Way of Eldritch Psionics

Monks who follow The Way of Eldritch Psionics exhibit a strange fascination with creatures such as illithids, the minds of these strange oddities drawing such curiosity. This path is as unusual as the creatures it is based on, an oddity in and of itself, usually brought on by the monk being unable to remove the feeling of their mind being touched when meeting such a creature. Thus, these monks are driven to fervidly hunt such creatures to study this phenomena. As such, their usually spiritual nature corrupts too, arguably growing more powerful but changing all the same. Rather quickly, their spirituality crumbles and is replaced by cold intellect, mimicking the creatures who drive this evolution.

 

(If alignment matters to you, go chaotic either evil or good. These sort of monk would value freedom, as their odd fascination may be frowned upon by common folk. I left the wording on who exactly the "creatures" who brought about the change in the monk rather vague to leave room open as to the targets of these monks. It could be a type of monster or even a humanoid that has been touched by some odd psionics, such as illithids as listed earlier in the description or people like the abberant mind sorcerer.)

Mind Expansion

Monks who are drawn down this path leave behind their usual spirituality for cold intellect and blows made with their hands are more measured.

 

Given the nature of the subclass moving forward (and to alleviate needing to be weakened before taking this subclass and having low wisdom or after taking this subclass and having low intelligence), your wisdom score and intelligence score will be swapped. Your spellcasting modifier is now intelligence and all mentions of wisdom for base class features are also subject to this change.

• Unarmored Defense will be 10 + your dexterity modifier + your intelligence modifier.
• Saves forced on enemies by your abilities remain unchanged.

In addition, your unarmed strikes may use intelligence for attack and damage rolls if it would be higher.

Adapted Novice Psionics

You may choose one of the following powers and may use any one of them once for free per long rest. To use a another of these powers or the same one again, you must spend ki points. 

• Mind Link- As an action, you may connect minds with a number of willing creatures you can see equal to your proficiency bonus, allowing telepathic conversation. A roll of your martial arts die tells you how many hours you may remain connected and the connection is severed if with any of the creatures that move further than 1 mile from you. The creatures must not be unconscious and must be able to speak a language for this ability to work on them. After the first use, this ability costs 1 ki point to use again.
• Psychic Shock- As an action, you project a 15 foot cone of psychic energy that deals 2 rolls of your martial arts die. On a failed intelligence save apply one of a selection of conditions for 2 turns based on a d20 roll. A successful save does not apply a condition and takes half damage. After the first use, this ability costs 2 ki point to use again.
  • 1-4 = Blind
  • 5-8 = Deafened
  • 9-12 = Frightened
  • 13-19 = Prone
  • Nat 20 = Incapacitated
• Mind Shelter- as a bonus action, give yourself advantage on charisma, intelligence, and wisdom saving throws for 5 turns. After the first use, this ability costs 2 ki point to use again.

Cerebral Combat

At level 6, your unarmed strikes have evolved to attack an enemies mind as well as their body. Add 1d6+ intelligence modifier to your unarmed strike damage as psychic

Adequate Psionics

At level 6, you choose a second power from the Novice Psionics list.

Absorbed Psionic Fortitude

At level 11, further psionic evolution allows you to passively siphon the mental fortitude of the enemies around you. You have resistance to psychic damage. You project an aura that applies the following effect to enemies within 10 feet of you:

Enemies have their resistance to psychic damage stripped or their immunity to psychic damage downgraded to resistance.

Advanced Psionics

At level 11, the list from Novice Psionics is updated and some of the powers are upgraded. You gain a third choice from the list.

• Mind Link- As an action, you may connect minds with a number of willing creatures you can see equal to your proficiency bonus, allowing telepathic conversation. A roll of your martial arts die tells you how many hours you may remain connected and the connection is severed if with any of the creatures that move further than 1 mile from you. The creatures must not be unconscious and must be able to speak a language for this ability to work on them. After the first use, this ability costs 1 ki point to use again.
• Psychic Shock- As an action, you project a 30 foot cone of psychic energy that deals 4 rolls of your martial arts die. On a failed intelligence save apply one of a selection of conditions for 4 turns based on a d20 roll. A successful save does not apply a condition and takes half damage. After the first use, this ability costs 2 ki point to use again.
  • 1-4 = Blind
  • 5-8 = Deafened
  • 9-12 = Frightened
  • 13-19 = Prone
  • Nat 20 = Incapacitated
• Mind Shelter- as a bonus action, give yourself advantage on charisma, intelligence, and wisdom saving throws and checks for 5 turns. After the first use, this ability costs 2 ki point to use again.
• Focused Psionic Siphon- As an action, you make an enemy you can see within 30 feet suffer vulnerability to psychic damage for 3 turns. After the first use, this ability costs 3 ki points to use again.

Advanced Cerebral Combat

At level 17, the psychic damage granted from Cerebral combat is upgraded to 1d8 + intelligence modifier

Touch of Mental Degradation

At level 17, you focus your significant psionic power to connect with the minds of your enemies to place a nearly undeniable drain on their senses, dulling them and leading them to a slow, agonizing death while you benefit from the stolen energy.

As a bonus action, when you land an unarmed attack you can spend 5 ki points to make that enemy make an intelligence saving throw versus your spell save dc. On a failed save, the enemy is marked for 5 turns. The mark deals 3d10 psychic damage and reduces its intelligence by 1 at the beginning of each of the marked creature's turns. While the mark is in effect, the monk is refunded 1 ki point whenever the mark deals its damage. If this ability reduces an intelligence score to 0, the enemy is reduced to reduced to a vegetative state, non-lethally taken out of combat, and the monk regains 3d10 hit points.

Enemies with intelligence scores below 5 are considered immune to this ability. Ability score loss from this ability is permanent. The ability ends early if the marked target gets greater than 120 feet away from the monk. Due to the monks experience in hunting and experimenting on individuals or monsters with powerful psionics, enemies with greater than 23 intelligence have disadvantage on the save.