Way of the Bestial Bond

Monks of the Bestial Bond can choose one of four paths: the Elk Bond, the Wolf Bond, the Spider Bond, and the Snake Bond. Each of these different paths bring the Monk into a spiritual connection with one of four animals: the Elk, the Wolf, the Giant Wolf Spider, or the Constrictor Snake. Not only is this bond spiritual, but it is also mental and physical. Once the connection has strengthened through hard battle and years on the road together, the Monk cannot live without the Beast, and the Beast cannot live without the Monk-however, if both the Monk and the Beast are not slain, both of them will live lives much longer than any other. Beasts are very loyal to their masters-fighting by their side to the bitter end, dying over and over to protect their loved one.

Bestial Bond

At 3rd level, you choose either an Elk, a Wolf, a Giant Wolf Spider, or a Constrictor Snake and tie its essence to an item of your choosing. This beast fights by your side in battle on its own initiative, but it cannot attack. You may command it to attack by using your bonus action to expend a Ki point. If you do this, the beast may use its action to attack for one minute. The beast's hit points is equal to four times your Monk level. If the beast drops to zero hit points, it returns to the item it is bound to and returns to its physical form in exactly 24 hours, or during a long rest. This beast regains hit points as a normal player would, and uses its normal hit die. 

Constrictor Snake Bond

This Constrictor Snake fights by your side in battle on its own initiative, but it cannot attack. You may command it to attack by using your bonus action to expend a focus point. If you do this, the Snake may use its action to attack for one minute. The Snake's hit points are equal to four times your Monk level + the beast's base hit points. If the Snake drops to zero hit points, it returns to the item it is bound to and returns to its physical form in exactly 24 hours, or during a long rest. This Snake regains hit points as a normal player would, and uses its normal hit die. 

Elk Bond

This Elk fights by your side in battle on its own initiative, but it cannot attack. You may command it to attack by using your bonus action to expend a focus point. If you do this, the Elk may use its action to attack for one minute. The Elk's hit points is equal to four times your Monk level + the beast's base hit points. If the Elk drops to zero hit points, it returns to the item it is bound to and returns to its physical form in exactly 24 hours, or during a long rest. This Elk regains hit points as a normal player would, and uses its normal hit die. 

Giant Wolf Spider Bond

This Giant Wolf Spider fights by your side in battle on its own initiative, but it cannot attack. You may command it to attack by using your bonus action to expend a Focus point. If you do this, the Spider may use its action to attack for one minute. The Spider's hit points is equal to four times your Monk level + the beast's base hit points. If the Spider drops to zero hit points, it returns to the item it is bound to and returns to its physical form in exactly 24 hours, or during a long rest. This Spider regains hit points as a normal player would, and uses its normal hit die. 

Wolf Bond

This Wolf fights by your side in battle on its own initiative, but it cannot attack. You may command it to attack by using your bonus action to expend a focus point. If you do this, the Wolf may use its action to attack for one minute. The Wolf's hit points are equal to four times your Monk level + the beast's base hit points. If the Wolf drops to zero hit points, it returns to the item it is bound to and returns to its physical form in exactly 24 hours, or during a long rest. This Wolf regains hit points as a normal player would, and uses its normal hit die. 

Acute Senses

Beginning at 3rd level, while your beast is in its physical form, you may expend your bonus action to take this action. You may use this action once, and expended charges are regained at the end of a long rest.

Acute Senses. Your beast grants you the power of its senses for the duration of ten minutes. During this time, you gain advantage on Perception checks.

Primal Instincts

Beginning at 3rd level, while your beast is in its physical form, you may expend your bonus action to take the Bestial Instincts action. You may use this action once, and expended charges are regained at the end of a long rest. 

Primal Instincts. Your beast grants you the power of its instincts for the duration of ten minutes. During this time, you gain advantage on Insight checks. 

Knowledge of the Wild

Beginning at 3rd level, while your beast is in its physical form, you may expend your bonus action to take the Bestial Knowledge action. You may use this action once, and expended charges are regained at the end of a long rest.

Knowledge of the Wild. Your beast grants you its knowledge of the wild for the duration of ten minutes. During this time, you gain advantage on Nature and Animal Handling checks.

Bestial Synergy

Beginning at 6th level, your spiritual bond with your companion beast strengthens, and the beast gains the following benefits:

Empowered Strikes. The beast's attacks count as magical and bypass resistances to nonmagical bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage.

Multiattack. The beast may make two attacks when it takes the attack action.

Anima Guard. The beast gains a bonus to its Armor Class equal to your wisdom Modifier.

Feral Reflexes

Starting at 6th level, the survival skill of your companion has begun to imprint itself on you, granting you the following ability:

Feral Reflexes. If you are required to make a Dexterity saving throw, you may choose to expend your beast companion's reaction to give you advantage on that roll. You may use this ability a number of times equal to your wisdom Modifier. You regain spent uses of this ability at the end of a long rest.

Bestial Self

Beginning at 11th level, you have become almost one with your Bestial ally, and have begun to take on your beast's aspects. Depending on what beast you choose initially, you gain a different Bestial Aspect.

