The Way of the Mountain

Students of the Way of the Mountain embody the spirit of dwarven culture, and imbue themselves with the forge-fueling fires of the deep earth, the indomitable will of the everlasting stone, and the wisdom of their ancient gods. Practiced primarily by dwarves in their underground or mountainside temples, it is not unheard of for gnomes and halflings who have been accepted into these temples to follow the path. While not impossible, it is unlikely that humans, elves, or any of the other surface-dwelling races would possess the secrets of these teachings.

Focus: Acolyte

You learn to invoke the essences of the dwarven deities and civilization, including the very earth in which they live. Focusing a dwarven essence does not always require the expenditure of Ki, though some Foci have additional effects that may require a Ki expenditure to activate.

When you choose this Tradition at 3rd level, you learn 2 Focuses from the following options. You gain an additional Focus at 6th, 11th, and 17th levels. You may always choose a Focus from a level lower than your current if desired. When you gain the ability to choose a new Focus, you may replace a previously chosen Focus with a different one.

The maximum Ki you can spend to activate an effect for a Focus is equal to half of your Monk level (round up).

Focus: Fists of the Forge.

You can cause your closed fists to glow like the fires of a dwarven forge. They will give bright light for ten feet and dim light for an additional ten feet. If this is done in combat, it requires a Bonus action. The effect will fade if you open your hand(s), but return whenever your hand is closed (this includes when it is closed around an object you are holding). 

While your fists are glowing, you may spend 1 Ki to summon the heat of the forge to your fists until the end of your next turn. Unarmed strikes made during this time will inflict an additional 1d4 fire damage. This damage increases to 1d6 at 6th level, 1d8 at 11th level, and 1d10 at 17th level. The heat from your hands is enough to ignite combustible materials. If you grapple or hold onto a creature, you inflict your base unarmed strike damage as fire damage.

Your body, clothes, and personal items are not affected by the heat of your fists.

Focus: Gift of the Faenor.

As an action, you can stabilize any living creature who has zero hit points with a touch.

Additionally, you can channel the healing energies usually reserved for Clerics of the Morndinsamman. As an action, you can spend 1 Ki point to restore 1d6 (plus your Wisdom modifier) hit points to any living creature within 10 feet of you. The healing increases by 1d6 for each additional Ki point you choose to spend.

Focus: Moradin’s Resolve.

You may take an Action to grant yourself a portion of the indomitable will of the Dwarffather. Once during the next minute, you may add 1d4 to a saving throw you make. You may roll the die before or after you make the saving throw.

You may spend 1 Ki to grant the 1d4 to any willing creature within 60 feet of you, provided you can see them, as a Reaction.

Starting at 6th level, the additional die roll is 1d6. At 11th, it is 1d8, and at 17th level, it increases to 1d10.

Focus: Stonecarver.

You may excavate or shape earth and stone with your bare hands. Up to one cubic foot of solid rock or hard earth will mold within your hands as though it were clay, and retain its shape for one hour, whereafter it returns to its original state (though not location, if it had been moved). If you use this ability to mold a second stone, the first one will immediately revert.

Once per short rest, as an Action, you may spend 1 Ki point to cause one cubic foot of stone or hard earth to explode into jagged shrapnel. The stone must be within 30 feet of you and of sufficient volume. All creatures within a five foot radius suffer 1d8 piercing damage. You may spend additional Ki points to increase the volume of rock affected by one cubic foot and the damage inflicted by 1d8 per point spent.

 

Rituals

Starting at 3rd level, you learn to channel the essence of the Mordinsamman to create lasting effects. You may choose one ritual at 3rd level, and an additional ritual at 6th, 11th, and 17th levels.

Rituals usually require a combination of Ki, time, and materials to complete. The maximum Ki you can spend to complete a ritual is equal to half of your Monk Level (round up).

Ritual: Brightmantle’s Blessing.

