Four Guardians Fist

An ancient art originating in an eastern kingdom, Four Guardians Fist is a style based on four mythological beasts: the Azure Dragon, Vermilion Bird, White Tiger, and Black Tortoise. It takes philosophical inspiration from them as well, differentiating between spiritual and physical qualities related to the guardians and those four archetypes, internal and external modes of operation, and centered on attaining peace relative to the varying aspects of the world. A deep and rich tradition few ever fully master, Four Guardians Fist is fluid and dynamic, confounding opponents with flowing and elusive movement as well as with explosive power and strategy.

Training and study take up much of the time of monks of this tradition, but their cultural ties do sometimes require them to leave their monastery: to buy and sell goods or to perform certain rites, and sometimes as a last line of defense against danger- for sometimes the peace they seek comes from bringing peace to others.

---

There are four main areas of training in Four Guardians Fist, each relating to one of the Guardians.

Black Turtle: Representing Mystery and redirection, using an opponent's momentum to guide their position. Black Turtle training covers takedowns and throws, and provides a base for ground grappling. Its inward focus touches on humility and patience. Its stamina and endurance drills are intense, and can leave the unprepared curled up like a turtle on its back.

Azure Dragon: Representing Wisdom and perception, using proper positioning to counterattack and control tempo and distance. Azure Dragon training includes full contact sparring, learning to read body language, and counterattacking from blind spots. Its inward focus touches on honing intuition, and courage. Its drills include extensive limb toughening and flexibility exercises.

White Tiger: Representing Strength and decisiveness, using explosive power to strike at openings and weaken defenses. White Tiger training provides the base for striking techniques of the tradition, using a wide variety of kicks, punches, elbows, and knees. Its outward focus touches on restraint and courtesy. Its drills include strength training, breaking boards and tiles and bricks, and building resistance to extreme temperatures.

Vermilion Bird: Representing Motion and fluidity, using constant movement to evade attacks and generate momentum. Vermilion Bird training covers footwork and and balance exercises and provides the basis of movement for the tradition, with its characteristic "Crimson Dance", a light and gliding series of steps that keeps the practitioner ready to spring into action. Its external focus touches on grace and generosity. Its drills center on brief but high intensity cardio exercises and building speed.

---

Four Guardians Fist monks wear robes signifying their progression through the tradition, though in some monasteries they simply wear a belt, or at minimum a patch. Blue or green robes signify a beginner and one who has little experience in the way; red robes are worn by those who have shown a solid grasp of the basics but still are growing in the tradition; white robes are given to those who have mastered the basics and show some aptitude for more advanced techniques; black robes are given to experienced monks of the tradition who have shown mastery of even advanced techniques. Yellow robes are reserved for the most experienced instructors and heads of Four Guardians Fist monasteries, denoting one who has achieved near total mastery of the techniques of the tradition.

Many if not most Four Guardians Fist monasteries specialize in one or two of the four main areas of training, and so their robes will often have the associated hue as their primary color. This focus on a single area has caused some rivalries and even rifts to form between some monks and monasteries of the tradition- you or your master may have come from just such a monastery, or might inadvertently be caught up in such a conflict. Regardless of your experience or the monastery of your origin, your journey as a monk of the Four Guardians Fist tradition will require deepening your mastery of its techniques and values.

Base Stances

Beginning at 3rd level when you choose this tradition, you can specialize in one of the four main stances of the tradition, using it as a base for the other techniques you learn. Many of these methods enhance the techniques common to all monks with the use of ki, as integrating ki into one's movement is one of the building blocks of the art. Long hours of cultivating the simplicity of these skills is what makes one a true practitioner of Four Guardians Fist and what makes this known as the Dragon Phase of your training.

Azure Scales

Focusing on opportunity and taking advantage of openings, Azure Scales training drills efficiency and how to absorb pressure, turning myriad attacks into counterattacks of your own.

When you use your Patient Defense or Step of the Wind features, you deal Wisdom modifier extra damage on the next Martial Arts attack you make during your turn. When you make an attack of opportunity, you can re-roll a one on the damage die but must use the second result.

Black Shell

With no direct blocking, the defensive measures of the art are focused on one of two areas. With Black Shell training, this would be redirection: using the attacker's own momentum to force them into being out of position and off balance. Your sense of force and motion gained from Black Shell training also helps you keep others from getting a firm hold on you.

When you use your Patient Defense or Step of the Wind features, an enemy who misses you with a melee attack must make a Dexterity saving throw: if it fails, it treats the space within 10 feet of you as difficult terrain for one round. You have advantage on Acrobatics checks against being Grappled.

Crimson Dance

Four Guardians Fist is said to be practiced on a cross- that is, the space beneath the practitioner is divided up into four quadrants. The Crimson Dance is a light swaying between two of the quadrants, aiming to stay on the move and in the blind spot of the attacker. The sense of motion and space gained by focusing on the Crimson Dance allows you to easily weave through crowded spaces and spot incoming obstacles.

When you use your Step of the Wind feature, you can move through but not end your turn in the spaces of other creatures. You have advantage on Dexterity saves against effects you can see as long as you're not Blinded, Deafened, or Incapacitated.

Snow Stripes

Relentlessly drilling proper technique and being relaxed, Snow Stripes training is what gives the striking techniques of the art their explosive power, allowing you to break defenses wide open and hit through the target.

