Way of the Thorned Soul

Monks who follow the Way of the Thorned Soul intertwine their spiritual journey with the relentless resilience of nature. They revere the quiet strength of the wilderness, embodying the unyielding advance of the vine and the punishing retort of the thorn. These monks see the thorn as a symbol of defense and resilience, using it as a metaphor for their practice, drawing strength from the world's tranquility and guarding it fiercely.

In battle, these monks embody a potent dichotomy, merging the beauty and grace of a dancer with the savagery and tenacity of the wild. They strike from unexpected quarters with their whip-like Ki, controlling the combat field and defending with an oak's immovability. The Way of the Thorned Soul cultivates an inner garden of harmony, yielding and enduring like a reed in the wind yet striking with the unyielding severity of the most formidable thorns.

This class is meant to be used with the monk class buffing feat "Way of the Monk"

Nature's Whip

3rd-level Way of the Thorned Soul feature

As a bonus action, you can spend 1 Ki point to summon a whip-like extension of your Ki, embodying the punishing retort of nature's thorns. When you do so, each creature of your choice that you can see within 15 feet of you must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or take piercing damage equal to two rolls of your Martial Arts die.

For 10 minutes, this whip-like extension surrounds your arm (your choice). You determine the whip’s appearance, and it vanishes early if you are incapacitated or die. While the whip is present, you gain the following benefits:

• You can use the thorned whip to make melee weapon attacks.
• When you make a melee weapon attack with the whip on your turn, your reach for it is 15 feet.
• The melee weapon attacks you make with the whip use your Wisdom modifier for the attack and damage rolls, their damage type is piercing, and they are considered magical for overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.

Additionally, when you hit a creature with this whip, you can spend an extra Ki point to pull the creature up to 10 feet closer to you, if the creature is Large or smaller.

Thorned Nature

3rd-level Way of the Thorned Soul feature

Taking cues from nature's unique way of surviving and growing in any environment, you learn to project an aura of natural power.

• When you fail an Intelligence (Nature) or Wisdom (Survival) check, you can use your reaction to reroll the check, as you tap into the raw essence of the wilderness.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest. While you have no uses available, you can spend 1 ki point to use this feature again.

Tongue of the Wild

3rd-level Way of the Thorned Soul feature

Your deep connection with the natural world grants you a unique understanding of life's diverse languages. You learn to speak, read, and write Sylvan or one other language of your choice.

Additionally, your affinity for nature allows you to communicate simple ideas with plants. They can understand the meaning of your words, though you have no special ability to understand them in return.

Bramble Defense

6th-level Way of Thorned Soul feature

As a reaction, you learn to channel your Ki into a defensive thorny barrier until the start of your next turn. When you are hit by a melee attack, you can spend 2 Ki points to reduce the damage by an amount equal to one roll of your Martial Arts die + your Dexterity modifier, the attacking creature then takes piercing damage equal to the amount reduced.

 

Thorned Strikes

11th-level Way of the Thorned Soul feature

Your natural energy becomes permanently imbued with the essence of thorns. You gain the following benefits:

• Your Nature's Whip grows to 30 feet and no longer costs Ki points to manifest.
• Your unarmed strikes now deal additional piercing damage equal to your Wisdom modifier.
• When you hit a creature with your Nature's Whip, you can now pull the creature up to 20 feet closer to you, and you can affect Huge and smaller.

Spirit of the Thorned Soul

17th-level Way of the Thorned Soul feature

You've mastered the ability to channel the relentless growth of nature. As an action, you can spend 5 Ki points to initiate an overgrowth of spiritual thorny vines around you, which remains for 1 minute. While the overgrowth is active, it grants you the following benefits:

• You can use your action to make the thorny vines erupt from the ground in a 30-foot radius around you. Each creature in that area must make a Dexterity saving throw against your ki save DC, taking piercing damage equal to three rolls of your Martial Arts die on a failed save or half as much damage on a successful one.
• For the duration, the thorny vines turn the ground in the area into difficult terrain.
• The thick thorny vines shield you, providing you with half cover.
• In addition, whenever you use your Bramble Defense, the attacker must succeed on a Strength saving throw against your ki save DC or be restrained by thorny vines until the start of your next turn.