Way of the Shade

Some monks pursue enlightenment through discipline and stillness. Others have death thrust upon them - a brush with the veil between worlds that leaves ectoplasmic energy crackling in their veins. Monks of the Way of the Shade learn to slip between life and death the way other monks learn to throw a punch: deliberately, and with devastating precision.

 

In battle, a Shade monk is never quite where you left them. They step through walls, hurl bolts of green-white ectoplasm, and - at the peak of their art - pour themselves into an enemy's body and wear it like a coat.

Ghostlight

3rd-level Way of the Shade feature

 

As a bonus action, you can magically assume a spectral form for 1 minute (you are transformed while it lasts). You can assume this form a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. Finishing a long rest restores every use you have spent; any transformation beyond those, before your next long rest, costs 1 ki point each. Your appearance turns ghostly - pale, faintly luminous, trailing wisps of ectoplasm - and you shed dim light in a 10-foot radius (even in magical darkness) that cannot be suppressed by any means other than invisibility (this makes stealth difficult while transformed - plan accordingly). You gain the following benefits while transformed. You can dismiss the form on your turn (no action required), but you cannot assume it again while it is active. Inside an antimagic field the form is suppressed, not dispelled (its duration keeps elapsing); if suppression would leave you inside an object, you are ejected as if you had ended your turn there.

 

In short: as a bonus action, you're a ghost for the fight - a number of times per day equal to your proficiency bonus - and gain these benefits while transformed:

 

- Incorporeal Movement. You can move through other creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain. Anything you wear or carry (other than creatures) moves with you, unless another creature is also holding or wearing it. This movement cannot pass through barriers of magical force, such as wall of force. Moving through a creature's space in this way still provokes opportunity attacks. You can't use this movement while grappled or restrained, but you have advantage on checks and saves to escape those conditions while transformed. This movement doesn't extend to other creatures on its own. If you move through an object while grappling a creature, you can drag it inside with you. If the grappled creature is still inside the object when your turn ends, it makes a Strength saving throw against your ki save DC, taking 1d10 force damage on a failure; either way it is ejected to the nearest unoccupied space outside the object (if equally near, you choose) and the grapple ends. If both of you are inside an object when your turn ends, resolve the dragged creature's eject first. If the grapple ends while the dragged creature is inside an object, it immediately makes the Strength saving throw and is ejected either way. If you end your turn inside an object, you take 1d10 force damage and are ejected to the nearest unoccupied space outside the object that you can occupy.

 

- Ectoplasmic Bolt. You can hurl bolts of ectoplasmic energy, each manifesting as crackling green-white ectoplasm, jagged ice, or a mixture of both - your choice each time you attack. When you take the Attack action while transformed, you can replace any of your attacks with a ranged spell attack (range 30 feet; you are proficient with it and add your Dexterity modifier to its attack and damage rolls). As with any ranged attack, you have disadvantage on the attack roll if a hostile creature is within 5 feet of you. On a hit, the bolt deals cold damage equal to one roll of your Martial Arts die + your Dexterity modifier. When you use this attack as part of the Attack action, you can spend 1 ki point to hurl two more bolts as a bonus action. Once per turn, when you hit a creature with a bolt, you can push it up to 10 feet away from you. A bolt is a ranged spell attack, not an unarmed strike: you can't use Stunning Strike with a bolt, and an Attack action made entirely of bolts doesn't grant Martial Arts' bonus-action unarmed strike (Flurry of Blows still works afterward).

 

Ghost Sense. This sense is always active, whether or not you are transformed by Ghostlight. Death has marked you, and the dead recognize their own. You sense the presence and location of any undead within 60 feet of you (not through total cover). You know where they are, but you still can't see invisible or otherwise unseen ones - and you still have disadvantage on attacks against creatures you can't see. (Your breath mists visibly in their presence - a useful tell, or an inconvenient one.)

Between Two Worlds

6th-level Way of the Shade feature

 

Your ghost form deepens. While transformed by Ghostlight:

 

- You have resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical attacks.

 

- Moving through objects and creatures no longer costs you extra movement.

 

- Ectoplasmic Eruption. When you are reduced to 0 hit points while transformed (even if the damage would kill you outright), you can erupt in a burst of ectoplasm (no action required). Each other creature within 10 feet of you must make a Strength saving throw against your ki save DC. A creature that fails takes 2d8 thunder damage and is pushed up to 15 feet away from you; one that succeeds takes half damage and isn't pushed. After the eruption triggers, it can't trigger again until you finish a long rest, and it can't trigger while you are possessing another creature.

Spectral Flight

11th-level Way of the Shade feature

 

While transformed, you gain a flying speed equal to your walking speed. If the form ends while you are flying, you fall.

 

Ghostly Wail. As an action while transformed, you can spend 2 ki points to unleash a spectral scream. Each other creature in a 30-foot cone must make a Constitution saving throw against your ki save DC. A creature that fails takes thunder damage equal to three rolls of your Martial Arts die (3d8 at 11th level), is hurled up to 15 feet away from you, and is deafened until the end of your next turn; a creature that succeeds takes half damage and suffers no other effects.

Overshadowing

17th-level Way of the Shade feature

 

Your spirit learns to slip its bonds entirely. As an action while transformed, you can spend 4 ki points to attempt to possess one humanoid you can see within 30 feet of you. The target must make a Wisdom saving throw against your ki save DC. On a failed save, you possess the target for 1 minute (as if you were using the ghost possession feature described below) and the target is charmed by you for the duration, and you must maintain concentration as if you were concentrating on a spell.

 

While possessing the target:

 

- Your body falls unconscious and doesn't need to eat, drink, breathe, or sleep; it makes death saving throws normally if it is dying.

 

- The target acts on your turn. You can use the target's Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, hit points, Armor Class, speeds, senses, and attacks, as well as any spellcasting it has (using your Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma), but not its legendary actions or possessions other than its own body. You keep your own Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma, alignment, and memories, and you cannot use any of your monk features except to end the possession.

 

- If you cast a concentration spell through the host, the possession ends.

 

- You can't move more than 60 feet from your own body.

 

- If your ghost form ends while possessing, the possession ends.

 

- The target can repeat the Wisdom saving throw whenever it takes damage.

 

- You can end the possession as a bonus action on your turn.

 

- The possession ends early if the host drops to 0 hit points.

 

Additionally, when you use your Empty Body feature, you can assume your ghost form as part of the same action without spending ki.