Way of the Hidden Blade

This subclass represents Part B: Way of the Hidden Blade (Monk) of the Trickster prestige class. It focuses on generating and maintaining multiple physical Splits through Focus Points, transforming weapons into magical Trickster's Daggers, coordinating rapid dagger attacks, concealing the identity of attacking Splits, and inflicting accumulating Bleeding Cuts.

It is designed to be used alongside Part A: The Unseen Many (Rogue), which represents the Trickster's mastery of physical duplication, deception, and misdirection. The Rogue subclass focuses on generating Splits through Sneak Attack and critical hits, coordinating attacks between multiple bodies, concealing equipment, and performing extraordinary acts of mischief.

For the intended Trickster progression, take Rogue at 1st character level, Monk at 2nd character level, and alternate between the two classes thereafter, reaching Rogue 10 / Monk 10 at 20th character level.

Trickster prestige features begin at 5th character level, when the character reaches Rogue 3. The Unseen Many subclass features begin at 5th character level, while Way of the Hidden Blade subclass features begin at 6th character level, when the character reaches Monk 3.

Both subclasses are independently playable. The Unseen Many grants physical duplication, coordinated Sneak Attacks, concealed equipment, and extraordinary mischief, while Way of the Hidden Blade provides Focus-powered splitting, magical dagger techniques, rapid coordinated attacks, and accumulating wounds. Together, they combine deception, mobility, and martial coordination to turn a single adventurer into an entire crowd.

Tricksters believe that curiosity reveals possibilities where others see obstacles. Trickster Tooch, Rainbow Girl's closest friend, embodies this philosophy through playful ingenuity, resourcefulness, and a willingness to discover unconventional solutions. Their greatest strength lies not in following established paths, but in finding new ones through daring, experimentation, and misdirection.

Ethos: “Discovery through curiosity.”

Focus Splitting

You gain the Shared Split Rules, Focus Splitting, and Focus Maintenance.

Shared Split Rules

Splits and Resources. Your body counts as one Split; none is primary. You always have at least one Split, up to your Proficiency Bonus (PB), regardless of source. Splits share your mind, equipment, class features, spells, resources, one Action and one Bonus Action; nothing duplicates or replenishes. Duplicated equipment vanishes with its Split and cannot be used by others. Each Split has its own space, movement, Hit Points (HP), Temporary Hit Points, conditions and Reaction.

Actions and Attacks. With one Split, take the Attack action normally. With two or more, the Attack action becomes Shared Split Attack: each capable Split makes exactly one melee weapon attack. Extra Attack, Nick, and other effects cannot add attacks. Each Split can move before, between, or after attacks using its own movement. A Split has Advantage on attacks if another capable Split is within 5 feet of its target. Dash, Dodge, Disengage, and Hide affect all capable Splits, but each must qualify for Hide separately. Bonus Actions affect one Split unless stated otherwise. Each Split has its own Reaction; resource costs remain shared.

Generation and Consolidation. Once on your turn, you can voluntarily Consolidate without an action, or freely outside combat, choosing survivors at their current locations. You can Consolidate before generating. Generation requires combined current HP of at least PB, with every resulting Split having at least 1 HP. New Splits appear in unoccupied spaces within 10 feet of a surviving Split, gaining movement and a Reaction immediately, but no free attack. Existing movement isn't restored. Splits sharing a space at turn's end must Consolidate.

Hit Points. When generating or Consolidating, divide combined current HP evenly among resulting Splits, rounding down; discard remainders and HP exceeding each Split’s maximum. Damage and healing affect only their targets. A Split reaching 0 HP vanishes without redistributing HP, except the last, which follows normal death-saving-throw rules. If all reach 0 simultaneously, choose one survivor. Each Split retains its own Temporary Hit Points; disappearing Splits lose theirs, including during Consolidation into one Split.

Conditions and Effects. Conditions, Temporary Hit Points, and other effects apply to each Split separately. On Consolidation, disappearing Splits lose their individual conditions and effects; survivors retain theirs. If all Splits share a condition or effect, it persists on the survivor. Shared resources and Trickster-wide effects persist. An Incapacitated or Petrified Split immediately Consolidates into another if possible. If all are affected simultaneously, choose one to remain affected; a lone Split remains affected normally. Concentration is shared: each damaged Split makes required saves, and one failure ends Concentration for all. Losing a Split doesn't itself end shared Concentration or spells affecting other valid targets.

