Way of Beasts

Monks of the Way of Beasts take their abilities from the creatures of the world around them. They value the natural power and abilities that the beasts of the wild have. They train their bodies to mimic the abilities of certain animals, connect their ki with the beasts of nature, and advanced methods of turning their bodies into hybrid forms between humanoid and beast. Often monks who practice this style absorb their animals behavior into their own, while others tattoo their animal onto their body.

Bestial Tradition

Starting at 3rd level, you choose an animal to emulate and gain its feature. The beast you choose may be an animal related to those listed here, or an animal that evoke the same general tone as the abilities represented. For example, you could use a bear or a shark in place of a tiger.

Crane

You train to emulate the grace and flight of the crane. Creatures have disadvantage on attacks of opportunity against you and you have advantage on Dexterity saving throws against being knocked prone.

Mantis

You train to emulate the precision and swiftness of a mantis. Your unarmed strikes now score a critical hit on a roll of 19-20.

Monkey

Monkey style not only copies the acrobatic skills of monkeys, but also seeks to confuse and fool enemies by playing the part of the playful and sneaky simian. You gain proficiency with the Acrobatics and Performance skills as well as with improvised weapons. 

Snake

You train your body to mimic the speed and swiftness of the snake. When a creature within 5ft if you makes an attack against you, you can use your reaction to make an unarmed attack roll against them. You can choose to do this after the attack is declared but before the attack roll has been determined. If your attack hits, the creature now has disadvantage on the attack roll against you.

Tiger

You train to channel the ferocity and strength of the tiger. When you make an unarmed strike against a creature, you can spend 2 ki points to gain a +5 bonus to the damage of that attack.

Animal Spirit

Your connection to your beastial style deepens, granting you new abilities and techniques.

Crane

You have learned how to fight combatively while still defending yourself. Starting at 6th level, when a creature misses you with an melee attack while within 5ft of you, you can make an unarmed strike against the creature as a reaction. If you were using Patient Defence when the attack against you missed, your retaliating attack has advantage.

Mantis

Your training to strike as precisely as a mantis has improved, making your attack to pressure points more debilitating. When you use your Stunning Strike feature, you can spend an additional ki point to impose disadvantage on the saving throw.

Monkey

You have learned how to fight adeptly on your feet and from the ground. Starting at 6th level, standing up from prone takes only 5 feet of movement instead of half, enemies within 5 feet of you do not have advantage on attack rolls against you when you are prone, and your attacks do not have disadvantage while you are prone.

Snake

You have trained to strike with as much speed as a snake can. Starting at 6th level, when you hit a creature with an attack of opportunity, you can make an additional unarmed strike as a part of the same reaction.

Tiger

You have trained to possess not only the power, but also the agility of a Tiger. Starting at 6th level, when you use your Flurry of Blows, you can choose to pounce towards a creature within 15ft of you and make your unarmed strike against them. You may do this once for each of your Flurry of Blows attacks, jumping to a different target for each one. This movement does not provoke attack of opportunity. If you hit a Large or smaller creature with an unarmed strike after pouncing towards them, you can force the creature to make a Strength saving throw against your Ki save DC. On a failed save, the creature is knocked prone and you can make one unarmed strike against them as a free action.

Communion of Beasts

Starting at 11th level, you learn how to communicate with beasts and connect with them in mystical ways. By spending 2 ki points, you can cast the speak with animals spell. While casting the spell in this way, your deep connection to the animal world fools the senses of beasts you speak to, giving you advantage on Charisma (Persuasion) or Charisma (Intimidation) checks you make when communicating with beasts. If you speak to a the same beast that you emulate the style of, you are considered proficient with both of these skills.

Additionally, you can spend 5 ki points to cast the commune with nature spell. When you do so, a spiritual version of the animal you chose for Beastial Tradition feature appears to you to convey the information you seek.

(At the DM's discretion, you can also cast the beast sense spell with this feature by spending 2 ki points, but only as a ritual.)

Beast Soul

Starting at 17th level, you can spend 6 ki points to temporarily transform into a hybrid of your chosen animal and yourself. This transformation lasts for 10 minutes. You gain improved abilities, physical attributes, and unique features to your animal.

Crane

Your transformation covers your body in feathers, wings sprout from your back, and your legs become long, talon tipped claws. While transformed, you gain the following features.

• You gain a flying speed equal to your movement speed.
• You don't provoke opportunity attacks when you fly out of a creatures reach.
• You can choose for your unarmed strikes to deal bludgeoning damage or slashing damage.

Mantis

Your body transforms and develops a hard chitinous armor, sharp claws or scythes for arms, and limbs adept at striking quickly. While transformed in this way, you gain the following benefits.

• You gain a +2 bonus to your AC.
• When you hit a Medium or smaller creature with an unarmed strike, the creature becomes grappled by you. The escape DC of which equals 8 + your proficiency modifier + your Strength modifier.
• You score a critical hit on a roll of 18-20.
• Your unarmed strikes now deal slashing damage instead of bludgeoning.

Monkey

You develop fur across your body, your legs become more like a second set of arms, and your body becomes more agile and nimble. While transformed in this way, you gain the following benefits.

• You gain a climbing speed of 40ft.
• Your Flurry of Blows feature now makes two additional unarmed strikes.
• Your Dexterity score increases by 2, to a maximum of 22.

Snake

Your body becomes covered in thick scales, you grow venomous fangs, and gain increased senses. While transformed, you gain the following benefits.

• You gain a +2 to your AC.
• You gain blindsight out to 60ft.
• Whenever you use your Flurry of Blows feature and hit with both attacks, you can make an additional bite attack as a part of the same action. You are considered proficient with this attack. On a hit, you deal 1d6 piercing damage plus 4d6 poison damage and the target must make a Constitution saving throw or become poisoned for 1 minute.

Tiger

Thick fur covers your body, you grow sharp fangs and claws, and your demeanor becomes as focused on the hunt as a tiger. While transformed in this way, you gain the following benefits.

• Your can now choose for your unarmed strikes to deal either bludgeoning or slashing damage.
• Your Strength score increases by 2, up to a maximum of 22.
• You can spend an action to let out a powerful roar. When you do so, creatures you choose within 60ft of you must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw against your Ki save DC or become frightened of you. While frightened in this way, the creature's movement speed is 0 as long as they can see you. At the end of each of the creatures turns, they can repeat the saving throw. On a success, they are still considered frightened, but can now move as normal for the frightened condition. Once they can no longer see you, they are no longer frightened of you.