You call upon the vast knowledge of the Errant Explorer to guide your path. This ritual requires the burning of incense and a pinch of sand, metallic dust, or salt. By entering a deep state of meditation and focusing on a person or object with whom you are personally familiar, you gain a sense of the direction to that person or object’s location. An object chosen must be of personal value to you, or have spent significant time in your possession. A person you choose must be someone with whom you are close- family members, close friends, or someone you have known on a personal level for years (a teacher or employer, for instance). This requires the expenditure of 1 Ki point and ten minutes of concentration. You may spend an additional Ki point to gain a general sense of distance to that location: less than 500 ft, less than 2,000 ft, less than a mile, or more than a mile. If the object or person is not on the same plane of existence, the ritual will fail.

At 6th level, you are able to locate a person or object with which you are less familiar or that are less personal. An object that was not yours but was always in your house growing up, or a person with whom you have a casual acquaintance, can be targeted.

At 11th level, you may target a person or object who's unique identifying characteristics you can clearly recall.

At 17th level, you may target an object that you have seen or touched and of which you can recall the general characteristics. You may target a person to whom you have seen and spoken at least once.

Ritual: Hearth of the Pure.

This ritual requires a campfire or equivalent. If you spend at least ten minutes in ritual meditation, you create a calm sense of comfort in a 30 foot radius from the fire (or center of the area if there are multiple sources of fire) that lasts for up to 12 hours. It will end if the fire is extinguished, or anyone within the radius takes an attack action or targets another creature with a spell that does harm or subverts it’s will. It may be used indoors, outdoors, or underground to the same effect.

Allies within the radius are less affected by adverse environmental conditions. The temperature in the area will adjust up to twenty degrees toward the ideal for each individual. Precipitation will lessen or cease (unless desired), food will be more filling and satisfying, and beds will be more comfortable.

All allies are immune to fear while within the area. 

Any Hit Dice spent to recover hit points restore an additional point.

Completing a long rest entirely within the area will reduce two levels of exhaustion.

Ritual: Scrutiny of the King.

After completing 30 minutes of ritual meditation, you are granted the ability to discern the truth from what you see and hear for 8 hours. Deception rolls targeting you are made with disadvantage for the duration.

Ritual: Truesilver’s Grace

(Requires 6th level) This ritual requires proficiency in at least one type of artisans tools, said artisan’s tools, and materials appropriate to the related craft. You may imbue your crafted creations with a sliver of the glowing grace of the Dwarfmother.

 You must first craft an object that is larger than a coin. If your craft does not create objects, you must incorporate an object of appropriate size and value into your crafting. A Brewer might soak a cork in a special concoction, a Calligrapher might fill a parchment with writing or designs and incorporate it into an oragami, or decorate an existing object with pen and ink designs, etc. The finer an object is made, the more suited it will be to hold Truesilver’s Grace.

 Once you have crafted, or significantly applied your craft to, an object, you spend 20 minutes in ritual meditation with the object. This could involve incorporating the object in a kata, immersing it in the smoke of burning sage, etc. Once completed, the object will be imbued with a blessing taught by the Gracious Mother. Any creature who activates the object will gain the benefit. The object must be destroyed in order to release the blessing (snapping a carved wooden rod or stone disc, tearing a woven patch worn on clothing, eating an ale-soaked biscuit, etc). Activating a blessed object requires a Bonus Action.

Choose which blessing will be bestowed upon the object. The object must use at least 1 gp of materials and be successfully created with a DC12.

Healing Word - as the spell, though you may increase the healing done by 1d4 for each Ki point you spend during the ritual. The healing can only affect the user, but uses your casting modifier.

Lesser Restoration - As the spell. You must spend 2 Ki points to imbue this blessing. A creature who is paralyzed while in possession of the blessed object will instead resist the effect, though the object will be destroyed.

Starting at 11th level, additional blessings are available. You must use at least 5 gp worth of materials crafting at a DC16. 

Remove Curse - As the spell. You must spend 3 Ki points during the ritual to imbue this blessing. The nature of the curse may restrict the afflicted’s desire to remove it, however.

Create Food and Water - As the spell. You must spend 3 Ki points during the ritual to imbue this blessing.

 At 17th level, you may bless an object that was crafted with no fewer than 50 gp worth of materials and which was crafted successfully with a DC20, with one of the following blessings.

Mass Cure Wounds - as the spell. You must spend 6 Ki points during the ritual to imbue this blessing. The spell centers around the user but uses your casting modifier. 

