Way of the Closed Circle

Monks of the Closed Circle are known to be stubborn and resolute- not because they are unmoving in their ways, but because they throw their enemies off balance, and use a technique that uses an enemy’s strength against them.

Destabilizing Strike

Starting when you choose this tradition at 3rd level, you can destabilize enemies when you deal damage to a creature with one of the attacks granted by your Flurry of Blows. The creature has disadvantage on Strength and Dexterity checks until the end of their next turn. If the creature is moved against their will before the end of their next turn, they fall prone.

When you have an enemy grappled, you can expend some of your remaining movement and an action to throw an enemy horizontally a distance equal to half the movement expended. A thrown enemy stops when it collides with another creature at least are large as it, or impassible terrain, such as a wall. If a creature is thrown into an enemy creature, both take your Martial Arts die in bludgeoning damage.

Ebb and Flow

At 6th level, one must be exceptionally stable to successfully attack a Way of the Closed Circle. As reaction to when someone enters your reach, you can expend 1 ki point, and attempt to grapple them. If you are successful, you can immediately throw them 20 feet.

Add Yours to Mine

At 11th level, you can use an enemy's strength against them. Whenever you are in an ability contest involving Strength or Dexterity, you can use their strength modifier instead of your own.

Whenever a creature makes a melee attack against you and misses, you can move 5 feet without provoking opportunity attacks. This does not take a reaction, but this movement expends movement that you had remaining at the end of your turn. You cannot use this ability if you have no more movement remaining.

Dismembering Pin

At 17th level, you learn a secret technique that allows you to inflict excruciating damage on an individual that stays in your grapple. You can spend your action to go prone and incapacitate a target that is prone and grappled by you. The target is incapacitated until the grapple ends. You can have only one creature under the effect of this feature at a time.

On a following turn you can use your action on a creature incapacitated by this feature to attempt to dismember the target, who must make a dexterity saving throw. On a failure, the limb is damaged beyond use.

Art by Cliff Childs

Paths of Fire

Starting when you choose this tradition at 3rd level, you learned how to utilize sweeping kicks to flare your aggression at two targets in the same motion. When you hit on an unarmed strike granted by Martial Arts or Flurry of Blows, you can make an additional attack on a different creature within your reach. The second attack doesn't add your ability modifier to the damage unless that modifier is negative.

You also learn the produce flame and control flame cantrips.

Scorching Heart

At 6th level, you gain resistance against fire damage. You also gain an additional option that can replace your stunning strike: the target must make a Constitution save against your ki save DC. On a failed save, it becomes Immolated, taking 2d6 fire damage at the end of each of its turns until it or a creature within 5 feet of it uses its action to put it out. The fire damage increases with your martial die (2d6 becomes 2d8 at 11th level, and so on). When you use your Paths of Fire feature and hit with both attacks, if the first target was Immolated, the second target must succeed on the Constitution save or also be Immolated.

Combustion and Destruction

Beginning at 11th level, you have mastered the destructive power of the passion from within. You gain the following ability:

• Combustion. As an action, you may spend 2 ki points and choose one creature or object you can see within 10 feet of you. The target takes 4d10 fire damage and Immolated. On a successful Constitution saving throw, the target takes half as much damage and doesn’t ignite. If a creature was already ignited, it gains vulnerability to fire damage after it takes the damage while it is Immolated.
• Destruction. As an action, you may spend 2 ki points and create a fiery explosion at a point you can see within 120 feet of you. Each creature in a 20-foot radius sphere centered on that point must make a Constitution saving throw, taking 4d6 fire damage and being knocked prone on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. If the explosion is centered on an Immolated creature, any creature that fails their save also become Immolated.

Soul of the Pyre

At 17th level, you perfected the balance of passion and gain the ability to turn yourself into a being of immense power. As a bonus action, you may spend 3 ki points and enter the State of Fire which grants you the following abilities for one minute:

• You gain fly speed equal to your movement speed.
• You shine 60-feet of bright light another 60-feet of dim light.
• Any hostile creature of your choice that ends their turn next to you must make a constitution saving throw or take 2d6 fire damage.
• Your unarmed strikes and attacks from Paths of Fire do fire damage, and have a reach of 20 feet.

