Way of the Afterlife

Monks who follow the Way of the Afterlife tread the thin veil between life and death. They see mortal existence as a fleeting flame, and through harsh training and spiritual rites, they learn to manipulate the forces that govern mortality.

These monks can mark foes for death, binding them to their fate with necrotic energy and harvesting their fading life to fuel their own strength. As their mastery deepens, they summon ethereal chains to restrain the living, endure the brink of death with sheer will, and unleash devastating waves of necrotic power when their enemies fall.

Though often misunderstood as grim or merciless, monks of the Afterlife see themselves as guides, ensuring that all creatures meet the end that awaits them—and drawing strength from each soul that passes beyond.

Level 3: Mark of Demise

When you take this subclass at 3rd level, once per short rest, when you hit a creature with an unarmed strike, you can curse the target for 1 minute. The curse ends early if the target dies or you are incapacitated. You can have only one creature cursed by your Mark of Demise at a time. While a creature is cursed, the following effects apply:

• Unarmed strikes you make as part of an Attack action against the creature deal additional necrotic damage equal to your proficiency bonus.
• The creature must roll a Wisdom saving throw against your ki save DC whenever it would regain hit points by any means: if it fails, it instead regains none.

• If the cursed creature dies, you regain hit points equal to your monk level + your Wisdom modifier (minimum of 1)

Whilst the target is cursed, at any time you can expend one hit die to extend the additional necrotic damage dealt to all unarmed strikes you make against the creature, not just those made during an Attack action. Additionally, the healing received when the creature dies increases equal to a roll of your Martial Arts die.

Immediately after the cursed creature dies, as a reaction, you can spend 1 ki point to transfer this curse to another creature within 30 feet of you.

Level 3: Desecrate

When you use Flurry of Blows, you can forgo making one unarmed strike to instead invert your life force. You make a melee spell attack using your Wisdom modifier against a creature within range. On a hit, you take necrotic damage equal to a number of rolls of your Martial Arts die up to your Proficiency Bonus (this damage ignores resistance and immunity), and on a hit, the target takes damage equal to the amount you took plus your Wisdom modifier.

If the target was cursed by your Mark of Demise, you regain hit points equal to half the necrotic damage dealt by the attack (rounded down.) If this attack kills the target, you gain temporary hit points equal to the amount of health regained this way.

Level 6: Glare of the Inevitable

Once per turn, when you hit a creature with one of your unarmed strikes, you can expend 1 ki point to project their death. The target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or become frightened of you, or a creature within 30 feet of you until the end of your next turn.

If you use this feature on a target cursed with your Mark of Demise feature, you can use this feature without spending a ki point.

Level 11: Shackled to Death

When you are reduced to 0 hit points but not killed outright, you can spend 1 ki point (no action required) to instead drop to 1 hit point.

If a creature is cursed by your Mark of Demise, you can end the curse and regain hit points equal to two rolls of your Martial Arts die + your Wisdom modifier, and you cannot curse that creature again until you complete a long rest. You may use this feature once per long rest.

Level 17: The Final Toll

When a creature within 30 feet of you drops to 0 hit points, you can spend 2 ki points to unleash a wave of necrotic energy.

Choose a number of creatures within 30 feet of you, up to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of one). Each target must make a Constitution saving throw against your ki save DC. On a failed save, a creature takes necrotic damage equal to four rolls of your Martial Arts die + your Wisdom modifier and is frightened of you until the end of its next turn. On a successful save, a creature takes half as much damage and isn’t frightened.

If the creature that triggered this ability was cursed by your Mark of Demise feature, you can use this feature without expending any ki points.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of once), regaining all expended uses when you finish a long rest.