Martial Arts in 5e

# Martial Arts in 5e
*Version 0.21*

I found a great feat by [solomani](http://www.electric-rain.net/2016/07/16/feat-martial-arts/) who got the idea from [Alfaysia](https://alfaysia.obsidianportal.com/wiki_pages/feats#martialartist).  I decided to make it work better for the Monk that it did for the Battle Master.

## Monk Feature: Ki Techniques
*2nd level monk feature (enhances Ki)*

You start knowing Flurry of Blows, Patient Defense, and Step of the Wind.  You know a number of extra Ki  Ki Techniques, equal to half your Monk level rounded down.  These are detailed at the end of this document.  You must meet any other requirements.  Additionally when you gain a level in this class you can choose one of the ki techniques you know and replace it with another ki technique that you could learn at that level.  An attack can only benefit from one Strike Technique.

> Ki Versatility
>
> If you are using the Spell Versatility rules from the UA Class Feature Variants, it's suggested that you allow one Ki technique to be replaced whenever you finish a long rest.

## Feat: Martial Artist
You have training in one of the martial arts traditions of Kara-tur. You may take this feat multiple times to learn more techniques and gain 2 additional ki points. You may also spend downtime once you have taken this feat to learn a new technique.  You gain the following benefits.
* You can use Dexterity instead of Strength for the Attack and Damage Rolls of your unarmed strikes, and you can roll a d4 in place of the normal damage of your Unarmed Strike.  If you take this feat a second time you can roll a d6 in place of the normal damage of your Unarmed Strikes.  You use this die for any techniques that reference your Martial Arts die.
* You learn two techniques of your choice from those available on the Martial Arts technique list.  If a technique you use requires your target to make a saving throw to resist the technique’s effects, the saving throw DC equals 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Dexterity or Wisdom modifier (your choice).
* You gain 2 ki points.  These are used to fuel your techniques.  A ki point is expended when you use it.  You regain all your expended ki points when you finish a short or long rest, as long as you spent 30 minutes of the rest meditating.

## KI TECHNIQUE LIST

**Black Tiger Steals Heart Strike.** You cause intense pain in an opponent with a successful attack that they are nauseated and have trouble continuing. After successfully making an unarmed melee attack you can spend 1 ki point to cause such debilitating pain that the target creature is Poisoned until the end of their next turn.

**Bronze Dragon Plays With Water.** When another creature damages you with a melee attack, you can use your reaction and spend 1 ki point to roll a martial arts dice and add the number to your AC for that attack.  If the attack misses you can make an unarmed attack.

**Distant Eye.** When you make a ranged weapon attack, you can spend 1 ki point to prevent attacking at long range from imposing disadvantage on your attack rolls until the end of the current turn.

**Dragon And Tiger Appear Strike.** When you hit a creature with an unarmed attack, you can spend 1 ki point to attempt to drive the target back. If the target is Large or smaller, it must make a Strength saving throw, On a failed save, you push the target up to 15 feet away from you.

**Drunken Dance.** You do not have disadvantage when making melee attacks from the Prone condition. If you make a successful melee attack, you may regain your feet immediately as a reaction.

**Earth’s Embrace.** You can crush opponents when you grapple them. When you start a grapple you can do 1d4 bludgeoning damage to the grappled creature. Until the grapple ends, you can also deal this damage to the creature whenever you hit it with a melee attack.

**Falling Star Strike.** You have mastered strikes that blind. When you hit another creature with an unarmed strike you can spend 1 ki point to attempt a Falling Star Strike. The target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or be Blinded until the beginning of their next turn.

**Flurry of Blows.** Immediately after you take the attack action on your turn, you can spend 1 ki and make two unarmed strikes as a bonus action.

**Flurry of Blows, Mastery.** _11th level, and Flurry of Blows Ki Technique_ When you use your Flurry of Blows, the unarmed strikes increase to 3. At level 20, they increase to four.

**Golden Bell Shout.** *6th level* Using the attack action, you can make a special attack. If you’re able to make multiple attacks this replaces one of them. You spend 1 ki point and make a loud shout at a creature within 20 ft. They must make a Wisdom saving throw or be Stunned until the end of your turn.

**Grounding.** You have advantage on any save or skill check to force you to move. As a reaction, when something forces you to move, you can spend 1 ki point to stop yourself from being moved.

**Grounding Mastery.** *5th level, You must know the Grounding Ki Technique* You have learned to channel energy through you. When you take Acid, Cold, Fire, Lightning or Thunder damage, as a reaction you can spend 1 ki point to reduce the damage by 1d10 + your Wisdom modifier + your monk Level.

