This subclass specializes in different “fey” methods of sword fighting. Similar to the battle master fighter, this subclass gives the monk special abilities that give the monk more versatile uses. This subclass is inspired by “The Way of Flashing Steel - Samurai” by DetectiveKamenMaskX, and has been modified to suit our campaign better descriptively.

Way of the Half-Hag Curse

When you choose this subclass at 3rd level, you gain the following: 

• Cursed Weapon Training: You become proficient in the longsword and it counts as a Monk weapon. The shortsword and the longsword are the only weapons you can use for your Hag’s Curse techniques.

• Blade Catching: When an enemy attacks you with a melee attack, and you are unarmed, you can use your reaction to attempt to stop their attack. Reduce the damage you take from the attack by 1d10 + your Monk Level. If you reduce the damage to 0 you can spend 1 ki point to force the target to make a Strength or Dexterity saving throw against your Ki save DC. On a failure, the creature is disarmed if they are attacking with a weapon or knocked prone if they aren't. If a target is disarmed, its weapon is thrown to the nearest unoccupied space to the target. This technique cannot be used on creatures more than 1 size larger than you.

• Flurry of Spite: Whenever you use Flurry of Blows or make an unarmed strike as a bonus action, you can use your weapon instead of an unarmed strike. These extra attacks use the martial arts die for damage, just as your unarmed strikes do. The damage type will also match the weapon you are currently wielding as well as its range. You also don't benefit from any on-hit magic effects or trigger a weapons special ability with these attacks, but if the weapon has a bonus to attack or damage rolls, these can still be used on attacks.

 

Hag’s Curse Techniques

When you choose this archetype at 3rd level you can learn special martial arts techniques called Hag’s Curse techniques that are fueled by Ki and exclusively work with Cursed weapons (shortsword, longsword)

You learn three Hag’s Curse techniques at 3rd level, two more techniques at 6th and then a final technique at 11th. As you reach each of these milestones you unlock more possible Hag’s Curse techniques you can learn. Every time you gain a new level, you may change which techniques you know, and you will have a total of three 3rd level techniques, two 6th level techniques, and one 11th level technique.

Deceitful Defense

When you use Patient Defense and an enemy attack misses you, you can use your reaction to make a melee attack with an unarmed strike. However, doing this ends the dodge action prematurely.

Leeching Blow

When you make a melee weapon attack, you can spend 1 ki point and choose to make that attack a Leeching Blow. You must do this before the DM determines if the attack hits or misses. When you use your Flurry of Spite ability, you can choose to replace one of those attacks with a Leeching Blow. Leeching Blows deal necrotic damage instead of the attack's normal damage, and you regain a number of hit points equal to the damage dealt. This feature can only be used once per turn.

Otherworldly Perserverence

When being forced to make a saving throw that targets fey creatures; like banishment, protection from evil and good, etc, as a reaction you can choose to add a roll of your martial arts dice to that saving throw.

Preternatural Wave

When you make a melee attack with a longsword or shortsword or when you use your flurry of spite ability, you can choose to turn the melee attacks into ranged attacks by charging your blade with ki to send a shockwave of energy with a 20ft/60ft range at a chosen target. This attack uses your martial arts die instead of the longsword or shortsword damage dice.

Unyielding Strike

Before you make a melee weapon attack, you can choose to spend up to 2 ki points to roll that attack with advantage. If you choose to spend 2 ki points, you can also add your WIS modifier to the attack roll. This can only be done once per turn.

Bond of the Half-Hag Curse

At 6th level, the Hag’s Curse binds your soul and your blade closer than ever before, giving you the following benefits:

Your intense training with your weapon of choice has left an imprint of that weapon on your very soul. Upon finishing a long rest, choose one a longsword or shortsword. For the next 8 hours, if you are unarmed, you can spend an action and 1 Ki point to magically create a copy of the chosen weapon. This weapon exists for 1 minute, counts as a longsword or shortsword, and copies the weapon type of the original but does not inherit any other properties the original weapon may have.

Your mastery over Ki has granted both your blades and body increased destructive force, granting you a +2 to damage rolls with longswords, shortswords, and unarmed strikes. This feature ignores the restrictions of Flurry of Spite.