Art by Genzoman

Sanctity of Movement

Starting when you choose this tradition at 3rd level, you can spend a bonus action and 1 ki point to enter a stance that heightens your spirit's ability to align with the perpetual flow of the prime material planes. Until you end the stance you can only move in a straight line, changing directions only if you are next to an impassable terrain such as a wall. You can only make one attack per 5 feet of movement. While in this stance you gain the following effects:

• You ignore all magical effects that would affect your speed.
• Opportunity attacks towards you are at disadvantage.
• You deal 2 additional damage to creatures that were out of your reach at the start of your turn.

In addition, if you had moved at least half your movement in this stance you can expend your remaining movement and an action to make a special unarmed melee attack. This attack deals your martial die in bludgeoning damage for each 10 feet of movement expended and pushes the target 5 feet back for each 10 feet of movement expended.

Synchronous Redirect

At 6th level, you gain the ability to mix your offensive and defensive capabilities. As a reaction, right before a melee attack is made by you or targeted at you, gain advantage on the next attack towards the target and disadvantage on the next attack from that target. You must finish a short or long rest before you can use this feature again.

Cloud Step

Beginning at 11th level, for an action, you can let go your earthly tethers and enter a special meditation that lighten your body and mind. You're under the effects of the levitate spell which lasts a minute, does not require concentration, and allows for lateral movement as if you were on the ground. You must finish a long rest before you can use this feature again.

Singular Strike

At 17th level, you learn a deadly technique where you focus your attack and momentum into a singular point. When you hit a creature with the special melee attack granted by your sanctity of movement feature, you can spend 3 ki points to enhance that attack. A creature must make a dexterity saving throw. If it fails, the energy of your strike eviscerates their body and they drop to 0 hit points. If it succeeds, the creature takes 10d10 force damage. Either way, you appear up to 30 feet on the opposite side of the enemy after your attack.

If the target is an nonmagical object or a structure, it takes the maximum amount of force damage, and you make a 5-foot hole in the object.

• Replace: "Until you end the stance you can only move in a straight line, and..." with: "The stance lasts until you change direction by more than 45 degrees while not next impassable terrain such as a wall."
• You can allow players to change direction while in the stance when next to enemies that are at least as large as they are, possibly for an acrobatics check.

Art by Parablev

Way of the Five Form monks derive their strengths from the 5 classic animal forms - and their ability to switch between them. Using nature as their teacher, they can quickly switch between the stance that suits them best at any time. Their fluidity lets them shrug off attacks, and they eventually gain access to the fabled dragon stance.

Signature Stance

At 17th level, choose one of the five traditional animal forms, which is now your signature stance. You gain the effects of that stance as if you were entering the stance at the start of every turn.

Art by MTG

Way of the Constellations

Monks of the Constellations are unique in that they develop a variation of spellcasting that requires them to make contact with other people's ki lines and form complex patterns with their hands and bodies. While this type of spellcasting is a little less reliable than conventional spellcasting, Constellation monks can cast a near limitless number of spells as long as they manage their ki.

Gesture Casting

At 3rd level, you learn a special melee weapon attack, a Gesture, which is an unarmed strike that does 1d4 bludgeoning damage. You don't add your ability modifier to the damage of a Gesture, unless that modifier is negative.

After you attack with a Gesture twice, you can choose for your next Gesture before the end of your turn to Gesturecast a level one spell. For each additional Gesture you make before you Gesturecast you can increase the spell level by one. You don't need a target to make an attack with a gesture.

When you Gesturecast a spell, the spell can only affect the creature you hit with the unarmed strike. That creature has disadvantage on its first saving throw made against the spell.

Preparing and Casting Spells

You can only Gesturecast spells that come from the wizard spell list, and only if the spell requires the target of the spell to make a dexterity, strength or constitution saving throw. You prepare the list of wizard spells that are available for you to cast, choosing from the wizard spell list. When you do so, choose a number of wizard spells equal to your Wisdom modifier + half your monk level, rounded down (minimum of one spell). The Spells must be of a level for which you can Gesturecast: level 1 spells at the 3rd monk level, level 2 spells at the 5th monk level, level 3 spells at the 11th monk level, and level 4 spells at the 17th monk level.

