Base Class: Monk
Monks of the Way of the Broken Chain are living symbols of liberation through suffering. Once bound in body or spirit, they’ve learned to channel their torment into tangible strength manifesting spectral chains of ki that lash, bind, and shield. Each rattle of those ethereal links is a reminder of the pain they’ve endured and the freedom they’ve claimed. Whether forged in the cells of cultists, born from haunted battlefields, or awakened within the cold husks of forgotten constructs, these monks fight not just to destroy but to break every chain that still binds the world in darkness.
Roleplaying Hooks: Way of the Broken Chain
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You were once imprisoned, enslaved, or sacrificed your chains were meant to break you, but instead, they became your weapon.
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Your spectral chains whisper when danger nears, as though the souls of the bound cry out through you.
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You protect others with the same fierce resolve that once drove you to escape, seeing every act of defence as an act of rebellion.
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Sometimes, in the silence between battles, you feel the cold weight of phantom shackles on your wrists a reminder that your freedom came at a price.
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You have sworn to free those trapped by corruption, curse, or cruelty, even if it means becoming the monster that monsters fear.
3rd Level: Shackles of the Flesh
You learn to manifest chains of ki that extend your reach and control the battlefield.
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You gain proficiency with whips, and they count as monk weapons for you.
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When you make an unarmed strike or use a monk weapon, your reach increases by 5 feet until the end of your turn.
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As a bonus action, you can spend 1 ki point to cause spectral chains to lash from your strike. The target must succeed on a Strength saving throw or be restrained until the end of your next turn.
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The save DC equals your Ki save DC.
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A creature restrained by this feature can use its action to make another Strength save, ending the effect on a success.
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6th Level: Chain bound Deflection
You’ve learned to cast out your spectral chains in defence of those beside you, intercepting blows meant for others.
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When a creature you can see targets an ally within 10 feet of you with an attack, you can use your reaction and spend 1 ki point to lash out your spectral chains in their defence.
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Roll 1d10 + your Dexterity modifier + your monk level, and reduce the damage your ally takes by that amount.
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If the damage is reduced to 0, you can immediately make a ranged unarmed strike or whip attack against the attacker as part of the same reaction.
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When you use this feature, spectral chains briefly connect you to your ally. Until the start of your next turn, that ally gains half cover against attacks from the same creature.
In addition, your resolve manifests as spiritual fortitude. You gain resistance to psychic damage, representing your hardened mind and the lingering protection of the spirits bound to you.
11th Level: Chains of the Spirit
Your mastery over your inner torment allows you to manifest spiritual chains that bind both body and soul.
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As an action, you can spend 2 ki points to summon ethereal chains in a 15-foot radius around you for 1 minute (concentration, as if concentrating on a spell).
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The area becomes difficult terrain for hostile creatures.
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When a creature starts its turn in the area for the first time or moves within it, it must succeed on a Strength saving throw or take 2d8 force damage and have its speed reduced to 0 until the start of its next turn.
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While active, your unarmed strikes and monk weapon attacks deal an extra 1d8 force damage.
These chains may appear as glowing runes, burning sigils, or phantasmal links the manifestation of your spiritual rebellion.
17th Level: Unbound Ascendant
You are no longer a prisoner of flesh, metal, or memory you are the master of all that binds.
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You can use your Chains of the Spirit feature without spending ki points once per long rest.
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While Chains of the Spirit is active, you gain a flying speed equal to your walking speed, suspended by spectral chains that anchor you to the air.
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When you hit a creature with an unarmed strike or monk weapon attack, you can spend 3 ki points to attempt to tear at their soul. The target must make a Constitution saving throw or take 4d10 force damage and be paralyzed until the end of your next turn as ethereal chains coil around their essence.
When you fall in battle, your body briefly levitates as spectral chains whip outward symbols of your spirit refusing to bow again to any master.
Shackles of the Flesh
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You gain proficiency with whips, and they count as monk weapons for you.
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When you make an unarmed strike or use a monk weapon, your reach increases by 5 feet until the end of your turn.
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As a bonus action, you can spend 1 ki point to cause spectral chains to lash from your strike. The target must succeed on a Strength saving throw or be restrained until the end of your next turn.
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The save DC equals your Ki save DC.
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A creature restrained by this feature can use its action to make another Strength save, ending the effect on a success.
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Chain bound Deflection
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When a creature you can see targets an ally within 10 feet of you with an attack, you can use your reaction and spend 1 ki point to lash out your spectral chains in their defense.
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Roll 1d10 + your Dexterity modifier + your monk level, and reduce the damage your ally takes by that amount.
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If the damage is reduced to 0, you can immediately make a ranged unarmed strike or whip attack against the attacker as part of the same reaction.
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When you use this feature, spectral chains briefly connect you to your ally. Until the start of your next turn, that ally gains half cover against attacks from the same creature.
In addition, your resolve manifests as spiritual fortitude. You gain resistance to psychic damage, representing your hardened mind and the lingering protection of the spirits bound to you.
Chains of the Spirit
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As an action, you can spend 2 ki points to summon ethereal chains in a 15-foot radius around you for 1 minute (concentration, as if concentrating on a spell).
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The area becomes difficult terrain for hostile creatures.
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When a creature starts its turn in the area for the first time or moves within it, it must succeed on a Strength saving throw or take 2d8 force damage and have its speed reduced to 0 until the start of its next turn.
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While active, your unarmed strikes and monk weapon attacks deal an extra 1d8 force damage.
These chains may appear as glowing runes, burning sigils, or phantasmal links—the manifestation of your spiritual rebellion.
Unbound Ascendant
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You can use your Chains of the Spirit feature without spending ki points once per long rest.
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While Chains of the Spirit is active, you gain a flying speed equal to your walking speed, suspended by spectral chains that anchor you to the air.
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When you hit a creature with an unarmed strike or monk weapon attack, you can spend 3 ki points to attempt to tear at their soul. The target must make a Constitution saving throw or take 4d10 force damage and be paralyzed until the end of your next turn as ethereal chains coil around their essence.
When you fall in battle, your body briefly levitates as spectral chains whip outward symbols of your spirit refusing to bow again to any master.
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