Way of Demonic Strength

Monks who study the Way of Demonic Strength have honed themselves transform their ki into raw demonic energy, empowering them beyond mortal limits. They can expend this ki to overload their body with energy, entering a special stance known as Demon Stance. This is considered by the monks as channeling their inner demon, which they claim is within all of them and every living being. Entering this stance awakens newfound strength in the monk and unlocks mystical techniques previously unheard of. The goal of Demonic Strength monks is to fully awaken their inner demon and become one with it, blurring the line between human and superhuman strength.

Demon Stance

Starting at 3rd level when this tradition is unlocked, the monk can unleash their demonic energy into a destructive form. As a bonus action, you can enter Demon Stance for 1 minute. Demonic energy envelops your body, taking the form of a flaming aura, crackling lightning or a similar effect. You determine its appearance and color. While in Demon Stance, you gain the following benefits:

• You begin hovering slightly off the ground. Your speed increases by 20 feet and ignores difficult terrain.
• When landing an attack that is not a critical hit, roll a d4. On a 3 or 4, your weapon or limb becomes wreathed in flame. The attack becomes critical and the target takes [roll]1d4[/roll] fire damage.
• When dealing a critical hit with a melee attack, the target creature begins bleeding internally. They take [roll]1d4[/roll] piercing damage every turn until they recover hit points from any source. When dealing a critical hit to a target who is already bleeding, the bleeding is cancelled and the target is incapacitated.
• Hitting a creature with a melee attack extends Demon Stance by one round.

Demon Stance can only be used once per short rest, but you may reset this early by spending 1 additional ki point. If you are reduced to 0 hit points, the stance ends and you cannot use it until after a short or long rest.

At 9th level, Demon Stance can be extended by [roll]1d6[/roll] rounds for every additional ki point spent. This also increases internal bleeding damage by [roll]1d4[/roll] for every ki point spent.

Deflect Blade

You have honed your body to be akin to a weapon. Starting at 6th level, you can use a reaction to attempt to block a melee weapon attack with your bare hands. You must not be wielding a weapon or other object in the hand you use to block. Using one or both hands does not affect your odds of succeeding.

When you are hit with the attack, you must perform a CON saving throw: DC 5 if the attack is nonmagical, and DC 10 if the attack is magical. On a success, you reduce damage taken by [roll]1d20[/roll] + your CON modifier + your monk level.

If the damage is reduced to 0, the attacking creature must succeed on a DC 12 DEX saving throw or be knocked prone.

 

Demon Ki Release

At 11th level, you learn to channel your demonic energy into several deadly techniques. Instead of a melee attack, during Demon Stance, you can spend ki points to perform one of the following battle techniques. All the techniques do not extend Demon Stance even on a hit.

Demon Blast (2 ki points)

You unleash energy from your hands in a 30 ft long by 5 ft wide straight line before you, forcing all creatures to make a DC 15 CON saving throw, takinging [roll]2d10+4[/roll] force damage on a failed save and half the damage on a successful one. On a critical hit, targets take additional force damage equal to your monk level + your DEX modifier.

Demon Dash (2 ki points)

You dash 30ft in a horizontal direction you choose, dealing [roll]5d6[/roll] force damage to all enemies you enter the space of. You may change direction during this dash but still can only travel horizontally.

Demon Upper (2 ki points)

You perform an uppercut on a creature within 5 ft of you. They take [roll]3d8+6[/roll] bludgeoning damage. If they are Large or smaller, they are knocked 5 ft away from you and 5 ft upwards. This distance increases to 10 ft for a Medium or Small creature, and 15 for a Tiny creature.

Demon Slash (3 ki points)

You slash the throat of a creature you can see within 5 ft of you, using your hand as if it were a blade. The creature must succeed on a DC 15 CON saving throw or take [roll]3d8+8[/roll] slashing damage and become incapacitated on a failed save, or take half the damage on a successful save.

Demon Release (3 ki points)

You unleash the remainder of your energy in a demonic blast. All creatures within 30 ft of you must succeed on a DC 15 CON saving throw or take [roll]1d12+4[/roll] force damage for every remaining turn of Demon Stance on a failed save, or half the damage on a successful one, unless they are behind cover. Using this immediately ends Demon Stance.

Limit Break

You have harnessed your demonic energy beyond what was thought possible. It is empowered not only by your ki, but your life force itself, now transcending its limits. As an action, you can expend all remaining ki points and reduce your hit points to 20% of their current value. You enter Awakened Demon Stance for 5 minutes. You grow spectral demon wings which you choose the appearance of, alongside the aura from Demon Stance, and your voice deepens unnaturally. You gain all the benefits of Demon Stance plus the following:

• Your WIS score increases by 5. This can exceed the normal limit of 20, up to 25.
• You can execute Flurry of Blows and the skills from Demon Ki Release without consuming ki.
• When using Deflect Missile or Deflect Blade, the damage is always reduced by the maximum amount.
• When your hit points are reduced to 0, you can choose to roll [roll]1d4[/roll]. On a 3 or 4, you remain on 1 hit point. You cannot roll the die if your hit points were 1 when you were attacked.
• For every ki point spent when activating Awakened Demon Stance, you gain a +1 bonus to damage rolls.
• Internal bleeding does not go away when the bleeding creature recovers hit points.

Awakened Demon Stance shares its reset time with Demon Stance, however, when reduced to 0 hit points, the stance does not end, instead reverting to normal Demon Stance when you recover.