This monastic tradition focuses on debuffs for the benefit of others in the party.

Searing Palm Technique

Starting when you choose this tradition at 3rd level, you learn to create imbalances in your opponent’s spirit. As an action you can spend 1 ki point to activate searing palm. On hit, the target is weakened by your strike. While in this weakened state, the next melee or ranged physical attack not from you made against the target will score a critical on 19 or a 20.

This feature does not stack with abilities such as Champion’s Improved Critical.

Searing Imprint

At 6th level, you gain the ability to manipulate the fury of your target. As an action, during the usage of Searing Palm, you can activate this ability. Your opponent directs its full attention to you for the rest of the encounter, or until you fall unconscious. The target is under the influence of a modified compelled duel spell, as are you. You and the target share the following effects:

• Disadvantage on attacks against creatures other than each other
• Unable to willingly move more than 30 feet from each other

There is no save for this ability, and it lasts for 1 minute or until you or the target fall unconscious or die. If a successful attack is made by either party against a creature other than the imprinted target, roll a d20. 10 and below, nothing happens, 11 and higher the imprinted creature who made the attack takes 1d8 force damage and its attack automatically misses. If you or the target are not on the same plane of existence, this effect automatically ends. If you or the imprinted target are moved more than 30ft away from each other against your will the effect automatically ends.

This effect can be done a number of times equal to half your proficiency bonus rounded down. You regain all charges of this ability on a long rest. Once you have exhausted all proficiency based uses of this ability, you can spend an additional ki point to cast it again.

Enhanced Searing Palm Technique

Starting at level 11, your mastery of the Searing Palm technique has grown, and thus you have gained the ability to unleash greater potential from the depths of your inner dragon. You gain the ability to choose from the following any time you activate searing palm:

• Flurry of blows:  for an additional 2 ki points, you can strike at your opponent and weaken their spirit. The target must make a WIS saving throw against your ki save dc, or have their spirit waver. If they fail, it will be as if they are under the effects of the bane spell until the start of your next turn. This effect can stack with other effects of this nature, including the spell bane if it is cast from a source other than you. However, a target can only be under the effect of this ability from one source at a time.
• Patient defense:  Your searing palm strike has sundered your enemy. Spend an additional 2 ki points to gain 2 AC and lower your opponent’s AC by 2 until the start of your next turn. Once the target has taken damage from an attack, their AC reverts to normal. Your AC does not change until the start of your next turn.
• Step of the Wind:  Your searing palm has awakened your inner dragon. Spend an additional 3 ki points, you may take both the dodge and the disengage action during this turn. You must wait an additional turn before you can use this ability again.

Withering Dragon

At 17th level, the flames of your inner dragon rage within you. As an action, make a special melee attack when you have one or both hands free to attempt to impose your spiritual suffering on another target with deadly efficiency. The target makes a CON saving throw against your ki save DC. If it fails, the target takes 2 rolls of your martial arts die as necrotic damage, and its CON is reduced by 1 point as the target's soul begins to wither. If it succeeds, nothing happens. While under the effects of this ability it cannot be affected by any other searing palm abilities.

At the start of each of your subsequent turns, roll 3d6. If the total equals or exceeds the affected targets CON the target is reduced to 0 hit points, otherwise nothing happens. if nothing happens, the target then takes the necrotic damage as mentioned above, and has their CON reduced by 1 point. As an action, you can choose to spend up to six ki points to further wither the target's soul. For every two ki points spent, increase the CON reduction of the target by 1 point (i.e. 6 ki points is a total reduction in CON of 4). The target can save against this effect at the end of each of its turns.

You can have only one creature under the effect of this feature at a time, and you must be on the same plane of existence as the target otherwise the effect ends. This effect also ends if you or the target fall unconscious. If the target saves at any point, it is immune to this effect for the next 24 hours. The target can only regain CON lost by this ability by finishing a long rest.