The Way of the Wave (Dragon Ball Monk) (PEACH)

[GalacticAxekick]

I'd like your help fleshing the Way of the Wave (https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/share/gaWFQ_mxvCZY), my Dragon Ball-inspired Monk subclass.

The subclass's defining feature is its Signature Moves (a variety of spell-like abilities it can choose from, each inspired by a Dragon Ball techniques. So I'd like your help:
Balancing the existing Signature Moves
Coming up with new Signature Moves
Coming up with higher level subclass features


Thanks!

[noob]

I suggest they eventually unlock dimension door with ki then teleport using ki at higher levels.
That and flight either using ki or for free or just the ability to walk without ground.
Of course you could probably restrict signature moves according to level if you want to put the full dragonball arsenal as signature moves.

[Goobahfish]

One option would be to augment existing abilities?

For example: Step of the Wind now allows you to walk through the air (sort of limited flight) - really it should have always done this.

Ki shield? Like... when you use Patient Defence you can use an additional Ki to give you Resistance to non-magical B/S/P?

If we're going 'Full DBZ' then perhaps a once per LR when you are reduced to zero HP you regain Ki. Like... you can spend Hit Dice to regain health and also regain Ki at the same time.

Fusion Dance!! you know you want to. Obviously 5e doesn't support this but having for 1 minute two characters count as one, may take double actions etc and have a shared HP total...

[GalacticAxekick]

One option would be to augment existing abilities?

For example: Step of the Wind now allows you to walk through the air (sort of limited flight) - really it should have always done this.This is an excellent idea!


Ki shield? Like... when you use Patient Defence you can use an additional Ki to give you Resistance to non-magical B/S/P?

If we're going 'Full DBZ' then perhaps a once per LR when you are reduced to zero HP you regain Ki. Like... you can spend Hit Dice to regain health and also regain Ki at the same time.These are useful, though not very interesting in my opinion, since they're purely numerical bonuses that don't really broaden what the Monk can do.


Fusion Dance!! you know you want to. Obviously 5e doesn't support this but having for 1 minute two characters count as one, may take double actions etc and have a shared HP total...I hadn't thought of this! This could be really, really, really cool! But it'll be difficult to implement. Here's a quick draft:


Fusion Dance
5 Ki Points

Casting Time: Action
Range: Touch
Components: V, S
Duration: 1 minute
You perform a short but painstaking precise dance with a willing humanoid within range. A creature can only perform this dance if you or another monk capable of this signature move spends 8 hours teaching the creature the dance.

Once you perform the dance, you and the target fuse into a single humanoid creature, which has the following traits:
Features. The fused creature shares all of the race features, background features, class features, feats, and material possessions of its two humanoid "parents". Whenever the fused creature's parents have contradictory features (e.g. one has 16 Strength and the other has 8 Strength; when one is medium and one is small; one can make two attacks with the Attack action and the other can make three), the fused creature takes its choice of the two features (e.g. having 16 Strength, being medium, and making three attacks with the Attack action)
Conditions. The fused creature is under any effect that either of its parents are under (e.g. the spell Blindness/Deafness, the Rage feature, or the Exhausted condition). When the fused creature splits back into its parents, only the parent who was originally under the effect remains under the effect. If the fused creature is put under an effect while it is fused and then splits back into its parents, the parents' players can choose which parent stays under the effect.
Hit Points. The fused creature does not have its own hit points or temporary hit points. Whenever it takes damage, receives healing, or receives temporary hit points, the two parents can divide the damage, healing or THP between themselves on their character sheets. The fused creature is unaffected if one parent is reduced to 0 hit points on its character sheet.
Ki Points, spell slots, and other resources. The fused creature does not have its own pool of ki points, spell slots, or other resources. Whenever spends or recovers resources, the two parents can divide the expense or recovery between themselves on their character sheets.
Identity. The fused creature retains all the knowledge of its two parents, and once it splits back into its two parents, they retain all the knowledge of the fused creature. Nonetheless, the fused creature is its own creature with its own name and identity, and a combination of its parents personalities.
Turns. The fused creature takes two turns in combat: one on each parent's original turn. Each parent's player controls the fused creature on their respective turns, though they can speak freely between one another the plan their actions, explain their abilities, and generally make the best use of their shared identity.


