Way of Life

You take upon the training most understand to be one that ends in death. The Way of Life is the path you've chosen, you exert your body in a way only those who appreciate all aspects of life can.
This training is strenuous and takes multiple stages, each stage taking more effort and life force to maintain.
The Way of Life is to commit to the risks and bask in the rewards.

Stages of Life

3rd-Level Way of Life Feature

As an action you spend 1 Ki point to enter the 1st Stage of Life, once you have began the Stages you can enter subsequent stages as a bonus action. Entering the Stages requires you to maintain concentration, you must ascend the stages in order and retain all benefits of previous stages. This follows all the normal rules for maintaining Concentration, including immediately losing concentration during the barbarian rage and only being able to concentrate on one spell or feature at a time. Monks of this caliber have honed their minds to such a degree that it is extremely difficult to lose concentration their focus. Starting at 14th level the only way to lose concentration on the stages is through failing a concentration save

-(3rd-Level) 1st Stage: Birth: Upon entering this stage you gain temporary hit points equal to your level in this class multiplied by 2. You also immediately use of flurry of blows at no Ki cost. (Upon ending this state you gain 1 level of exhaustion.)

-(3rd-level) 2nd Stage: Alacrity: Upon entering this stage you gain additional movement speed equal to your base movement and when you take the attack action you can make an additional attack as part of the same action. In addition you gain disadvantage on the first attack against a new target. (Upon ending this state you gain 1 level of exhaustion.)

-(6th-level) 3rd Stage: Wonder: Upon entering this stage you gain resistance to a damage type of your choice and when you use Deflect missiles you resist all of the damage. In addition when you take damage from a type you are not resistant to, you gain disadvantage on attacks made against the source of that damage. (Upon ending this state you gain 2 levels of exhaustion)

-(9th-level) 4th Stage: Cultivation: Upon entering this stage your attacks deal additional force damage equal to two of your martial arts dice. In addition you have vulnerability to piercing, bludgeoning, and slashing damage. (Upon ending this state you gain 3 levels of exhaustion.)

-(12-level) 5th Stage: Realization: Upon entering this stage you gain True Sight up to 120 feet and you immediately use a ranged Stunning strike on a target within range of your True sight at no Ki cost And no need to attempt an attack. In addition you gain disadvantage on Wisdom saving throws. (Upon ending this state you gain 4 levels of exhaustion.)

-(15-level) 6th Stage: Acceptance: Upon entering this stage you gain a +3 bonus to your armor class and can now benefit from a critical strike on an attack roll of 18-20. In addition you move at half movement when not moving toward an enemy. (Upon ending this state you gain 5 levels of exhaustion.)

-(17-level) 7th Stage: Death: Upon entering this stage you can you can push yourself beyond your normal limits for a moment. On your turn, you can take one additional action against any creature within 30ft of you, alternatively you can spend 10 ki points to attack every creature you can see of your choice in this way. In addition if you drop a creature to 0 hit points, you roll 1d7 and gain that many ki points. While in this state you have resistance to all damage and you can not benefit from healing from any source. (You can end this stage early at the cost of death. Dying from this stage can only be reversed by True Resurrection or Wish.) Dying and being resurrected as a result of this effect will give 4 days of resurrection sickness that can not be removed magically.

 

Nodes of Life

6th-level Way of Life feature

When you use a Ki point, you can make a number of special unarmed strikes against any target creature equal to the amount of Ki spent. This attack deals no damage and instead if it hits you apply a stack of Nodes of Life on the target up to a maximum of your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier. Once during your turn you can claim these stacks as a free action to activate one of the following effects on one creature that is within 5ft and has stacks applied to it. You can claim as many Nodes as you want as long as the target is in range and have stacks to claim.

- Instantly deal force damage to the target creature equal to 2 times the total stacks claimed.

- Instantly heal the target creature equal to 2 times the amount of total stacks claimed.

- Lower the next attack roll made by that creature by the amount of total stacks claimed.

- Heighten the next attack roll made by that creature by the amount of total stacks claimed.

Vital Strike

11th-level Way of Life feature

Once per turn when you use Stunning Strike and a target creature fails, you can use your reaction and expend 2 ki points to have the target make another Constitution saving throw. On a failed save the target is instead paralyzed until the end of it's next turn. On a success the target is no longer stunned or paralyzed.

Defiant Death Parade

17th-level Way of Life feature

While in the 7th Stage of Death, if you would die, you may instead use your reaction to expend all your remaining ki points. You enter a deathless state for as many rounds as half the number of ki points expended. While in this state, you can't benefit from healing, you continue to make death saving throws, and you still take damage and any effects associated with that damage, but you don't die until the duration ends.

When the duration ends after you have killed a hostile creature, instead of dying, you gain 5 levels of exhaustion.