Once per turn when you score a critical hit with a Martial Arts attack, you can a ki point to deal an additional die of your Martial Arts damage(up to half proficiency total extra die). You can critically strike on a roll of 19 to 20.

Intermediate Stances

When you reach 6th level, you have gained a deeper knowledge of the basics and have adapted to more intense training. You've learned not only a broader range of applications of the basic techniques, but also how they work in combination with each other. This new dimension and increased efforts to push your limits forms what is called the Phoenix Phase of your training.

Dragon Rush

The tactical training gained from the Azure Dragon methods has taught you to take advantage of any movement to better position yourself for success.

You gain an aura out to ten feet. When a creature within the aura moves away from you, you can spend a ki point to move up to your Dexterity modifier times proficiency feet towards the triggering creature.

Feather Touch

Continued Vermilion Bird training has caused your dexterity and agility to grow by leaps and bounds, and unlocked the secrets of the Feather Touch: a movement technique that keeps you light and relaxed, able to respond in an instant even when it seems you're out of position.

Opportunity attacks against you are made with disadvantage.

Jungle King Pounce

The explosive power and leg strengthening won from continuing in White Tiger training allows you to get the jump on unsuspecting opponents, and the long hours of training in extreme temperatures has toughened your body against the elements.

When you make a jump, you are always considered to have a running start. When you roll initiative, you can move up to your speed towards an enemy you can see or hear; once you use this feature, you must take a long or short rest before you use it again. You can also spend two ki points to use this feature again if you have not taken a rest. You also have advantage on Constitution saving throws against the effects of extremely hot and cold environments.

Shell Shield

Continued training in redirection has bolstered your intuition and reaction speed, letting you spot an attacker's patterns and quickly adapt to them.

When a creature hits you with an attack, you gain a +4 bonus to AC against all subsequent attacks made by that creature for the rest of the turn.

Advanced Stances

When you reach 11th level, your advanced knowledge of movement, offensive and defensive techniques as well as inner reflections have a lasting effect on your bearing. You have broadened the expression of the art into different modes, the wide range of techniques you have learned beginning to make the true beauty of Four Guardians Fist apparent. The vibrance of expression is why this is called the Tiger Phase of your training.

Dragon's Tenacity

With the clarity and speed of thought earned through advanced training in Azure Dragon methods, you are able to think a step ahead and know when to make a concerted effort to land or dodge an attack.

When you finish a long rest, roll a number of your Martial Arts die equal to your proficiency. Once a round when you make an attack roll, saving throw, or ability check, you can expend one of the die to gain a bonus to the roll equal to the die expended. You can have up to proficiency die total and you regain all expended die after a long rest.

Eye of the Tiger

Much like a true tiger, your advanced stage of White Tiger training enables you to use your ki to focus all your senses on an opponent and sharpen your vision.

You gain the Hunter's Mark spell and can cast it at first level as a bonus action by expending two ki points, additionally gaining its bonus to damage when you make a Martial Arts attack. You gain Darkvision out to 60 feet if you don't have it already.

Step of the Clouds

The advanced aerodynamics and movement principles of dedicated Vermilion Bird training open up the Step of the Clouds: a light, fast, and efficient system of movement that help you to keep your balance in any situation.

Moving through nonmagical difficult terrain costs you no extra movement, and you can pass through nonmagical winds without being slowed by them and without taking damage from them if they have hail, airborne debris, or a similar hazard. You can also reroll any Acrobatics check you make and take either result.

Turtle Flow

The defensive training and techniques of Black Turtle methods have unlocked a state known as Turtle Flow: you can now subconsciously redirect and avoid attacks and are even harder to land a hit on.

You gain +2 to your unarmored AC.

Master Stances

At 17th level, you have reached peak proficiency with the stances and techniques of your style. Though full mastery of the whole art still lies ahead, your depth of knowledge and creativity makes things that once seemed impossible achievable. Cultivating peace in relation to the various trials and people of the world with bring a greater inward focus, which is why this is known as the Turtle Phase of the practice of the art.

Azure Retort

With supreme confidence and cunning, you are able to take advantage of what your enemies think is a sure opening and punish their mistake.

When you take damage from a melee attack, you can use your reaction to reduce the damage by a roll of your Martial Arts die+Wisdom modifier+Monk level and make a Martial Arts attack against the attacker.

Mysterious Tide

At the apex of your Black Turtle training you become extremely difficult to even approach. With the subtle influence of your ki and masterful redirection, you can bait a creature into harm's way before they know what's going on.

When a creature ends its movement within 10 feet of you, you can use a reaction to force it to make a Dexterity saving throw(if it is unwilling): if it fails, you can switch places with it. This does not count as movement for you.

Tiger Flurry

You have maximized the explosive power of White Tiger training, your accuracy and strength putting foes in serious peril if they are fortunate enough to survive your first strike.

When you hit a creature with a Martial Arts attack, the number on which you can roll to score a critical hit with a Martial Arts attack is lowered by one until the end of your turn(e.g., from 19-20 after one hit, etc.).

Vermilion Glide

The perfected state of the basic Crimson Dance, the constant motion and spatial awareness displayed in the Vermilion Glide make you a blur of movement capable of vanishing in an instant.

You can reroll your Initiative at the start of each round. When you roll initiative, you are partially obscured until you make an attack.