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View Full Version : D&D 5e/Next Monastic Tradition: Way of the Sacred Fire [PEACH]



ravencroft0
2017-04-28, 01:22 PM
My attempt at a sacred fist. At first I was going make a prestige class, as was the original. But then I went the route of monastic tradition. It's difficult to peg this as a monk tradition though, because it could just as easily be a paladin Sacred Oath. Anyway, here's (http://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/share/rJWfj9Pl1Z) a NatCrit link, or just look down below. I appreciate any criticism. Enjoy!

Way of the Sacred Fire

Monks of the Way of the Sacred Fire, sometimes called "sacred fists", are a group of monks whose core belief is their bodies and minds gifts from their deity, and they believe that not developing those gifts to their fullest potential is a sin. The first master of the Sacred Fire was a holy warrior who saw the fighting prowess of monks and felt his own fighting skills were lacking in comparison. Thus many features of the Way of the Sacred Fire emulate the abilities of paladins and, to a lesser extent, clerics.

Code of Conduct
Body. My body is my weapon and my armor. I need neither steel nor leather to defend myself.
Will. My strikes are as strong as steel, but my will is stronger yet.
Faith. My fighting spirit is a gift from the divine. Not honing and strengthening that gift is a sin.
Charity. My privilege is to help others in their time of need.
Strength. My martial and physical abilities must be exercised to stay strong.
Humble and Self-sufficient. I will not shy away from any challenge, but I will not be so prideful as not ask for aid as necessary.
Sacred Aura
At 3rd level, when you become a monk of the Sacred Fire, you are able to manipulate your aura to produce passive effects. You have a total of three auras at your disposal. It is an action to activate an aura, and it is always active until you use an action to activate another or you die. Your aura has a range of self.

Aura of Fortitude. If you roll a 19 on a death saving throw, you regain 1 hit point.
Aura of Resolve. You have advantage on saving throws made against *charm* and *fear* effects.
Aura of Sanctity. When a melee attack hits you for critical damage, your attacker must succeed on a Constitution saving throw (DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier) or be blinded until the end of its next turn.

At 11th level, you may expend 4 ki to extend your aura radius out to 30 feet for 1 minute, as an act of concentration. While you concentrate, your allies and friendly creatures receive the benefit of your aura while in range.
The Sacred Fire
As part of your Sacred Fire vow, you do not receive any weapon proficiencies. For your sacrifice, at 3rd level you are able to use your ki to cast the sacred flame cantrip. If for any reason you violate the Sacred Fire code of conduct, you lose the ability to use this cantrip. One hour of meditation, accomplishable during a short rest, will restore your ability to use sacred flame.
Sacred Strike
At 6th level you are able to channel divine energy into a single blow. As you make a single unarmed strike, you add radiant damage to your blow equal to your unarmed strike damage die by expending 2 ki points.

You can add another die of radiant damage to your attack for every ki point spent beyond the initial two, to a maximum amount related to your monk level, as stated in the table below.



Monk Level
Maximum Ki Point


6th—8th
3


9th—12th
4


13th—16th
5


17th—20th
6


Aura Detection
Your sacred aura has become sensitive to all energy sources, whether they be the arcane energy of a spell or the inherent divinity within the soul. At 11th level, as long as your sacred aura is active, you have blindsight out to 10 feet. You may extend your ​blindsight by an extra 10 feet for every 1 ki point spent to a maximum of 30 feet. This extension lasts for 1 minute, as you concentrate.
Aura of Ascension
Your adherence to the tenets of the Sacred Flame has brought about a new capacity for your Sacred Aura feature. At 17th level, you channel the divinity within to become a bastion of holy might. For 1 minute you double your Wisdom modifier when determining your unarmored defense AC. When you take damage from a melee attack, your attacker receives an amount of radiant damage equal to your Wisdom modifier. Additionally, any magical damage you receive is reduced by an amount equal to your Wisdom modifier.
Aura of Radiance
Your mortal form can no longer completely contain your divine energies. At 17th level, your body emits a faint glow that does not illuminate the area around you, but grants you advantage to Persuasion or Intimidate skill checks. Additionally your ability for these checks becomes Wisdom.

The Zoat
2017-04-28, 08:04 PM
Just out of hand I'd suggest calling it the way of the sacred FIRE instead to avoid the association with the cleric cantrip.

Ziegander
2017-04-28, 08:23 PM
I like the general theme and the auras, but Sacred Strike just seems like Smite+, and its effect is limited by a short rest resource to boot.

JNAProductions
2017-04-28, 08:31 PM
Aura of Fortitude is useless. If you're making Death Saving Throws, you've been incapacitated, which shuts the aura down.

Sacred Strike is likely too strong. You can smite far more often than a Paladin can, since it's short-rest based.

ravencroft0
2017-04-29, 04:20 PM
Thanks everyone. I wasn't sure about sacred strike's power. It ideally should be right there with smite and a hair more powerful than the monk's damage output.

Edit: Made some changes. Name and functional changes to Sacred aura. Aura of Fortitude is a little more relevant. Making sacred strike a static d8 seems ok. Does that step on the paladin's toes?