I'm playing a campaign now with someone who wants to build a character that does a lot of grappling and uses improvised weapons. Naturally I thought of the Tavern Brawler feat... but his character is a monk, which doesn't play that well mechanically with that feat (or with grappling and improvised weapons in general, for that matter). It seems like a martial arts based grappler ought to be something you should be able to do naturally, so I got to thinking about what a homebrew monastic tradition might look like.
Here's what I've come up with so far, but I'd like some help balancing it against other monastic traditions (as well as getting suggestions for other fun features to swap in, and suggestions for better names for things)!
Way of the Belligerent Octopus
Resourceful Brawler
You are attuned to the objects in your surroundings to such an extent that they become an extension of your body. At 3rd level, you may treat attacks with improvised weapons, including ranged improvised weapons, as attacks with a monk weapon. You are proficient in their use, and they gain the finesse property when you are using them as such. The damage die for an improvised weapon used as a monk weapon in this way is the same one you use for unarmed strikes.
Attuned Grip
You have an intuitive sense of your opponents' weak points. Starting at 3rd level, you can add your wisdom modifier to Strength (Athletics) rolls you make to grapple or maintain your grip on an opponent. You may attempt to grapple an opponent as a bonus action by spending 1 ki point. If you have hit an opponent with a monk weapon or unarmed strike this turn, you may attempt to grapple them as a bonus action without expending a ki point.
One With Objects
Starting at 6th level, your ability to wield everyday objects has improved to the point that they are like an extension of your body. You gain the ability to attack with improvised weapons any time you can make an unarmed strike.
Debilitating Grasp
Starting at 6th level, when you have an opponent grappled, you may spend ki points as follows to impose one of the following conditions on that opponent. This ability can be used at most once per turn, any time you can make an unarmed strike. Its use replaces one unarmed strike.
0 ki points: It must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or be wrestled prone.
1 ki point: It must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or be restrained.
2 ki points: It must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or be stunned.
3 ki points: It must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or be rendered unconscious.
In each of the above cases, the creature can repeat the saving throw at the start of its turn. On a success the condition ends, but other conditions in effect (including grappled) remain. The creature may as usual use its action, if it has one available, to attempt to escape the grapple.
Enhanced Debilitating Grasp
Starting at 11th level, when you attempt to grapple an opponent or use ki points to impose one of the conditions above to a grappled opponents, you may spend an additional 2 ki points to give the opponent disadvantage on their first saving throw against the condition. You may use your reaction and spend 2 ki points to impose disadvantage on a subsequent saving throw to end the condition.
Sphere of Fury
Starting at 17th level, you gain the following abilities:
Your threat range for the purposes of provoking attacks of opportunity is increased by 5 ft.
When you use your reaction to make an attack of opportunity against a creature, you may take a full attack action against that creature, rather than the usual single melee attack. You may only attack with monk weapons, unarmed strikes, or make a grapple attempt as part of this attack. If you do damage to the creature during this attack you may move up to 5 ft toward the creature before taking subsequent attacks.
I'm playing a campaign now with someone who wants to build a character that does a lot of grappling and uses improvised weapons. Naturally I thought of the Tavern Brawler feat... but his character is a monk, which doesn't play that well mechanically with that feat (or with grappling and improvised weapons in general, for that matter). It seems like a martial arts based grappler ought to be something you should be able to do naturally, so I got to thinking about what a homebrew monastic tradition might look like.
Here's what I've come up with so far, but I'd like some help balancing it against other monastic traditions (as well as getting suggestions for other fun features to swap in, and suggestions for better names for things)!
Way of the Belligerent Octopus
Resourceful Brawler
You are attuned to the objects in your surroundings to such an extent that they become an extension of your body. At 3rd level, you may treat attacks with improvised weapons, including ranged improvised weapons, as attacks with a monk weapon. You are proficient in their use, and they gain the finesse property when you are using them as such. The damage die for an improvised weapon used as a monk weapon in this way is the same one you use for unarmed strikes.
Attuned Grip
You have an intuitive sense of your opponents' weak points. Starting at 3rd level, you can add your wisdom modifier to Strength (Athletics) rolls you make to grapple or maintain your grip on an opponent. You may attempt to grapple an opponent as a bonus action by spending 1 ki point. If you have hit an opponent with a monk weapon or unarmed strike this turn, you may attempt to grapple them as a bonus action without expending a ki point.
One With Objects
Starting at 6th level, your ability to wield everyday objects has improved to the point that they are like an extension of your body. You gain the ability to attack with improvised weapons any time you can make an unarmed strike.
Debilitating Grasp
Starting at 6th level, when you have an opponent grappled, you may spend ki points as follows to impose one of the following conditions on that opponent. This ability can be used at most once per turn, any time you can make an unarmed strike. Its use replaces one unarmed strike.
In each of the above cases, the creature can repeat the saving throw at the start of its turn. On a success the condition ends, but other conditions in effect (including grappled) remain. The creature may as usual use its action, if it has one available, to attempt to escape the grapple.
Enhanced Debilitating Grasp
Starting at 11th level, when you attempt to grapple an opponent or use ki points to impose one of the conditions above to a grappled opponents, you may spend an additional 2 ki points to give the opponent disadvantage on their first saving throw against the condition. You may use your reaction and spend 2 ki points to impose disadvantage on a subsequent saving throw to end the condition.
Sphere of Fury
Starting at 17th level, you gain the following abilities:
"Darvin" | Changeling | Hexblade 1 / Swords Bard 6 | Descent Into Avernus (AC 19; PP 14; 52/52 HP)
Anton Chergoba | Human | Battlemaster 4 | Lost Mines of Phandelver (AC 20; PP 14; 36/36 HP)