You can change your list of prepared Spells when you finish a Short Rest. Preparing a new list of wizard Spells requires time spent enhancing the ki lines involved in casting the spell: at least 1 minute per Spell Level for each spell on your list.

Spellcasting Ability

Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for your Gesturecasted spells, since your power derives from the power of your ki. You use your wisdom whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your ki save DC as your saving throw DC for a Gesturecast spell.

Spellcasting Focus

Gesturecasting ignores material components but requires both hands free for somatic components. During your short and long rests, you must inhale burned incense in value equal to that of the material components of spells that consume material components--else lose your casting ability until you do.

Ki Projection

At level 6, you concentrate on ionizing the space in front of you with ki lines, increasing the range of your casting. Before you make the final Gesture to cast a spell, you can spend one additional ki to make a Gesturecasted area of effect spell target all creatures in area 15 feet long and 5 feet wide in a direction you choose.

Rites of the Gesticulating

At level 11, you learn one spell at 3rd level or lower from the wizard spell lists that you can cast as a ritual.

When you use your flurry of blows feature, you can use one additional ki and make three unarmed strikes as long as they are all gestures.

Unparalleled Agility

At level 17, you can add your proficiency bonus to any dexterity ability check you make that doesn't already include your proficiency bonus.

When you use your flurry of blows feature, you can use two additional ki and make four unarmed strikes as long as they are all gestures.

Art by Genzoman

Gunkata

At 3rd level, you gain proficiency in crossbows --which are your Kensai weapons and count as monk weapons for you.

You do not need a free hand to load a one-handed weapon, and you can ignore the loading property on crossbows. You can reload all weapons you are holding if you expend 10 feet of movement, or 20 feet of movement if you are holding a heavy weapon.

When making an unarmed strike as a bonus action granted by Martial Arts or Flurry of Blows, you can instead make an attack with your Kensai weapon. When doing so:

• The damage dealt by the attack uses your Martial Arts die instead of its normal weapon damage
• Your normal and long range are reduced by 1/3.
• The attack does not trigger damaging effects that occur on a hit, such as hex or sneak attack.

Weapon Bonding

At 6h level Your Kensai weapons count as magical for the purpose of overcoming Resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage. You can apply your stunning strike feature on a ranged attack.

Your Kensai weapons are improvised melee monk weapons for you. You might extend hand crossbows' bolts to stab with, flip out a folding blade from your heavy crossbow, or use your bow as a club. A creature hit by a melee weapon attack using your Kensai weapon has disadvantage on opportunity attacks towards you until the start of your next turn.

Once per short rest, your melee attacks with your Kensai weapon are at advantage until the end of your turn.

Bullet Time

You can speed load your weapons through a fancy flourish, backflip, or dive. At 11th level you can reload any weapons you are holding by moving 5 feet and succeeding on a DC15 Dexterity (Acrobatics) check. If you succeed, this movement also does not provoke opportunity attacks.

You also learn how to enter a trance, preparing yourself to unleash yourself upon the enemy. While in this stance, you can still talk and move. If you stay in the trance for at least one minute, when you roll initiative, you can make a ranged weapon attack on every creature that stayed within 30 feet from you when you were in your trance.

Equilibrium

At 17th level, your first ranged attack and your first melee attack each turn deal additional damage equal to your dexterity modifier on a hit.

Art by Norayu

DM Note

• This homebrew is compatible with some but not all firearm homebrew. Firearms from the DMG work.
• Sharpshooter is an overloaded feat in general - but synergizes here a bit too well. The last bullet point in the 3rd level feature is intended not to allow the +10 damage from bonus action attacks as well.

Special Melee Attacks

When you choose this archetype at third level, you gain the ability to make a 2 Special melee attacks that make up your Sequences. If you’re able to make multiple attacks with the Attack action or make attacks with a bonus action, this attack replaces one of them.

