Base Class: Monk
Monks of the tradition of the Closed Fist focus their training on strengthening their body and mind in a more destructive-oriented way than other traditions, and trade grace of movement for explosiveness and power.
Body of Steel
Your body has been hardened by your training and past battles, to the point where for you withstanding an attack is as effective as avoiding being hit. At 3rd level when you become part of this tradition, you can use your STR Modifier in place of your DEX modifier to your Armor Class when not wearing armor. You still add your Wisdom Modifier to your AC, as per the Unarmored Defence feature.
Forms of Strength
As part of the Warrior training, you learn different forms and ways to interconnect one to the other while fighting. At 3rd level, as part of your turn when, as part of your Attack action, you can spend 2 Ki points and use your Bonus Action to perform 2 additional unharmed attacks as per the Flurry of Blows feature, but instead using one of the following Forms:
Form of the Tiger: you hit your opponent with furious direct hits, aimed at breaking their guard and possibly their bones; for each connecting hit you deal normal damage, and apply the following affects, depending on the number of landing hits:
- First hit - Tiger's Eye: you gain advantage on the next attack in this turn;
- Second hit - Shoulder Tackle: you can push the target 10 feet away from you in any direction of your choosing, and can then move 10 feet without provoking opportunity attacks;
- Third hit - Prowler: You impose one level of Exhaustion on the target on a failed CON saving throw (normal Ki save DC) until the end of their next turn. If you moved into the threat area of the enemy in this turn, following Shoulder Tackle, you deal additional Force damage equal to your WIS modifier.;
If at least one of the attacks from Form of the Tiger hits, you can use the Form of the Serpent Form option until the end of your next turn.
Form of the Serpent: (at least one hit from the use of Form of the Tiger has landed in the last round) after the TIger has softened the prey, the Serpent strikes from the ground; for each connecting hit, you deal normal damage, and apply the following effects, depending on the number of landing hits:
- First hit - Snake's Puncture: you deal additional piercing damage equal to your WIS modifier;
- Second hit - Nerve Hit: you reduce the target speed by 10 feet until the start of your next round;
- Third hit - Numbing Hit: you grant advantage to the next attack on the target until the end of your next turn and can move away from the target without provoking attacks of opportunity as if you had taken the Disengage action until the end of your turn;
If at least one of the atracks from Form of the Serpent hits, you can use the Form of the Phoenix Form option until the end of your next turn.
Form of the Phoenix: (at least one hit from Form of the Serpent has landed in the last round) once the Serpent has returned in the shadows, the Phoenix is ready to rise; for each connecting hit, you deal normal damage, and apply the following effects, depending on the number of landing hits:
- First hit - Phoenix Wings: you deal additional Fire damage equal to your Martial arts damage dice;
- Second hit - Phoenix Wind: you make the target Prone on a failed DEX saving throw (normal Ki save DC) until the start of their next turn;
- Third hit - Phoenix Tail: you deal additional Fire damage equal to your Monk level, and are healed of a number of Hit Points equal to half the number rolled on your unarmed damage die plus your Monk level.
From level 5, after receiving the Extra Attack feature, should all 4 hits connect, the fourth one would deal normal damage, but lower the cost of the following Form use by 1 Ki points, effectively making it cost 1 Ki instead of 2. Flowing Steel can still be used to jump to the desired Form and still keep this reduced cost for the Form activation.
Combat Rush
Your will to fight pushes you to always find yourself in the tick of battle as quickly as possible. At 6th level you gain the following benefits:
Muscle Memory: Your muscles are so used to fighting, that sometimes they react even before your mind does. You can either add your STR modifier to your initiative value or re-roll your initiative dice once per combat, however you can do so only right after the initiative for a combat encounter has been rolled and before the DM states the initiative order; This ability can be used up to two times per long rest.
Splitting Iron: Thanks to your combat expertise, you are able to intercept melee enemy attacks and reduce their damage, potentially allowing you to return a counter strike. As a Reaction when hit by a melee attack, you can reduce the damage you take from the attack by 1d10 + your STR modifier + your monk level. If you reduce the damage to 0, you can perform a free unarmed attack on the target.
Forged body
After endless battles, your body becomes even more resilient and strong, allowing you to withstand even the most severe punishment and unleash your combinations without setup in the tick of the fight. At 11th level you gain the following benefits:
Tight Muscles: you gain resistance to all forms of bludgeoning damage.
