Monks of the Way of the Living Weapon spend their entire lives devoted to learning the secret techniques developed by their monasteries to become the ultimate combatant. To the monk who walks the Way of the Living Weapon, combat is more than a fight; it is a dance, a battle of wills, a metaphor for life itself. It is here where they find their peace and view it as an opportunity to express themselves. This freedom of self-expression draws many to the Way of the Living Weapon as its near limitless combinations of techniques ensure that no two practitioners who study this tradition will fight the same.

The Way of the Living Weapon is based on the idea of always having options available to adapt to and change the trajectory of a fight. Those who walk the Way of the Living Weapon can rest assured knowing that if push comes to shove, their bodies have been honed to become the ultimate fighting machine.

Master of Martial Arts

When you choose this tradition at 3rd level, you learn advanced techniques that are enhanced by your martial arts die.

Techniques. You learn three techniques of your choice, which are detailed under “Techniques” below. Many techniques enhance an attack in some way. You can use only one technique per attack.

You learn two additional techniques of your choice at 6th, 11th, and 17th level. Each time you learn new techniques, you can also replace one technique you know with a different one.

Saving Throws. Some of your techniques require your target to make a saving throw to resist the technique’s effects. The saving throw DC is calculated as follows:

Technique save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength or Dexterity modifier (your choice)

Techniques

The techniques are presented in alphabetical order.

Deadly Aim

As a bonus action, you can expend one ki point and make a ranged attack with a weapon that has the Thrown property. You can draw the weapon as part of making this attack. If you hit, add your martial arts die to the weapon’s damage roll.

Diversion

When you hit a creature with an attack, you can expend one ki point to distract the creature, giving your allies an opening. You add your martial arts die to the attack’s damage roll. The next attack roll against the target by an attacker other than you has advantage if the attack is made before the start of your next turn.

Dojo Mojo

When you make a Charisma (Intimidation), a Charisma (Performance), or a Charisma (Persuasion) check, you can expend one ki point and add your martial arts die to the ability check.

Double Team

When you hit a creature with an attack, you can expend one ki point to maneuver one of your allies into a more advantageous position. You add your martial arts die to the attack’s damage roll, and you choose a friendly creature who can see or hear you. That creature can use its reaction to move up to half its speed without provoking opportunity attacks from the target of your attack.

Fake Out

You can expend one ki point and use a bonus action on your turn to feint, choosing one creature within 5 feet of you as your target. You have advantage on your next attack roll against that creature this turn. If that attack hits, add your martial arts die to the attack’s damage roll.

Healing Pulse

On your turn, you can use a bonus action and expend one ki point to reinforce one of your allies. When you do so, choose a friendly creature who can see or hear you. That creature gains temporary hit points equal to your martial arts die roll + your Wisdom modifier.

Intimidating Jab

When you hit a creature with an attack, you can expend one ki point to attempt to frighten the target. You add your martial arts die to the attack’s damage roll, and the target must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, it is frightened of you until the end of your next turn.

Iron Body

When another creature damages you with a melee attack, you can use your reaction and expend one ki point to reduce the damage by the number you roll on your martial arts die + your Dexterity modifier.

Ki Wave

When you hit a creature with an attack, you can expend one ki point to attempt to drive the target back. You add your martial arts die to the attack’s damage roll, and if the target is Large or smaller, it must make a Strength saving throw. On a failed save, you push the target up to 15 feet away from you.

Knock Off

When you hit a creature with an attack, 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. You add your martial arts die to the attack’s damage roll, and the target must make a Strength saving throw. On a failed save, it drops the object you choose. The object lands at its feet.

Leg Sweep

When you hit a creature with an attack, you can expend one ki point to attempt to knock the target down. You add your martial arts die to the attack’s damage roll, and if the target is Large or smaller, it must make a Strength saving throw. On a failed save, you knock the target prone.

Meditated Hit

When you make an attack roll against a creature, you can expend one ki point to add your martial arts die to the roll. You can use this maneuver before or after making the attack roll, but before any effects of the attack are applied.

Move Like Water

When you move, you can expend one ki point, rolling your martial arts die and adding the number rolled to your AC until you stop moving.

Multi-Strike

When you hit a creature with a melee attack, you can expend one ki point to attempt to damage another creature with the same attack. Choose another creature within 5 feet of the original target and within your reach. If the original attack roll would hit the second creature, it takes damage equal to the number you roll on your martial arts die. The damage is the same type dealt by the original attack.

Nimble Reflexes

When you make a Dexterity (Stealth) check or an initiative roll, you can expend one ki point to roll your martial arts die and add the die to the roll, provided you aren’t incapacitated.

Preemptive Strike

When a creature you can see moves within your reach, you can use your reaction to expend one ki point and make one attack against the creature. If the attack hits, add your martial arts die to the damage roll.

Retaliating Blow

When a creature misses you with a melee attack, you can use your reaction and expend one ki point to make an attack against the creature. If you hit, you add your martial arts die to the attack’s damage roll.

Reversal

When you’re within 5 feet of a creature on your turn, you can expend one ki point and switch places with that creature, provided you spend at least 5 feet of movement and the creature is willing and isn’t incapacitated. This movement doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks.

Roll your martial arts die. Until the start of your next turn, you or the other creature (your choice) gains a bonus to AC equal to the number rolled.

Student Becomes the Master

When you take the Attack action on your turn, you can forgo one of your attacks and use a bonus action to direct one of your allies to strike. When you do so, choose a friendly creature who can see or hear you and expend one ki point. That creature can immediately use its reaction to make one attack, adding your martial arts die to the attack’s damage roll.

Take Down

Immediately after you hit a creature with a melee attack on your turn, you can expend one ki point and then try to grapple the target as a bonus action (see the Player’s Handbook for rules on grappling). Add your martial arts die to your Strength (Athletics) check.

Taunting Technique

When you hit a creature with an attack, you can expend one ki point to attempt to provoke the target into attacking you. You add your martial arts die to the attack’s damage roll, and the target must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the target has disadvantage on all attack rolls against targets other than you until the end of your next turn.

Third Eye’s Awareness

When you make a Wisdom (Perception), an Intelligence (Investigation), or a Wisdom (Insight) check, you can expend one ki point and add your martial arts die to the ability check.

Viper Strike

When you make a melee weapon attack on your turn, you can expend one ki point to increase your reach for that attack by 5 feet. If you hit, you add your martial arts die to the attack’s damage roll.

Ki Reading

Starting at 6th level, if you spend at least 1 minute observing or interacting with another creature outside combat, you can learn certain information about its abilities compared to your own. The DM tells you if the creature is your equal, superior, or inferior in regard to two of the following characteristics of your choice:

• Strength score
• Dexterity score
• Constitution score
• Armor Class
• Current hit points
• Total class levels (if any)
• Monk class levels (if any)

Will to Fight

Beginning at 11th level, your sheer resolution alone allows you to continue fighting beyond your limits and temporarily stave off death.

If you would be reduced to 0 hit points, you can use your reaction to drop to 1 hit point instead and cause an eruption of ki to radiate out of your body. Each creature of your choice that is within 10 feet of you takes force damage equal to 2d10 + your monk level. You then gain 1 level of exhaustion. Once you use this reaction, you can’t do so again until you finish 1d4 long rests.

Full Potential

At 17th level you've finally mastered your hidden techniques and have transformed your body into the ultimate combat machine.

Your martial arts die is now a d12.