D&D: The Tattooed Warrior Monk Brings Back The Ghost Of The Old Four Elements
The first of two new subclasses in the latest Unearthed Arcana, the Tattooed Warrior for Monks might give you deja vu all over again.
Monks get one of the two all-new subclasses introduced in the latest Unearthed Arcana: Arcane Subclasses. And it’s a little surprising, at first, because outside of one very specific instance, Monks and Arcane Magic don’t usually go hand in hand. But, when you look at what the Tattooed Warrior Monk gets in terms of abilities—one begins to understand why. And it’s a familiar feeling that may not pass the UA vibe check.
Tattooed Warrior Monk – I Can Tell People are Gonna be Spicy About This One
The new Monk has a lot going on. At its very core are magical tattoos. This is an old idea for WotC, and one that has been searching for the right identity since at least 4th Edition if not earlier. The idea is that you have a magical effect that is literally inked into your very being. It’s a fun concept and when not watered down, can be a lot of fun. The problem is that because these are permanent effects, they tend to not be as dramatic as you might hope.
But there’s another, arguably more important barrier the Tattooed Warrior Monk will face: comparisons to the 5E Way of Four Elements Monk. And let me tell you, that’s not a favorable comparison. But I see why people are calling it out.
If you are unfamiliar, the old Way of Four Elements Monk was one of the least picked subclasses in the game. It sought to evoke the feeling of an element bender a la Avatar, but it failed spectacularly for two reasons. One, it took too many of your precious Ki Points to use. And two, the things you were spending your Ki Points on were often underwhelming. Nothing like spending a precious resource to cast Gust of Wind when you’re meant to be in there brawling.
The new version of the subclass, the Warrior of the Elements is actually fun and good because it doesn’t do either of those things. The Tattooed Warrior Monk, on the other hand—well… let’s just say that when you get into what you get for your Focus Points, everything starts to feel familiar.
Magical Tattoos: Not a Bad Idea (Inherently)
First things first, I don’t think the whole class is a wash. There’s plenty of neat ideas kicking around in there. After all, these monks come from “diverse body-marking traditions across the multiverse.” And the idea of picking from a wide list of different effects so you can build your own character in an even more customizable way is pretty exciting.
It’s just the execution that feels off. Especially at higher levels. It doesn’t help that the whole class is just Magical Tattoos. Your character depends entirely on the options available to you, so let’s take a look. Starting with Beast Tattoos.
There are seven tattoos at 3rd level, you get to pick two, and by and large these aren’t bad.: Each one gets you a different noncombat cantrip, as well as a minor benefit. Some are great, giving you extra bonuses like gaining Blindsight for free when you use Patient Defense of Step of the Wind. Far more, though, involve you spending a Focus point to cast a 1st level spell like False Life, Disguise Self, or Silent Image.
Tattooed Warrior Monk: You Want Me To Spend Focus on Find Traps? You Must Be Joking!
But at 6th level we get our first real whiff of the old Four Elements Monk. And what a potent stench that is. You gain one of four Cosmic Tattoos, which let you spend two of your precious Focus Points on a 2nd level spell. And while some of them let you cast Misty Step (because it wouldn’t be a 5.5E subclass if you didn’t have a way of casting Misty Step), the very first ne lets you spend two focus points to cast Find Traps.
Find traps is the most useless spell in the game. It isn’t worth the pixels it takes to tell you how bad it is. But here we are in 2025. And higher levels aren’t much better. At 11th level, your Nature Tattoo lets you spend 3 Focus Points to gain resistance to one of four different elemental damage types (hmmmmmmmmmmmmm) as well as gain advantage on one kind of Saving Throw for 1 minute. And at 17th level, the Monster Tattoos become a bit more meaty.
This is largely due to the fact that they have passive effects and don’t always take Focus Points to use. Like the Guardian Naga which gives you a get out of being 0 hit points free card once per Long Rest, or the Beholder which gives you a fly speed of 10 whole feet (you can also spend 3 points to cast Counterspell, a choice that you can make at 17th level, mind you).
At the end of the day, this one feels very underbaked. Paul Hollywood would tell you your sponge is soggy and your filling has leaked out everywhere. But you might disagree. You can check out the new subclass below, and starting July 3rd, you can fill out the survey for WotC and let them know how much you like the new Tattooed Warrior Monk.
I don’t know about this one, gang!