• Culminating Strike (P) As part of this attack, you must spend 15 feet of movement.
• Celerity Step: (F) As part of this attack, you move 10 feet in a straight line. You don't add your ability modifier to the damage of the bonus attack, unless that modifier is negative. Alternatively, you can forgo the attack to gain 10 feet of movement.

After either of these special attacks hits you can choose to apply a Sequence effect depending on the permutation of fast and powerful attacks (see the table below). Attacks that hit qualify for sequences until the end of your turn, or until they are used in a sequence with the Sequence Breaker tag.

You learn 3 basic-tier sequences, and one moderate-tier sequence at the 3rd level. At 7th, 10th, and 15th level, you learn 2 more sequences, which must be from different tiers.

Flourish

Starting at 6th level, you have proficiency in the performance skill, and can make dexterity instead of charisma for performance ability checks.

You can expend one ki to make an attack count for the purposes of a sequence, even if it missed.

Conservation of Momentum

Beginning at 11th level, opportunity attacks provoked by Celerity Step movement are at disadvantage, and movement granted by Celerity Step ignores difficult terrain.

You also gain the ability to ignore other creature's effects that reduce your speed.

Final Form

Beginning at 17th level, you can enter a stance of extreme precision that helps the connection of your Sequence. Once per short rest you may spend a bonus action to enter the Final Form Sequence and the stance last for 1 minute. Once inside you gain the following features:

• Your last attack each turn is at advantage.
• Once per turn when you make an attack roll, you can gain a +10 bonus to the roll. You make this choice after you see the roll, but before the DM says whether the attack hits or misses.
• Creatures can't make attacks of opportunity against you.

Tips:

• Applying a Sequence Effect: For example, if you attack with Celerity strike (F), and hit and then attack with Culminating Strike (P) and hit, you can apply the Rising hope's effect (F P).
• Combining Sequence Effects Together: Continuing from the previous example, you can then make another Culminating strike and either use Singular Blow's effect (F P P), or Crunch (P P). If you use Crunch, the target has disadvantage on their strength saving throw.
• Sequence Beakers: If you attack and hit with a Culminating strike and use Rushing Jab's (P) effect, and then attack and hit with another Culminating strike, you cannot apply Crunch (P P).

Art by MTG

Dug in

At third level, you can dig your feet into the ground - granting unparalleled stability. For a bonus action you can enter a stance during which you gain the following benefits:

• Your speed is zero, you are immune to forced movement, and any critical hit against you becomes a normal hit.
• Your unarmed strikes deal double damage to structures.
• Before you make an unarmed strike, you can choose to take a penalty to the attack roll equal to your proficiency bonus. If the attack hits, you add a bonus to the attack’s damage equal to double your proficiency bonus.

Runic armor

At third level, you can utilize your monk training to use a special armor made from ki-projected and enhanced stone. Those who wear this armor can still benefit from monk features such as Martial Arts, as the armor interfaces with ki. You can fashion this armor with an hour of meditation and light activity as long as you have access to stone. Its worthless otherwise as it is customary to bestow these armors for free to newly adventuring monk.

You can create a set of Runic Armor, that has an AC of up to 20. However, you only benefit from Runic armor if you are a monk and the AC of the armor is equal to 10 + your strength modifier + your Wisdom modifier. Any more and that armor is either too heavy for you to use, or you don't have the skill to interface with its runic ki.

Great Wall

At level 6 your attunement to the ground improves. You can spend one ki to gain tremorsense to a distance equal to your unarmed movement bonus until the end of your turn. You can create a temporary wall 5 feet long and 5 feet wide as a reaction to be attacked. The triggering attack hits the wall, and if a target is in the wall's space, it is pushed backwards towards the nearest unoccupied space. The wall has twice your monk level in hitpoints, and an AC of 15. You must finish a Short or Long Rest before you can use this feature again.

Sculptor

Once you reach 11th level, your connection to the earth has allowed you to heighten your senses through meditation. You may spend 10 minute to meditate which allows you to enter a trance - you have tremorsense out to 600 feet and you may cast the move earth spell while mediating without material cost. You cannot see, are prone, and meditation ends if you move or attack. Once you have used this feature you must spend a long rest before you can use it again.

