Way of the Shimmering Strand

Monks of the Shimmering Strand belong to a secretive order originally founded by drow who fled the Underdark under the guidance of the goddess Eilistraee. While traditional dark elves view the spider as a cruel weapon of capture and domination, this monastic order studies the arachnid as a master of patience, vibration, and defensive weavercraft. They use their Ki to manifest silk woven from starlight, transforming the battlefield into an interconnected web of protection.

Disciple of the Loom

• Arachnid Agility: You gain a climbing speed equal to your walking speed, and you can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.

• Ki-Weaved Silk: You can use an action to spend 1 Ki point to manifest a 60-foot coil of shimmering, spectral silk. This silk acts as an unbreakable rope that can hold up to 1,000 pounds. It glows with dim moonlight out to a radius of 5 feet and dissolves into stardust after 1 hour.

Silk-Step Weaver

• Tethering Strand: When a creature you can see within 30 feet of you takes damage, you can use your reaction to expend 1 Ki point and shoot a silver strand at them. If they are an ally, they instantly gain temporary hit points equal to your Martial Arts die + your Wisdom modifier. If they are an enemy, they must succeed on a Strength saving throw against your Monk Spell Save DC or have their speed reduced to 0 until the start of your next turn.

Tethering Strand

When a creature you can see within 30 feet of you takes damage, you can use your reaction to expend 1 Ki point and shoot a silver strand at them. If they are an ally, they instantly gain temporary hit points equal to your Martial Arts die + your Wisdom modifier. If they are an enemy, they must succeed on a Strength saving throw against your Monk Spell Save DC or have their speed reduced to 0 until the start of your next turn.

Tremorsense Tapestry

• Vibrational Awareness: You gain Tremorsense out to a radius of 30 feet. You can detect the exact location of any creature or object in contact with the same ground or floor surface as you, even if you are blinded or heavily obscured.

• Web-Strike: When a creature within your Tremorsense radius triggers an opportunity attack from you, you can spend 1 Ki point to make the unarmed strike with a reach of 15 feet as a spectral leg or strand of silk lashes out. On a hit, the target is knocked prone.

Cocoon of the Dark Maiden

• Instant Ward: As a reaction when you or a creature you can see within 30 feet takes damage, you can spend 3 Ki points to manifest a protective cocoon around the target. The cocoon absorbs the incoming damage.

• Shielding Properties: The cocoon grants the target a pool of temporary hit points equal to five times your Monk level. While these temporary hit points persist, the target has resistance to all damage types except psychic, but their speed is reduced to 0.

Avatar of the Silver Spinner

• You sprout six ethereal, glowing silver spider legs from your back. Your unarmed strikes deal additional force damage equal to your Wisdom modifier.

• You can move through solid objects and walls as if they were difficult terrain, provided you end your turn outside of an object.

• Once per turn when you hit a creature with an unarmed strike, you can choose to banish them into a pocket demiplane of dense webs. The target disappears until the end of your next turn, at which point they reappear in the space they occupied or the nearest unoccupied space, completely restrained by silk (escape DC equals your Monk Save DC).