Monastic Tradition: Way of the Kunai
Monks of the Way of the Kunai are the masters of the specialized throwing daggers from which the order derives its name. They learn special techniques to infuse their blades with their own ki to cause eruptions of magical effects or redirect daggers as they fly.
At 3rd level, monks choose a monastic tradition to specialize their skills and abilities. This document presents a playtest option for this feature: The Way of the Kunai v1.2.
Kunai Training
When you choose this tradition at 3rd level, any attack you make with a dagger, dart, or handaxe counts as an unarmed strike for the purposes of your Monk class features, even if you make a thrown attack with one of those weapons. When you throw a dagger, dart, or handaxe, the thrown range is doubled, and you can draw the weapon as part of the attack.
You also learn the mage hand cantrip and can cast it at will. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for any spells this subclass gives you access to. In addition, you can expend 1 ki point as a bonus action to retrieve one weapon you can see within 60 feet of you. The chosen weapon must be a monk weapon with the thrown property.
Finally, you have proficiency in the Sleight-of-Hand skill and, while holding daggers or handaxes in one or both hands, you have a climbing speed equal to your walking speed.
Ki-Infused Blades
At 6th level, every monk weapon with the thrown property that you touch becomes infused with your ki. These weapons count as magical for the purposes of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage. If you throw ki-infused weapons as part of an attack, they return to you at the end of your turn via echoes of your mage hand.
In addition, your thrown monk weapons seem to curve in near-impossible arcs as though guided by an unseen hand. When you miss a thrown attack with a monk weapon, you use a ki point to redirect the thrown weapon towards a new target in range that you can see. You must make a new attack roll against the new target.
Elemental Edge
At 11th level, you form a strong connection to your ki-infused blades. As a bonus action you can expend 3 ki points to infuse any number of monk weapons with the thrown property on your person with elemental magic.
Choose one damage type: acid, cold, fire, lightning, poison, or thunder. For up to 1 hour, attacks you make with the affected weapons deal additional damage of the chosen type, equal to your martial arts die. You can change the damage type as a bonus action. Maintaining this effect requires concentration, as if concentrating on a spell.
This infusion also grants you access to one cantrip associated with the chosen damage type, as shown on the Elemental Cantrip Table. While your infusion is active, you can cast this cantrip at will.
| Element | Cantrip |
|---|---|
| Acid | Prestidigitation |
| Cold | Shape Water |
| Fire | Control Flames |
| Lightning | Spare the Dying |
| Poison | Druidcraft |
| Thunder | Thaumaturgy |
In addition, you can engage other reasonable effects at the discretion of your DM. For instance, a fire-infused dagger may glow like a torch or a thunder-infused axe may hum and sing. Some such effects could grant disadvantage or advantage to certain skills like stealth or performance.
Flying Daggers
When you reach 17th level, your connection to your thrown weapons has granted you the ability to awaken them with a sliver of your soul. As an action, you may expend 6 ki points to cast the Animate Objects spell.
You can only target nonmagical weapons with the thrown property with this spell, or objects currently in contact with your thrown weapons. For example, you could throw a dagger into a barrel and then animate the barrel as a single action.
Credits
Created by /u/StoneBringer and inspired by /u/Absurdisan. Special Thanks to /u/40PercentLucky. Art credit: Khoa Viet.