Martyr's Tomb

At 17th level, you can mitigate the harm done to your allies. If you are subject to an area of effect that requires a dexterity saving throw, such as a dragon's breath or a fireball spell, and you are within 30ft of the origin point, you can use your reaction and spend 3 ki points. If you do, you immediately move to the origin point of the effect and become the only target of the area effect. You make the saving throw with disadvantage, and fall prone.

Art by []

Legendary Masks

At level three, you gain a mask that use to connect to legends past and channel their fabled abilities. You gain proficiency in the performance skill and the intimidation skill, and the benefits for the corresponding mask. Choose one mask:

• Hunter: a gleaming white oni mask - Gain proficiency in the Perception skill. You can use your bonus action to try to spot a weakness in a creature that you can see within 60 feet of you. Make a Wisdom (Perception) check contested by the target’s Dexterity (Stealth) check. If your check succeeds, you have advantage on attack rolls and ability checks against the target until the end of your next turn.
• Might: a snarling red mask - Gain proficiency in the Athletics skill. When a creature fails the skill contest to resist being shoved, they both get pushed back and fall prone. You can shove using a bonus action.
• Silence:, an expressionless mask with empty eyes- Gain proficiency in the Stealth skill, and can use a bonus action to hide. You remain hidden for 10 feet as long as you begin your movement hidden.
• Nightmare: a terrifying blue oni mask with horns - You have advantage on Intimidation checks. When you take the Attack action on your turn, you can replace one attack with an attempt to demoralize one humanoid you can see within 30 feet of you that can see and hear you. Make a Charisma (Intimidation) check contested by the target’s Wisdom (Insight) check. If your check succeeds, the target is frightened until the end of your next turn. If your check fails, the target can’t be frightened by you in this way for 1 hour.
• Vixen: a delightful masquerade fox mask - Gain proficiency in the Diplomacy skill. You can use a bonus action to beguile an enemy creature to dissuade it from attacking you. When you do, the target must make a Wisdom saving throw. If they fail, they are charmed by you until the start of your next turn, and will not take hostile actions against you, but may target your companions.
• Trickery: an ornate monkey mask - Gain proficiency in the Deception skill. When you take the Attack action on your turn, you can replace one attack with an attempt to deceive one humanoid you can see within 30 feet of you that can see and hear you. Make a Charisma (Deception) check contested by the target’s Wisdom (Insight) check. If your check succeeds, your movement doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks from the target and your attack rolls against it have advantage; both benefits last until the end of your next turn or until you use this ability on a different target. If your check fails, the target can’t be deceived by you in this way for 1 hour.

Once per short rest you can use your mask (no action required) to strengthen your connection with the legends. For one minute your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make that uses skills granted by this feature. You can use Wisdom as the ability score for the skill check instead of whatever it was.

Way of the Iron Reaper. Feared. Respected. They wield the mighty spirit blades, artifacts from a lost time. Even the most fearsome cower when an Iron Reaper reaches for their hilt - for swift punishment nears.

Ki Craft

You learn ancient techniques to create beautiful objects out of everyday materials. You can make things like smooth clay balls (dorodango), hollow-point darts filled with water, and strips of paper with beautiful calligraphy. You carry these with you hidden under your garments.

You can infuse one of these objects with one ki point and use it. For example, infusing a ball of clay causes cracks to appear on the surface, sizzling with magic. When thrown, the ball bursts, creating a cloud of dust.

• For poison darts, make an attack with a dagger, applying the effect on a hit (as well as damage from the dagger).
• For an action, you throw a bomb a location 20 feet away. The diameter of the bomb's area of effect is equal to the bonus distance granted by unarmed movement.
• For an action, you place a seal, which lasts for a minute, in a space adjacent to you. Make a successful Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check against any creatures that has line of sight of you, or they know the trap is there. Creatures can only communicate the exact location of a trap if they use an action to point it out, but can't remove it without dispel magic. The trap effects the first creature you choose that enters the area of effect, a 10 feet cube.

Ninja's Gear

At 6th level, during your next long rest you will awaken to a set of equipment folded neatly next to you, on top of which there is a scroll, which reads "You have proven your loyalty to the Way. As a sign of good faith, we present you the traditional gear of our clan." Choose two items in the Ninja's Gear table below.

