This monastic tradition traces its roots back to a knight errant who witnessed first hand the devotion and conviction of warrior monks. Taking inspiration from the sight, the knight errant sought to master this form of combat and way of life. Eventually he did master the martial arts and created a new form of combat he dubbed the Way of the Sacred Fist. Today, the monasteries devoted to this monastic tradition are few. Many paladins and clerics are drawn to this monastic tradition as it closely resembles their own abilities.

Oath of the Sacred Fist

Much like a paladin’s tenets, the monks of this order adhere to a strict regimen of meditation and the practical elements of the Order.

• Body.  My body is my weapon and my armor. I need neither steel nor leather to defend myself.
• Will. My strikes are as strong as steel, but my will is stronger yet.
• Faith.  My fighting spirit is a gift from the divine. Not honing and strengthening that gift is a sin.
• Charity. My privilege is to help others in their time of need.
• Strength. My martial and physical abilities must be exercised to stay strong.
• Humble and Self-sufficient. I will not shy away from any challenge, but I will not be so prideful as not ask for aid as necessary.

By focusing your energies on the tenets of the Sacred Fist, you are afforded special abilities described later in this document.

Sacred Aura

 At 3rd level, when you become a monk of the Sacred Fist, you are able to manipulate your aura to produce passive effects. You have a total of three auras at your disposal.  It is an action to activate an aura, and it is always active until you use a bonus action to dismiss it or if you are rendered incapacitated. Your aura has a range of self.

• Aura of Fortitude. You add your proficiency bonus to your Constitution saving throws and have advantage on saves to maintain your concentration.
• Aura of Resolve. You have advantage on saves against being charmed, frightened, grappled, paralyzed, restrained, and stunned.
• Aura of Sanctity. When an attack roll against you succeeds on a critical hit, your attacker must succeed on a Constitution saving throw (DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier) or be blinded until the end of its next turn.

At 11th level, you may expend 4 ki points to expand your aura radius out to 30 feet for 1 minute, as an act of concentration. While you concentrate, any ally or friendly creature receives the benefit of your aura while it remains in your aura’s range.

 

The Flame of Piety

As part of your Sacred Fist vow, you do not receive any weapon proficiencies. For your sacrifice, at 3rd level you are able to use your ki to cast the cantrips guidance, resistance, and sacred flame. If for any reason you violate the Sacred Fist code of conduct, you lose the ability to use these cantrips.

As atonement, one hour of meditation, accomplishable during a short rest, will restore your ability to use these cantrips.

 

Sacred Strike

At 6th level, you are able to channel divine energy into a single blow. As you make a single attack using your unarmed damage die, expend 2 ki points. You deal extra radiant damage equal to your unarmed damage die.

You can increase this extra damage by one unarmed damage die for every ki point spent over the initial two. Your ki usage is restricted for this feature. See the table for your ki point maximum per monk levels.

 

Monk Levels	Maximum Ki Points
6th—8th	3
9th—12th	4
13th—16th	5
17th—20th	6

Aura Detection

Your sacred aura has become sensitive to all energy sources, whether the source be the arcane energy of a spell or the inherent divinity within a soul. At 11th level, as long as your sacred aura is active, you have blindsight out to 10 feet. You may expand your blindsight by an extra 10 feet for every 1 ki point spent to a maximum of 30 feet.

This expansion lasts for 1 minute, as long as you maintain concentration.

Aura of Ascension

Your adherence to the tenets of the Sacred Flame has brought about a new capacity for your ki.

At 17th level, you channel the divinity within to become a bastion of holy might. For 1 minute, double your Wisdom modifier when determining your unarmored defense AC. When you take damage from a melee attack, your attacker receives an amount of radiant damage equal to your Wisdom modifier. Additionally any magical damage you receive is reduced by an amount equal to your Wisdom modifier.

You must finish a long rest before you can use this ability again.