Fueled by the flames of ambition or the hardiness of discipline, those who walk this path abandon weapons and comforts, all for the sake of honing their body and mind.

To a Monk who has walked the Way of the Serious Fist, their greatest weapon is not the enchanted sword nor even the most powerful of magic scrolls, but the very body and mind they’ve devoted their time to hone and train.

The Natural Way

Beginning at when you choose this path at the 3rd level, you’ve abandoned the path of weaponry and tools in favor of strengthening your body and spirituality. This has led to a disadvantage roll when using weaponry, but an immense growth in your vitality and control it to fuel and empower yourself.

The amount of Vitality you have access to is equal your Constitution modifier times by your Proficiency bonus. You gain a level in Exhaustion if you lose half your Vitality, and another if it reaches 0. All your Vitality recovers after a Long Rest.

Pure Refinement

Ki is the energy that flows through the living things and allows those who harnesses it’s power to exceed physical limitations. From this principality, through constant and diligent cultivation, the Ki that flows through you nourishes and empowers you. This has granted you the following benefits:

• Your speed and jump height increases by two feet per Constitution modifier.

• For a point of Ki every two turns, any damage you take is reduced by an amount equal to your Constitution modifier (minimum of 1).

• You‘re considered one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift.

 

Limiter Removal

Beginning at 11th level, you may exchange a point of Vitality once per turn to add a temporary additional +1 to your damage roll, armor class, or speed, up to the limit equal to your constitution modifier.

These temporary points last for only the duration of the battle.

Serious Blows

On the 17th level, you’ve attained the ability to unleash the “One Punch,” a singular unarmed strike symbolizing your dedication and effort that can split the skies.

In the moment you unleash an unarmed strike, every 5 Vitality Points spent adds an additional damage die roll.

The power behind this blow is so powerful, it causes a rush of gales and sound in a cone with a range (in feet) equal to the damage that deals half its damage as both bludgeoning and thunder. The damage a creature takes is reduced for every ft. they are away from the epicenter of the strike, for every bludgeoning damage a creature takes.

If a Creature fails a Constitution saving throw, they are knocked prone and deafened. Fire is extinguished in the path of this attack.

If a minimum of 20 Vitality Points is spent on one attack:

• At an attack roll of 20, anything within a foot in front of you, times your strength modifier, is reduced to 0 Hit Points if they fail a Constitution saving throw. If they succeed, they take 1d8 force damage but still subjected to the concussive blast damage. 

After using this ability, gain a level in Exhaustion.