BEST Way of the Closed Fist (Monk)

 

Monks of the Way of the Closed Fist are the ultimate masters of martial arts combat, whether armed or unarmed. They learn Ki techniques dedicated to directly engaging and overwhelming opponents with honed brutality, manipulating Ki to apply debilitating status effects, energizing themselves through successful strikes, and targeted devastation at the cost of risk to self.

 

Closed Fist Technique

 

Flurry of Blows Sequences

"I'm gonna teach you the best defense that you can know. And the best defense...is more offense." - Johnny Lawrence

Starting when you choose this tradition at 3rd level, you can manipulate your enemy’s Ki when you harness your own.

Once per turn, during your Attack action, where you would optionally use Flurry of Blows as a Bonus Action, you may instead choose to spend 2 Ki Points as a Bonus Action to combo into your choice of one of the following Sequences below: Fatiguing Fusillade, Sickening Salvo, or Brutal Barrage.

Excluding counter-attacks and attacks of opportunity; all attacks you make during your turn deal normal damage and apply the following additional effects:

Fatiguing Fusillade: 

1st hit - no effect.

2nd hit - cause 1 level of Exhaustion on the target's failed CON saving throw until the end of your next turn.

3rd hit - cause 1 level of Exhaustion on the target's failed CON saving throw until the end of your next turn, then again cause 1 level of Exhaustion on the target's failed CON saving throw until the end of your next turn.

Fatiguing Fusillade cannot apply the 6th level of Exhaustion.

Sickening Salvo:  

1st hit - no effect.

2nd hit - apply poison on the target's failed CON saving throw until the end of your next turn.

3rd hit - applies poison on the target's failed CON saving throw until the end of your next turn. If target is already Poisoned, apply Frightened on the target's failed WIS saving throw until the end of your next turn. If target is already Poisoned and Frightened, apply Paralyzed on the target's failed CHA saving throw until the end of your next turn.

Brutal Barrage: 

1st hit - no effect;

2nd hit - Target is knocked prone on the target's failed DEX saving throw until the end of your next turn;

3rd hit - Target is knocked prone on the target's failed DEX saving throw until the end of your next turn. If target is Prone already; target is Stunned on the target's failed CON saving throw until the end of your next turn. Optional: if the target is your size or smaller and fails a STR saving throw, you can attempt to push the target 10 feet away from you in any direction of your choosing, and can then move 10 feet in any direction without provoking opportunity attacks.

Once per turn, if/when the 3rd hit in a Sequence successfully connects in that turn, gain 1 Ki Point.

Each Sequence can be attempted a maximum of once per turn.

Each Sequence's effects can only be applied once per turn, even if more than 4 hits could be successful.

 

Intercept Melee (Optional: replaces Deflect Missiles)

"It's my arm now. I'll do what I want with it." - Pai Mei

As a Reaction when hit by a melee attack, you can choose to reduce the damage you take from the attack by 1d10 + your STR Modifier or DEX Modifier (whichever is higher) + your Monk Level.

If you reduce the damage to 0, you can choose to redirect the weapon used if it is small enough for you to hold in one hand and you have at least one hand free. If you redirect the weapon in this way, you can spend 1 Ki Point to make a melee attack with the weapon as part of the same reaction. You make this attack with proficiency, regardless of your weapon proficiencies, and the weapon counts as a monk weapon for the attack, and can be used against any target within melee/weapon range of the original attacker or within melee range of the Monk.

 

Nerves of Steel

"Everyone has a plan 'till they get punched in the mouth." - Mike Tyson

You can add your STR Modifier instead of your DEX Modifier to your Armor Class when not wearing armor. You still add your WIS Modifier to your AC, as per the Unarmored Defense feature.

 

Impatient Offense (replaces Patient Defense)

"The art of war teaches us to rely not on the likelihood of the enemy's not coming, but on our own readiness to receive him; not on the chance of his not attacking, but rather on the fact that we have made our position unassailable." - Sun Tzu

Once per turn, immediately after any successful hit against a target (including counter-attacks and attacks of opportunity), as a free action you may choose to 'Engage' the target until the end of your next turn.

When you choose to Engage a target, until the end of your next turn, any attack roll made by any target that you have 'Engaged' has disadvantage if you can see the attacker, and you make STR or DEX saving throws with advantage from any ability or effect from that target.

When you Engage a target, until the end of your next turn, any attack roll made by any attackers other than the 'Engaged' target has advantage, and you make STR or DEX saving throws with disadvantage from any ability or effect from any attackers other than the 'Engaged' target.

All Engage effects are lost if you are incapacitated or if your speed drops to 0.

