Way of the Dragon (HB)

Long ago, great heroes pledged themselves to the Platinum Dragon Buhamet. In honour and respect for the kin of their deity, they studied the movements, the posture, and the wisdom of these mighty beasts. Their teachings would be passed down through the Platinum Monasteries for centuries to come. It did not take long for a student to delve into studies of the chromatic beasts. Falling and marking a civil war within the Platinum monasteries, the way of the Dragon split down two paths. That of Buhamet, and that of Tiamat.

A monk trained in the way of the Dragon has honed their inner energies to channel the ferocity of a dragon, and mastered the forms and techniques of the Dragon paths.

*Authors note* This class is designed to provide a subclass for monks with a wide variety of paths to open up a variety of ways to play the class. Through the paths you take, you will need to learn how to balance your ki points, as some abilities are intentionally very expensive.

Patch notes:

1. dragon fist buffed to 2 martial arts die. As the simple elemental change lead to the class really under performing below level 11.
2. scaled stance now a reaction instead of a bonus action to separate it from patient defence.
3. Dragons ferocity removed and replaced with Draconic stare.
4. Polished all tier two and three abilities to work more smoothly within the monk class.
5. Spirit of the dragon god: draconic burst removed. inner flight buffed to 1 minute instead of one round.

Draconic Ki

Starting when you choose this tradition at 3rd level, you can manipulate your own ki to empower your prowess. You may spend a ki point to gain one of the following enhancements (You cannot have more than one of these in effect at once):

• (Draconic stare) As an action, you spend a ki point to look into the very depths of one’s ki. A creature you can see within 60ft. must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or drop whatever it is holding and become frightened for 1 minute. While frightened in this way, a creature must take the Dash action and move away from you by the safest available route on each of its turns, unless there is nowhere to move. If the creature ends its turn in a location where it doesn't have line of sight to you, the creature can make a Wisdom saving throw. On a successful save, the effect ends for that creature. 
  
  Additionally you gain 60ft. dark vision (or extend your dark vision by 30ft. if you already have it) for 1 minute.

• (Dragon fist) As a bonus action, you activate your dragon fist. Your unarmed strikes deal 2 martial arts die of elemental damage (based off your inner Dragon) instead of bludgeoning damage for 1 minute. certain way of the dragon abilities can add extra effects onto your dragon fist strikes, only one of these can be used per strike.

• (Scaled stance) For a reaction when a creature makes an attack against you. You can spend a ki point to increase your Unarmoured defense AC by your proficiency bonus until the start of your next turn.

Tier 1 Inner Dragon

At 3rd Level when you choose this tradition, you learn the draconic language. In addition you must choose your inner dragon, these spirits are as unique to the monk as is their own likeness. You may choose or roll a D6 to determine this. The alignments corresponding to each inner dragon are merely the common alignments, any character with any inner dragon may be any alignment.

Tier 1 Inner Dragon

INNER DRAGON	ABILITIES
1. Gold - Red	Gold inner dragon: Your elemental damage type is Fire, you gain the gold dragon fist. Any Good alignment/Lawful Neutral. Red inner dragon: Your elemental damage type is Fire, you gain the Red dragon fist. Chaotic Evil/Chaotic Neutral.
2. Silver - White	Silver inner dragon: Your elemental damage type is Cold, you gain the Silver dragon fist. Any Good alignment/Lawful Neutral. White inner dragon: Your elemental damage type is Cold, you gain the White dragon fist. Any Evil alignment/Chaotic Neutral.
3. Bronze - Blue	Bronze inner dragon: Your elemental damage type is Lightning, you gain the Bronze dragon fist. Any Good alignment/Lawful Neutral. Blue inner dragon: Your elemental damage type is Lightning, you gain the Blue dragon fist. Any Evil alignment/Lawful Neutral.
4. Copper - Black	Copper inner dragon: Your elemental damage type is Acid, you gain the Copper dragon fist. Any Good alignment/Chaotic Neutral. Black inner dragon: Your elemental damage type is Acid, you gain the Black dragon fist. Any Evil alignment/Chaotic Neutral.
5. Brass	Brass inner dragon: Your elemental damage type is fire, you gain the Brass dragon fist. Any Good alignment/Chaotic Neutral.
6. Green	Green inner dragon: Your elemental damage type is Poison, you gain the green dragon fist. Any Evil alignment/Lawful Neutral.

