“A sword can be disarmed. A spell can be countered. An arrow caught. A wand broken. But my blood doesn’t fail until I do.” – Master Cao Bei, Instructor at Blood Moon Temple.

Monks that follow the Way of the Sanguine Lotus, sometimes called Blood Monks, are dedicated to the mastery of the life force that flows through the veins of all living creatures. Strength, resilience, and sacrifice are the guiding principles for all who follow this path. Instructors teach that only great strength and great sacrifice can truly bring change to the world. The weak are doomed to be swept downstream in the bloody current of life.

Monasteries and temples will test any who wish to follow the Way of the Sanguine Lotus. None are turned away. However, the tests are often brutal in nature and fatalities are all too common. This fact, paired with the obvious reverence towards blood, has caused most common people to villainize those who practice this Way. However, the alignment of these monks range greatly. Some wish strength to change the world for the better. Others wish to soak the earth with the blood of those who oppose them.

The Crimson Price

Starting when you choose this tradition at 3rd level, you learn to use your own blood as a weapon. The appearance of the weapon varies depending on the wielder.

Whenever you spend a ki to use Flurry of Blows, you can choose to take damage equal to your monk level. If you do so, you add another Martial Arts damage die of piercing damage to your damage roll. 

At 6th level, when you choose to take damage equal to your monk level, your Flurry of Blows gains a 30 foot range. All damage done at range with this ability becomes magical piercing.

At 11th level, all damage you deal to yourself is halved when your HP is below half.

Blood Puppet

At 6th level, you gain limited control over the blood in living creatures.

Once per short rest, you can cast Dominate Beast. The target makes a wisdom save against your Ki save DC.

At 11th level, you can choose to cast Dominate Person instead.

Blood Mastery

At 11th level, you gain the ability to use your opponent’s blood to your advantage. You can spend a ki point to gain advantage on attacks this turn against an enemy who has less than half HP remaining.

Scarlet Rain

At 17th level, you have mastered the forbidden technique of the Scarlet Rain. Whenever a creature within 5 feet of you dies, you can use your reaction and spend a ki point to send a shower of blood spikes towards all enemies within a 15 foot sphere. They make a Dexterity saving throw against your Ki save DC. Any enemy that fails takes 1d10 magical piercing damage.

This technique destroys the corpse of the original dying creature. They are unable to be resurrected short of a wish spell.