Way of the Flowing Ink
For Monks on the Path of Flowing Ink their ki flows into their craft as ink flows onto a page. For these masters of Martial Arts, Calligraphy and Tattoo Artistry it is impossible to tell where one discipline ends and another begins.
Monks following the Way of the Flowing Ink adorn themselves with intricate, aesthetic, stunning tattoos. Each monk's tattoos become extensions of their identity, their practice, and their ki; extending even beyond their physical boundaries. Inky manifestations enhance their attacks and manipulate their opponents' ki. True masters can even extract their opponents' life energy.
The ki infused magical tattoos granted by this sub-class do not count towards magical attunements or affect attunement to magic tattoos obtained from other sources.
Monastic Tradition Features
| Monk Level | Feature |
|---|---|
| 3 | Path of Flowing Ink |
| 6 | Incorporeal Ink |
| 11 | Harrowing Inky Maul |
| 17 | Necromantic Artistry |
Path of Flowing Ink
Starting when you choose this tradition at 3rd level you are granted the following abilities:
Monastic Artistry
Tattoo Artistry and Calligraphy are fundamental to this Monastic Tradition. You are now proficient with the Calligrapher's Kit.
Ki flows through the tattoos, of your own design, which cover much of your body and extend to at least one fingertip. You can write/draw with one fingertip as if it were an ink quill that never runs out of ink.
After using this ability to write/draw you can, as an action, speak a creature’s name and the ink will become invisible to everyone other than you and the named creature for the next 24 hours. Either of you can dismiss the invisibility by touching the ink (no action required). Once used, this action can’t be used again until the next dawn.
If you use this ability to write/draw on the exposed skin of a willing creature you can, as an action, touch the ink transforming it into a non-magical tattoo.
Flowing Ink Technique
Whenever you hit a creature with one of the attacks granted by your Flurry of Blows your tattoos momentarily extend onto your opponent allowing you to manipulate their ki and impose one of the following effects on that target:
-
It must succeed on a dexterity saving throw or be knocked prone.
-
It can't take reactions until the end of your next turn.
Grasping Ink Technique
You can target a single creature that is within 15 feet, you can see, and is no more than one size larger than you with a special melee attack to grapple. Inky tendrils coil out from your tattoos and wrap around your target. When using this ability your grapple check becomes a Wisdom ability check adding your proficiency modifier. Your opponent's contested check is handled in the usual manner. If you succeed you subject your target to the grappled condition.
As usual your opponent can use an action to attempt to escape, forcing another skill contest as described above, and if they succeed the grapple ends. The grapple also ends if you halt it (no action required), if the creature is ever more than 15 feet away from you, or if you use this ability on a different creature.
Once grappled in this way you can hold the creature in place while moving at full speed as long as you remain within 15 feet of it at all times.
Note: The rules for opportunity attacks still apply as usual.
Grasping Ink Technique (continued)
You can also move the grappled creature at half speed (accounting for carrying capacity rules as applicable). When moving the grappled creature you either move with the grappled creature in the same direction (as usual), or you can remain stationary while moving the grappled creature. In either case, when moving the grappled creature (at half speed) it must remain within 15 feet of you at all times, and it is the distance covered by the grappled creature that counts towards your movement.
With this ability you can target creatures above you within range, even if they are flying or levitating, but cannot lift a grappled creature. You can however pull a creature grappled in this way downwards as long as it remains within 15 feet at all times. You cannot move a grappled creature through obstacles that could not be normally moved through (e.g. walls or other creatures hostile towards you).
Incorporeal Ink
At 6th level you gain the ability to become incorporeal. As a bonus action you can spend 3 ki points to become incorporeal as your tattoos shift and blur granting you the following effects until the end of your next turn:
-
You have resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical attacks.
-
You can’t be grappled or restrained.
-
You can move through creatures and solid objects as if they were difficult terrain. If you end your turn in a solid object, you take 1d10 force damage. If the effect ends while you are inside a solid object, you instead are shunted to the nearest unoccupied space, and you take 1d10 force damage for every 5 feet traveled.
-
You can attempt to hide from a creature when you are lightly obscured and if you are heavily obscured then you have advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks made to hide.
Harrowing Inky Maul
Beginning at 11th level you can manifest inky claws or tendrils to enhance your unarmed strikes. As a bonus action you can spend up to 3 ki points granting you one of the following effects lasting up to one minute or until dismissed:
-
Jagged Inky Claws grow out from your tattoos making your unarmed strikes more potent. Your unarmed attacks gain a +1 to attack and damage rolls per ki point spent.
-
Long Inky Tendrils leak from your tattoos extending the reach of your unarmed strikes. The range of your unarmed attack becomes 10 feet times the number of ki points spent.
Note: Only one of these effects can be active at a time.
Necromantic Artistry
At 17th level the ki flowing through your tattoos has become so potent that you can extract lifeforce from an opponent when you land an unarmed strike. Your unarmed attack rolls now score a critical hit on a d20 roll of 19 or 20. When you score a critical hit on an unarmed attack you can spend a ki point to deal an extra 4d6 necrotic damage and gain a number of temporary hit points equal to the necrotic damage dealt.
Reminder: Temporary hit points do not stack.
Made with GM Binder
Male Human Monk in Orange, Unknown
Diana, the Acrobat, Robson Michael
This is unofficial Fan Content permitted under the Fan Content Policy. Not approved/endorsed by Wizards. Portions of the materials used are property of Wizards of the Coast. ©Wizards of the Coast LLC.