Way of the Iron Fist
Blessed power given by the dragon spirit, Shou-Lao the Undying, in hopes of the chosen warrior will use their gift in service to the world. By plunging your fists into the dragon's molten heart, thus branding yourself with the dragon's mark on your chest, absorbing its chi which you can wield for various purposes in your role as the immortal weapon, the Iron Fist.
- Substitute the term for ‘Ki’ points with ‘Chi’ points.
- You can naturally speak Draconic if you already couldn’t.
- If you choose this path, you won’t gain proficiency with any weapon or armor that gives AC bonuses, Attack roll bonuses, and Attack damage bonuses of any sort.
The Power of Chi
At 3rd level, you are harnessing the mystical chi to strengthen physical and mental capabilities through concentration by spending chi points to use your augmentations. Most augmentations can only be active one at a time and lose certain lingering effects.
- Chi of Strikes: [1 chi point per bonus] +1 to attack rolls and damage (+2 at 9th Level, +3 at 15th Level) – your strikes will appear as red chi.
- Chi of Fortitude: [1 chi point per bonus] +1 bonus AC and gain temporary hit points based on your Monk Level + CON modifier (+2 bonus AC at 9th Level, +3 bonus AC at 15th Level) – your strikes will appear as light-green chi.
- Chi of Energy Absorption: Spend 2 chi points to gain +1 chi point each successful unarmed attack that deals damage for 1 min, +2 chi point on critical attacks. This can’t be used again until you finish a long rest – your strikes will appear as a bright blue.
- Chi of Nimbleness: Spend 3 chi points to cast Haste only on yourself; this can’t be used again until you finish a long rest. This can be used with your other augmentations.
Iron Fist Techniques
You can start to perform special maneuvers and features given to you from Shou-Lao. As you level up, you body will be strong and more discipline enough to use stronger techniques.
Chi Hypnotism
Spend 2 chi points to cast Minor Illusion, Silent Image, or Mirror Image.
4th Level Feature
Enhanced Reflexes
At 4th level, your reflexes is enhanced to greater levels than normal humans. You can add your proficiency bonus to when use your Deflect Missiles, you can use it twice as if you had two reactions.
At 8th level, you can also spend another chi point when you use Deflect Missiles to make the returned-range attack to add your proficiency bonus to the damage as well.
5th Level Technique
Iron Fist Punch
You can spend 5 chi points to concentrate you chi into one fist to deal one powerful blow.
You make an unarmed attack, on a successful hit, you deal 2x Martial Arts damage, the creature must make a DEX save to receive half damage and also the creature makes a STR saving throw or be knocked back 20 feet.
If the creature knocks into a wall or structure, they take an additional Martial Arts damage. If the creature knocks into another creature, the other creature must make a STR save or both be knocked prone; on success, the initial creature stops being knocked back.
7th Level Feature
Heightened Awareness
You demonstrate the ability to detect a threat to your well-being in your immediate vicinity before they commit the action and possesses enhanced intuition.
You can spend 3 chi points to cast Detect Thoughts. You gain proficiency on Perception checks; if you’re already proficient, then the bonus doubles.
Chi Metabolism
At 10th level, you can spend a full-round action to regain half of your maximum amount of chi points per long rest.
10th Level Techniques & Features
Iron Rage
You can spend 10 chi points to imbue your fist to make a rushing assault. As a full round action, you make 10 unarmed strikes to one target and the target must make a DEX save for each strike; on success, the damage is halved.
They must also make a STR save or be pushed along back 20 feet; on successful save, they’re only pushed along 10 feet. If you you’re able to push them against a wall, you deal an additional two Martial Arts damage.
You can spend 2 more chi points multiple times to do another unarmed strike.
Volcanic Roar
You can spend 10 chi points to concentrate your chi into an explosive pillar of energy 20 feet high in a 15 feet diameter.
All creatures within the area must make a DEX saving throw or take 5 Martial Arts fire damage; on successful save, halved damage.
You can spend every 2 more chi points to do additional Martial Arts fire damage.
Enhanced Durability
Your chi is radiating from your body to protect you from magic attacks to a varied degree and make yourself more resilient against physical damage.
You gain resistance to all damage except psychic.
14th Level Techniques & Features
Dragon's Touch
You can spend 7 chi points to concentrate your chi into a single point on your fist and apply it with a gentle strike.
You make an unarmed melee attack, on a successful hit, the attack functions like a Harm spell and can combined together with an unarmed Stunning Strike; the target only has to make one CON saving throw for both instances.
Enhanced Healing
You are able to focus your chi for the purposes of healing his injuries.
You can spend 5 chi points to cast Regenerate on a creature. This can’t be used again until you finish a long rest.
You are capable of healing yourself almost subconsciously and does not feel drained in doing so. The first time you go down to 0 hit points, you're reduced to 1 hit point instead.
Environmental Adaptation
Through focus and meditation, you can sustain yourself in extreme temperature environments. You are unaffected by difficult terrain.
Mind Empathy
At 18th level, you have the ability to sense and read the emotions/feelings/intentions of people and animals and can broadcast his own feelings in order to influence other people and/or animals emotions psionically.
You can spend 8 chi points to cast Antipathy/Sympathy with a creature within touch range.
The Immortal Iron Fist
At 20th level, through your journey up until this point, your mastery of chi and techniques has risen to god-like status that allows you to use the ultimate technique that Shou-Lao has to offer that exceeds your limits.
Ultimate Technique
Undying Dragon’s Prey
By spending all 20 chi points and a full-round action, you concentrate all of your chi and strength into one mighty energy flowing fist and deliver the final blow onto your opponent.
The creature must make a WIS saving throw or be paralyzed by the overflowing chi. The creature you’re targeting automatically takes 20 Martial Arts damage, knocked back 60 feet, knocked prone, and receive two levels of exhaustion; the creature doesn’t receive a level of exhaustion if they made their WIS saving throw.
You roll 1d20 to attempt for a critical; it’s an automatic critical if they’re paralyzed.
If they are knocked back to a wall, they are considered restrained instead of prone for their next round.
After using this technique, you must succeed on a CON saving throw against your own DC save; if you succeed, you receive two levels of exhaustion, otherwise, you receive three levels of exhaustion.
Note
This was my first homebrew subclass I've ever made since I haven't seen any good ones at the time. Some using the basic rules of the game limits to what the Iron Fist could actually do. So this is just my take on the Iron Fist as a monk subclass.
Again, like the Way of the Speed Force, in comics, certain powers and abilities makes characters like Iron Fist seem very overpowered; so adjust your sessions accordingly to make sure this doesn't seem too strong but not too weak either.