Way of the Guiding Hand

Monks of the Way of the Guiding Hand use advanced martial techniques to manipulate momentum, pressure points, and physiology so they may incapacitate their opponents, cripple limbs, and render opponents unconscious.

Locking Techniques

Starting when you choose this tradition at 3rd level, you may choose to use either your Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) to initiate grapple checks and add your Wisdom modifier whenever making a grapple check.

If your opponent has discernable limbs with a skeletal structure (including exoskeletons), you can attempt to counter an enemy's attack and use it to incapacitate them. On your turn, you must choose to Ready Locking Techniques. Until the start of your next turn, if you are targeted by a melee attack that you can see you may make a Grapple check. If your Grapple check is higher than their attack roll then you nullify the incoming attack, the limb used for the attack is considered locked, and any weapon held in that limb is dropped. A locked attacker is incapacitated (though conscious and fully aware) but takes no damage from the lock itself. As a bonus action, you can make your Martial Arts strike (to any target in range), move the incapacitate enemy five feet, or make them prone - all while maintaining the lock. The opponent remains incapacitated for as long as you dedicate one hand to maintain the lock. Any time you take damage, you must roll a d20 + your proficiency modifier + your Wisdom modifier against a DC of 10 + the amount of damage (separate rolls for each source of damage) or you lose the lock. If you are killed or incapacitated, the lock is released. Each turn, on the opponent's initiative, they may attempt to escape. To do so, they must first make a Wisdom save against your Ki save DC to overcome the fear of being hurt more. If they succeed, they can attempt a grapple check to break free, but do so with disadvantage unless they succeeded on their Wisdom check by 10 or more. Enemies immune to fear or who do not feel pain automatically succeed on the Wisdom save and do not suffer disadvantage on their grapple check.

At the beginning of your turn, if you have an opponent locked, your speed is reduced to 10. You may attempt additional actions.

• If you attack, your number of attacks is reduced by one. Note that even if that brings your number of attacks to 0, you may still make a Martial Arts bonus attack or use Flurry of Blows.
• You may forgo all attacks to cripple the opponent you had locked. Your opponent makes a saving throw DC 8 + your Strength or Dexterity modifier (the same you chose for unarmed damage) + your Wisdom modifier. On a successful save, the opponent takes damage equal to your unarmed strike and cannot use the limb until the beginning of it's next turn, but is no longer incapacitated. If the opponent fails their save, they take damage equal to your unarmed strike and is no longer incapacitated, but cannot use that limb for 12d6 days (or until Lesser Restoration is cast upon it). Immobilizing the limb (as with a sling) and resting allows a Wisdom (Healing) check each day to reduce the number of days by one.
• You may choose to initiate Sleeping Technique. Once initiated, you may not take any other action except to move up to five feet. Your next turn must be spent continuing the technique. At the beginning of the following turn, your opponent is unconscious for a number of turns equal to 1d4 + your Wisdom modifier. This is a medical unconsciousness, thus effective on any creatures who are capable of sleep even if they have resistance or immunity to magical sleep.

Devastating Strikes

Starting at 6th level, you master manipulating your opponent into an advantageous position for your strikes. If you start you turn with a locked opponent, you may declare that you are using Devastating Strikes. Doing so allows you to use your full number of attacks, including attacks from bonus actions (such as the Martial Arts attack or Flurry of Blows) against the locked enemy. You may add your Wisdom modifier to the attack rolls of all attacks made against this opponent until the end of your turn, and the total damage of the last strike, if it hits, is doubled. The opponent falls prone unless they make a Dexterity save equal to your Ki save DC + the damage taken from the last blow. Regardless of the result, the lock is released at the end of your turn.

Advanced Techniques

Beginning at 11th level, your skill and training makes your techniques more effective. Your mastery of technique allows you to choose any limb to lock, not just the limb attacking. Also, upon successfully initiating a Locking Technique, your use of movement and momentum allows you to attempt to cripple the limb immediately as part of the same action. You may instead choose to throw the attacker forcing them to make a Dexterity save against your Ki save DC or fall prone. With either previous option, the lock is immediately released. Alternatively, if you make a single Martial Arts attack as a bonus action while initiating the lock, you may add your Wisdom modifier to attack and damage rolls while maintaining the lock.

Fluidity of Motion

At 17th level, you move with a fluid grace from opponent to opponent. You no longer need to ready an action to initiate Locking Techniques. You may also initiate Locking Techniques a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus plus your Dexterity modifier each round as long as you have at least one hand free. You may also maintain two locks at the same time using various body parts. Maintaining two locks reduces the number of attacks the monk can make on the their turn by two and all attacks, checks, and saving throws are made with disadvantage.