Monks of this order are far and few between. Instead of a monastery, most would liken their place of training to a dojo. There are usually less than three students, only one of which can be deemed the successor to the current master of the dojo. Their focus is purely on mastering the blade, and nothing more; there are no enemies, only opponents to help hone your skills. Monks of the same dojo rarely enter battle in tandem, preferring to hone their skills on their own to surpass their peers, and eventually be named the master's successor. However, it is strictly forbidden for students to knowingly slay each other, unless it is condoned by the current master. While there is no room for allegiance or bias towards outside factions or conflicts, monks of this order aren't above serving as mercenaries or assassins, if it will lead them to worthy duels. Monks of this order want little in the way of worldly possessions - but they prize their blades highly and are known to seek out powerful weapons.

Should a monk of this order stray from their dedication to the blade, or begin to use their skills for self-serving agendas or conflicts, it is not unheard of for their own master to strike them down. Every few generations a dissenting student might slay their master who attempted to strike them down - this often results in the dissenting student taking on new students of their own and forming their own dojo.

Disciple of the Blade

Martial Studies - you gain proficiency in one of the following Martial weapons: katana (longsword), tai chi (rapier), wushu dao (scimitar), urumi (flexible sword, re-flavored whip), masakari (battleaxe), or jumonji yari (trident).

Spinning Strike - as a Bonus Action after taking the Attack action with your bladed weapon, you can use the momentum from your first strikes to make an additional one-handed melee weapon attack.

Flurry of Blades - as a Bonus Action you can spend 1 ki point to make two additional melee weapon attacks.

Warrior's Spirit - You also learn either the Booming Blade, Green-flame Blade, or Blade Ward cantrip, and you can expend ki points to cast the following spells without material components (if a spell requires a non-weapon attack roll, Wisdom is your spell casting ability; if a spell requires a saving throw, your Monk ki save is the DC).

 

MONK LEVEL	SPELL	KI cost
3rd	zephyr strike	1
5th	earthbind	3
9th	fly	4
13th	freedom of movement	5
17th	steel wind strike	6

 

Blade Mastery

Dueling fighting style - when you are wielding a melee weapon in one hand and no other weapons, you gain a +2 bonus to damage rolls with that weapon.

Improved Dedication - when you dedicate a bladed weapon that you are proficient with, it gains the magical property for the purposes of overcoming resistances. Additionally, as a Free Action you can now expend 1 ki point to immediately Dedicate a weapon you are proficient with and currently wielding; this feature can only be used once per dawn.

Impossible Cut - before making a melee Weapon Attack You can spend 2 ki points to reduce the AC of a non-wielded, non-magical object by 5. You are skilled enough to attempt this on 1 inch of steel, 2 inches of iron, 2 inches of stone, or 4 inches of wood.

Blade Catching - as a Reaction when you have one free hand, you can use 1 ki point to attempt to halt a Melee Weapon Attack that is targeting you. When you do so, the damage you take from the attack is reduced by 1d10 + your Dexterity modifier + your monk level. If both of your hands are free, the damage you take is reduced by 2d10 + your Dexterity modifier + your monk level. If you reduce the damage taken to 0 and your attacker is Large or smaller, you can spend 1 additional ki point to disarm them of that weapon. If the attack was Dexterity based, make a Slight of Hand check contested by their Dexterity Saving throw; if the attack was Strength based, make an Athletics check contested by their Strength Saving throw. Your skill check is made with advantage if both your hands are empty. If you are successful, the enemy creature is disarmed of that weapon and it is thrown 5 feet to the left or right of your space (your choice); if you fail, the creature retains its weapon but has lost one of its unused attacks for the current round as they regain their stance and composure.

Slayer's Gaze

As an Action you can expend 3 ki points to target a creature with your Slayer's Gaze. The creature must be within 30 feet of you, must be Large or smaller, and you must both be able to see each other.

The target must make a Wisdom saving throw against your ki save DC; the target makes this save with disadvantage if they have less than half of their hit points, or if they have seen you deal the killing blow to one of their allies during the last 24 hours.

On a failed save the target is frightened of you until the combat ends, until it successfully lands an Attack against you, or until you are rendered unconscious. They are also stunned until the end of your next turn.

On a successful save the target is not stunned, but is frightened of you until the end of its next turn.

Any creature that has been targeted by this ability cannot be affected by it again for the next 24 hours.

Decisive Duel

Once per dawn, as a Bonus Action you can expend 5 ki points to declare a duel with another creature. The target must be Large or smaller, within 60 feet of you, and within line of sight; the following conditions are set for your duel (your target is also immediately aware of the rules). If you invoke this duel with another member of your dojo, each of you immediately expend 2 ki points as the total cost.

1. You both can immediately move your full movement speed to reach your target, without provoking opportunity attacks from other creatures.
2. You both have disadvantage on attack rolls against all other creatures while engaged in the duel, and attacking other creatures provokes an opportunity attack.
3. Your initiative placement increases to be immediately after your target, or decreases to be immediately before them.
4. If you slay your target, you maintain your new initiative order.
5. If your target renders you unconscious, they regain hit points equal to your monk level and you return to your original initiative order at the beginning of the next round.
6. If either of you attempt to abandon the duel (willingly end a turn more than 30 feet away from the opponent), a Wisdom saving throw is provoked against your ki save DC. The abandoning party suffers 8d6 psychic damage (half on a success) which cannot be reduced in any way and has disadvantage on all Attack rolls until the next dawn.