Maintenance. In combat, maintenance credits reset to 1 at each turn's start. Each generated Split adds 1 credit, up to PB. At turn's end, after gaining any additional credits, spend 1 per retained Split; excess Splits involuntarily Consolidate, leaving at least one. Unspent credits expire at your next turn's start. Forced Consolidation costs no action and grants no refund.

Tether and Exploration. Splits must form a connected chain, with each link no longer than 20 × PB feet. Disconnected groups involuntarily Consolidate at your turn's start in combat, or after 15 minutes disconnected outside combat. Outside combat, generation and Consolidation cost no action, Focus Points, or maintenance, but retain all other limits. Rolling Initiative involuntarily Consolidates all Splits into one chosen survivor.

Focus Splitting. As an Action, spend 1 Focus Point (FP) to generate one or two Splits, provided at least one can be generated under Shared Split Rules, including after voluntary Consolidation. Each grants 1 maintenance credit. Shared Split Rules govern their placement, movement, Reactions and attacks.

Focus Maintenance. At turn's end, before maintenance, spend 1 FP for 3 credits or 2 FP for 5 credits (PB cap). Generation and maintenance cost FP separately.

An eligible Bonus Action can precede or follow Focus Splitting; new Splits cannot participate retroactively. With one Split, Extra Attack works normally; ordinary Flurry of Blows affects one Split unless stated otherwise.

Trickster's Daggers

During a Short or Long Rest, you can transform up to two melee weapons with the Light or Finesse property into magical Trickster’s Daggers (Dagger, 1d4 Piercing, Finesse, Light, Thrown, Nick), retaining their original magical properties. They count as Monk weapons; armour still prevents Martial Arts die substitution.

You can maintain two Trickster’s Daggers; transforming another restores one to its original form and properties.

Bleed. When a Trickster’s Dagger hits, the target makes a Constitution save against your Monk Focus save DC. On failure, it gains one Bleeding Cut (maximum PB per target). At its turn’s start, each cut deals 1d4 Piercing damage separately. At its turn’s end, the target repeats the save, ending all Bleeding Cuts on success.

Martial Techniques. You can replace an Unarmed Strike granted or required by a Monk feature, including Flurry of Blows, with a Trickster’s Dagger attack even while wearing armour. This exception permits only the dagger substitution; it does not restore Martial Arts, Unarmored Movement, or any other Monk benefit unavailable while armoured. The dagger retains its normal 1d4 damage die, and Shared Split Attack still permits only one melee weapon attack per capable Split.

Mischievous Flurry

While you have two or more Splits, you can expend 1, 2, or 3 FP as a Bonus Action to make up to 2, 4, or 6 Trickster’s Dagger attacks, respectively, each made by a different capable Split. You must have enough Splits for the attacks made. This replaces ordinary Flurry of Blows when used, including at Monk 10. With one Split, use normal Flurry; daggers can replace its Unarmed Strikes even in armour.

Unseen Blades

When a Split attacks a target within 5 feet with a Trickster’s Dagger, and another creature (including another Split) is also within 5 feet of that target, you can conceal the attacking Split’s identity. Before the attack’s outcome is known, make one Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check contested separately by each observer’s Wisdom (Perception), regardless of distance. An observer who loses knows an attack occurred but cannot identify the attacking Split, hit or miss. This neither makes the Split Hidden nor grants Advantage.

Mischievous Insight

When you make a Charisma (Deception) check, add your Wisdom modifier to the roll in addition to your Charisma modifier. Proficiency and Expertise apply normally.

Advanced Focus Splitting

Advanced Focus Splitting. When you use Focus Splitting, spend 1 FP to generate one or two Splits, plus 1 FP for each additional Split beyond two. You can spend no more than PB − 2 FP (minimum 1) and cannot pay for Splits you cannot generate. You can Consolidate first. Each new Split grants 1 maintenance credit; Shared Split Rules apply.

A Thousand Cuts

A Thousand Cuts. Trickster’s Dagger hits during Mischievous Flurry inflict a Bleeding Cut without the initial Constitution save (maximum PB per target). All other Bleed rules apply, including while armoured.

Epic Boon

This feature serves as a progression placeholder for the Trickster prestige class and grants no additional abilities, resources, feats, or Epic Boons.

Epic Boon feats remain available through the normal character progression rules, subject to their usual prerequisites.

Epic Boon

This feature serves as a progression placeholder for the Trickster prestige class and grants no additional abilities, resources, feats, or Epic Boons.

Epic Boon feats remain available through the normal character progression rules, subject to their usual prerequisites.