Martial Archetype: Monastic Guardian
Monastic Guardians serve as mercenary knights, protecting traveling monks or common folk whose towns are overseen by the temple. They often end up being a military arm for more influential monasteries. In return, guarians get the chance to tap into martial knowledge of the monks and mystical powers of ki.
Ki Training
Starting at 3rd level, your training allows you to harness the mystic energy of ki. Your access to this energy is represented by a number of ki points. Your fighter level determines the number of points you have, as shown in the Ki Points table below.
You can spend these points to fuel various ki features. You start knowing two such features: Ki Barrier and Step of the Wind. You learn more ki features as you gain fighter levels.
When you spend a ki point, it is unavailable until you finish a short or long rest, at the end of which you draw all of your expended ki back into yourself. You must spend at least 30 minutes of the rest meditating to regain your ki points.
Some of your ki features require your target to make a saving throw to resist the feature's effects. The saving throw DC is calculated as follows:
Ki Save DC
Ki Barrier
As a reaction when you would take damage you can spend 1 ki point to gain temporary hit points equal to 1d10 + your fighter level which absorb as much of the triggering damage as possible. Those hit points are lost at the beginning of your next turn.
Step of the Wind
You can spend 1 ki point to take the Disengage or Dash action as a bonus action on your turn, and your jump distance is doubled for the turn.
Ki Points and multiclassing
If you gain ki points from multiple sources as a result of multiclassing, you add them together to a single pool of ki points.
| Fighter Level | Ki Points |
|---|---|
| 3 | 1 |
| 6 | 2 |
| 9 | 3 |
| 12 | 4 |
| 15 | 5 |
| 18 | 6 |
Spirit's Edge
At 7th level you channel your ki to brandish a weapon o pure will, able to cut between dimensions. When you make the Attack action on your turn, you can temporarily enchant your weapon instead of one of the attacks you would make as part of that action. The enchantment lasts until the end of your turn. If you hit a creature with the enchanted weapon it takes additional 1d6 damage and treats all terrain as difficult terrain until the beginning of your next turn. All attacks made with a weapon enchanted this way deal force damage instead of the usual types.
Ki Burst
At 10th level when you use Second Wind each creature of your choice within 5 feet of you must make a Strength saving throw versus your Ki save DC or become stunned until the beginning of your next turn.
Equilibrium Strike
At 15th level you are able to sever monsters spirit from its earthly form. When you hit a creature using your Spirit's Edge feature, you can spend 3 ki points. Target creature has to make a Charisma saving throw versus your Ki save DC or become paralyzed until the beginning of your next turn and take 3d6 force damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. Once you use this feature, you must finish a long rest before you can use it again.
Together we Stand
At 18th level when you use Action Surge, you can choose to spend an action to instantly teleport yourself into an unoccupied space within 5 feet of a friendly creature that you can see and grant benefits of Ki Barrier to both yourself and chosen creature. Hit points gained this way by friendly creature are lost at the beginning of your next turn.
Changelog
v1.0
Created
v1.1
Ki Barrier
Updated with better wording.
Increased temporary hit points to 1d10+fighter level
Spirit's Edge
Updated with better wording.
Removed redundant rules bloat.
Added bonus 1d6 damage on hit.
Ki Burst
Removed 'no hitpoints gained' limit.
Removed ki point cost.
Added 5 feet area of effect instead of single target limit.
Equilibrium Strike
Damage no longer breaks paralysis effect.
Added bonus damage on top to justify high ki cost and long rest limit.
Together we Stand
Removed ki point cost.
Specified how exactly temporary hit points gained by your ally behave.