Amechra
2017-03-08, 01:10 AM
Way of the Broken-Winged Crane [Monastic Tradition]
There is enlightenment in pain - comfort ties you close to this world, and love for the flesh is just another chain. This is a simple fact - why do you think Monks spend so much time mastering violence?
Most Monks, however, do not walk down this path too far. Because at the end of that path lies a beast, hungry and insatiable. Because sometimes, they can't withstand the loss that's the logical next step.
Some scarce few, however, have walked the Way of the Broken-Winged Crane. They have tasted the joy of agony, and have left their flesh marked. Those scars and wounds bring them power - considerable power.
3 - Carving Out Weakness
The Monk gains a Horrifying Scar (DMG p. 272) - if it (or any self-inflicted scar inflicted by this Tradition) is removed by healing magic, it reappears during the next Long Rest. In exchange, she adds the number of lingering injuries she has to her Monk level when determining how many Hit Dice she has.
3 - Fist-Shattering Practices
The Monk may spend Hit-Dice as if they were Ki for the purposes of Flurry of Blows - if she does, she rolls the Hit-Die and suffers that much Psychic damage. Whenever she uses her Strength when making an attack with her unarmed strike or a monk weapon, she may expend one of her Hit-Dice to add that die to her damage roll.
6 - Pain-Ignoring Shrug
The Monk gains a Minor Scar (DMG p. 272), and she may spend Hit-Dice as if they were Ki for the purposes of Patient Defense in addition to Flurry of Blows. She may also spend 1 Ki to apply Deflect Missiles to a melee weapon attack made against her - if she chooses to catch it, she rips the weapon from the wielder's grip unless they succeed on a Strength save. If they fail the save, she may spend 1 Ki to counterattack as normal.
11 - Meat Is A Lie
The Monk gains an additional Minor Scar, and is immune to the Frightened condition. In addition, she may demonstrate that her flesh is an illusion - she may pay a surcharge of 1 Ki to take bonus actions and reactions while Incapacitated, and may spend 1 Ki as a Bonus Action to suppress the Incapacitated condition (as well as the negative effects of her lingering injuries) for 1 minute.
17 - The Name Of The King
The Monk gains an additional Minor Scar. She has also learned how to demonstrate the frailty of flesh - when she uses Fist-Shattering Practices to deal additional damage, she may spend 1 Ki to force the victim of that attack to roll on the Lingering Injuries Table (DMG p. 272). In addition, creatures currently suffering from a lingering injury suffer Disadvantage on their saves against her Stunning Strike and Pain-Ignoring Shrug.
=---=
Alright.
I'd like some feedback - however, I'd like you to keep this in mind:
1) I know that Carving Out Weakness can technically give you unlimited HD. Considering that magical healing removes most lingering injuries automatically, and the fact that a lot of them are really painful... I don't see it as too much of a problem.
2) Yes, The Name Of The King is horrendously brutal. You're channelling your Ki to casually crush limbs and splinter ribs. It doesn't have a save because at 17th level, most of your opposition is going to have some access to magical healing (or are mooks).
There is enlightenment in pain - comfort ties you close to this world, and love for the flesh is just another chain. This is a simple fact - why do you think Monks spend so much time mastering violence?
Most Monks, however, do not walk down this path too far. Because at the end of that path lies a beast, hungry and insatiable. Because sometimes, they can't withstand the loss that's the logical next step.
Some scarce few, however, have walked the Way of the Broken-Winged Crane. They have tasted the joy of agony, and have left their flesh marked. Those scars and wounds bring them power - considerable power.
3 - Carving Out Weakness
The Monk gains a Horrifying Scar (DMG p. 272) - if it (or any self-inflicted scar inflicted by this Tradition) is removed by healing magic, it reappears during the next Long Rest. In exchange, she adds the number of lingering injuries she has to her Monk level when determining how many Hit Dice she has.
3 - Fist-Shattering Practices
The Monk may spend Hit-Dice as if they were Ki for the purposes of Flurry of Blows - if she does, she rolls the Hit-Die and suffers that much Psychic damage. Whenever she uses her Strength when making an attack with her unarmed strike or a monk weapon, she may expend one of her Hit-Dice to add that die to her damage roll.
6 - Pain-Ignoring Shrug
The Monk gains a Minor Scar (DMG p. 272), and she may spend Hit-Dice as if they were Ki for the purposes of Patient Defense in addition to Flurry of Blows. She may also spend 1 Ki to apply Deflect Missiles to a melee weapon attack made against her - if she chooses to catch it, she rips the weapon from the wielder's grip unless they succeed on a Strength save. If they fail the save, she may spend 1 Ki to counterattack as normal.
11 - Meat Is A Lie
The Monk gains an additional Minor Scar, and is immune to the Frightened condition. In addition, she may demonstrate that her flesh is an illusion - she may pay a surcharge of 1 Ki to take bonus actions and reactions while Incapacitated, and may spend 1 Ki as a Bonus Action to suppress the Incapacitated condition (as well as the negative effects of her lingering injuries) for 1 minute.
17 - The Name Of The King
The Monk gains an additional Minor Scar. She has also learned how to demonstrate the frailty of flesh - when she uses Fist-Shattering Practices to deal additional damage, she may spend 1 Ki to force the victim of that attack to roll on the Lingering Injuries Table (DMG p. 272). In addition, creatures currently suffering from a lingering injury suffer Disadvantage on their saves against her Stunning Strike and Pain-Ignoring Shrug.
=---=
Alright.
I'd like some feedback - however, I'd like you to keep this in mind:
1) I know that Carving Out Weakness can technically give you unlimited HD. Considering that magical healing removes most lingering injuries automatically, and the fact that a lot of them are really painful... I don't see it as too much of a problem.
2) Yes, The Name Of The King is horrendously brutal. You're channelling your Ki to casually crush limbs and splinter ribs. It doesn't have a save because at 17th level, most of your opposition is going to have some access to magical healing (or are mooks).