**Inner Gate Strike.** *3rd level.* When you make an Unarmed Strike you can replace that with an Inner Gate Strike. Instead of damage this strike injures their saving throws.  Make a melee attack against the target, if you are successful choose one saving throw. The target has disadvantage on those saving throws until the end of your turn.

**Iron Body.** When you take damage that you are not resistant to you can reduce it by half your Constitution modifier rounded up, minimum 1.

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**Iron Fist Strike.** You have learned the secrets of imbuing your unarmed attacks with extra force. When you hit another creature with an unarmed strike you can spend 1 ki point to add an extra martial arts dice to the damage.  Your unarmed strikes do double damage to objects and structures.

**Monkey Grip** You gain proficiency in one heavy or two-handed melee weapon. This counts as a Monk weapon for you, but you can only use Strength for it's attack and damage rolls. You can change this proficiency when you level up.

**Obsidian Demon’s Cry.** Using the attack action, you can make a special attack. If you’re able to make multiple attacks this replaces one of them. You make a loud shout at a creature within 20 ft. They must make a Wisdom saving throw or be Frightened until the end of your next turn.

**Patient Defense.** You can spend 1 ki point to take the Dodge action as a bonus action on your turn.

**Patient Defense Mastery.** _11th level, and Patient Defense Ki Technique_ You can use Patient Defense without spending a ki point.

**Quickened Healing.** As an action, you can spend 2 ki points and roll a Martial Arts die. You regain a number of hit points equal to double the number rolled.

**Shadow Python’s Strike.** When you hit a creature with an unarmed strike on your turn, you can spend 1 ki point to force them to make a Dexterity saving throw or be grappled by you.

**Step of the Wind.** You can spend 1 ki point to take the Disengage or Dash action as a bonus action, and your jump distance is doubled.

**Step of the Wind Mastery.** _11th level, and Step of the Wind Ki Technique_ You can use Step of the Wind without spending a ki point.

**Secret Weapon.** Anytime you can make an unarmed strike you can make a thrown attack with a dart. When a creature that is within 20 ft of you, and attacks a target, you can use your Reaction to throw a dart to impose disadvantage on the Attack roll.

**Thousand-Fold Breath.** As a bonus action, you focus your inner energies and regain Ki equal to your Wisdom Modifier. You can use this a number of times equal to your proficiency modifier regaining all uses on a long rest.

**Unyielding Stone.** When you force a creature to make a ki save against being shoved, prone or moved, you can calculate the DC as 8 + your Proficiency modifier + your Strength modifier.

**White Crane Chases Jade Tiger Strike.** When you hit a creature with an unarmed attack, you can spend 1 ki point to attempt to knock the target down. If the target is Large or smaller, it must make a Strength saving throw. On a failed save, you knock the target prone.

**White Horse Presents Hoof Strike.** When you hit a creature with an unarmed attack, you can spend 1 ki point to attempt to disarm the target, forcing it to drop one item of your choice that it’s holding. The target must make a Strength saving throw, On a failed save, it drops the object you choose, the object lands at its feet.

**Wind Clears the Clouds.** You fill the space around yourself with your attacks. As an action you spend 1 ki point and every creature within your weapon's reach must make a Dexterity saving throw.  On a failure you choose for each creature to either take damage equal to twice your martial arts dice or move back out of range. If they succeed they get to choose to take the damage or move away.  If you are using a quarterstaff or spear you can treat them as if they had the reach property for this action. This counts as an attack for determining if you can use your bonus action attack or Flurry of Blows.

**Wolf Spider Fist.** A style that has traveled from the underdark. You can make sneak attacks with your unarmed strikes as if your hands were Finesse weapons.

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### Added Elemental Disciplines

**Artic Fist.**  Your understanding of the cold empowers your unarmed strikes.  Before you make an unarmed strike you can choose for it to do cold damage and have a range of 15 ft.  When you do this you can choose to use your Dexterity or your Wisdom for your attack and damage.  You can also replace one or more of your strikes granted by your Flurry of Blows with Binds.  The creature makes a dexterity saving throw or they are grappled until the end of your next turn.  At the beginning of their turn they can make a strength saving throw, breaking free on a success.  If the environment is extremely hot, they have advantage on all their saves.