Aspect of the Elk

Due to your connection to your Elk companion, you begin to sprout a pair of elk-like horns, granting you advantage on Intimidation checks against medium or smaller creatures. Additionally, it grants you access to the Goring Rush ability.

Aspect of the Snake

Aspect of the Snake. Scales have begun to grow all along your body, granting you a +1 bonus to your AC while not wearing armor. Additionally, you begin to grow a tail, which acts as almost another hand. This tail can lift small items weighing up to ten pounds, excluding weapons or shields, and can wrap around anchored objects as well.

Aspect of the Spider

Aspect of the Spider. Your canine teeth begin to elongate into fangs and begin producing poison. You have three uses of these fangs, which you may use to perform one of the following actions. Expended uses are regained at the end of a long rest:

• Lace. You may expend your bonus action to lace a weapon or projectile with a potent poison produced in your fangs. The next attack that weapon hits deals an extra 6 (2d6) poison damage, and the target of that attack must succeed on a Constitution saving throw (DC equal to your Ki Save DC) or be poisoned for one minute.
• Bite. + (DEX Modifier + Proficiency Bonus) to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: # (1d6 + STR Modifier) piercing damage and 6 (2d6) poison damage. On a hit, the target must succeed on a Consitution saving throw, with a DC equal to your Ki Save DC, or be poisoned for one minute.

Additionally, you have begun to sprout adhesive hairs from the palms of your hands and the soles of your feet, granting you a climbing speed equal to your walking speed.

Aspect of the Wolf

Aspect of the Wolf. Your nose begins to grow into a wolflike snout, and your ears become tipped in fur. This grants you Proficiency in perception checks if you aren't already proficient in perception. Additionally, your nails begin to grow and harden into claws. Once per turn, you may choose to make an unarmed strike attack that you succeed on deal an additional 1d6 slashing damage. 

Bestial Unification

Beginning at 17th level, you and your Bestial companion have reached the peak of your spiritual connection. Once per long rest, you may choose to completely fuse with your companion for ten minutes-in essence, the beast temporarily becomes part of you. When you do so, you gain temporary hit points equal to four times your Monk Level, and your attacks remain magical. Additionally, you gain special traits depending on what creature your companion is.

One With the Elk

If your companion is an Elk, you become, in essence, a large, elklike centaur, with horns and cervine ears. In addition to physical changes, you also gain the following traits:

• An additional 15 feet of movement to your walking speed.
• If you move at least 20 feet towards a creature in a straight line and hit it with a melee attack in the same turn, the target takes an additional 15 (3d10) bludgeoning damage and must succeed on a Strength saving throw against your Ki Save DC or be knocked prone.
• Advantage on Perception checks.

One With the Snake

If your companion is a constrictor snake, you fuse with it to become a large snake-humanoid hybrid similar to a Yuan-Ti. In additional to physical changes, you also gain the following traits:

• A swimming speed equal to your walking speed +5 feet.
• Once per turn, if you hit a creature with a melee attack, you may choose to attempt to grapple it by making a grapple check. On a success, the creature is grappled, and you may make another attack against it, this time at advantage. At the end of its turn, the creature may attempt to escape by making a Strength saving throw against your Ki Save DC + 2. On a success, it is no longer grappled. Any attack you make against a creature you are grappling is at advantage.

One With the Spider

If your companion is a Giant Wolf Spider, you fuse with it to become, physically, very similar to a drider-a human torso connected to the torso of the spider like a centaur. In addition to physical changes, you also gain the following traits:

• A climbing speed equal to your walking speed +10 feet.
• Immunity to bludgeoning damage caused by falling.
• Bite. + (DEX Modifier + Proficiency Bonus) to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: # (2d6 + STR Modifier) piercing damage and 12 (4d6) poison damage. On a hit, the target must succeed on a Consitution saving throw against your Ki Save DC or be poisoned for one minute. On a success, the creature becomes immune to being poisoned by this attack for 1 hour.
• Spinneret. You may expend your bonus action to fire a web against one target of your choice within 80 feet. Make a ranged attack against that creature. On a success, they are restrained. At the beginning of their turn, they may attempt to break out from the web by making a Strength saving throw against your Ki Save DC + 5. On a success, they are no longer restrained.
• Drop from Above. If you drop onto a creature from above, they must succeed on a DC 20 Dexterity saving throw or take *d10 bludgeoning damage, where * equals every 5 feet you fell before hitting them.

One With the Wolf

If your companion is a Wolf, you fuse with it to become a medium-sized, bipedal Wolf, similar to a werewolf. In addition to physical changes, you also gain the following traits:

• An additional 5 feet of movement to your walking speed.
• Advantage on attack rolls against an enemy if an ally is within 5 feet of that enemy and is not incapacitated.
• Primal Shred (3/day) (1 Action). A target within ten feet must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw against your Ki Save DC + 5. On a failure, they take 35 (7d10) slashing damage and 20 (4d10) force damage. On a success, they take half damage.