Way of the Ashura Monk Subclass for D&D 5e

You have trained in a special form of combat that revolves around 4 main Katas: Steel,  Flame, Water, and Flow.  Each revolving around a different aspect of fighting.  At higher levels you gain the ability to mix and match certain Katas to make special techniques, and even unlocking secret techniques taught to you by your master.  

Loans

3rd Level - When you pick this subclass at 3rd level, you gain access to Loans.  You can spend 1 ki you can take out a Loan, Loans give you a bonus attack per round, a bonus to attack and damage rolls equal to your proficiency bonus, and in addition your move speed is doubled.  Loans last for 1 minute or until you dismiss it (no action required), once your Loan ends you gain 1 level of exhaustion and during your Loan, you cannot use any katas.  In addition once a Loan ends your hit point maximum is reduced an amount equal to twice your monk level until you take a short or long rest.  When you take out a Loan, you adopt a more feral fighting style, and are less likely to apply tactics and strategy to your attacks, opting instead to rush into a fight headlong. 

 

Optional Rule: Whenever you see an ally be knocked unconscious, be outright killed, or something happens to them that would make you think that they would be killed (such as being knocked off of a cliff), you must make a Wisdom saving throw equal to your Ki save DC.  If you fail, you must immediately take out a loan and only attack the person who killed/ knocked your ally unconscious until either they are dead, or you are knocked unconscious, as your anger consumes you, you focus one one thing, revenge.  You can only do this if you have enough ki points remaining.  Due to your anger being the sole factor in taking this loan, it takes a heavier toll on your body than usual, instead of taking 1 level of exhaustion, you instead take 2 levels of exhaustion. 

Katas

3rd Level - When you pick this subclass at 3rd level you gain access to kata, there are 4 types of Kata, Fire, Water, Steel, and Flow kata (You can only use 2 katas per round).  Katas may not be used as attacks of opportunity.  

Steel kata is about contracting muscles at the moment of impact to either reduce damage or to increase the impact of a blow.  

Steel Kata:

• Indestructible - As a reaction to being hit with a melee attack, you can spend 2 ki to gain resistance to bludgeoning, slashing, and piercing damage for 1 attack by tensing all of your muscles at the moment of impact.  This also does double damage against objects.  

• Ironbreaker - By tightening the muscles in your fist at the moment of impact when you hit a creature with an unarmed strike, you can spend 1, 2,or 3 ki points to damage their armor; -1,-2, or -3 to AC until repaired; this ability can be used multiple times on the same target. 

Fire Kata is about utilizing ki to grant the user incredible speed and agility.  

Flame Kata:

• Flashfire - As a bonus action you can spend 1 ki point to grant anyone who attempts to strike you within the next round disadvantage on their attack rolls against you at the cost of half of your movement speed.  As you pace from side to side you devote a good chunk of your movement to maintaining the Flashfire.

• Raging Flame - When combat begins (or outside of combat), as a Bonus Action you can spend 1 ki to double your movement speed.  

Water Kata uses fluidity and flexibility for incredible grappling techniques.  You can use Dexterity for grappling checks.  

Water Kata:

Guillotine - As an action you can spend 1 ki (2 at 11th level, and 3 at 17th level) and attempt to grapple an enemy using their neck as a lever.  If your grapple succeeds then you restrain the creature and deal 3d8 (5d8, 8d8) bludgeoning damage per round as you deal critical damage to their neck.  (Scales up as if a cantrip/ 11th, and 17th)

Flow Kata is about control over the flow of power, allowing you to bend it and even redirect enemy attacks.  

Flow Kata:

• Weeping Willow - As a reaction to being attacked you can spend 1 ki to give your opponent disadvantage on their attack rolls against you for 1 round (potentially causing their attack to miss), in addition your throwing them off balance can open up weak points in your opponents armor, giving everyone advantage on attack rolls against them. 

Combination Katas

6th Level - At 6th level you gain the ability to combine katas into new techniques.  

(Water and Steel Kata) Ironbreaker Revolution - You can spend 1 ki point and attempt to throw your opponent by wrapping an arm around their torso and a leg around their leg and tripping them, leaving them supine.  If that succeeds, you can spend another (2) ki points to throw a revolved ironbreaker punch and if it hits, the attack deals an extra 15 bludgeoning damage (This extra damage is included in critical hit calculation).  

(Flow and Water Kata) Swimming Swallow - You can spend 2 ki points to gain Flurry of Bows, and to make your normal attacks and your Flurry Of Blows attacks with advantage due to how unpredictable this offensive rush is. 

Entanglement

Entanglement - As a reaction to being attacked you can spend 3 ki to cause the same effects as Weeping Willow, but you can also dislocate a joint of the limb delivering the blow.  A dislocated arm provides disadvantage on all attack rolls until healed, dislocating a leg halves their movement speed until healed. 

Mastery Katas

Mastery Katas:

11th Level - When you reach 11th level in this subclass your mastery of the Ashura Style grants you new abilities:

Adamantine Kata

Bone Binding- As a Bonus action you can spend 2 ki points to heal yourself for an amount of d6s equal to half your monk level.  You can spend an additional ki point to fix broken bones.  You can use this ability once per Long Rest.  

 

Flame Kata

Earth-Shrinking- On your turn, you can spend 4 ki points to force everyone who can see you to make a perception check (DC= 8 + Prof. Bonus + Dex. Bonus) you are considered Hidden from any creatures who fail the check until the end of your turn or until you make an attack action against them.

 

Redirection Kata

Marionette- When you would be dropped to 0 hit points you instead can spend 3 ki points to drop to 1 hit point instead, this feature can be used once per short rest.

 

Water Kata

Water Mirror- While you are grappled or otherwise restrained you can spend 3 ki points and instantly break out of the grapple and make a grapple attack against the same opponent as you are freed

Jellyfish Clutch

(11th Level) Jellyfish Clutch - As a reaction when someone attempts to hit you with a melee attack you can spend 3 ki to attempt to grapple them, stopping their attack and damaging their spinal column in the process.  If your grapple succeeds then you can restrain your enemy and deal 4d12 (7d12) bludgeoning damage per round.  (Scales up as if a cantrip/ 17th)

Demonsbane

Demonsbane:

17th Level - When you reach 17th level you gain access to Demonsbane, a combination of all 4 katas that allows you to completely absorb an opponent's blow and redirect it in an even more powerful manner.  When you are struck with a blow, you can expend 6 ki, or all of your remaining ki (if you have less than 6) to perform Demonsbane as a reaction when you are hit, you can take 0 damage and instead reflect the damage back at the attacker doing triple the damage that the strike normally would, in addition it sends your opponent 10 feet away from you.  After using Demonsbane you immediately fall unconscious for 2 rounds.  You can only use this ability once per Long Rest.