Brass inner dragon

Brass inner dragon: Your elemental damage type is fire, you gain the Brass dragon fist. Any Good alignment/Chaotic Neutral.

Bronze or Blue inner dragon

Bronze inner dragon: Your elemental damage type is Lightning, you gain the Bronze dragon fist. Any Good alignment/Lawful Neutral.

Blue inner dragon: Your elemental damage type is Lightning, you gain the Blue dragon fist. Any Evil alignment/Lawful Neutral.

Copper or Black inner dragon

Copper inner dragon: Your elemental damage type is Acid, you gain the Copper dragon fist. Any Good alignment/Chaotic Neutral.

Black inner dragon: Your elemental damage type is Acid, you gain the Black dragon fist. Any Evil alignment/Chaotic Neutral.

Gold or Red inner dragon

Gold inner dragon: Your elemental damage type is Fire, you gain the gold dragon fist. Any Good alignment/Lawful Neutral.

Red inner dragon: Your elemental damage type is Fire, you gain the Red dragon fist. Chaotic Evil/Chaotic Neutral.

Green inner dragon

Green inner dragon: Your elemental damage type is Poison, you gain the green dragon fist. Any Evil alignment/Lawful Neutral.

Silver or White inner dragon

Silver inner dragon: Your elemental damage type is Cold, you gain the Silver dragon fist. Any Good alignment/Lawful Neutral.

White inner dragon: Your elemental damage type is Cold, you gain the White dragon fist. Any Evil alignment/Chaotic Neutral.

Tier 2 Inner Dragon

At 6th level, you gain a second tier ability corresponding with your chosen inner dragon.

Brass inner dragon

Conversationalist. You can spend a ki point to gain advantage on Charisma ability checks.

Spirit of Brass. Increase your Charisma ability score by 2. Gain resistance to fire damage.

Bronze or Blue inner dragon

Lightning alacrity. When you use your stunning strike ability. You can choose to spend an additional ki point to cause your stunning strike to spark with lightning, the target takes an additional 1d8 lightning damage and on a failed save is stunned for one minute instead of until your next turn. The target repeats it's saving throw at the end of it's turn to shake off the stunned effect.

Spirit of the lightning dragon. Increase your Dexterity ability score by 2, gain resistance to lightning damage.

Copper or Black inner dragon

Prank and Hoard. When you hit an enemy with your Copper or Black dragon fist, you can spend a ki point to disrupt your targets ki flow. The target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw against your Ki save DC. On a failed save, the creature can't use reactions, its speed is halved, and it can't make more than one attack on its turn. In addition, the creature can use either an action or a bonus action on its turn, but not both. These effects last for 1 minute. You can choose to have these attacks deal no damage. The creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself with a successful save. 

Spirit of Wit/Corrosion. Increase your Intelligence ability score by 2, gain resistance to acid damage.

Gold or Red inner dragon

Inner Fire. Through your inner dragon you surround yourself in a 10 foot sphere of swirling magical flame by spending an additional ki point when you use your dragon fist. Enemies of your choice that enter the area must make a Dexterity saving throw against your Ki save DC or take 1d8 + your constitution modifier bonus in fire damage at the end of your turn, successful saves take half damage. enemies that fail their saves catch on fire.

The damage of inner flame increases to 1d10 at 11th, and 2d8 at 17th level. The range expands to a 10 foot sphere at level 11.

Spirit of Flame. Increase your Constitution score ability score by 2. Gain resistance to fire.

Green inner dragon

Conspirator. You can spend a ki point to gain advantage on Charisma ability checks.

Spirit of Corruption. Increase your Charisma ability score by 2. Gain resistance to Poison damage.

Silver or White inner dragon

Freezing Dragon fist. When you hit an enemy with your Silver or White dragon fist, you can spend a ki point to flood your targets nervous system with freezing energy. The target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw against your Ki save DC or be paralyzed for 1 minute. You can choose to have these attacks deal no damage. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.

Spirit of Frost. Increase your Constitution ability score by 2. Gain resistance to cold damage.

Tier 3 Inner Dragon

Beginning at 11th level, you gain a third tier ability corresponding with your inner dragon. Additionally you may choose an additional tier one inner dragon.

You may now have two draconic ki abilities active at the same time.

