Monk: Way of the Guard
You have been entrusted with the protection of others. As a bodyguard, sentry, secret police, or watch at remote outpost, you protect both valuable assets and precious life. Your training makes you difficult to spot, and even more difficult to get past. Your honor demands any sacrifice to protect your ward. From that honor you draw your ki.
When you choose this way, you gain the following features and additional features as you gain levels in this class.
Art of Subtlety
3rd Level Way of the Guard feature
You gain proficiency in the disguise kit tool and are gifted a disguise kit by benefactors. When you make a Dexterity (Stealth) check, or you make a Charisma (Performance) check to blend with a crowd, act unremarkable, or diguise your purpose, you can spend one ki point to add a roll of your martial arts die to the total.
Heightened Perception
3rd Level Way of the Guard feature
As an action, you can spend one ki point to add a roll of your martial arts die to your passive perception. Your perception remains heightened until you finish a short or long rest, or until you make a Perception check to which you can add a roll of your martial arts die.
Guard’s Ward
3rd Level Way of the Guard Feature
When you roll initiative or have your Heightened Perception active, you can designate a willing creature as your ward. If a creature attacks your ward, you can use your reaction to make a melee or ranged attack at the attacker. If you hit with this reaction attack, your ward can move up to half of their speed as a reaction without provoking opportunity attacks from the creature that you hit.
Impeding Strike
9th Level Way of the Guard Feature
When you hit with a bonus action unarmed strike, a flurry of blows, or an unarmed guard’s ward reaction attack, you can grapple the target, if the target's Dexterity (Acrobatics) or Strength (Athletics) check is lower than your attack roll.
Yin and Yang
13th Level Way of the Guard Feature
Via your mystical connection to your ward, you can sense when they are in danger. When your ward is attacked or forced to make a saving throw, you can use your reaction to exchange places with your ward, magically teleporting to their location and sending them to yours, provided you are on the same plane. The attack or effect causing the saving throw targets you instead. You can regain the use of this feature by finishing a short or long rest, or spending 5 ki points.
Ward Master
17th Level Way of the Guard Feature Your mastery of the art of protection mystically guides your reaction. Each hit with your Guard’s Ward reaction attack it is a critical hit.
Credits
All artwork is original (Midjourney tool v5). This subclass was created for the Royal Academy campaign. (More soon!)
Version History
| Date | Version | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2023.07.31 | 1.0 | Initial release |
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