Way of the Tiger's Vessel

The tiger vessel style, also known as the Niko style, is a powerful style based on the Niko style from Kengan Ashura. Its combat style is centered around having numerous specific abilities for different circumstances, allowing you to almost always have an option when attacked. This fighting style relishes in the one on one confrontations with its utilization of reactions, but can burn through ki quite fast.

The Adamantine Kata is primarily used for damage, but can also be used for defense.
The Flame Kata is mainly used for maneuverability, dancing around opponents and confusing them with movements that flicker like flame.
The Redirection Kata is the primary evasive form, used mainly to throw off opponents by disrupting the flow of power and forcing them off balance.
The Water Kata is a grappling form, turning every part of your body into a veritable noose that can tighten around the neck of any unsuspecting opponent.

 

Note from author: This was adapted from a user on DnDWiki that I could not find the name of. The adaptations include grammar, editing on drawbacks to make them reasonably balanced, the addition of some features, and flavor text.

Tiger's Vessel Initiate

Followers of the Tiger's Vessel monastic tradition pursue the mastering over four katas: adamantine, flame, redirection and water. Upon choosing this subclass at 3rd level, you gain access to the first tier of all four Katas. You gain the following benefits:

Adamantine Kata: Indestructible. The basic form of the Adamantine Kata, using moments of focus to defend tightening muscle on impact. As a reaction when you take bludgeoning, cold, fire, piercing or slashing damage, you can spend 2 Ki points to gain resistance to the damage taken until the start of your next turn, including against the triggering damage.

Flame Kata: Flashfire. The basic form of the Flame Kata, twisting around opponents and massively confusing them. As a reaction when you are targeted by an attack, you can spend 2 ki points to impose disadvantage on that attack. The attacker also has disadvantage on all attacks made against you until the end of its turn. In addition, as part of the same reaction, you can move to an unoccupied space within 10 feet of you without provoking opportunity attacks.

Redirection Kata: Weeping Willow. The basic form of the Redirection Kata, which allows the user to use minor adjustments to the flow of power to disrupt an opponent in battle. When you are hit by an attack, you can spend 2 ki points as a reaction to force the target to make a Dexterity saving throw against your ki save DC. On a failed save, the target is knocked prone and the attack misses.

Water Kata: Bind of Pisces. The basic form of the Water Kata, using flowing movements to bind opponents with a vice-like grapple. When you force a creature to make a contested check against you during a grappling attempt, you can spend 1 ki point to give yourself advantage or give your contestant disadvantage on the check. You cannot do both.

Tiger's Vessel Adept

When you reach the 6th level, you achieve more control over the four core katas of your style, and learn a new secret kata: the void kata, Nil. You gain the following benefits:

Adamantine Kata: Ironbreaker. By tightening the muscles on impact and increasing the hardness of your strike, the user can deal even greater damage to a target that is not expecting it. When you make an unarmed strike, you can spend 1 ki point after you attack, but before you roll damage. On a hit, you can add 2d8 bludgeoning damage to the attack.

Flame Kata: Phantom Pace. By weaving in and out of an opponent's reach, one can dodge past attacks as though they were passing straight through them. When you are targeted by an attack, as a reaction you can spend 1 ki point to move 5 feet away from the attacking creature without provoking an opportunity attack. If this would move you out of range, the attack automatically misses.

Redirection Kata: Change of Scenery. Most opponents do not expect the flow of their power not only to be turned against them, but to even be used to completely hurl them away from their target in the first place. When you are attacked by a creature within 5 feet of you, you can spend 1 ki point. The target must succeed on a Strength saving throw, or be pushed 10 feet away in a direction of your choice and be knocked prone. If the attack would initially hit, a failed save cause the attack to miss.

Water Kata: Guillotine. The throat is particularly sensitive in close combat, and those who target it can deal massive damage in a short amount of time. When you grapple a creature, you can spend 1 ki point as part of the action cause bludgeoning damage equal to your unarmed strike damage.

Nil Kata: Void. Not all is won by forcing yourself through a problem with an iron will; sometimes, one must calm themselves... and reflect. You can spend 10 minutes meditating to gain ki points equal to your Proficiency Bonus + your Wisdom Modifier. You can't use this feature again until you complete a long rest.

Tiger's Vessel Journeyman

Upon reaching 11th level, you begin to master the main four katas even further, and even unlock an additional secret technique. Whenever you use your Flurry of Blows, you can forgo one of the attacks made as part of the flurry to use one of your katas instead without spending ki, so long as the base cost is lower than your Wisdom Modifier. If the cost would exceed this, you must expend ki points as normal, but the cost is halved. You learn the following katas:

Adamantine Kata: Iron Fingers. Stiffening the finger joints with the Adamantine Kata, one can force even their fingers to become as lethal as spears. When you make an unarmed attack, you can chose to change the damage to piercing damage instead.

