Warriors who follow the Path of the Nine seek to unite the nine ancient styles of the Nine Swords, forging their bodies and minds into an invincible weapon.

Disciple of the Nine

When you choose this tradition at 3rd level, your special martial arts training leads you to master one school of the Nine Swords. You learn one "Path" described below. You learn an additional Path at 11th and 17th level.

Saving Throws. Some of your abilities require your target to make a saving throw to resist the maneuver’s effects. The saving throw DC is calculated as follows:

Save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your attack modifier (appropriate to your weapon)

Desert Wind

The Desert Wind style is an acrobatic style that emphasizes quick movement and fiery whirling strikes. Select one of the following weapons: scimitar, light mace, sickle, or spear. You gain proficiency with the weapon and it is considered a monk weapon for you. You also gain proficiency with the Acrobatics skill, if you are not already proficient.

While wielding this weapon, you may use the following abilities:

Burning Blade. As a bonus action, you can spend 1 ki point and your melee attacks with your weapon gain bonus fire damage equal to your Dexterity modifier until the end of your turn.

Flame's Blessing. When you take fire damage, you can spend 1 kit point as a reaction to gain resistance to fire damage until the start of your next turn.

Dragon's Flame. When you take the Attack action on your turn, you can spend 2 ki points and replace one of your attacks with a burst of flaming ki. All creatures in a 15-foot cone must make a Dexterity saving throw, or take 3d6 fire damage on a failure. On a success, the creature takes half damage.

Devoted Spirit

Disciples of the Devoted Spirit style are stalwart guardians trained to fight supernatural foes. Select one of the following weapons: greatclub, longsword, mace, or maul. You gain proficiency with the weapon and it is considered a monk weapon for you. You also gain proficiency with shields and can use them with your Monk class features.

While wielding this weapon, you may use the following abilities:

Thicket of Blades. When a creature within 5 feet of you moves, you can spend 1 ki point and make a melee weapon attack against it.

Shield Block. When an ally within 5 feet of you is targeted by an attack, you can spend 1 ki point as a reaction to grant that ally a bonus to AC equal to your Dexterity modifier. This bonus lasts until the start of your next turn.

Righteous Vitality. When you hit an enemy, you may spend 1 ki point to regain hit points equal to your Charisma modifier.

Diamond Mind

Warriors trained in the Diamond Mind are contemplative, graceful, and startlingly quick. Select one of the following weapons: longsword, rapier, spear, or trident. You gain proficiency with the weapon and it is considered a monk weapon for you. You also gain proficiency with the Perception skill, if not already proficient.

While wielding this weapon, you may use the following abilities:

Action Before Thought. You add your Wisdom modifier to your initiative rolls.

Hearing the Air. You may spend 1 ki point to gain blindsense out to 30 feet. This ability lasts for 10 minutes.

Insightful Strike. When you make an attack, you may spend 1 ki point to add your Wisdom modifier to your attack roll. Your attack deals psychic damage. 

Iron Heart

Initiates of the Iron Heart are aggressive and unmatched with direct weapon strikes. Select one of the following weapons: battleaxe, longsword, halberd, and spear. You gain proficiency with the weapon and it is considered a monk weapon for you. You also gain proficiency with the Insight skill, if not already proficient.

While wielding this weapon, you may use the following abilities:

Lightning Recovery. When you make a melee weapon attack and miss, you may spend 1 ki point and re-roll. You must accept the new result if it is lower.

Steel Wind. Once per round when you make a melee weapon attack, you may spend 1 ki point and make another attack with that weapon against a different creature within range.

Dancing Blade. When you take the Attack action on your turn, you can spend 1 ki point and move up to half your movement speed. You do not provoke opportunity attacks until the end of your turn.

Setting Sun

The Setting Sun school is a defensive style that maneuvers foes around and redirects their attacks. Select one of the following weapons: quarterstaff, shortsword, flail, unarmed strike. You gain proficiency with the weapon and it is considered a monk weapon for you. You also gain proficiency with the Athletics skill, if not already proficient.

While wielding this weapon, you may use the following abilities:

Clever Positioning. When you hit a creature with a melee attack, you may spend 1 ki point and the target creature must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, you and the creature switch positions. If one creature is larger than the other, it may occupy any square that the larger creature previously occupied.

Sublime Throw. When you initiate a grapple against a creature, you may spend 1 ki point and add your Dexterity modifier to your Strength (Athletics) check. On a success, you may push the creature 15 feet in any direction along the ground and knock it prone instead of grappling it.

Mirrored Pursuit. When an enemy within 5 feet of you moves, you may can move up to any square adjacent to the hostile creature as soon as it stops moving, as long as the distance you cover is less than or equal to your movement speed. This movement does not provoke opportunity attacks.

