Way of the Gun Kata

With the dawn of firearm weaponry, many martial artists look down upon these weapons as inelegant weapons. Guns are viewed as the polar opposite of what martial art should be. Yet, few martial artists who recognized the value of these weapons decided to bring their prowess of traditional ranged weaponry to this new, gunpowder-fueled weapons, while also learn from them.

Those who follow the Way of the Gun Kata treat their ranged weapons as an extension of their arm and their body as an extension of their ranged weapons. These monks learned to utilize their Ki and movements into their weapons, and the movements of their projectiles into their body, making them both lethal and elusive.

Path of the Gun Kata

Starting at 3rd level when you pick this subclass, you familiarize yourself with ranged weapons and firearms. You gain access to several benefits:

• Firearm Proficiency. You gain proficiency in ranged martial weapons and firearms with Loading or Reload properties. These count as monk weapons for you.
• Bullet Movement. You gain proficiency with either acrobatics or athletics skill if you don’t already have them. If you have, you gain proficiency with one monk skill proficiency of your choice.
• Gun Fu. Your guns are now the extensions of your fists. You can perform melee attacks while holding ranged monk weapons in your hands. The attacks count as your unarmed attacks and use your martial arts die as damage. Additionally, you can move before you use the Flurry of Blows feature.
• Akimbo. You are able to dual wield ranged monk weapon without the two-handed properties and attack with the second ranged monk weapon as a bonus action. You don’t add ability modifier to damage rolls for bonus attacks, unless that modifier is a negative. You can also draw or stow both weapons as a single object interaction on your turn, and reload without a free hand.

Gun Mastery

Starting at 6th level, your Ki extends into your ranged weapons. You gain these abilities:

• Magic Bullet. Your ranged attacks with ranged monk weapons count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage. In addition, if you run out of ammunition, you can use your Ki points instead.
• Rapid Fire. You learn how to shoot your weapons rapidly. When you use your Martial Arts or Flurry of Blows feature, you can make ranged attacks with your ranged monk weapons you are holding instead of unarmed attacks. Ability modifiers are added to damage rolls for these attacks. Additionally, when you are dual wielding two one-handed ranged monk weapons, you can attack with both weapons simultaneously as part of an attack once per round.
• Curve the Bullets you can spend Ki to make a curving shot with following benefits:
  • If you missed your ranged attack, you can spend 1 Ki point to reroll attack to the same target. You can only do this once per weapon attack.
  • Once per turn, you can spend 2 Ki to ignore all cover effect when you attack a target you can see with a ranged monk weapon, provided there is a path large enough for the projectile to travel to the target and the target is still within the weapon's range.

Bullet Speed

Starting at 11th level, you tap into your Ki to improve your reflexes and speed. Once per round as a reaction, you can spend 2 Ki points to take the Dodge action when you are attacked or have to make a Dexterity saving throw until the start of your next turn. Additionally if you take no damage while Dodging, you may use your Step of the Wind feature at the beginning of your next turn without expending your bonus action or ki points.

Bullet Velocity

Starting at 17th level, your Ki enhances your body movements, further enhancing your reflexes and speed. When you take the Dodge action, You can't be Restrained, Grappled, or knocked Prone against your will. Additionally when you are Dodging, you can make opportunity attacks and use the Deflect Missiles feature without expending your reaction. If you take no damage while Dodging, when you use your Flurry of Blows feature on your next turn to make an unarmed attack twice as a bonus action, you can instead attack three times with your unarmed attack.