Monastic Tradition: The Way of the Five Fingers

[WhiteDrag0n]

I am interested in hearing peoples opinion of my homebrew! If you have critiques or sugestions I would love to hear it!

Developed by the Kenku Magpie, the The Way of the Five Fingers was a way for him to focus his fast paced and chaotic mind. Taking bits and pieces of a more traditional monastic tradition, he mixed it with his impulsive nature to make an art of taking what wasn’t his. Kicked out for his denial of monastery teachings, and stealing the monks' jade statue, he took his tradition out into the world. Since them it has grown into a martial at focusing on disabling opponents without killing them. Its signature weapon is the Jitte or Jutte.

Source: Homebrew

Swift Fingers

At 3rd level you gain proficiency in Sleight of Hand. If you have proficiency in Sleight of Hand you gain Expertise instead.
You may also use a Ki point to perform a Sleight of Hand check as a bonus action.

Disarming Strike

At 6th level, your mastery of your ki allows you to Disarm opponents. When you hit a creature with an Unarmed Strike, you can expend one ki point to attempt to disarm the target, forcing it to drop one item of your choice that it's holding. The target must make a Strength saving throw. On a failed save, it drops the object you choose. The object either lands at its feet or in one of your open hands.

Harness Energy

Starting at 11th level, your mastery of ki allows you to steal energy directed at you. When you take acid, cold, fire, force, lightning, or thunder damage, you can use your reaction to absorb it. When you do so, the damage you take is reduced by 1d10 + your Wisdom modifier (minimum reduction of 1). If this reduces damage from a directed energy attack to zero you regain a ki point.

Stealing Time

Starting at 17th your blinding speed allows you to turn a failure into success. If you fail a dexterity check, you can roll it again with advantage. Once you do so, you can't use this feature again until you finish a short or long rest.

[JNAProductions]

I am interested in hearing peoples opinion of my homebrew! If you have critiques or sugestions I would love to hear it!

Developed by the Kenku Magpie, the The Way of the Five Fingers was a way for him to focus his fast paced and chaotic mind. Taking bits and pieces of a more traditional monastic tradition, he mixed it with his impulsive nature to make an art of taking what wasn’t his. Kicked out for his denial of monastery teachings, and stealing the monks' jade statue, he took his tradition out into the world. Since them it has grown into a martial at focusing on disabling opponents without killing them. Its signature weapon is the Jitte or Jutte.

Source: Homebrew

Swift Fingers

At 3rd level you gain proficiency in Sleight of Hand. If you have proficiency in Sleight of Hand you gain Expertise instead.
You may also use a Ki point to perform a Sleight of Hand check as a bonus action.

Disarming Strike

At 6th level, your mastery of your ki allows you to Disarm opponents. When you hit a creature with an Unarmed Strike, you can expend one ki point to attempt to disarm the target, forcing it to drop one item of your choice that it's holding. The target must make a Strength saving throw. On a failed save, it drops the object you choose. The object either lands at its feet or in one of your open hands.

Harness Energy

Starting at 11th level, your mastery of ki allows you to steal energy directed at you. When you take acid, cold, fire, force, lightning, or thunder damage, you can use your reaction to absorb it. When you do so, the damage you take is reduced by 1d10 + your Wisdom modifier (minimum reduction of 1). If this reduces damage from a directed energy attack to zero you regain a ki point.

Stealing Time

Starting at 17th your blinding speed allows you to turn a failure into success. If you fail a dexterity check, you can roll it again with advantage. Once you do so, you can't use this feature again until you finish a short or long rest.

Swift Fingers
If you already have Expertise, what happens?
Also, Sleight of Hand checks aren't well-defined. For the first subclass feature and only one at level three, it's VERY underwhelming.

Disarming Strike
This is either REALLY GOOD, against weapon- or item-using foes, or useless. And it's gonna be useless more often than not, in a lot of adventures.

Harness Energy
I would not let you regain Ki. For reference, a campfire does something like 1d4 or 1d6 damage, meaning you'd never take damage from it if you have your reaction available, and gain a Ki Point each turn.

Stealing Time
Also very underwhelming.

Overall Thoughts
Not enough to this subclass. You could keep almost all of it, and add another feature at each level, and it'd be fine.

[WhiteDrag0n]

Swift Fingers
If you already have Expertise, what happens?
Also, Sleight of Hand checks aren't well-defined. For the first subclass feature and only one at level three, it's VERY underwhelming.

Disarming Strike
This is either REALLY GOOD, against weapon- or item-using foes, or useless. And it's gonna be useless more often than not, in a lot of adventures.

Harness Energy
I would not let you regain Ki. For reference, a campfire does something like 1d4 or 1d6 damage, meaning you'd never take damage from it if you have your reaction available, and gain a Ki Point each turn.

