Way of the Ascendant Dragons

The dragon god Bahamut is known to travel the Material Plane in the guise of a young monk, and legend says that he founded the first monastery of the Way of the Ascendant Dragon in this guise.The dragon god Bahamut is known to travel the Material Plane in the guise of a young monk, and legend says that he founded the first monastery of the Way of the Ascendant Dragon in this guise. The fundamental teaching of this tradition holds that by emulating dragons, a monk becomes a more integrated part of the world and its magic. By altering their spirit to resonate with draconic might, monks who follow this tradition augment their prowess in battle, bolster their allies, and can even soar through the air on draconic wings. But all this power is in service of a greater goal: achieving a spiritual unity with the essence of the Material Plane.

As a follower of the Way of the Ascendant Dragon, you decide how you unlocked the power of dragons within yourself. The Ascendant Dragon Origin table offers a number of possibilities.

Draconic Disciple

3rd-Level Way of the Ascendant Dragon Feature

You can channel draconic power to magnify your presence and imbue your unarmed strikes with the essence of a dragon’s breath. You gain the following benefits:

Additional Skill Proficiencies. You gain proficiency in Charisma (Intimidation) and Charisma (Persuasion) skill checks.

Draconic Presence. Any time you make a Charisma (Intimidation) or Charisma (Persuasion) check, you can tap into your mighty presence of dragons and add one roll of your Martial Arts die to the total rolled. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and all uses return once you finish a long rest.

Draconic Strike. When you damage a target with an unarmed strike, you can change the damage type to acid, cold, fire, lightning, or poison. 

Tongue of Dragons. You learn to speak, read, and write Draconic or one other language of your choice.

Breath of the Dragon

3rd-Level Way of the Ascendant Dragon Feature

You can channel destructive waves of energy, like those created by the dragons you emulate. When you take the Attack action on your turn, you can replace one of the attacks with an exhalation of draconic energy in either a 20-foot cone or a 30-foot line that is 5 feet wide (your choice). Choose a damage type: acid, cold, fire, lightning, or poison. Each creature in that area must make a Dexterity saving throw against your ki save DC, taking damage of the chosen type equal to three rolls of your Martial Arts die on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

Your draconic breath becomes more powerful at 4 rolls at 5th–level, 5 rolls 11th–level, and 6 rolls at 17th–level.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest. While you have no uses available, you can spend 1 ki point to use this feature again.

Wings Unfurled

6th-Level Way of the Ascendant Dragon Feature

When you use your Step of the Wind, you can unfurl spectral draconic wings from your back that vanish after 1 minute. While the wings exist, you have a flying speed equal to your walking speed and can hover.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Aspect of the Wyrm

11th-Level Way of the Ascendant Dragon Feature

The power of your draconic spirit now radiates from you, warding your allies or inspiring fear in your enemies. As a bonus action, you can create an aura of draconic power that radiates 30 feet from you for 1 minute. For the duration, you gain one of the following effects of your choice:

Frightful Presence. When you create this aura, and as a bonus action on subsequent turns, you can force each creature within the aura on your turn. The target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw against your ki save DC or become frightened of you for 1 minute. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a successful save.

Iron Will. You and your allies within the aura have advantage on saving throws against being charmed or frightened.

Resistance. Choose a damage type when you activate this aura: acid, cold, fire, lightning, or poison. You and your allies within the aura have resistance to that damage.

Once you create this aura, you can’t create it again until you finish a long rest, unless you expend 3 ki points to create it again.

Ascendant Aspect

17th-Level Way of the Ascendant Dragon Feature

Your draconic spirit reaches its peak. You gain the following benefits:

Augment Breath. When you use your Breath of the Dragon, you can spend 1 ki point to augment its shape and power. The exhalation of draconic energy becomes either a 60-foot cone or a 90-foot line that is 10 feet wide (your choice), and each creature in that area takes damage equal to eight rolls of your Martial Arts die on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

True Seeing. You gain truesight out to 60 feet. Within that range, you can effectively see anything in normal and magical darkness, see invisible creatures and objects, automatically detect visual illusions and succeed on saving throws against them, and perceives the original form of a shapechanger or a creature that is transformed by magic. Furthermore, the creature can see into the Ethereal Plane.

Explosive Fury. When you activate your Aspect of the Wyrm, draconic fury explodes from you. Choose any number of creatures you can see in your aura. Each of those creatures must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw against your ki save DC or take four Martial Arts die of acid, cold, fire, lightning, or poison damage (your choice).