Shadow Hand

Practitioners of the Shadow Hand school are stealthy and insidious ambushers. Select one of the following weapons: dagger, shortsword, sickle, and unarmed strike. You gain proficiency with the weapon and it is considered a monk weapon for you. You also gain proficiency with the Stealth skill, if not already proficient.

While wielding this weapon, you may use the following abilities:

Ghost Blade. Once per turn when you have advantage on attack rolls and hit a creature with a melee attack, you can spend 1 ki point to add an additional 1d6 necrotic damage to your attack. This ability deals an additional 1d6 necrotic damage every odd level.

Child of Shadow. You can spend 2 ki points to cast Darkness and Darkvision.

Shadow Garrote. When you hit a creature with a ranged weapon attack, you may spend 1 ki point. The creature must make a Constitution saving throw, or be restrained until the start of your next turn on a failure.

Stone Dragon

The Stone Dragon style overpowers opponents with strength and toughness. Select one of the following weapons: greatsword, greataxe, maul, and unarmed strike. You gain proficiency with the weapon and it is considered a monk weapon for you. You also gain proficiency with the Athletics skill, if not already proficient.

While wielding this weapon, you may use the following abilities:

Stone Bones. When you take damage, you can spend 1 ki point as a reaction. You are resistant to all types of damage except psychic until the start of your next turn.

Weight of the Mountain. Creatures you are grappling have disadvantage on skill checks to escape.

Rolling Boulder. When you move, you can spend 1 ki point. Until the end of your turn, you can move through squares occupied by creatures your size or smaller. Any creature whose square you move through must make a Dexterity saving throw, or be pushed 5 feet away and knocked prone on a failure.

Tiger Claw

Disciples of the Tiger Claw style are known for wielding two weapon and their reckless ferocity. Select one of the following weapons: sickle, handaxe, greataxe, and unarmed strike. You gain proficiency with the weapon and it is considered a monk weapon for you. You also gain proficiency with the Intimidate skill, if not already proficient.

While wielding this weapon, you may use the following abilities:

Twin Claws. You can choose to deal slashing damage with your unarmed strikes.

Blood in the Water. When you make a consecutive attack against a creature you've already attacked this turn, you gain a +2 bonus to your damage roll. This bonus increases to +3 at 9th level, and to +4 at 16th level.

Violent Delight. When you reduce a creature to 0 hit points, you may spend 1 ki point. All enemies within 30 feet of you must make a Wisdom saving throw, or become frightened on a failure.

White Raven

The White Raven school teaches that the combined efforts of many warriors working together far exceeds the efforts of those same warriors individually. Disciples of the White Raven are cunning tacticians and strategists. Select one of the following weapons: longsword, battleaxe, halberd, and warhammer. You gain proficiency with the weapon and it is considered a monk weapon for you. You also gain proficiency with the Persuasion skill, if not already proficient.

While wielding this weapon, you may use the following abilities:

Bolstering Voice. As a bonus action, you can spend 1 ki point to grant an ally that can hear you within 60 feet temporary hit points equal to your Charisma modifier. That ally can spend a reaction to make a saving throw to end an ongoing effect on themselves.

Order from Chaos. As a bonus action, you can spend 1 ki point for every ally within 30 feet of you. For every ki point spent in this way, an ally can use a reaction to move half their movement speed. This movement does not provoke opportunity attacks.

White Raven Tactics. Once per turn, you can spend 1 ki point as a bonus action. One ally within 10 feet can change their initiative count to any value, where it will remain for the duration of the encounter. 

 

The Blade Within

At 6th level, you extend your ki into your monk weapons, granting you the following benefits.

Imbued Strikes. Your attacks with your Path weapons count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.

Quick Swap. When you make an attack, you are able to switch the weapon you are wielding with another weapon you are carrying.

Seeker of the Path

When you reach 6th level in this class, you achieve greater mastery of the Nine Swords. You gain access to additional abilities of your Path. You learn another style at 11th and 17th level.

Desert Wind

Ring of Fire. As an action, you may spend 3 ki points. You double your movement speed and until the end of your turn. All of your movement must be along continuous, solid ground. You leave a trail of flames 5 feet wide and 5 feet tall in your wake. When the trail of fire appears, all creatures in its area must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, the flames deal 5d6 fire damage, or half as much on a successful save.

The trail of fire deals 5d6 fire damage to each creature that ends its turn within 5 feet of it. A creature takes the same damage when it enters the wall for the first time on a turn or ends its turn there.

The trail of fire lasts until the start of your next turn.

Devoted Spirit

Foehammer. Once per turn when you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you may spend 2 ki points and deal 3d6 extra damage. This attack ignores any damage resistance or immunity that creature might have.