The fused creature splits back into its two parents if it is knocked unconscious or when the duration of this signature move is up.

[noob]

How about giving the ability to spend more ki on the ki blasting abilities to raise their damage(Capped by proficiency/2 or something) so that you can do bigger ki blasts?

[Goobahfish]

This is an excellent idea!
Fusion Dance


That is surprisingly workable? Like... it is obviously going to be completely abusable... but it is not clear to me exactly how... I feel like that is another topic for another day.

Ki Master should almost be on the default Monk in some ways :)

Go beyond and Further beyond are kind of cool (it's a good ability) but a bit dull (this isn't really a criticism given that there is a list of signature moves to be the 'interesting bit').

Definitely would consider playing this in a one-shot ^_^

[Lvl45DM!]

Ki Ray (Freeza's death beam)

Casting time 1 action

Range 60ft
component S
Duration Instantaneous

You spend 2 Ki point and make a ranged spell attack to deal 3d8 force damage to one target. Crit on 19 or 20
You can spend extra ki up to you proficiency modifier and get extra beams.


Ki Cannon should be named Ki Wave.

[GalacticAxekick]

Ki Ray (Freeza's death beam)

Casting time 1 action

Range 60ft
component S
Duration Instantaneous

You spend 2 Ki point and make a ranged spell attack to deal 3d8 force damage to one target. Crit on 19 or 20
You can spend extra ki up to you proficiency modifier and get extra beams.I totally forgot about Freeza's death beam! I should have some way to represent it.

That said, a monk can spend 1 ki to fire three Ki Blasts and deal 3d4+9 (16.5) damage. So with a cost of 2 ki and a payoff of 3d8 (13.5) damage, this version of the Ki Ray is underpowered.

And setting that aside, spending ki to deal damage on hit is a niche ki blasts already fill. So even if I were to increase it's damage, the Ki Ray would be redundant (or would render Ki Blasts redundant)

Here's my take a the Ki Ray:


Ki Ray
2 Ki Points

Casting Time: Action
Range: 120 feet
Components: S
Duration: Concentration (up to 1 minute)
Choose a target that you can see within range. Your target must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or take 3d6 force damage, as a ray of ki races from your index finger to meet them.

In addition, you can choose to fix your aim on your target until the start of your next turn. When you do so, your target must succeed on another Dexterity saving throw at the end of its turn or take another 3d6 force damage. When you fix your aim on your target in this way, you have disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks to see anything other than your target, and you are blind to anything in the opposite direction of your target.

On each of your turns for the duration, you can use your action to choose another target and fire your Ki Ray again, and you can choose whether or not you fix your aim on your new target.

[noob]

At level 16 ki ray falls behind most cantrips. Should it get a bump at that level?(ex: raise to 4d6 at level 16)

[GalacticAxekick]

How about giving the ability to spend more ki on the ki blasting abilities to raise their damage(Capped by proficiency/2 or something) so that you can do bigger ki blasts? [...] At level 16 ki ray falls behind most cantrips. Should it get a bump at that level?(ex: raise to 4d6 at level 16)I've been thinking about this! The basic Ki Blast scales nicely because it's damage is based on your martial arts die (which grows), your ability modifier (which grows) and the Attack action (which grows).

How about all Signature Moves use martial arts dice? For example:
Ki Blasts deal 1d4+3 (5.5) without ki and 3d4+9 (16.5) with 1 ki point at 3rd level. They peak at 2d10+10 (21) without ki and 4d10+20 (42) with 1 ki point at 17th level.
The Ki Cutter deals 6d4 (15) for 1 ki point at 3rd level, and peaks at 6d10 (33) for 1 ki point at 17th level, making it the lower damage but longer range and higher accuracy alternative to Ki Blasts.
The Ki Ray deals 4d4 (10) damage over time for 1 ki point at 3rd level, and peaks at 4d10 (22) damage over time for 1 ki point at 17th level, making it the weakest but longest ranged and most ki-efficient of the 1 ki point options.