Way of the Arcstrider
Monastic Tradition
Monks of this tradition have learned to channel their chi into gentle currents of electricity as well as dangerous bursts of lightning. This electricity is used to enhance a monk’s own physical prowess and enables them to utilize additional abilities and weapons that are used for new techniques and styles of fighting. Combat meditation and quick actions are an Arcstrider’s best friend, allowing them to strike their enemies while safely staying in the eye of their own storm.
Using oneself as a conduit for arc energy can be dangerous, and only the most skilled masters forgo protective clothing or coverings. Due to this, it is not uncommon to see Arcstrider Monks wearing special leather clothing or even insulated armors.
Arc Staff
3rd-level Way of the Arcstrider feature
When you choose this Monastic Tradition at 3rd level, you begin your foray into molding lightning to fit your needs. You may spend 1 ki point to use your bonus action to summon a staff formed of pure electricity. The staff counts as a monk weapon with which you are proficient. The staff is bound to you by your ki, meaning that you can not be forced to drop it against your will, and it disappears if you drop it willingly, are incapacitated, or dispel it as a free action. Once summoned, the Arc Staff lasts for 10 minutes, and can be dispelled and resummoned any number of times within that 10 minutes at no cost with no action required.
The damage of the Arc Staff is 1d6. When you reach certain levels in this class, the damage of your Arc Staff increases; it becomes 1d8 at 5th level, 1d10 at 11th level, and 1d12 at 17th level. Attacks made with the Arc Staff deal lightning damage.
Monk Armor
3rd-level Way of the Arcstrider feature
When you take up the Arcstrider Tradition, you gain proficiency in light armor that weighs 20 pounds or less. Using these armors does not restrict use of your Monk abilities that may normally not be allowed when wearing armor, except for Unarmored Defense. If you already have or otherwise gain proficiency in medium armor, you may also gain this benefit while using medium armor so long as it is lined with leather or you wear leather under it and the armor weighs 20 pounds or less.
If you do choose to don armor, and the armor meets the requirements listed above, you may choose whether you will use your armor or your Unarmored Defense to calculate your AC, but not both. Using a shield will cause relevant Monk abilities to be unusable as normal.
Credits
- Page 1 Art By Bungie from the Destiny 2 game, animated by mopp (https://tenor.com/users/mopp)
- Page 2 Art by Bungie from the Destiny 2 game
Lightning Relfexes
6th-level Way of the Arcstrider feature
At 6th level, your quickness in the face of danger is amplified to lightning speeds. If a creature makes an attack against you and misses, you may use your reaction to immediately move 5 feet to any unoccupied space. This movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity. If the creature that attacked you is within 5 feet of you after you take this movement, you may make one melee attack against that creature as part of this reaction.
Lightning Weave
6th level Way of the Arcstrider feature
At 6th level, while unarmored or wearing armor that meets the requirements listed in your Monk Armor feature, you gain resistance to lightning damage.
Tempest Strike
11th-level Way of the Arcstrider feature
At 11th level, whenever you take the attack action on your turn or use your Flurry of Blows feature, you may replace one of the attacks with a destructive wave of electricity originating from you. The wave of energy is 15 feet long, 10 feet high, and 5 feet wide. All creatures within the area affected by Tempest Strike must make a Dexterity saving throw. Tempest Strike deals 3d4 lightning damage on a failed saving throw, or half as much on a success.
When you use this feature, you may spend up to 3 ki points. Each ki point spent increases the damage of this attack by 2d4. You may use this feature no more than once per turn.
Lethal Current
17th-level Way of the Arcstrider feature
At 17th level, you gain the ability to conduct Arc energy through your strikes to create damaging aftershocks. Whenever you make an attack roll against a creature or object within 5 feet of you on your turn and the attack successfully hits, you can create an electric field in a space that is occupied by the creature you struck. The area of this field is considered difficult terrain for all creatures except for you. Additionally, any creature other than you that ends its turn in the electric field takes 1d6 lightning damage. If a creature is occupying more than one electric field when it ends its turn, it takes damage equal to 1d6 per electric field in its space. You can not create an electric field in a space that already has one, and all electric fields end at the beginning of your next turn.