Diamond Mind

Nightmare Blade. When you hit a creature with an attack, you may spend 2 ki points and deal psychic damage equal to your Wisdom modifier. That creature has disadvantage on Wisdom saving throws until the start of your next turn.

Iron Heart

Lightning Throw. As an action, you spend 2 ki points to throw any weapon, hitting all creatures in a 30-foot line. Creatures in the area must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, they take damage from the weapon as if hit as normal (applying any weapon properties and effects). The weapon returns automatically to your hand at the end of your turn.

Setting Sun

Feigned Opening. When a creature you provoke an opportunity attack, you can spend 1 ki point. If the attack misses you, you may make a single weapon attack with advantage against the triggering creature. If the attack hits you, the triggering creature provokes an opportunity attack from all allied creatures that threaten it.

Shadow Hand

Shadow Jaunt. When you are in dim light or darkness, you can spend 1 ki point as a bonus action you can teleport up to 60 feet to an unoccupied space you can see that is also in dim light or darkness. You then have advantage on the first melee attack you make before the end of the turn.

Stone Dragon

Mountain Hammer. Once per turn when you hit a creature with an attack, you can spend 2 ki points and deal an additional 4d6 damage. The creature must succeed on a Constitution saving throw, or fall prone on a failure. This attack deals double damage to objects and structures.

Tiger Claw

Prey on the Weak. When an enemy within 10 feet of you is reduced to 0 hit points, you can spend 1 ki point and make a melee attack against a creature within reach.

White Raven

Clarion Call. When you reduce an enemy creature to 0 hit points, you can spend 1 ki point. All allies within 60 feet of you gain a bonus equal to your Charisma modifier on their next attack roll.

 

Secret of the Nine

At 11th level, you learn a forgotten secret art of the Nine Paths.

Desert Wind

Desert Whirlwind. While moving, your AC equals 14 + your Dexterity modifier + your Wisdom modifier while you are wearing no armor and not wielding a shield.

Devoted Spirit

Devoted Bulwark. Once per turn when you take damage, you can use a reaction to gain temporary hit points equal to your Constitution modifier.

Diamond Mind

First to Action. When you roll initiative you can roll twice and take the higher result. You cannot use this ability again until you finish a short or long rest.

Iron Heart

Battle Meditation. Once per turn, when you reduce a creature to 0 hit points, you can use a bonus action to regain 1 ki point.

Setting Sun

Falling Sun. When you succeed on a grapple check, you can deal damage equal to your Dexterity modifier.

Shadow Hand

Shadow Trickster. You can spend 2 ki points to cast Invisibility.

Stone Dragon

Stone's Resilience. As a reaction, you can turn a critical hit against you into a normal hit.

Tiger Claw

Twin Defense. You gain the Dual Wielder feat.

White Raven

Follow Up. You can use the Help action as a bonus action.

 

Master of the Nine

When you reach 17th level in this class, you achieve total mastery of your Path. You gain access to the ultimate abilities of your chosen style.

Desert Wind

Phoenix Dance. When you move, you may spend 4 ki points. You gain a fly speed equal to your movement speed until you stop moving. When you stop moving, you deal 8d6 fire damage to all creatures within 10 feet of you. Creatures in the area may make a Dexterity saving throw, taking only half damage on a success.

Devoted Spirit

Immortal Fortitude. When you take damage that would reduce you to 0 hit points, you can spend 1 ki point as a reaction. Make a death saving throw and add your Constitution modifier to the result. On a success, you stay conscious with 1 hit point.

Diamond Mind

Time Stands Still. Once per round on your turn, you can spend 3 ki points and take an additional Attack action.

Iron Heart

Flawless Strike. When you hit with a weapon attack, you may spend 2 ki points to maximize the damage.

Setting Sun

Shadow Hand

Five Shadows Creeping Ice Enervation Strike. Once per turn when you have advantage on attack rolls and hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you may spend up to 5 ki points. Each ki point you spend in this way creates an additional effect.

• 1 ki point: Target creature takes 2d10 necrotic damage per ki point spent.
• 2 ki points: Target creature makes a Consitution saving throw. On a failure, it is blinded and deafened until the start of your next turn.
• 3 ki points: If target creature fails the Constitution saving throw, it is also paralyzed until the start of your next turn.
• 4 ki points: If target creature fails the Constitution saving throw, it also gains 1 level of exhaustion.
• 5 ki points: Target creature gains 1 additional level of exhaustion.

Stone Dragon

Earthstrike. As an action, you may spend 3 ki points. Any creature standing on the ground within 20 feet of you must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failure, creatures in the area take 8d8 thunder damage and fall prone. On a success, the creature takes half damage and does not fall prone.

Tiger Claw

White Raven