🧘 Monk Stances of Power

Core Rules (shared by all stances):

• Learned at Level 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20
• Entering a stance: Bonus Action
• Duration: 1 minute (extendable to 10 minutes at DM discretion or higher levels)
• Requires Concentration (as a spell)
• You can only have one stance active at a time
• Ends early if you are incapacitated or drop concentration

🥋 Level 2 — Flowing River Stance

Mobility & repositioning

• Your movement speed increases by +10 ft
• You ignore difficult terrain
• Once per turn, when you hit a creature, you may move 5 ft without provoking opportunity attacks

👉 Feel: Untouchable, constantly shifting

🔥 Level 4 — Ember Fist Stance

Consistent damage boost

• Once per turn, when you hit, deal +1d4 fire damage
• If the target is already damaged this turn, increase to +1d6

👉 Feel: Momentum-based striking

🪨 Level 6 — Iron Mountain Stance

Defense anchor

• Gain +2 AC
• You have advantage on Strength and Dexterity saving throws against being moved or knocked prone

👉 Feel: You become immovable

🌬️ Level 8 — Whispering Wind Stance

Evasion & reaction play

• You gain +2 to Dexterity saving throws
• Once per round, when attacked, you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on that attack

👉 Feel: You’re never where the blow lands

🌑 Level 10 — Veil of Stillness Stance

Stealth-combat hybrid

• You gain advantage on Stealth checks
• Attacks against you have disadvantage if you haven’t attacked since your last turn

👉 Feel: You exist between moments

⚡ Level 12 — Thunder Pulse Stance

Control through impact

• Once per turn on hit, you can force a Constitution save
  • Failure: target is pushed 10 ft OR knocked prone

👉 Feel: Every strike disrupts the battlefield

🩸 Level 14 — Crimson Echo Stance

Sustain & aggression

• Once per turn, when you deal damage, regain HP equal to your Wisdom modifier
• If you reduce a creature to 0 HP, gain temporary HP = monk level / 2

👉 Feel: You feed on combat flow

🧠 Level 16 — Diamond Mind Stance

Mental supremacy

• Gain proficiency in all saving throws (or advantage if already proficient)
• You are immune to charm and fear

👉 Feel: Perfect clarity, unbreakable will

🌀 Level 18 — Spiral Horizon Stance

Multi-target combat fluidity

• When you take the Attack action, you may split attacks between any creatures within reach
• Once per turn, you can make an additional unarmed strike against a different target

👉 Feel: Fighting multiple enemies like one continuous motion

☀️ Level 20 — Transcendent Soul Stance

Capstone transformation

• Gain resistance to all damage
• Your attacks count as force damage
• At the start of each turn, regain 10 HP if below half health

👉 Feel: You are no longer merely physical

🧘 What Breaks a Monk’s Stance (Concentration)

📜 Core RAW Disruptions (from 5e)

These should always apply:

💥 1. Taking Damage

• The monk must make a Constitution saving throw
• DC = 10 or half the damage taken (whichever is higher)
• Failure = stance ends

👉 This is your primary pressure point

🧠 2. Casting Another Concentration Effect

• If the monk somehow gains a spell or feature requiring concentration → stance ends

👉 Rare, but important for multiclassing

💀 3. Becoming Incapacitated

Any condition that includes incapacitated instantly ends the stance:

• Stunned
• Paralyzed
• Unconscious

👉 These are hard counters to stance users

⚖️ Recommended Additions (for your system)

These are optional, but they make stances feel more physical and thematic.

🪫 4. Being Grappled or Restrained (Optional Rule)

• When first grappled/restrained, must make a Concentration check
• Failure ends stance

👉 Represents losing bodily flow/control

🌊 5. Forced Movement Shock

• If moved 15 ft or more unwillingly in one turn, make a Con save (DC 10)

👉 Keeps battlefield control relevant vs monks

🧩 6. Mental Disruption

Effects that fracture focus force an immediate check:

• Psychic damage
• Illusions that impose disadvantage or confusion
• Effects like mind spike, phantasmal force

👉 You can rule:

“If the mind is destabilized, the stance trembles.”

🛑 7. Breaking Form (Flavor → Mechanic Bridge)

If the monk:

• Is knocked prone
• Is silenced or deafened (if your stances involve breath/mantras)
• Fails a key saving throw tied to the stance’s theme

→ Require a DC 10 Con save to maintain stance

🥋 Clean Rule Summary (Table-Ready)

A monk loses their stance if:

• They fail a Concentration check from damage
• They become incapacitated
• They start another concentration effect

Additionally (optional rules):

• Grappled or restrained → check
• Forced movement (15+ ft) → check
• Psychic/mental disruption → check
• Knocked prone → check