Prototype

The Prototype is the result of experimentation, usually magical or alchemical, resulting in the fusion of virus and mortal and creating something highly adaptable, and incredibly difficult to kill. Prototypes can be totally unique as a result of one mad scientist's deranged experiments, uncommon but present from the study and tradition of one or many temples, or widespread from a technique developed for the armed forces. The scene of a fight involving a Prototype usually results in bodies lacerated and dismembered, limbs and corpses hanging by tendrils of biomass, ground soaked with blood. The moment you see your opponent transform their hands into giant claws or break your comrade's neck and absorb the body, say your prayers. The only thing that will save you is your opponent's mercy. 

Consume

At 3rd level, when you reduce a creature to 0HP with a melee attack, you may choose to expend 1 ki point and consume them. Their body, any clothing, and any non-magical armour they are wearing is absorbed by your body and destroyed, and you gain temporary hit points equal to half of the creature’s hit point maximum. If this number would exceed half your hit point maximum, gain temporary hit points equal to half your hit point maximum instead. Additionally, you may choose to gain access to either the last 1 hour of memories that this creature formed before being consumed, or one significant memory it formed during its life. The DM decides what this significant event is. Consuming one creature provides you with enough nourishment to sustain you for one day. 

Once per long rest, after you have consumed a number of creatures of the same size category as you equal to your proficiency modifier, you may regain ki points equal to half your proficiency modifier rounded up. A creature one size smaller than you counts as half of a creature the same size as you, and a creature larger than you counts as two creatures the same size as you. The number of consumed creatures (for the purposes of this ability) resets to 0 at the end of a long rest.

You cannot consume creatures with a challenge rating higher than your Monk level, creatures greater than one size larger than you, constructs, or undead.

Transform

At 3rd level, as a bonus action, expend ki to transform part of your body into a weapon or defense. This transformation remains for 1 hour. During this hour, as a bonus action, you may manifest or dismiss your chosen transformation at will with no additional ki point cost. You may only have one transformation chosen and active at once.

Choose two transformations from the list below. When you gain a level in the Monk class, you may choose a transformation to replace with another. Pick an additional transformation at 8th, 12th, and 16th levels.

Armour

Expend 2 ki points to form hard plates all over your body, encasing you in a layer of protective armour. While using Armour, your AC increases by +3, but you cannot use abilities that cost ki points until the armour is dismissed.

Blade

Expend 1 ki point to transform one of your arms into an enormous blade. Your unarmed strikes deal slashing damage. When making a Flurry of Blows attack while Blade is manifested, you may choose to make only 1 additional attack as a bonus action, dealing 3 martial arts damage die on hit. You may wield one handed weapons in the hand that is not occupied by manifesting the Blade.

Claws

Expend 1 ki point to transform your hands into oversized claws. Your unarmed strikes deal slashing damage. When you use Step of the Wind on your turn while Claws are manifested, you may use your reaction to make an unarmed strike at the end of your turn. You cannot wield melee or ranged weapons with Claws manifested.

Hammerfists

Expend 2 ki points to turn your hands into large and heavy bludgeoning instruments, designed for dealing maximum damage at the cost of speed. Your unarmed strikes deal bludgeoning damage. When you attack, treat a 19 or 20 as a critical hit. While Hammerfists are manifested, your movement speed decreases by 10ft and you are unable to move along vertical surfaces or across liquids without falling during the move. You cannot wield melee or ranged weapons with Hammerfists manifested.

Musclemass

Expend 2 ki points to greatly increase the muscle in your arms and legs. Your unarmed strikes deal bludgeoning damage. While Musclemass is manifested, treat your Strength modifier as +4.

Shield

Expend 1 ki point to cause your arms to become hardened and armoured. When you use Patient Defense on your turn, you may instead choose to transform your arms into large, near indestructible Shields until the start of your next turn. When you do this, attack rolls against you do not have disadvantage, but you are resistant to all types of damage until the start of your next turn except radiant, necrotic, and force damage.