You may not Engage a target with 0 HP. If an Engaged target's HP drops to 0, all Engage effects end for that target at the beginning of your next turn.

 

Sprint of Tempest (replaces Step of Wind)

"Life happens wherever you are, whether you make it or not." - Aang

You can spend 2 Ki Points to take the Dash action (this action does not provoke attacks of opportunity) as a Bonus Action on your turn, and your jump distance is doubled for the turn. Regain 1 Ki Point immediately if/when a successful hit is achieved before the end of the next turn. During this effect, if the Monk has 0 Ki, any related effects treat the Monk as having 1 Ki Point until the end of the effect.

 

Muscle Memory

"I'm so fast that last night I turned off the light switch in my hotel room and was in bed before the room was dark." - Muhammad Ali

Add the highest value between your STR Modifier and DEX Modifier to your initiative.

 

Extra Attack in Sequence

"Force is meaningless without skill." - Lee Sin

At level 5, after receiving the Extra Attack feature, the Extra Attack can count towards Flurry of Blows Sequences. Any 3 of the 4 or more hits can count for a Sequence even if a miss occurs at any point.

(Example: if 4 Attacks are attempted and the 1st, 3rd, and 4th hits are successful, but the 2nd misses, the Sequence still completes as a successful 3-hit Sequence and effects are applied. If 2 attacks missed, only the 2nd-hit effects would apply.)

 

Mitigation (Optional: replaces Evasion)

"It ain't about how hard you can hit but how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward." - Rocky Balboa

At 7th level, your ability to brace for hits and battle-conditioned skin lets you absorb the impact of certain area effects, such as a blue dragon’s lightning breath or a fireball spell. When you are subjected to an effect that allows you to make a DEX saving throw to take only half damage, instead you make a STR or DEX (whichever is higher) saving throw to take 1/8 damage rounded up if you succeed, and 3/8 damage rounded down if you fail.

 

Emptiness of Mind

"Endurance is lost rapidly if one ceases to work at its maximum.” - Bruce Lee

At 6th level you gain the ability to heal yourself through successful hits. All successful attacks, including counter attacks and attacks of opportunity; heal 1/6 of your Monk level in HP, rounded down. Once per turn, if you apply a status effect (or a higher level of Exhaustion) to an enemy and that enemy does not already have it; gain 1/3 your Monk level in HP, rounded down.

 

Pandemonium

"Oh dear. This will be unpleasant for someone." - Sagacious Zu

Beginning at 11th level, you can enter a state of intense seething that surrounds you with an aura of turmoil. At the end of a long rest, you gain the following effect:

Until your next long rest and only once, as a free action, you may Engage an additional target within 30ft without requiring a successful hit - as according to Impatient Offense. This effect lasts until the target is incapacitated and as long as they can remain within 30ft of you (the spell can end early as normal or if the target becomes more than 30ft away from you).

Furthermore, the target of Pandemonium's Engage will entirely focus their attention on you unless they succeed the saving throw DC for the effect equalling 8 + your Wisdom modifier + your proficiency bonus. This effect lasts until the target is incapacitated and as long as they can remain within 30ft of you (the spell can end early as normal or if the target becomes more than 30ft away from you).

Additionally, when Pandemonium's Engage is used and the target failed the saving throw and is now focused on the Monk, all other non-Engaged targets within 30ft lose interest and do not attack the Monk until the end of his next turn unless they succeed the saving throw DC for the effect equalling 8 + your Wisdom modifier + your proficiency bonus. For each individual target, this effect lasts until each respective target is incapacitated and as long as they can remain within 30ft of you (the spell can end early as normal or if the target becomes more than 30ft away from you).

All Pandemonium effects end if no targets are 'Engaged'.

 

Unwavering Knuckles

"Break beneath the endless tide!" - Zhota

At 17th level, as a free action in your turn after you have landed all 3 hits from one of your Sequences, you can perform a finishing move at the cost of 3 Ki Points, an attack that will produce different effects. Should you have successfully and fully performed any Flurry of Blows Sequence in the previous turn, this cost is reduced to 2 Ki Points.

Attack with 1 Martial Arts dice. If the hit is successful, after damage, deal the following effects:

If creature has level 3 or higher Exhaustion, attempt to apply Exhaustion 3 more times (with a CON saving throw for each level), up to level 6 Exhaustion.

If the creature is Poisoned, Frightened, and Paralyzed; permanently reduce all the creatures Ability Scores by 1.

If the target is Incapacitated in any way; you apply Unconscious on the target's failed WIS saving throw, then you deal damage again as one additional Martial Arts dice.