**Burning Fist**  Your understanding of fire allows you to wrap your unarmed strikes in flames. Before you make an unarmed strike you can choose for it to do fire damage and have a range of 15 ft.  When you do this you can choose to use your Dexterity or your Wisdom for your attack and damage.  As an action you can spin, surrounding yourself with fire.  All creatures within 10 ft of you take fire damage equal to your Wisdom modifier or choose to move back 15 ft.  This counts as an attack for determining if you can use your bonus action attack or Flurry of Blows.

**Fist of the Crashing Waves.** Your can move water as easily as your limbs.  Your unarmed strikes have a reach of 10 ft and you can choose to use your Dexterity or your Wisdom for your attack and damage.  Whenever you hit a creature with one of the attacks granted by your Flurry of Blows, you can impose one of the following Effects on that target:

* It must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or be knocked prone.
* It must make a Strength saving throw. If it fails, you can push it up to 10 feet in any direction.
* It has disadvantage on Dexterity or Strength saving throws, your choice, until the end of your turn.

**Fist of the Driving Winds.** Your understanding of the wind infuses your unarmed strikes.  Before you make an unarmed strikes can choose for them to do thunder damage and have a reach of 15 ft  When you do this you can choose to use your Dexterity or your Wisdom for your attack and damage.  Whenever you hit a creature with one of the attacks granted by your Flurry of Blows,  you can choose to make it make a Strength saving throw. If it fails, you can push it up to 20 feet away from you.

**Fist of the Storm.**  Lightning infuses your unarmed strikes.  Before you make an unarmed strike you can choose for them to do lighting damage and have a reach of 15 ft.  When you do this you can choose to use your Dexterity or your Wisdom for your attack and damage.  Whenever you hit a creature with one of the attacks generated by your Flurry of Blows, the creature can't make reactions until the end of your next turn.

**Shale Blade Strike.** Your understanding of stone has taught you it's varying natures. You can replace one of your attacks with a shale blade strike.  This attack adds your dexterity to it's attack roll, but does damage equal to twice your martial arts dice and has a range of 20 feet.

**Stone Fist.**  You draw forth stones from the earth to hurl at your foes.  Before you make an unarmed strike you can choose for it to have a range of 15 ft.  You can also replace one or more of your strikes granted by your Flurry of Blows with Binds.  The creature makes a dexterity saving throw or they are grappled until the end of your next turn.  At the beginning of their turn they can make a strength saving throw, breaking free on a success.

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#### Changelog

##### V0.21

* Black Tiger Steals Heart is now a strike.
* Added a reaction to Grounding Mastery
* Clarified Inner Gate Strike
* Iron Body gained a "minimum 1"
* Added "structures" to Iron Fist Strike
* Monkey Grip limited to melee weapons
* Removed Ki cost from Obsidian Demon's Cry

##### V0.2

* Shifted Bronze Dragon Plays with Water to AC instead of DR and allowed an unarmed attack if the inciting  attack misses.
* Combined Eagle Claw and Iron Fist
* Shifted Thousandfold Breath to uses equal to yoru proficiency modifier per long rest.
* Refined Wind Clears the Clouds with u/TalosMaximus’ advice.
* Removed Beauty Looks in the Mirror, Bull Charges Leopard, Double Dragons Arise From the Sea Strike, Lion’s Roar at the Purple Dragon, Mithral Gone Shout, and Single Whip Saves the Emperor.
* Added level limits to Golden Bell Shout, Grounding Mastery, and Inner Gate Strike.

Next version:  A deep look at the names.

##### V0.16

* Updated the language to be more consistent in each technique "spends 1 ki"
* Added a one Strike limit to each attack
* Changed names to clarify what counted as a strike and what does not.
* Clarified Beauty Looks at Mirror to be a save vs prone.
* Damage for Fists of Iron reduce to an extra MA dice.
* Changed Wind Clears the Clouds to work with reach weapons and counts quarterstaffs and spears as reach weapons for this action.
* Changed Burning Fist to an aoe fire attack action.

##### V0.15

* Fixed typos in Patient Defense Mastery and Step of the Wind Mastery

##### V0.14

* Added Elemental Disciplines

##### V0.13

* Added Monk Feature: Ki Techniques enhancement
* Added Inner Gate Strike
* Added Thousand-Fold Breath

##### V0.12

* Added Flurry of Blows, Mastery
* Added Grounding, and Grounding Mastery
* Added Patient Defense Mastery and Step of the Wind Mastery
* Added Secret Weapon

##### V0.11

* Added Wolf Spider Fist

##### V0.1

* Added an upgrade to your Unarmed Strikes if you take this feat more than once.
* Changed Iron Body to Damage Reduction instead of AC equaling 10+Con+Dex.
* Added the Monkey Grip Technique

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