Way of the Crashing Wave

The Way of the Crashing Wave is a monastic tradition that exemplifies a fluidity of movement and a harmony with the battlefield, using the momentum and force of your enemies against them. Monks of this discipline often wait for their foe to make the first attack, only to throw them off balance and knock the weapon from their grasp. The physical grace involved in many Crashing Wave maneuvers resembles a calm dance, even when used to topple opponents and break ribs.

Fluid Defense

Starting at 3rd level, when your reaction would be triggered by an opponent making an attack (such as through a held action) your reaction occurs before the opponent's attack. This means that you are capable of preventing them from attacking.

Additionally, when you use your reaction to attack an enemy, you can spend 1 ki point to use one of the following Defensive Maneuvers as part of the attack:

• Tripwire Stance: with a graceful dodge, you cause your opponent to lose their footing and follow up with a push. The target of your reaction attack must make a Strength saving throw or be knocked Prone.
• Swaying Sidestep: you use an opponent's momentum against them, and disrupt their balance to send them reeling. The target of your reaction attack must make a Dexterity saving throw or be moved up to 15 feet in any direction.
• Numbing Riposte: you target the assailant's weapon arm, momentarily pressing tendons and nerves as you redirect their strike. The target of your reaction attack must make a Constitution saving throw or drop one weapon or held object of your choice.

When a creature fails their save against your Defensive Maneuver, you may choose to deal extra damage equal to one roll of your martial arts die.

Unyielding Patience

Starting at 6th level, while you are holding an action and something else (such as an attack of opportunity or a ranged attack you could deflect) could trigger your reaction, you can spend 1 ki point to take that reaction while still preserving your held action. Effectively, you can take a reaction while holding an action and still be able to act on the held action as a reaction in the same turn. You can only gain an extra reaction in this way once per round.

Additionally, when an opponent misses you with a melee attack that has disadvantage, you may spend a ki point to perform an attack of opportunity. Ki point costs for these two aspects of this feature stack, meaning that if you have a held action and an enemy misses you with disadvantage, you would need to spend 2 ki points to make an opportunity attack against the assailant while keeping your held action.

When you use either aspect of this class feature by spending a ki point to make an attack of opportunity, you don't need to spend another ki point to use Fluid Defense with that opportunity attack.

Improved Fluid Defense

Beginning at level 11, you've honed your technique and increased the power of the reaction attack options given to you by your Fluid Defense feature. The following additions are made to your maneuvers:

• Tripwire Stance: when you successfully knock a target Prone, you may deal an additional martial arts die of damage to them.
• Swaying Sidestep: when you move a target, you may disorient them, imposing disadvantage on the first attack roll they make before the start of your next turn.
• Numbing Riposte: when you disarm a target, you may cause them to drop all held items, and if you have a free hand, you may directly take one of their held items.

Cyclone Strike

Upon reaching 17th level, you learn how to unleash a series of attacks against all those surrounding you when you are provided with a single opening. When you use your reaction to make an attack of opportunity, you may spend 6 ki points to make a single opportunity attack against all enemies within your melee range. These attacks must be made using an unarmed strike or a monk weapon. You may treat all of the attacks made using this feature as individual reactions for the purposes of triggering Fluid Defense, spending a ki point for each maneuver as normal.