Stealing Time
Also very underwhelming.

Overall Thoughts
Not enough to this subclass. You could keep almost all of it, and add another feature at each level, and it'd be fine.

It is true that I aim for underpowered with homebrew because "even the very wise cannot see all ends" Let me add some stuff and see what you think.

Swift Fingers
If you already have Expertise You gain no additional effect from this ability

Joint Lock
What about this?
At 3rd level, by utilising deft manipulation of enemies weapons or joints, you know how to disable an attacker. You can use Dexterity instead of Strength in grapple checks.

Disarming Strike
Yea, but I feel thats the trade off. it makes you very good in some situations and not in others. I will think if there isn't another thing that would fit.

Harness Energy
The intent is that you only regain ki from nullified Directed Energy Attacks alla firebolt or breath weapon. So in the fire example the monk wouldn't take damage, but also wouldn't regain ki.

I like the Idea of stealing peoples spells. At first I had this function as a ki powered counterspell feature, but instead bassed it off of the Deflect arrows monk feature.

Stealing Time
Any ideas on how one's slight of hand has progressed to near godlike levels? I based this off of the Rogue: Swashbuckler's 17th level ability.

[JNAProductions]

Grappling with Dexterity is a minor but nifty bonus. Sounds good.

And if that's the intent for Harness Energy, it needs to be rewritten. As it is now, it works from any source of damage.

[AvatarVecna]

My initial thought about this 'brew is that it's got a similar problem to ranger's favored enemy: it's abilities, and thematic focus, are just too narrow. Most enemies aren't people who have stuff on their person they're using to attack you. It's entirely DM-dependent.

Spoiler: some statistical analysis

Show

Using this list for core creatures to get a good idea of how good stealing is.

CR 0: 29 creatures, 1 of whom can be robbed - Commoner.

CR 1/8: 18 creatures, 7 of whom can be robbed - Bandit, Cultist, Guard, Kobold, Merfolk, Noble, Tribal Warrior.

CR 1/4: 32 creatures, 5 of whom can be robbed - Acolyte, Drow Elf, Goblin, Skeleton, Sprite.

CR 1/2: 29 creatures, 9 of whom can be robbed - Gnoll, Deep Gnome, Hobgoblin, Lizardfolk, Orc, Sahuagin, Satyr, Scout, Thug.

CR 1: 25 creatures, 4 of whom can be robbed - Bugbear, Duergar, Harpy, Spy.

CR 2: 41 creatures, 12 of whom can be robbed - Azer, Bandit Captain, Berserker, Centaur, Cult Fanatic, Druid, Merrow, Minotaur Skeleton, Ogre, Ogre Zombie, Priest, Wererat.

CR 3: 20 creatures, 6 of whom can be robbed - Bearded Devil, Knight, Minotaur, Veteran, Werewolf, Wight.

CR 4: 11 creatures, 4 of whom can be robbed - Ettin, Lamia, Wereboar, Weretiger.

CR 5: 25 creatures, 4 of whom can be robbed - Gladiator, Half-Red Dragon Veteran, Hill Giant, Werebear.

CR 6: 10 creatures, 3 of whom can be robbed - Drider, Mage, Medusa.

CR 7: 6 creatures, 2 of whom can be robbed - Oni, Stone Giant.

CR 8: 10 creatures, 3 of whom can be robbed - Assassin, Chain Devil, Frost Giant.

CR 9: 8 creatures, 2 of whom can be robbed - Cloud Giant, Fire Giant.

CR 10: 6 creatures, 1 of whom can be robbed - Deva.

CR 11: 7 creatures, 3 of whom can be robbed - Djinni, Efreeti, Horned Devil.

CR 12: 2 creatures, 2 of whom can be robbed - Archmage, Erinyes.

CR 13: 6 creatures, 1 of whom can be robbed - Storm Giant.

CR 14: 3 creatures, 0 of whom can be robbed.

CR 15: 4 creatures, 0 of whom can be robbed.

CR 16: 5 creatures, 3 of whom can be robbed - Iron Golem, Marilith, Planetar.

CR 17: 4 creatures, 0 of whom can be robbed.

CR 19: 1 creature, 1 of whom can be robbed - Balor.

CR 20: 3 creatures, 1 of whom can be robbed - Pit Fiend.

CR 21: 4 creatures, 1 of whom can be robbed - Solar.

CR 22: 2 creatures, 0 of whom can be robbed.

CR 23: 3 creatures, 0 of whom can be robbed.

CR 24: 2 creatures, 0 of whom can be robbed.

CR 25: 1 creature, 0 of whom can be robbed.