Mastery of the Simple

At 11th level, you have additional options for your equipment. If a creature fails on the save for your poison dart, you can choose for them to be charmed or frightened of you until the start of your next turn instead of the normal effects.

Creatures who start their turn in your bomb's area of effect need to make a constitution saving throw or be poisoned for Ink dust or incapacitated for Choke dust.

You shroud your traps in ki. You have advantage on your sleight of hand check to place your seals, and true sight, tremorsense, and blindsight do not automatically reveal your traps.

Vault's Tribute

At 17th level, you learn the secrets of accessing the Ninja's Vault, a demiplane inaccessible by mortals except through a closely guarded ritual. You learn this ritual, which takes one minute and 100gp worth of materials. At the end of the ritual one magical item you are attuned to vanishes and gains a place in the Vault.

You can summon any item you tribute to the vault with a bonus action, and can immediately attune to it without taking a short rest first. In addition, you learn of one of the legendary items listed in the Vault’s Repository, and can summon that item as well.

Bo of Intent

This legendary staff was once wielded by the Monkey King himself. You gain a +3 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this magic weapon.

While attuned to the staff, you can use a bonus action to manipulate the weapon:

• You can shrink the weapon into a needle
• You can return the weapon to its normal size
• You can enlarge the weapon. It deals an additional 1d6 bludgeoning damage on a hit and gains a reach of 10 feet.
• You can move the weapon up to 30 feet in any direction, but you can't make an attack with it.

Guzzle Gourd

This bright red gourd has several golden rings that restrain its bulging nature.

For an action, you can speak a command word and unstopper the Gourd. A creature you choose within 30 feet vanishes into the gourd and is transported into a demiplane. At the beginning of each of its turns, it must make a DC 40 charisma saving throw or be incapacitated until the start of its next turn and take 1d10 acid damage. Each time the creature fails this save, the save DC decreases by 5.

If the creature makes the save, it can escape from the demiplane using 5 feet of Movement, exiting prone. That creature cannot be affected by this item for one hour.

Tender Nightmare

This elegantly drawn longsword features two edges: one so sharp that taking lives is as effortless as cutting through butterfly wings -- the other somehow even sharper. The creator of the sword attempted to temper the sword's bloody nature through runes infused in the hilt.

This weapon is a Vorpal sword, which counts as a monk weapon for your, and scores a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20. You gain a +3 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this magic weapon. Attacks towards anyone you considered an ally when you attuned to this blade automatically miss.

When you use your Flurry of Blows feature, you can instead make a melee weapon attack with this weapon on all targets within reach, rolling separately for each target.

Spear of Endless Winter

This is but a shaft with a tip that emanates an impossible aura of cold - the spear blade itself is made out of the frozen encrusted blood of enemies past.

Once per short rest you can activate the weapon. For the next minute, the weapon gains the properties of a Frost brand and is a monk weapon for you. If you reduce a creature to zero hit points you add its blood to the spear, and deal an additional 20 cold damage on your next attack.

When you use your Flurry of Blows feature, you can instead make a melee weapon attack with this weapon on all targets within a 15-foot cone, rolling separately for each target.

Bamboo's Retort

When you reach 3rd level you can use a bonus action to root your body to the ground until the start of your next turn, allowing you to absorb the force of blows and use it against a creature to great effect. If a creature damaged you with a melee attack while you were in your stance, you can make 2 unarmed strikes at that creature (no action required) immediately at the start of your turn.

You are considered to be in this stance whenever you take the Dodge action.

Ancient Oak's Acumen

Also at 3rd level, your meditations in the forest have taught you to recognize the flow of ki through all creatures, regardless of origin. You can direct your attacks towards an enemy's ki points which are imperceptible to other beings and most other monks: You can use Wisdom instead of Dexterity for the Attack and Damage Rolls of your unarmed strikes which do psychic damage.

Tranquil as a Forest

at 6th level, whenever a creature fails their save against your stunning strike feature, you can spend one ki point to have that creature also be subject to the effects of the Sleep spell.