Flame Kata: Raging Fire. Channel the form of fire to massively increase your speed. When you take the Dash action or use your Step of the Wind, you can spend any amount of ki to add 20 feet to your movement speed per ki point spent, until the end of your turn. In addition, when you make an attack after moving in this way, you can add an additional 1d4 bludgeoning damage for each 20 feet moved. You can spend multiple ki points to increase your movement speed. If you do not use this damage before the end of your next turn, it is lost.

Redirection Kata: Entanglement. Turn the flow of power in a different way, and bind an opponent with the strength of their own body. When you take damage from a melee attack, you can spend 1 ki point to force the attacker to make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, the target attack misses, and you grapple the creature. Also, grappling the creature in this manner causes both you and the creature to fall prone to the ground, and both to be restrained for the duration of the grapple. You must have both hands free to use this kata.

Water Kata: Swimming Swallow. Flow as a raging river, and rapidly strike in a manner that is no less than confusing and unpredictable. As an action, you can spend any amount of ki points up to twice your proficiency bonus. In doing so, you can make a number of attacks equal to the amount of ki points you spend. If you use this kata, you cannot activate Flurry of Blows or use any Extra Attack features from any class until the end of your next turn.

Secret Technique: Possessing Spirit. Throw aside all care and reason, disregarding all techniques and form to tear an opponent apart as fast as possible. As an action, you can overclock your heart and force your body to go into overdrive, using your heart and blood vessels like an engine and converting the energy into motion. By accepting a level of exhaustion, you can force your entire system to accelerate, up to a number of turns equal to your Constitution Modifier (Minimum of 1). You can accept up to three levels of exhaustion in this manner, and will gain the following benefits from it.

• 1 Level- You gain an additional attack when you take the attack action, and your movement speed is increased by 10 feet.
• 2 Levels- You gain two additional attacks when you take the attack action, one additional attack on your flurry of blows, and your movement speed is increased by 20 feet.
• 3 Levels- You gain three additional attacks when you take the attack action, two additional attacks on your flurry of blows, and your movement speed is increased by 30 feet. You can also use Flurry of Blows once without needing to spend a Ki point.

You do not suffer from the effects of these levels of exhaustion until two turns have passed since the turn you activated it. If you deactivate it early as a bonus action, you still suffer from the effects. When this ends, you must make a constitution save against your Ki Save DC or fall unconscious for 1d4+1 rounds.

When using Possessing Spirit, you cannot concentrate on spells, cannot use Ki points for any features, cannot use class features, and cannot use any other Kata. You must spend your turn attacking the opponent ahead of you until they are dead. At level 20 in this class, you can use the first stage of possessing spirit without taking a level of exhaustion or the alterations to the aforementioned features, as you have mastered control of yourself. 

Tiger's Vessel Master

Upon reaching 17th level, you master the four basic katas, and gain access to their final forms. In addition, you also gain access to the secret technique of this path. The culmination of all your training- Secret Technique: Demon's Bane.

Adamantine Kata: Bone Binding. The final technique of the Adamantine Kata allows the user to exert extra control over their muscles, rearranging bone and forcing it back into place at will. As a bonus action, you can spend 2 ki points to regain a number of hit points equal to a roll of your martial arts die + your monk level. You can spend additional ki points, rolling one additional martial arts die per ki point spent after the first. This also temporarily fixes broken bones.

Flame Kata: Earth-Shrinking. The final technique of the Flame Kata allows the user to confuse their opponents with unreadable movements, practically vanishing before their eyes. On your turn, you can spend 4 ki points to force all creatures that can see you within 30 feet to make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, you are considered invisible to those creatures, until you make an attack or cast a spell.

Redirection Kata: Marionette. The final technique of the Redirection Kata allows the user to even redirect their own physical strength, keeping them on their feet and controlling themselves long after their bodies would've given out. When you are reduced to 0 hit points, you can spend 3 ki points to be reduced to 1 hit point instead.

Water Kata: Water Mirror. The final technique of the Water Kata allows the user to turn the tides in a match of raw strength by turning an opponent's own body against them, giving the user the upper hand. While you are grappled or restrained, you can spend 3 ki points and instantly break out of it. In addition, if the cause of either condition is an opponent within 5 feet of you, you can force them to make a contested check against you at disadvantage, or be grappled in your place.

Secret Kata: Demon’s Bane. The true Ultimate Technique of the Tiger's Vessel, a technique which puts all the user knows and has learned to the test by utilizing forms from every Kata. When you would take damage from a melee attack, you can spend 6 ki points to make an attack roll against the attacking creature with advantage. On a hit, the enemy takes your unarmed strike damage, the damage that would have been done to you, and 5d8 additional bludgeoning damage. In addition, a Large or smaller creature is also knocked 10 feet back.