Additional Hag’s Curse Techniques

When you choose this archetype at 3rd level you can learn special martial arts techniques called Hag’s Curse techniques that are fueled by Ki and exclusively work with Cursed weapons (shortsword, longsword)

You learn three Hag’s Curse techniques at 3rd level, two more techniques at 6th and then a final technique at 11th. As you reach each of these milestones you unlock more possible Hag’s Curse techniques you can learn. Every time you gain a new level, you may change which techniques you know, and you will have a total of three 3rd level techniques, two 6th level techniques, and one 11th level technique.

Hag’s Sight

You can open one's senses and make them see as if they had been transformed into a hag, allowing one to fight unimpeded even when they cannot see. As a bonus action, you can spend 2 ki points and give yourself or an ally blindsight out to a range of 30ft for 1 minute.

Instinctual Awareness

Even during a surprise attack, your training allows you to take the initiative from the enemy. When combat starts, you can spend 1 ki to take a single action, bonus action, or move up to your movement speed before combat begins.

Invasive Corruption

You gain the power to inflict your feelings on those originating from the material plane. As a bonus action, you can project your warped mind and spend 2 ki to force another creature that you can see within 60ft. to make a Wisdom saving throw against your Ki save DC. On failure, they are stunned until the end of your next turn. If they succeed the save, they are made aware of your presence and are frightened of you until the start of your next turn.

Mastered Deceitful Defense

Requires Deceitful Defense. When you use the Deceitful Defense technique, you can now spend 1 ki before you find out if the attack hits or misses. If your attack hits, the target takes a penalty to their attack roll equal to your dex modifier. Additionally, if the attack hits, the dodge action does not end early when deceitful defense is used.

Growth of the Hag’s Curse

Starting at 11th level, the power of the Hag’s Curse grows, causing you to gain more Hag like features that you can use to your advantage.

You can now breathe air and water.

You can take an action to physically and magically change your appearance to make yourself look humanoid. While using this ability you register as humanoid to all divination spells. To detect the disguise, a creature must use an action to make an Investigation (Intelligence) check against your Ki save DC.

When you use Step of the Wind, you can choose to become invisible until the end of your next turn, you attack, or you cast a spell.

Additional Hag’s Curse Techniques

When you choose this archetype at 3rd level you can learn special martial arts techniques called Hag’s Curse techniques that are fueled by Ki and exclusively work with Cursed weapons (shortsword, longsword)

You learn three Hag’s Curse techniques at 3rd level, two more techniques at 6th and then a final technique at 11th. As you reach each of these milestones you unlock more possible Hag’s Curse techniques you can learn. Every time you gain a new level, you may change which techniques you know, and you will have a total of three 3rd level techniques, two 6th level techniques, and one 11th level technique.

Damning Assault

When you make a melee weapon attack and hit, you can choose to spend up to 3 ki points, suffusing your blade with ki causing even smaller cuts to deal excessive damage. Your attack deals extra damage equal to 1 additional Martial Arts die per ki point spent.

Mastered Unyielding Strike

Requires Unyielding Strike. Your unyielding attacks turn a missed strike into an opportunity. When you use Flurry of Spite, and one of the attacks misses, you can reroll the d20, and you must use the new roll.

Soul of Adamantine

When you use patient defense and are hit by an attack, you can choose to subtract your monk level from the damage you take. You can only do this once per use of patient defense.

Soul Annihilation

At 17th level, you gain the ability to align your sword, body and your curse to unleash an attack that could even leave the gods scarred. As an action you unleash the Soul Annihilation, forcing an enemy within range to make a CON save vs your Ki save DC. On failure, the target takes necrotic damage equal to a number of d10s equal to how many ki points you have used since the last long or short rest. On success, the target suffers half as much damage. The damage from this ability ignores resistance and immunity. Upon using this ability, you need to make a Constitution Saving Throw vs your Ki save DC, as this puts very deep stress on the tethers between your body and the Hag’s Curse. On a success, you immediately suffer 1 level of exhaustion. On a failure, you immediately suffer 1 level of exhaustion and cannot use this ability again for 1d4 long rests. This action can only be taken once per long rest.