Way of the Immortal Shinobi

Those who choose the Way of the Immoral Shinobi seek to overcome and master death by trapping and bartering with the souls of creatures they slay. Using this trapped soul, the Immortal Shinobi can unleash it to deal devastating attacks or bargain with entities of death to evade their own demise.

Path of the Immortal Shinobi

When you choose this tradition at 3rd level, you learn to attune your ki to a single weapon and forge a bond that allows you to trap the souls of creatures you slay. This powerful bond enables you to deal swift death to your enemies, use their life force to empower your abilities, and even evade death.

Mortal Weapon. You learn a ritual to attune your ki to a single weapon. This weapon can be any simple or martial weapon that lacks the heavy and special properties. You gain proficiency with this weapon if you don’t already have it and it is a monk weapon for you. Any other creature who attempts to wield your mortal weapon takes 3d6 necrotic damage when they pick it up, and an additional 3d6 necrotic damage each time they make an attack with it.

You perform the ritual over the course of 1 hour, which can be done during a short rest. The weapon must be within your reach throughout the ritual, at the conclusion of which you touch the weapon and attune your ki. If you attempt to attune your ki with another weapon, you must break your attunement to the first one and any soul trapped within it is freed.

Note: For the purposes of this subclass, you will select a weapon as a Kensei weapon. This will enable non-monk weapons such as longswords to be calculated appropriately on your character sheet.

Soul Vessel. When you deal a killing blow against a creature with your mortal weapon you can siphon and trap their soul within it. The trapped soul fuels several of your Immortal Shinobi features, and only a single soul may be contained within your mortal weapon at a time. You may release a trapped soul at any time (requires no action).

Mortal Strike. When you hit a creature with your mortal weapon, you may unleash a soul trapped within to cause the hit to become a critical hit.

Deathblow. As you wear down your opponents, they become more vulnerable to your precise attacks. When you score a critical hit on a creature with your mortal weapon whose remaining hit points is half or fewer than their maximum hit points you may attempt to deal a deathblow. The creature must succeed on a Constitution saving throw equal to your ki save DC or be killed instantly. A creature is immune to this effect if it is immune to the damage type of your weapon, has legendary actions, or the DM decides that the creature is too large or powerful to be killed in this manner. Such a creature instead takes additional necrotic damage equal to 1 roll of your weapon’s damage dice. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your wisdom modifier. You regain all uses when you finish a long rest.

Enduring Soul

At 3rd level, you have begun your journey on the path to master death. When you die while your mortal weapon is on your person and contains a trapped soul, you can attempt to force it to take your place in death. Roll a d20, on a 10 or higher a soul within your mortal weapon is released and you return to life as if Raise Dead had been cast on you. Once you use this feature, you cannot use it again until you finish a long rest.

Ninjutsu Technique

At 6th level, you gain the ability to use your ki in new ways to deflect thrusting attacks and manipulate your foes when you score a critical hit or deal a killing blow.

Mikiri Counter. You learn to deflect thrusting attacks made against you. When a creature makes a thrusting melee attack against you, such as with a piercing weapon, you may use your reaction to attempt to deflect the attack. Roll 1d6 and subtract the result from the creature's attack roll. If this causes the attack to miss, you may expend 1 ki point to make an opportunity attack against that creature.

Bloodsmoke Ninjutsu. After scoring a critical hit or dealing a killing blow on a creature with your mortal weapon, you can spend 2 ki points to transform the creature's blood spray into a cloud of smoke. This smoky area covers a ten-foot cube and is heavily obscured until the end of your next turn. If you end your turn inside the smoke, you gain the benefits of the Hidden condition. You can see through this smoke and it does not count as heavily obscured for the purposes of your vision. If the creature does not have blood, the DM can determine if this ability is possible using an alternative life essence.

Bestowal Ninjutsu. After scoring a critical hit or dealing a killing blow on a creature with your mortal weapon, you can spend 2 ki points to magically wreathe your weapon in their blood, extending its reach by 5 feet for 1 minute. If you throw your weapon as part of an attack, the bestowal vanishes immediately after it hits or misses its target. The bestowal otherwise disappears the instant the weapon leaves your hand. If the creature does not have blood, the DM can determine if this ability is possible using an alternative life essence.

Puppeteer Ninjutsu. After dealing a killing blow on a creature with your mortal weapon, you can spend 3 ki points to bind the creature's body and soul to your will before it dies. Immediately after your turn, that creature takes a bonus turn and can move its full speed and make melee attacks. You choose where it moves and who and how it attacks. At the end of the bonus turn, the creature dies.

Soul Link

At 6th level, you gain the ability to telepathically communicate with a soul trapped within your mortal weapon. You can communicate with a soul at any time, so long as your mortal weapon is on your person. A trapped soul is sentient and can continue to learn and acquire new information. A trapped soul also knows what it knew in life, including the languages it knew. Its responses are often hostile and deceptive, but a soul usually wishes to be set free and often can be bargained with.

Empowered Mortal Weapon

At 11th level, you gain the ability to augment your mortal weapon in combat by unleashing a soul trapped within. As a bonus action, you can unleash a trapped soul to empower your mortal weapon for 1 minute. Your attacks with it now deal necrotic damage and hit all creatures within a 10-foot cone in front of you. If your mortal weapon is under the effects of your Bestowal Ninjutsu, the reach extends to a 15-foot cone instead.

You no longer need to make attack rolls to hit, instead each creature within the affected area must succeed on a Constitution saving throw equal to your Ki save DC. A target takes the full damage of your swing on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. You roll damage only once for all creatures hit. Once this effect ends, the soul is released from your mortal weapon and you cannot use it again until you finish a long rest.

Improved Soul Vessel

At 11th level, the bond with your mortal weapon has allowed you to trap more souls. You may now trap two souls within your mortal weapon at a time.

Resilient Soul

At 11th level, you have improved your ability to resist death. When you use your Enduring Soul feature, you no longer need to roll a d20 and automatically succeed.

Necrotic Strikes

At 17th level, you gain the ability to utilize a soul trapped within your mortal weapon to amplify the damage of your weapon attacks. When you make an attack with your mortal weapon and you have a soul trapped within it, you may add an additional 2d6 necrotic damage to the hit. The additional damage ignores resistance, but does not effect a creature who is immune to necrotic damage.

Immortal Soul

At 17th level, you have mastered your ability to resist death. When you use your Enduring Soul feature, you now return to life with half of your maximum hit points and do not suffer the Attack rolls, Saving Throws and Ability Checks penalties of Raise Dead.