Brass inner dragon

Brass Draconic Torrent. You weave hand signs to summon draconic energy, you can use your action to consume 8 ki points unleashing a torrent of flame in an 60-foot line that is 5 feet wide. Each creature in that area must make a Dexterity saving throw against your Ki save DC, taking an amount of d6 equal to your monk level in fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

Brass Palm technique. When you hit a target with your dragon fist, you can spend a ki point to use your brass palm technique. After striking pressure points on your opponent, your target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw against your Ki save DC or fall unconscious for 10 minutes. You can choose to have these attacks deal no damage. This effect ends for a creature if the creature takes damage or someone uses an action to wake it.

You are immune to fire damage.

Bronze or Blue inner dragon

Draconic Torrent. You weave hand signs to summon draconic energy, you can use your action to consume 8 ki points unleashing lightning in a 90-foot line that is 5 feet wide. Each creature in that area must make a Dexterity saving throw, against your Ki save DC taking an amount of d6 equal to your monk level lightning damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

Extra attack. Beginning at 11th level, you can attack three times, instead of twice, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

Soul of the lightning dragon. You are immune to lightning damage.

Copper or Black inner dragon

Draconic Torrent. You weave hand signs to summon draconic energy, you can use your action to consume 8 ki points unleashing a torrent of acid 60-foot line that is 5 feet wide. Each creature in that area must make a Dexterity saving throw, against your Ki save DC taking an amount of d6 equal to your monk level in acid damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

Soul of Wit/Corrosion. When you are hit with a melee attack while using scaled stance, you deal your martial arts die + your wisdom bonus in acid damage back to your attacker.

You are immune to acid damage.

Gold or Red inner dragon

Draconic Torrent. You weave hand signs to unleash a torrent of flame, you can use your action to consume 8 ki points unleashing fire in a 60-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a Dexterity saving throw, against your Ki save DC taking an amount of d6 equal to your monk level in fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

Soul of Flame. You gain proficiency on Charisma (Intimidation) checks.

You are immune to fire damage.

Green inner dragon

Green Draconic Torrent. You weave hand signs to summon draconic energy, you can use your action to consume 8 ki points unleashing poisonous gas in a 60-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a Constitution saving throw against your Ki save DC taking an amount of d6 equal to your monk level in poison damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

Soul of Corruption. When you hit a target with your green dragon fist, you can spend a ki point to perform your Poisonous Strike technique. After striking pressure points, your target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw against your Ki save DC or take 2d6 poison damage and become poisoned for 1d4 hours. While poisoned, the targets movement is halved and has disadvantage on Attack rolls and Ability Checks. On a successful save, the target takes half damage and is not poisoned. You can choose to have the strike deal no damage. The target may make repeat the save at the top of each hour.

Deceptive. When you use your Conspiritor ability, you may add your proficiency bonus if you were not already doing so.

Silver or White inner dragon

Draconic Torrent. You weave hand signs to summon draconic energy, you can use your action to consume 8 ki points unleashing an icy blast in a 60-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a Constitution saving throw, against your Ki save DC taking an amount of d6 equal to your monk level in cold damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

Soul of Frost. The area around you in a 30-foot radius sphere fills with freezing fog and Ice. The fog spreads around corners, and its area is heavily obscured. The ice freezes the ground within the radius and is considered difficult terrain for creatures other than you for 1 minute. Each creature in the fog when it appears must make a Constitution saving throw, taking 4d6 cold damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. A creature that ends its turn in the fog takes 2d6 cold damage. The fog lasts until the end of your next turn.

If the area touches a body of water or a liquid that is principally water (not including water-based creatures), it freezes the liquid to a depth of 6 inches in the area within the effects radius. The ice lasts for 1 minute. Creatures that were swimming on the surface of frozen water are trapped in the ice. A trapped creature can use an action to make a Strength check against your Ki save DC to break free.

You are immune to cold damage.

Spirit of the Dragon God

At 17th level, you gain the ability to upgrade your flurry of blows or step of the wind by spending additional Ki points. You also gain an additional Ki ability.

• Flurry of Blows - Fist of the Platinum Tempest. When you spend a Ki point to do a flurry of blows, you may instead spend 3 ki points to perform Fist of the Platinum Tempest. Immediately after you take the Attack action on your turn, you can spend 3 ki points to make 2+1d4 unarmed strikes as a bonus action.
• Step of the wind - Inner Flight. When you spend a ki point to perform Step of the Wind you can instead spend 4 ki points to perform Inner Flight. You can spend 4 ki points to take the Disengage or Dash action as a bonus action on your turn, and you can fly up to double your movement speed for 1 minute.

Gift of the Dragon God. You gain all tier one inner dragons.