Some Monks who find a desire to devote their learnings in order to discover the happenings of a soul after the bodies death find an innate draw towards studying the Ethereal Plane. Monks who study this phenomena devote themselves to the Way of the Ethereal. Monks of this ancient and secretive tradition learn to focus their Ki to form a metaphysical bond between their soul’s vitality and the Ethereal Plane through the study the incorporeal souls since trapped on the Material Plane and deep meditation. An Ethereal Monk seems to vanish from one location and reappear in another within a blink of an eye and strikes their foes almost as it is a ghostly manifestation. An Ethereal Monk harnesses their metaphysical bond to the Ethereal Plane to heighten their natural senses, empower their Unarmed Strikes, and have their movement unhindered by the restrictions of the Material Plane.

 Way of the Ethereal Monks make excellent spies, informants, and assassins for hire as they are rumored to be able to listen in on conversations and strike their foes as if they weren't physically on the Material Plane. The true duty of this ancient and extremely uncommon monastic tradition is to protect balance of the thin supernatural border between the Material and Ethereal Plane. They seek down and destroy any extra planar threat to the Material and the Ethereal Plane while simultaneously guiding trapped souls to their final resting places. 

Ethereal Physicality

When choosing this tradition at 3rd Level, the countless hours of meditation that you have spent focusing your body’s Ki on the Ethereal Plane has coalesced to form a metaphysical link between it and your vital essence. Subtle differences of your physical body have begun to manifest themselves:

• Ethereal Sight. Your eyes turn to a stark white color and where your pupils once were, only a swirling translucent mist remains. This allows you to see beyond the vail of reality into the Border Ethereal. You now have the ability of Ethereal Sight which allows you switch to see up to 60ft into the Border Ethereal Plane.
• Incorporeal Moment. Your ethereally attuned mind now has the ability to will your physical body into an incorporeal form for a short period of time. You can now cast the spell Misty Step once per Long Rest.
  
  

Incorporeal Strike

Starting at the 3rd Level, you can choose to spend 2 Ki points as a Bonus Action to infuse your unarmed strike with ethereal energy. When you strike with your fists become incorporeal and are able to attack through your opponent’s physical body to assault their vital essence. Any successful attack damage dealt with Unarmed Strikes for that round become Force Damage.

• At 6th level, you deal an additional 1d4 Force Damage with this feature. 
• At 11th level, you deal an additional 2d4 Force Damage with this feature.
• At 17th level, you deal an additional 3d4 Force Damage with this feature.

Otherworldly Senses

Starting at the 6th Level, your metaphysical bond to the Ethereal Plane has heightened. You know have Blindsight within a 30ft radius as your mind can now reach out into the Ethereal Plane and sense other creatures’ auras.  

Distant Strike

Starting at the 11th Level, your ability to pass between the Material Plane and Ethereal Plane in the blink of an eye has been honed after constant use. When you take the Attack action, you can choose to teleport up to 10 feet before each attack to an unoccupied space you can see. If you attack at least two different creatures with the action, you can make one additional attack with it against a third creature.

Ethereal Perfection

Starting at the 17th level, your metaphysical bond to the Ethereal Plane has been honed to perfection by constant use of its abilities and further medication. Your defenses are bolstered as you can will your physical body to almost always be in a semi-ethereal state.  

• When you take damage from an attack, you can use your reaction to give yourself resistance to all of that attack’s damage on for the duration of that turn.
• You have advantage on any Dexterity Saving Throws or Ability Checks that aim to restrict your movement. This consists of being knocked Prone, Grappled, incapacitated, Stunned, and Paralyzed.
• As your Bonus Action you can spend 3 Ki points to cast Etherealness. Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.