki points to grant a weapon you touch a bonus to attack and damage rolls while you wield it. The bonus equals the number of ki points you spent. This bonus lasts for 1 minute. Unerring Accuracy At 17th level, your mastery of weapons grants you extraordinary accuracy. On each of your turns, you can reroll one weapon attack roll you make that misses. Way of Tranquility Monks of the Way of Tranquility see violence asa last resort. They use diplomacy, mercy, and understanding to resolve conflicts. If pushed, though, they are capable warriors who can bring an end to the unjust or cruel folk who refuse to ©2016 Wizards of the Coast LLC 1 listen to reason. When adventuring, these monks make excellent diplomats. They are also skilled in the healing arts, and can preserve their allies in the face of daunting foes. Path of Tranquility When you choose this tradition at 3rd level, you can become an island of calm in even the most chaotic of situations. Wi

FAQs

What new options do monks gain from Monastic Traditions at 3rd level?

At 3rd level, a monk gains Monastic Tradition and can choose between the Way of the Kensei and the Way of Tranquility.

What benefits does the Way of the Kensei provide as you level up?

The Kensei trains with weapons, granting proficiency with kensei weapons, flexible attack stat choices, Martial Arts die options, bonus-action pummeling on hits, and defensive bonuses when holding a kensei weapon, with later upgrades at 6th, 11th, and 17th level.

How does the Way of Tranquility support healing and controlling conflict?

Tranquility lets you cast sanctuary on yourself for up to 8 hours, provides Healing Hands for restoring hit points and curing disease or neutralizing poison, grants advantages when calming violent emotions or counseling peace, and adds a later ability to extinguish violent impulses through a Wisdom saving throw.

Oct 5, 2026

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