All in all, you end up where a bit under 1 in 4 creatures in the core books can actually be robbed of stuff in combat. Of those, about half of them are fodder enemies (CR 2 or lower). Fodder enemies are a problem at low levels, but a speed bump once you get to mid-levels. Higher-level features should play into the concept of disarming, but on a more conceptual level (harness energy is doing something like this already). Here's my suggestions:

Swift Fingers
Starting at level 3, you gain proficiency in Sleight Of Hand. If you already possessed proficiency, you gain expertise. If you already possessed expertise, you gain proficiency in another skill of your choice. You may attempt Sleight Of Hand against someone in place of an unarmed strike; alternatively, you may spend 1 ki point to attempt Sleight Of Hand as part of an unarmed strike.

Steal Skill
Starting at level 6, as part of an unarmed strike, you may spend 1 ki to try and steal your target's skill. The target must make an Intelligence save against your Monk Save DC. If they fail, select one thing they add proficiency to; they lose their proficiency bonus to that thing, and you add your proficiency bonus to your own (DM's judgement on what this means in a grey area). At the end of the target's turn each round, they may attempt another save against your Monk Save DC; success means they regain their lost proficiency, and you lose your extra proficiency. This also occurs should the target die.

Steal Danger
Starting at level 11, the damage prevent part of Deflect Missiles may be applied to anything that deals damage to you. Additionally as part of an unarmed strike, you can spend 2 ki to try and steal your target's damage. Your target must make a Charisma save against your Monk Save DC. If they fail, whenever they deal damage, it is lowered by your Wisdom modifier (to a minimum of 1 damage); meanwhile, your own damage is increased by your Wisdom modifier. At the end of the target's turn each round, they may attempt another save against your Monk Save DC; success means they no longer take a penalty to their damage rolls, and you no longer gain a bonus. This also occurs should the target die.

Steal Time
Starting at level 17, as part of an unarmed strike, you can spend 3 ki to try and steal your target's time. Your target must make a Strength save against your Monk Save DC. If they fail, they are slowed (as the "Slow" spell), and you are hastened (as the "Haste" spell). At the end of the target's turn each round, they may attempt another save against your Monk Save DC; success means they are no longer slowed, and you are no longer hastened (although in this particular case, losing the benefit of haste does not cause you to become lethargic).

All of it combines to make a highly-capable combatant, a debuffing specialist with thievery fluff. Thoughts?

[Rynjin]

Harness Energy just needs an "in combat" appended to it somewhere and it's fine.

Stealing Time is extraordinarily lackluster for a level 17 ability, particularly one with a name like that. Frankly it should be some kind of Sleight of Hand check that can steal buffs or something along those lines, something that fits the name.

Maybe make up a short list of things you can take from somebody with the check.

-Beneficial status effects
-Negative status effects (acting as kind of a ghetto-status removal for an ally)
-Any item carried by the character
-The Haste/Slow effect proposed in your rewrite, which I didn't see until now
-As a final ability to fit the fluff, 1d10 years of lifespan, which are added to your own.

I don't think it should be tied to a successful Unarmed Strike in any case.

[WhiteDrag0n]

Thank you for your statistical analysis AvatarVecna, that was far more work than I was expecting!

Swift Fingers
Starting at level 3, you gain proficiency in Sleight Of Hand. If you already possessed proficiency, you gain expertise. If you already possessed expertise, you gain proficiency in another skill of your choice. You may attempt Sleight Of Hand against someone in place of an unarmed strike; alternatively, you may spend 1 ki point to attempt Sleight Of Hand as part of an unarmed strike.

I like this a great deal making a sleight of hand instead of an unarmed strike or along with an unarmed strike is very "on Brand"

Steal Skill is a neat idea but I feel like it might be hard to impliment at the table.

Steal Time
Starting at level 17, as part of an unarmed strike, you can spend 3 ki to try and steal your target's time. Your target must make a Strength save against your Monk Save DC. If they fail, they are slowed (as the "Slow" spell), and you are hastened (as the "Haste" spell). At the end of the target's turn each round, they may attempt another save against your Monk Save DC; success means they are no longer slowed, and you are no longer hastened (although in this particular case, losing the benefit of haste does not cause you to become lethargic).

I like this idea quite a bit. What is your reasoning for it being a strength save?

[AvatarVecna]

Thank you for your statistical analysis AvatarVecna, that was far more work than I was expecting!



I like this a great deal making a sleight of hand instead of an unarmed strike or along with an unarmed strike is very "on Brand"

Steal Skill is a neat idea but I feel like it might be hard to impliment at the table.



I like this idea quite a bit. What is your reasoning for it being a strength save?

It felt like a more physical thing to resist than the others, and it felt like if you were being massively slowed down, it's less something you slip out of and more something you power through. If something's weighing you down and you feel like you're pushing through molasses with every step, you grit your teeth and put your back into it.