The Undergrowth's Curriculum

At 11th level you gain the following benefits:

• Teachings of the Tick: Your body weight drops to 1/4 its normal value, and if you end your turn on a vertical surface, you don't fall as long as that surface can support your weight.
• Grasshopper's Guidance: You can make a standing long jump or high jump up to 10 feet away.
• Ladybug's Lesson: As an action, spend 1 ki point to cast the spell plant growth without material components. When you choose the immediate benefit, you can also create light foliage easily capable of supporting 1/4 your normal weight up to 60 feet high. When you choose the long-term benefit, you can magically rid the area of disease, infestation, or corruption.

Gift of the Forest

When you fall in battle your kindness to the forest is returned through their gift to you. As a reaction to being reduced to 0 hit points you can let go your earthly tethers and free your soul from your body. If your body still exists, its crumbles into dust.

A body materializes up to 30 feet away from where you fell, and your soul returns to it, reviving you at 20 hitpoints. You can choose to delay your return for up to one minute. You must complete a short rest before you regain use of this feature.

Art by MTG

Might, My Armor

At 3rd level, you've trained to thread minuscule portions of your ki throughout your body, creating a defensive weave. While you are wearing no armor and not wielding a shield, your AC equals 10 + your Constitution modifier + your Dexterity or Wisdom modifier (your choice).

Power, My Weapon

Also at 3rd level, you bring full force to every battle, and will not relent. When you make an unarmed strike with a bonus action, you choose one of the following benefits:

• If you hit a creature that is prone, you score a critical hit unless the creature succeeds a Dexterity saving throw.
• If you attack a creature that you are grappling, the attack is made at advantage.

Divine Utterance

At 3rd level when you take the attack action on your turn, you can replace one attack with a divine utterance. A creature you choose within 30 feet of you that can hear you must make a wisdom saving throw or take damage equal to twice your martial die in psychic damage.

You can spend one ki point and a bonus action to imbue your next utterance with a staggering word of power. In addition to making the normal saving throw, that creature must immediately expend its reaction to move 5 feet in a direction you choose, or take 4 times your martial die in psychic damage. If you try to compel it to move in a direction that is obstructed, or if the creature has a speed of zero, it does not take this damage.

Word of the World Weary

At 6th level, you learn how to interject your utterance into a target's mind. You can communicate telepathically with any creature you can see within 30 feet of you.

You can spend 2 ki points to cast healing word, dissonant whispers, enthrall, or command without providing material components. You can cast these spells even if the target can't hear or understand you.

Equilibrium Chants

At 11th level, for an action, you can start a chant for 2 ki points that lasts for 1 minute or until you lose concentration as if you were concentrating on a spell. Choose two targets when you start this chant, one for each chant.

• Yin: Each turn, a willing creature gets either temporary hit points equal to your wisdom modifier or is under the effects of the Bless spell (you choose).
• Yang: Each turn, the creature takes damage equal to your wisdom modifier at the start of its turn, or is under the effects of the Bane spell (you choose).

Embrace Serenity

Ah 17th level you emit an aura of serenity and your utterances fill your allies with determination. Whenever damage reduces a creature within 30 feet of you to 0 hit points, you can spend one ki point for them to instead drop to 1 hit point (no action required). Each time you use this feature after the first, the ki point cost increases by one. When you finish a short or Long Rest, the ki point cost resets to one.

Art by MTG

Combat Acupuncture

When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you learn how to use acupuncture needles (darts) as weapons as well as medical apparatus. Darts count as monk weapons for you When you use the attack action on your turn to attack with a needle, you can spend 1 ki point to make two additional attacks with one as a bonus action.

You can forgo an attack to apply a needle to a friendly creature within 5 feet. That creature has the option to expend a hit dice to gain temporary hit points equal to your wisdom modifier + their expended hit dice, which last for a minute. Additionally, if you spend one ki point as part of the attack, the target's next roll on a death saving throw before the start of your next turn is treated as a 20.

Healing Chakra

At 6th level, you gain proficiency in the medicine skill. If you are already proficient in it, you gain proficiency in the Herbalism Kit instead. Additionally, you gain the spare the dying cantrip.

