Monk Tradition: Way of Kung Pow
Some monks have inborn talent, grace, and skill, effortlessly learning the forms of their masters. Some achieve greatness through endless effort, inching closer to perfection through perfect practice. Still others develop inner peace and balance from meditation and mental fortitude. But there are those with more enthusiasm than ability; most fail to reach the lofty heights they spy from below, but some few persevere through their teachers' scorn and criticism. And then there are the unlucky few with whom the masters have a little fun.
We Trained Him Wrong, As a Joke
When you choose this tradition at 3rd level, your imperfect technique inspires derision, scorn, and disappointment in your opponents.
My-Nuts-to-Your-Fist Style
When you use flurry of blows, you can choose to impose disadvantage on any or all of your unarmed strikes this turn. When you do, the target of that unarmed attack must make a Wisdom saving throw against your ki save DC or be charmed by you until the start of your next turn, taking pity on your inept, flailing attacks. Success or failure, you cannot use this ability on that creature again until 24 hours have passed.
I'm Bleeding...
Your body is resilient after surviving the many wounds inflicted by poor training practices and negligent masters. Whenever you take damage, reduce it by one point.
...Making Me the Victor!
You have (misplaced) confidence in your power. When you fail a saving throw against an effect that causes the frightened condition, you can use your reaction to immediately end the effect. After you have used this ability, you cannot do so again until you finish a long rest.
Face-to-Foot Style
At 6th level, you have suffered defeat after defeat, inuring you to pain. When you take damage, you can expend a ki point to roll your martial arts die and reduce the damage by the result (to a minimum of 0).
In addition, your ill-advised taunts and boasts draw the attention of your enemies. You can cast compelled duel a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and regain all uses when you finish a long rest. While you have no uses available, you can expend 1 ki point to cast it again.
Your spell save DC is equal to your ki save DC for this spell. If a creature is charmed by you while under the effect of your compelled duel, it is incapacitated until either the charm or spell effect ends as you confuse and disorient it.
Leap That Wall, If You're So Great!
Starting at 11th level, if you have a running start, you can jump and gain a fly speed equal to your remaining movement until the end of your turn. Your flight must be in the same direction as your jump, but you can change direction if you are within 5 feet of a wall, ceiling, or other large object (such as a statue or pillar). If you are in the air at the end of your turn, you fall.
I Rock, And Roll, All Day Long
Beginning at 17th level, you have somehow turned a lifetime of failure into successful martial arts, and your poor techniques are simpler and easier to you to execute than the ones practiced by other, better trained monks.
Whenever you expend a ki point, roll a 1d6. On a 1, you regain that ki point.
Photo: © Twentieth Century Fox