Way of the Four Pillars

As a practitioner of this monastic tradition centred around the four Kami of Minan, you immerse yourself in the teachings and practices that connect you to these powerful dragon spirits. The Kami, residing in perfect equilibrium, embody various aspects of the elements, wisdom, and battle. Through rigorous training and meditation, you've learned to channel their energy and invoke their powers to enhance your own abilities.

The Four Pillars are: Ryūjin - the Azure Storm Lord, Mizuchi - the Crimson Flame Lord, Kiyohime - the Mycor Earth Lord, and Zennyo - the Shining Gale Lord.

Channel Kami

At 3rd level, you can align yourself with one of the Four Pillars each time you complete a long rest. Each of the Four Pillars grant you specific abilities depending on which one you are channelling:

Ryūjin - The Kami that embodies water, the sea and your instinct. When aligned with this Kami, you can now reduce damage with your deflect missiles ability by 2d10. You can also add a number equal to your monk level to any Wisdom ability checks or saving throws made.

Mizuchi - The Kami that embodies fire, the sun and war. When aligned with this Kami, you can use your flurry of blows ability a number of times equal to your monk level without spending a Ki point.  You also gain proficiency in all martial melee and ranged weapons.

Kiyohime - The Kami that embodies earth, the land and knowledge. When aligned with this Kami, you can use your patient defence ability a number of times equal to your monk level without spending a Ki point.  You can also add a number equal to your monk level to any Intelligence ability checks or saving throws made.

Zennyo - The Kami that embodies air, the sky, and tranquillity. When aligned with this Kami, you can use your step of the wind ability a number of times equal to your monk level without spending a Ki point. You can also spend 1 Ki point to Parry. When you are hit with a melee attack, you may use your reaction to add +2 to your AC for the purposes of that attack, possibly causing it to miss. Regardless of whether the attack hits or misses, your AC returns to normal after you parry the attack.

Draconic Spirit

At 6th level, when you channel one of the Four Pillars, you can spend 2 Ki points to use the corresponding Kami’s breath weapon, as shown below. As an action, you exhale the energy of your chosen Kami in a 15-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a Dexterity saving throw, taking 3d6 damage of the chosen type on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

Ryūjin - Lightning

Mizuchi - Fire

Kiyohime - Acid

Zennyo - Cold

Perfect Balance

At 11th level, you have learned the perfect balance of the Four Pillars. You can now empower yourself with 2 balancing Kami at once. These are: Ryūjin and Kiyohime, or Mizuchi and Zennyo.

Powerful Kami

At 17th level, you have learned to harness powerful elemental abilities of the Kami you channel. You gain the following additional abilities when choosing one of the Four Pillars:

Ryūjin - Static Bane - You can spend 5 Ki points to call a terrifying aspect of Ryūjin to draw in a dark cloud above you, with a 60 foot radius, for 1 minute. Choose a point you can see under the cloud. A bolt of lightning flashes down from the cloud to that point. Each creature within 5 feet of that point must make a Dexterity saving throw. A creature takes 4d10 lightning damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. On each of your turns until the spell ends, you can use your action to call down lightning in this way again, targeting the same point or a different one.

Mizuchi - Flaming Force - You can spend 5 Ki points to call an aspect of Mizuchi that wraps itself around your body, shedding bright light in a 30-foot radius and dim light for an additional 30 feet for 1 minute. The flames don’t harm you, and you gain the following benefits:

You are immune to fire damage and have resistance to cold damage.

Any creature that moves within 5 feet of you for the first time on a turn or ends its turn there takes 1d10 fire damage.

You can use your action to create a line of fire 15 feet long and 5 feet wide extending from you in a direction you choose. Each creature in the line must make a Dexterity saving throw. A creature takes 4d8 fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

Kiyohime - Erupting Strike - You can spend 5 Ki points to call an aspect of Kiyohime to split the earth at your feet, a straight line of churned earth and stone erupts 60 feet long and 5 feet wide which blasts out from you in a direction you choose. Each creature in the line must make a Dexterity saving throw. A creature takes 3d12 bludgeoning damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. Additionally, the ground in that area becomes difficult terrain until cleared. Each 5-foot-square portion of the area requires at least 1 minute to clear by hand.

Zennyo - Gale Form - You can spend 5 Ki points to call an aspect of Kiyohime that envelops you. For 1 minute, wind whirls around you, and you gain the following benefits:

Ranged weapon attacks made against you have disadvantage on the attack roll.

You gain a flying speed of 60 feet. If you are still flying when the spell ends, you fall, unless you can somehow prevent it.

You can use your action to create a 15-foot cube of swirling wind centered on a point you can see within 60 feet of you. Each creature in that area must make a Constitution saving throw. A creature takes 2d10 bludgeoning damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. If a Large or smaller creature fails the save, that creature is also pushed up to 10 feet away from the center of the cube.