Way of the Paw

Monks of the Way of the Paw develop translucent, paw-like pads on their palms. These pads are capable of repelling a wide range of substances—from physical objects and air to more intangible concepts like pain and exhaustion.

In the monasteries of the Way of the Paw, it is taught that the world is full of "unwanted energy"—pain, malice, and even the weight of the air itself. To become a master, a monk must be "blessed" by the Fruit of the Paws.

• The Trial: To become worthy, a monk must spend a week in meditation, "pushing" back the tide of a Great Waterfall or a mountain gale using only their willpower.

• The Manifestation: Upon completion, the monk’s palms transform, growing the signature pink, fleshy pads. These are not gloves; they are a permanent part of the monk's body, humming with the power to repel the world.

Repelling Movement

3rd Level Feature

Creatures have little to no chance of reacting to your movements when you use your ability.

• You can use Dash Action as Bonus Action and using your dash action creatures can't make an opportunity attack against you unless their movement speed is faster than you.
• You have Resistance to force damage.
• Your movement doesn't produce sound, but using your abilities (Including attacks) creates a popping sound. You have +3 to Stealth.

Repelling Palms

 3rd Level Feature

You gain the signature ability to push anything away from you.

• Forceful Strikes: Your unarmed strikes can deal Force damage instead of Bludgeoning damage. On a hit, the primary target and the target behind it take an additional 2d6 force damage and must make a Strength saving throw. On a failure, the target is pushed 10 feet away from you.

  • You can also make a range of unarmed strikes by repelling a compressed air bubble towards the target within 30 feet.

• The Repel: When you hit a creature with an unarmed strike, you can spend 1 Ki point to force the target and one creature behind it to make a Strength saving throw. On a failure, the target is pushed up to 15 feet away from you and takes an additional 2d6 force damage.

  • Once per turn, when you are being targeted by an attack, you can use your reaction to repel the attack, taking 0 damage from that attack, and you leave a compressed air bubble 5 feet near you. Creatures who touch this bubble take damage equal to half of the repelled damage.
  • You can also repel loose objects easily.

• Deflect Missiles (Enhanced): When you use your Deflect Missiles feature and reduce the damage to 0, you don't need to catch the object to throw it back. You "repel" it instantly. You can also use this feature against ranged spell attacks.

Pressure Shot

6th Level Feature

You learn to repel the very air around you to create devastating shockwaves.

• Attraction: The compressed air bubble homes to a target that is large enough to have a small gravitational pull to pull the bubble towards it (ex. Medium creatures). You have an advantage in making a range attack.
• Shockwave: Creatures, structures, and objects affected by the shockwave must save a Constitution saving throw or will take 1d8 additional force damage and be knocked prone.

• Pad Cannon: As an Action, you can spend 1 Ki point to make 3 ranged monk weapon attacks (range 30/60) by flicking your palm. On a hit, it deals damage equal to your Martial Arts die + your Wisdom modifier as Force damage.  Missed shots will detonate into a shockwave.

• Travel: As a Bonus Action, you can spend 2 Ki points to "repel" yourself. This functions like the Misty Step spell, as you move so fast you appear to teleport, leaving a paw-shaped puff of air behind. Upon landing, it sends a shockwave dealing 2d8 force damage to creatures 10 feet around your landing location.

  • At level 11, you can target enemies or allies, and they will be teleported to a location that you know. Upon landing, you will leave a paw print on the ground as the compressed air of the transport hits, to stop sending a shockwave 10 feet around it, dealing 4d8 force damage and pushing creatures 10 feet away, landing prone if they fail their constitution saving throw.
• Ursus Shock: As a bonus action, you compress swirling air into a paw-shaped, pressurized bubble that floats above your palm. The bubble begins at 15-foot radius.

  On subsequent turns, you may continue compressing it using your actions:

  • Bonus Action: Increase radius by 5 feet

  • Reaction: Increase radius by 5 feet

  • Action: Increase radius by 10 feet

  You may maintain the compressed bubble for up to 1 minute. If you are incapacitated, knocked unconscious, or lose concentration, the bubble dissipates if the compression is not yet complete, if it is the bubble will rapidly expand in your location (Impact).

  The total ki cost is determined by the final size of the bubble when you release it.