Tendrils

Expend 1 ki point, and your arms become elongated and tentacle-like. Your unarmed strikes deal piercing damage. When you use Flurry of Blows, you may instead attempt to grapple your target. You may use your Dexterity (Acrobatics) skill instead of your Strength (Athletics) skill when resolving the effects of a grapple. You cannot wield melee or ranged weapons with Tendrils manifested.

Whipfist

Expend 1 ki point to transform one of your arms into an extendable, bladed whip. Your unarmed strikes deal slashing damage and have a reach of 15ft. You may wield one handed weapons in the hand that is not occupied by manifesting the Whipfist.

Shapeshift

At 6th level, you may transform your body in more subtle ways. As a bonus action, you may choose to transform your appearance or adapt your body to an aquatic environment.

Transform your appearance
You decide what you look like, including your height, weight, facial features, sound of your voice, hair length, coloration, clothing, and distinguishing characteristics, if any. You can make yourself appear as a member of another race, though none of your statistics change. You can't appear as a creature of a different size than you, and your basic shape stays the same; if you're bipedal, you can't use this ability to become quadrupedal, for instance. You may use this ability to mimic clothing, eliminating the need to wear real garments. You may use this ability to appear to wear armour, but doing so will not affect your AC. 

Adapt your body to an aquatic environment
You sprout gills and grow webbing between your fingers. You can breathe underwater, and your swim speed becomes equal to your walking speed.

You are classed as a shapechanger. 

These changes remain until you use this ability to change your appearance or revert your aquatic adaptations. This ability is not considered magical.

At Higher Levels: At 15th level, the virus has increased in power and severity so much that you no longer have a true form. You are immune to effects that would cause another creature to perceive your true form, and effects that would cause you to revert to your true form. 

Spawn

At 6th level, as an action, expend 2 ki points to spawn a Brawler. A Brawler uses the stat block for a Polar Bear, except it is classed as an aberration. The Brawler acts directly after your initiative count. You may command it telepathically (no action required), and if no command is issued, the Brawler will attack the nearest creature. This Brawler remains for 1 hour, at which point it will be reduced to 0HP and die. There is no way to prevent this.

Creatures spawned with this ability cannot be consumed with the Consume ability.

At Higher Levels: At 11th level, you may expend 3 ki points to spawn 2 Brawlers. At 15th level, you may expend 4 ki points to spawn 3 Brawlers or 1 Juggernaut, which uses the stat block for an Elephant except is classed as an aberration. At 19th level you may expend 5 ki points to spawn 4 Brawlers, or 1 Carrion, which uses the stat block for a Wyvern except it is classed as an aberration.

Biobomb

At 11th level, when you reduce a creature to 0 hit points, you may choose to expend 2 ki point to infect them and transform them into a biobomb. At the start of your next turn, the biobomb explodes, shooting tendrils at 3 creatures you choose in a 60ft radius of the biobomb. Each creature must make a Dexterity saving throw against your ki save DC, or take 5d8 piercing damage, and their movement speed is reduced by 15ft until the start of your next turn. On success, they take half as much damage and their movement speed is not reduced.

Additionally, when you create a biobomb, you may use your reaction to throw or kick the biobomb up to 30ft in any direction.

Devastate

At 17th level, as an action, you my expend 6 ki points to make a Devastator attack. Choose one of the following Devastators to execute.

Biomass Expulsion
A mass of tendrils explode from your body. All creatures you choose in a 60ft radius must make a Dexterity saving throw against your ki save DC. Upon failure, they take 3d10 piercing damage and 3d10 necrotic damage and their movement speed is reduced to 0 until the end of your next turn. Upon success, they take half as much damage, and their movement speed is halved until the start of your next turn.

Groundspikes
Send organic matter into the ground to form spikes. The terrain in a 30ft radius of you becomes difficult terrain for all creatures other than you for 1 minute. All creatures in a 30ft radius must make a Dexterity saving throw against your ki save DC or 8d8 piercing damage or half as much on success.

Critical Pain
Your arms become a single hardened tendril which you use to target one creature. Make an unarmed strike attack against one creature within 30ft. If you hit, the creature takes 8d10 piercing damage and 5d10 necrotic damage, or half as much on failure.

Each Devastator may only be used once per long rest.