Flowing Steel: as a Reaction on your turn, you can spend 1 Ki point and use the Form of the Serpent or 2 Ki points to use the Form of the Phoenix as if you had fulfilled the normal prerequisites. All other restrictions and costs for the use of Forms still apply.
Should you have hit in the previous turn with at least one hit from any Form, you can decide to use this feature to jump a form (Tiger to Phoenix, Serpent to Tiger, Phoenix to Serpent), but spending only 1 Ki point instead of 2 Ki points as stated above.
Final hit
At 17th level, your training is almost at end and you reach peak form. As an action in your turn after you have landed all 3 hits from one or more of your forms you can perform a finishing move at the cost of 1 Ki points, an attack that will produce different effects based on how which form you successfully completed in the turn:
- Form of the Tiger: on a hit, you deal normal damage plus one additional Martial Arts dice, as well as apply the effects of Stunning Strike;
- Form of the Serpent: you gain advantage on the attack, and it counts as a critical hit;
- Form of the Phoenix: you deal Fire damage equal to your Monk level plus your STR modifier (DEX save against normal Ki DC, if successful the damage is halved) and are healed of half the total damage rolled (regardless of the target save).
Should you have performed all three forms in order hitting with all attacks in the previous turns, you can perform a special Final Hit right after the last Form of the Phoenix hit, without any expenditure of Ki points:
Dragon's Tail: On a hit, you deal normal unarmed damage and apply the following additional effects:
- Apply one level of Exhaustion on the target on a failed CON saving throw (normal Ki save DC) until the end of their next turn;
- The next attack on the target is done with advantage;
- The target is engulfed in flames, dealing Fire damage equal to your Martial Arts dice each turn until they succeed a DEX saving throw (normal Ki save DC).
Thanks everyone for your opinions and suggestions!
I see how the subclass can seem clunky and complicated. I will devise a simplified version, taking inspiration for the suggestions of fromshus.
I will probably submit it as a separate subclass, just changing the name slightly (I am thinking of simply calling it "Way of Simplified Closed Fist" or something along those lines), just in case someone prefers this current incarnation :P
Thank you all again, keep the feedback coming :)
I agree with the others. Interesting concept, overly complicated.
Hey LeK, I really like the concept, but agree that it is overly complicated. I think you could keep the classic martial arts feel, but really simplify it so as not to slow down play. Also, your ki costs seem to be on the low side. I have a few suggestions, which you can take or leave as you wish.
I'm not quite sold on combining the forms. That's where most of the complexity comes in. If this is the heart and soul of the subclass and you aren't willing to simplify it, then you'll probably just want to ignore all the rest of what I'm going to suggest. Anyway, I think it'd be great if the monk chooses one form, much like the Barbarian Totem Warrior chooses a totem animal. Then it's like you have three subclasses in one. You could flavour each form around basic features.
The first feature at 3rd level would be the combo strikes based on Flurry of Blows. I would simplify it to say that if all 3 strikes hit (or 3 out of 4 at 5th level because Extra Attack), then you spend ki as a reaction to impose a condition that fits with the flavour of the form.
The second feature at 6th would be based on the toughness aspect you are going for. I like the idea of what you call "splitting iron" which works like "deflect missiles" - why not just call it "deflect blows"? Anyway, you can flavour each form for what happens when they reduce damage from a melee attack to zero - spend ki to use reaction for extra attack, or attacker takes excess damage, or attacker is pushed or thrown. Or something along those lines.
The 3rd feature at 11th level could present a feature unique to each form based on the idea of "muscle" or strength, but which is flavoured according to the animal the form is styled after. The muscle memory feature would work well with Tiger form, though I would present only one method for modifying initiative. Form of the snake could have something to do with allowing grappling (constricting, as it were) as a bonus action or something. Form of the phoenix could allow for some kind of combat maneuver like a dive attack from above or something like that.
The 4th Feature at level 17, Final Hit, is a nice idea - the classic finishing move thing. So maybe after 3 successful Flurry of Blows strikes, instead of imposing the condition, as per 3rd level, you can opt for an extra attack which, if it connects, will deliver a more devastating effect, again flavoured for the particular form.
Anyway, I hope this has at least given you some ideas.
I really like the body of steel, but most of the other stuff feels overly complicated to me personally.