You gain understanding of Chakra, or the gates in which ki flows through an individual. When you use one ki point and apply a needle to an ally, you can choose to forgo its normal effect and instead choose a saving throw. The target gains advantage on saving throws of that kind until the end of their next turn.

Golden Needle Technique

At 11th level you learn how to apply the same techniques that you typically use to heal others to block other's Chakra. When you make an attack with a needle, you can spend one ki point to block a chakra. If you hit, choose an ability score. The creature has disadvantage on its next saving throw of that type until the end of their next turn, and disadvantage on ability checks of that type until their next long rest.

You also get better at subtly applying your needles to your enemies. A creature doesn't notice an attack with a needle if you are hidden when you make the attack and you succeed on a Dexterity (Stealth) check contested by their Wisdom (Perception) check.

Release

If you use your Combat Acupuncture feature at least 7 times on one creature within a minute, you can choose for that creature to gain the effects of the revivify spell (no action required). That creature gains one level of exhaustion after the spell takes effect.

If you use your Golden Needle technique and block 6 different chakra on one creature, your next attack at that creature that blocks a Chakra cuts off the soul from the energies that sustain it. Any additional Golden Needle Techniques are no longer effective towards the creature, and the target takes necrotic damage equal to its remaining health.

Chakra	Effect
Root	Dex
Sacral	Death
Solar Plexus	Strength
Heart	Charisma
Throat	Constitution
Third Eye	Wisdom
Crown	Intelligence

Art by Victor Fernandez

The Temple Assault

You have been tasked to stop the Clasped Cabal, a misled fringe sect from the Monastery of the Whole from enacting a long-lost ritual. The ritual is to strengthen a warrior - normally used to empower a chosen warrior before a crucial conflict. The empowerment causes gradual madness, so the owner of the tattoo traditionally commits ritual suicide before they go insane.

A recent development revealed the perfect opportunity to spring a trap. After setting a subtle ambush, you've tailed a heretic to their hidden hideout. Your goal is to infiltrate the temple, take out the guards, and fight your way to where the Cabal's leader is attempting the ritual - and put it all to an end.

How to use

For the temple section, we use the monks generated by selecting a base and a template. The template grants the monk flavorful abilities, but does not significantly affect CR.

In any particular set piece or encounter, if you eschew the recommended composition, you can roll for the monks or choose them yourself. We recommend choosing only one or two variations per encounter.

Template monks

We have provided three monk "bases" below, one for a scout, another for a more experienced guard, and lastly an experienced member. Most templates have unarmored defense and unarmored movement, which are listed below and not included in any of the template stat blocks to save space.

Stoneheart Monk

Medium humanoid (goliath), lawful neutral

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• Armor Class 14
• Hit Points 32 (5d8 + 10)
• Speed 40 ft.
  

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STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
16 (+3)	10 (+0)	15 (+2)	12 (+1)	14 (+2)	10 (+0)

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• Skills Athletics +5, Perception +4
• Senses tremorsense 10 ft., passive Perception 14
• Languages Common, Giant
• Challenge 2 (450 XP)

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Enlarge (Recharges after a Short or Long Rest). As a bonus action, the monk magically increases in size for 1 minute, along with anything it is wearing or carrying. While enlarged, the monk is Large, doubles its damage dice on Strength-based weapon attacks (included in the attacks), and makes Strength checks and Strength saving throws with advantage. If the monk lacks the room to become Large, it attains the maximum size possible in the space available.

Stoneheart Defense. While the monk is wearing no armor and wielding no shield, its AC includes its Wisdom modifier and uses its Constitution modifier in place of its Dexterity modifier.

Unarmored Movement. While the monk is wearing no armor and wielding no shield, its walking speed increases by 10 feet (included in its speed).

Actions

Multiattack. The monk makes two melee attacks. If both attacks hit a Medium or smaller target, the target must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or stunned until the end of their next turn.

Unarmed Strike. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) bludgeoning damage, or 10 (2d6 + 3) bludgeoning damage while enlarged.

Reactions

Parry. The monk adds 2 to its AC against one melee or ranged weapon attack that would hit it. To do so, the monk must see the attacker.