  Final Radius	Ki Cost	Damage
  15–25 ft	1 ki	2d10-3d10
  35 ft	2 ki	4d10
  45 ft	3 ki	5d10
  55–65 ft	4 ki	6d10-7d10

• Impact: As an action, you hurl the paw-shaped bubble to a point you can see within 120 feet.On impact, it expands instantly into a massive shockwave of pressurized air shaped like a colossal paw slam. Creatures and structures in the area must make a Constitution saving throw. A creature or structure takes Force damage on a failed save and is knocked Prone. On a success, they take half damage and aren't knocked prone. This deals double damage to structures and objects. 

At Level 17, you have mastered the ability to compress massive amounts of air into a tiny, paw-shaped bubble. 

• Ultimate Pressure: As an Action, you can spend 1 Ki points (15-35 feet) 2 Ki points (45-65 feet) to create a tiny bubble of compressed air and release it. Every creature in a 90-foot radius sphere centered on a point you choose within 60 feet must make a Constitution saving throw.

• Impact: A creature or structure takes (3d10 at 15 feet) Force damage within 60 feet from the epicenter and half of that force damage for another 30 feet on a failed save and is knocked Prone. On a success, they take half damage and aren't knocked prone. This deals double damage to structures and objects.

The Rite of Extraction

As an action, you can touch a creature (including yourself) and spend 3 Ki points to repel their agony physically. A massive, translucent Red Paw Balloon manifests in an unoccupied space within 5 feet of you.

The Extraction

When you create the balloon, you "push out" all of the following from the target:

• Healing: The target regains Hit Points as if they had just completed a Short Rest (they can roll all their hit dice for free).

• Purification: All levels of Exhaustion and the following conditions are removed: Blinded, Deafened, Paralyzed, Poisoned, or Stunned.

• Deep Relief: If you spend 6 Ki points instead of 3, the target gains the benefits of a Long Rest instead. (This can only be done once per long rest.)

The Red Paw Balloon

When you extract the suffering of an ally, the resulting Red Paw Balloon contains enough concentrated agony for 10 Pressure Charges. The balloon floats behind you like a loyal, ominous orb.

1. Repel Piece by Piece (The Sting of Agony)

As a Bonus Action, you can flick your palm at the balloon to fire one of the 10 charges at a creature within 60 feet.

• On a Hit: The target takes 2d10 Force damage and must succeed on a Constitution Saving Throw or gain one condition that was originally inside the bubble (DM's choice or random).

• On a Miss (The Floating Landmine): The charge doesn't dissipate. It travels to the target's space and hovers there, 5 feet off the ground.

  • The Trigger: If any creature enters that 5-foot space or ends its turn there, the landmine explodes.

  • The Effect: The creature must make a Dexterity Saving Throw. On a failure, they take the 2d10 Force damage and the associated condition. On a success, the landmine is pushed 10 feet away in a direction of the DM's choosing, but remains active.

2. Tactical Detonation

As a reaction, when you see a creature move near a "Landmine," you can snap your fingers to "repel" the air toward it, detonating the landmine instantly.

3. The Suffering Shock (Enhanced Ursus Shock)

You can use your Ursus Shock by consuming the entire Red Paw Balloon. If you do, the damage increases significantly. For every condition or level of exhaustion that was in the bubble, add 1d10 per condition or exhaustion, plus the total extracted pain/damage (ex.[5/30 HP] +25 extracted pain/damage) to the total damage of the Ursus Shock.

Awakened Mastery

17th Level Feature

You have mastered the way of the paw, making you freely use your abilities with little to no use of ki points.

Mastery

The Repel & Deflect Missile can now be used once per turn without spending ki points.

Pad Cannon can be used once per turn without spending ki points.

Travel can be used without ki points if it's just used to transport creatures within 120 feet of you. Traveling yourself doesn't cost ki points, even traveling a long distance. Travel becomes worldly, but in the same plane of existence only, and you must know the location. It costs 1 ki points to repel 1 creature.

The Rite of Extraction can now be used by spending 2 ki points. Deep Relief can be used by spending 3 ki points and can be used multiple times as long as there are ki points to spare.

Ursus Shock Ultimate

You have mastered the ability to compress massive amounts of air into a tiny, paw-shaped bubble.

• Ultimate Pressure: As an Action, you can spend 2 Ki points to create a tiny bubble of compressed air and release it. Every creature in a 90-foot radius sphere centered on a point you choose within 60 feet must make a Constitution saving throw.

• Impact: A creature or structure takes 10d10 Force damage within 60 feet from the epicenter and half of that force damage for another 30 feet on a failed save and is knocked Prone. On a success, they take half damage and aren't knocked prone. This deals double damage to structures and objects.