* Overall, the flavor is fine, with one major exception. This part of the subclass is entirely flavor, stipulating how the characterвЂ™s Astral Self can appear. Are they obsessed with something? Are you driven by justice or a selfish desire? Any of these motivations could manifest in the form of your astral self. When choosing this path, consider the quirks that define your monk. Your astral self could be a humanoid knight with a helmeted face and large, muscular arms, or it could be a golden metallic form with thin arms like a modron. As a result, the form of an astral self reflects the mind of the monk who manifests it. The astral self is a translucent embodiment of the monkвЂ™s psyche and soul. This form has the capacity to be a force of good or destruction, with some monasteries training students to either temper their nature or embrace their impulses.

They see their mystical energy as a representation of their true form, an astral self. Monks of the Way of the Astral Self have an internal struggle with their ki. Thankfully, the new Astral Self subclass does a reasonable job of accomplishing this, starting at level 3. Normally, IвЂ™m not a fan of obvious power-creep, but with the baseline monk being so weak, I believe it is necessary here for the class to be a competitive choice. * With this in mind, I think any new monk subclass should make a conscious effort to push the classвЂ™s power beyond any of the current options. Unfortunately, a combination of lackluster features and few relevant magical items leaves any aspiring monks stuck with characters who do less damage, take more damage, and are less flexible than the alternatives. The class is supposed to evoke the fantasy of being a martial arts master, from the drunken antics of Jackie Chun * to the elemental kung fu of the Avatar from The Last Airbender. They might not be as bad as the Beast Master ranger, but they certainly give it a run for its money.

Not to put too fine a point on it, but 5th Edition monks are bad.

Astral monk