Warrior of the Kensei

Monks of the Way of the Kensei train relentlessly with their weapons, to the point where the weapon becomes an extension of the body. Founded on a mastery of sword fighting, the tradition has expanded to include many different weapons.

A kensei sees a weapon in much the same way a calligrapher or painter regards a pen or brush. Whatever the weapon, the kensei views it as a tool used to express the beauty and precision of the martial arts. That such mastery makes a kensei a peerless warrior is but a side effect of intense devotion, practice, and study.

Kensei Weapon Training

When you choose this tradition, your special martial arts training leads you to master the use of certain weapons. This path also includes instruction in the deft strokes of calligraphy or painting. You gain the following benefits.

Way of the Brush. You gain proficiency with your choice of calligrapher’s supplies or painter’s supplies.

Kensei Weapons. Upon completing a short or long rest, choose two weapons to be your kensei weapons. You gain proficiency and weapon mastery with these weapons if you don’t already have them. Weapons of the chosen types are monk weapons for you.

Kensei Weapon Properties:

Agile Parry. If you make an Attack action on your turn and are holding a kensei weapon, you can use it to defend yourself if it is a melee weapon. You gain a +2 bonus to AC until the start of your next turn, while the weapon is in your hand and you aren’t incapacitated.

Kensei’s Shot. You can use a bonus action on your turn to make your ranged attacks with a kensei weapon more deadly. When you do so, any target you hit with a ranged attack using a kensei weapon takes an extra damage of the weapon’s type equal to you martial arts die. You retain this benefit until the end of the current turn.

 

Kensei Armor Training

Your experiences have led to a mastery of your body and your gear. You gain Armor Training in Light Armor and Medium Armor. Additionally, you are no longer restricted when wearing armor to use your Martial Arts and Unarmored Movement features.

One with the Blade

You extend your Focus into your kensei weapons, granting you the following benefits:

Magic Kensei Weapons. Your attacks with your kensei weapons, it can deal force damage in place of its normal damage.

Deft Strike. When you hit a target with a kensei weapon, you can spend 1 Focus point to cause the weapon to deal extra damage to the target equal to your Martial Arts die. You can use this feature only once on each of your turns.

Sword Dance

Your mastery of the blade has influenced your overall conduct in combat. You gain the following benefits:

You can choose to use your kensei weapon in place of your unarmed strikes for your martial arts bonus action strike and flurry of blows. If you choose to do so, strike an additional time (i.e. if 1 normally, hit twice, if 3 normally, hit 4 times).

 

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 reroll it. You can use this feature only once on each of your turns.