Monks of the Way of the Kensei train relentlessly with their chosen weapons, viewing them as extensions of their bodies. A Kensei approaches a weapon as an artisan would a pen or brush, seeing it as a tool to express the beauty and precision of martial arts. While the tradition began with sword mastery, it now encompasses a variety of weapons, including polearms and firearms. Through intense devotion, practice, and study, Kensei monks not only achieve unparalleled skill but also imbue their weapons with their ki, allowing them to strike with extraordinary power and precision in battle.

Path of the Kensei

When you choose this tradition at 3rd level, your special martial arts training leads you to master the use of certain weapons. You gain the following benefits:

• Kensei Weapons. Choose one melee and one ranged weapon as your kensei weapons (simple or martial weapons, excluding the heavy or special properties). You gain proficiency, and they become monk weapons. At levels 6, 11, and 17, you can choose an additional kensei weapon. You can switch kensei weapons each level up and can stow/draw a weapon with one object interaction.

• Sharpen the blade +1. After rolling initiative, you may spend one Ki point to focus your energy into your kensei weapons. For one minute, your kensei weapons gain a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls. This bonus stacks with magical weapon bonuses, but cannot be used to increase your bonus above a +1. This feature increases to a maximum of +2 at 6th level, and +3 at 11th level.

• Quickend Strikes. You may replace the damage type of your unarmed strikes with the damage type associated with your melee kensei weapon (e.i. piercing, slashing, etc.)

• Agile Parry. While holding a kensei weapon you can use Deflect Missiles to reduce the damage of melee and ranged attacks. Melee attacks cannot be redirected.

• Way of the Artisan. You gain proficiency with your choice of one toolset of your choice.

One with the Blade

At 6th level, you learn to further extend your ki into your kensei weapons. 

• Magic Kensei Weapons. Your attacks with your kensei weapons count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage. 

• Sharpen the blade +2. After rolling initiative, you may spend 1-2 Ki points to focus your energy into a mastered weapon that you are holding. For one minute, the sharpened weapon gains a +1 or a +2 bonus to attack and damage rolls, based on the number of ki points that you spent. This bonus stacks with magical weapon bonuses, but cannot be used to increase your bonus above a +2. This feature increases to a maximum of +3 at 11th level.

• Deft Strike. After hitting with an attack with a kensei weapon, you can spend 1 ki point to add your Martial Arts die + your Wisdom modifier to the damage roll. You can use this ability only once per turn.

Kensei Weapon

When you reach 6th level in this class, you can choose another type of weapon — either melee or ranged — to be a kensei weapon for you, following the criteria above.

Blade Mastery

At 11th level, your mastery of weapons grants you with heightened damage and accuracy:

• Unerring Accuracy. Your mastery of weapons grants you extraordinary accuracy. If you miss with an attack roll using a monk weapon on your turn, you can spend one ki point to reroll it. You can use this feature only once per turn.

• Sharpen the blade +3. After rolling initiative, you may spend 1-3 Ki points to focus your energy into a mastered weapon that you are holding. For one minute, the sharpened weapon gains a +1, +2, or +3 bonus to attack and damage rolls, based on the number of ki points that you spent. If the weapon already has a fixed bonus to attack or damage rolls, the effects can stack to a maximum of +3. 

Kensei Weapon

When you reach 11th level in this class, you can choose another type of weapon — either melee or ranged — to be a kensei weapon for you, following the criteria above.

Executioner

At 17th level, you gain the ability to finish off a low-health target using your ki:

Finishing Blow. When you hit a creature with a Kensei Weapon attack, you can spend 3 ki points to attempt to instantly reduce their hit points to 0, if they have less than 50 hit points remaining and are not at full health. This ability cannot be used if the prior conditions are not met.

(GAMEPLAY TIP: The player may ask the DM if a target is susceptible to this feature by asking whether the target is "Finisher-able". The dm does not need to disclose the current HP of the target, only if it is damaged and under 50 HP.)

Kensei Weapon

When you reach 17th level in this class, you can choose another type of weapon — either melee or ranged — to be a kensei weapon for you, following the criteria above.