Death Ward - as the Spell. You must spend 5 Ki points during the ritual to imbue this blessing. The duration begins when the object is used (broken).

 The object will remain potent for 24 hours, after which time the blessing will fade and the object will become mundane, though it can be re-blessed. The duration can be extended for 12 hours by using finer material (or more of them), for every multiple of the base cost you use in crafting the object. For example, if you craft an object with 1 gp of material and bless it with Healing Word, it will be viable for 24 hours. If you use 2 gp of material, it will be viable for 36 hours. If you use 3 gp, it will be viable for 48 hours, and so on. Crafting is not considered part of the ritual, so it is possible to prepare objects ahead of time.

  The maximum number of objects you may have blessed at one time is equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum 1). If you perform this ritual to exceed your maximum, the object with the shortest remaining duration on it’s blessing will immediately expire, ruining the object for future use in this ritual.

Focus: Adept

You gain an additional Focus at 6th level. You may select an unchosen option from those available at level 3, or one that requires 6th level.

Focus: Brand of Silverbeard.

(Requires 6th level) When you successfully strike an opponent in combat, you may spend 2 Ki to put a mystical brand on it. A faint silvery glow that lasts until the end of your next turn appears around the target . Any monk following the Way of the Mountain gains advantage on all attacks made against a branded opponent. If the target dies while branded, you gain 1 Ki. 

Focus: Moradin’s Resilience

Requires 6th level: You may spend an Action and 2 Ki points to bolster yourself and a number of additional creatures not greater than your Wisdom Modifier (minimum 1) who are within 30 feet of you. Each target’s hit point maximum and current hit points increases by 5. You may spend an additional Ki point for every additional 5 points you wish award in this manner. This effect lasts one hour. A target may only receive Moradin's Resilience once per Long Rest.

Focus: Pillar of Light.

(Requires 6th Level) You summon a radiant pillar from the heavens, which manifests in a location of your choosing within 30 feet of you. This requires an action and the expenditure of 2 Ki points. The pillar is 5 feet in diameter and gives bright light in a 20’ radius and dim light for an additional 15’. If you summon the Pillar on a creature, it inflicts 3d8 radiant damage and the creature is blinded unless it makes a Constitution save at your spell DC to resist. Undead and Fiends have disadvantage on the saving throw. Hostile creatures within 20 feet of the pillar will suffer 2d8 damage at the start of their turn and must make a Constitution saving throw or be blinded. Undead and Fiends have disadvantage on the Saving Throw. The pillar is immobile and persists until the start of your next turn. You may increase the damage inflicted by the Pillar by 1d8 or increase its duration by one round (your choice) for each additional Ki point you choose to spend when you summon the Pillar. For example, you could spend two additional Ki points to increase the damage by 1d8 and the duration by 1 round, or to increase the damage by 2d8. The damage increase affects both the target damage and proximity damage.

Focus: Expert

You gain an additional focus. Choose from previous options or the following list.

Focus: Meld Into Stone

You may spend an action and 3 Ki to cast Meld Into Stone. The effect lasts 8 hours.

You step into a stone object or surface large enough to fully contain your body, melding yourself and all the equipment you carry with the stone for the duration. Using your movement, you step into the stone at a point you can touch. Nothing of your presence remains visible or otherwise detectable by nonmagical senses.

While merged with the stone, you can't see what occurs outside it, and any Wisdom (Perception) checks you make to hear sounds outside it are made with disadvantage. You remain aware of the passage of time and can cast spells on yourself while merged in the stone. You can use your movement to leave the stone where you entered it, which ends the spell. You otherwise can't move.

Minor physical damage to the stone doesn't harm you, but its partial destruction or a change in its shape (to the extent that you no longer fit within it) expels you and deals 6d6 bludgeoning damage to you. The stone's complete destruction (or transmutation into a different substance) expels you and deals 50 bludgeoning damage to you. If expelled, you fall prone in an unoccupied space closest to where you first entered.

Focus: Master

At 17th level, you gain an additional focus. You may choose from any remaining options at lower levels, or from the following available options.

Wall of Stone

You may spend an Action and 5 Ki to cast Wall of Stone.