Monks who follow the Way of the Cardmaster are known for their flair, unpredictability, and mastery over kinetic energy. Channeling their ki into explosive force, they transform everyday objects into deadly projectiles, and their strikes are imbued with volatile power.

These monks are gamblers by nature, always willing to take risks in battle, and they thrive on the chaos they create. With a fluid blend of martial arts and explosive ranged attacks, they keep their opponents off balance, striking with precision and power.

Their style is reminiscent of a high-stakes card game, where every move is calculated, and every attack is a gamble with fate. The Way of the Cardmaster teaches that life is a game of chance, but with skill and control, one can always stack the odds in their favor.

3rd Level: Charged Gambit

As a bonus action, you can expend 1 ki point to charge up to three small objects (like playing cards, coins, or shuriken) with kinetic energy. These charged objects count as monk weapons and have a range of 60/120 feet.

When thrown, these objects deal 1d8 damage, and the damage type is your choice of force, piercing, or slashing. If you expend 1 additional ki point when throwing a charged object, the object detonates on impact, dealing an additional 1d8 force damage to the target and all creatures within a 10-foot radius. Affected creatures must make a Dexterity saving throw (DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Dexterity modifier) or take half damage on a successful save.

3rd Level: Sleight of Hand

You gain proficiency in the Sleight of Hand skill if you don’t already have it. Additionally, you can use your Dexterity modifier instead of Charisma for Deception checks, allowing you to deceive and mislead others with swift, precise movements.

6th Level: Kinetic Strikes

When you hit a creature with an unarmed strike, you can expend 1 ki point to deal an additional 1d8 force damage and push the target up to 10 feet away. This can synergize with your Charged Gambit feature, allowing you to follow up with a ranged attack against a pushed target. You can spend additional ki points to increase the force damage by 1d8 per ki point spent, up to a maximum of 3d8 additional damage.

11th Level: Explosive Flurry

When you use your Flurry of Blows, you can replace one of the unarmed strikes with a thrown charged object from your Charged Gambit feature. If this attack hits, you can expend 1 ki point to cause the object to detonate, dealing an additional 2d8 force damage to the target and all creatures within a 15-foot radius.

17th Level: Gambit’s Edge

When you use your Charged Gambit feature, you can choose to infuse a single object with overwhelming energy. This charged object deals 4d8 damage of a type of your choice (force, piercing, or slashing) and can be thrown with a range of 120/240 feet.

If you hit with this attack, you can spend 3 ki points to cause the object to explode, dealing an additional 6d8 force damage to the target and all creatures within a 20-foot radius. Affected creatures must make a Dexterity saving throw (DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Dexterity modifier) or take half damage on a successful save.