Monks of the Way of the Open Mind devote their lives to the study of philosophy, rigorous physical training, and the disciplined application of Ki. Most Monks of this tradition awaken their potential as part of their journey to achieve peak physical and mental form combined with a dedication to meditation.

Spellcasting

Beginning at 3rd level when you choose this tradition, you learn how to mimic the effects of certain spells when you spend Ki points to cast them. When you cast a spell this way it requires no material components, it is considered a Monk spell for you, and your spellcasting ability for the spell is Wisdom.

A leveled spell cast using this feature costs a number of Ki points equal to the spell's level. If a spell you learn as part of this feature can be cast at a higher level, you may upcast that spell by spending 1 Ki point for each additional level. When you cast a spell at a higher level, the level of that spell can't exceed half your Monk level. For example, at 8th level, you can cast Mind Spike at up to 4th level by spending 1 additional Ki point.

You learn spells at 3rd, 6th, and 11th level.

3rd level, cantrips. You learn the Mage Hand, Message, and Mind Sliver cantrips.
6th level, spells. You learn the Mind Spike and Sending spells.
11th level, spells. You learn the Dream spell.

The spells you learn as part of this feature represent your ability to transform your Ki into psychic forces, be they harmful or useful. When you spend Ki points to mimic the effects of these spells, they manifest as your will onto yourself or another creature.

Initiate of the Open Mind

Also beginning at 3rd level when you choose this tradition, you learn the following techniques:

Imposing Presence. When you spend Ki points to activate an ability or when you recover Ki points with your Limit Release, you may choose to activate one or more effects from the list below, but not more than the number of Ki points you spent or recovered:

- Your voice booms up to three times as loud as normal for 6 seconds.
- You cause flames within 30 ft. of you to flicker, brighten, dim, or change color for 6 seconds.
- You cause harmless tremors in the ground for 6 seconds.
- You create an instantaneous sound that originates from yourself, such as a rumble of thunder, the cry of an animal, or ominous whispers.
- You alter the appearance of your eyes for 6 seconds.
- A harmless wind buffets the space around you, disturbing water and loose earth, and tossing small objects that are not being worn or carried.
- You cause harmless sparks to gather around some or all of your body for 6 seconds.
- You temporarily emit an aura of dim light of a color of your choice in a 5 ft. radius for 6 seconds.

Agitating Strike. Once per round when you make a successful melee attack against a creature with an unarmed strike or a monk weapon, you may choose to replace the attack with an Agitating Strike. You focus your Ki into the creature's mind, disrupting its focus. The attack's damage type becomes Psychic damage, then you may spend 1 Ki point to cast Mind Sliver on the creature as a bonus action.

Protective Field. When you take damage, you can use your reaction to roll a Martial Arts die, then reduce the damage taken by the number rolled plus your Wisdom modifier (minimum reduction of 1), as you create a momentary shield of telekinetic force.

Telekinetic. You cast the Mage Hand cantrip without any verbal or somatic components. When you do so, the spectral hand is invisible.

Disciple of the Open Mind

Once you reach 6th level in this subclass your mental prowess improves. You learn additional spells and gain the following options:

Limit Release. You briefly meditate, surpassing your physical limits through sheer will. As a bonus action, roll a Martial Arts die. A total roll of 1 counts as a 2. You lose a number of hit points equal to the number rolled as your body recoils from the surge of power, then regain half as many Ki points. Minimum 1. Once you've used this feature you can't use it again until you complete a short or long rest.

Ki Reading. You learn to meld your Ki with that of another creature through meditation, allowing you to seamlessly exchange thoughts, emotions, and memories while maintaining a physical connection with them. You can establish this connection by gazing upon or making physical contact with a creature for at least 6 seconds. When the physical contact ends, or if you can no longer see the creature. or if the creature moves more than 30 ft. away from you, the effect also ends. An unwilling creature must make a Wisdom saving throw against your Spell Save DC to resist the connection. On a failure, the creature can make a Wisdom saving throw at the beginning of each of its turns in an attempt to break the connection. On a success, the creature breaks free from the connection and becomes immune to Ki Reading for 1 minute or until you spend 1 Ki point to attempt the connection again.

Once established, as long as the connection remains you can communicate telepathically with the creature. A creature that cannot speak or understand you can communicate through emotion, intent, or mental imagery. While connected, you are able to understand a creature's surface level thoughts and its emotional state. If the creature is willing, you may probe deeper into its mind, gaining insight into its reasoning, alignment, a matter drawing its attention, or a piece of specific information that you discuss with the DM. You may spend 1 Ki point to attempt to probe an unwilling creature, which must make a Wisdom saving throw against your Spell Save DC. On a success, the creature breaks free from the connection and the effect ends.

Ki Demon. When you make a successful melee attack against a creature with an unarmed strike or a monk weapon, you may spend 3 Ki points to attempt to afflict the target with a phantasmal force born from your Ki. The target makes a Wisdom saving throw against your Spell Save DC.

On a failed save, you embed a seed of your Ki in the creature's mind, allowing you to create a phantasmal object, creature, or other visible phenomenon of your choice that is no larger than a 10-foot cube and that is perceivable only to you and the target for 1 minute. The phantasm includes sound, temperature, and other stimuli, also evident only to the creature. While the target is afflicted, it perceives the phantasm you create as an assailant meant to attack it. An affected target is so convinced of the phantasm’s reality that it can even take damage from the illusion, which it perceives as a type appropriate to the illusion. A phantasm created to appear as a creature can attack the target. Similarly, a phantasm created to appear as fire can burn the target. As long as the phantasm persists it follows the creature, remaining at least 5 feet from its occupied space if it appears as a creature, or sharing its space if it assumes the form of fire or any entity which might share the creature's space.

Once when the creature fails its saving throw and then each round at the beginning of your turn, the phantasm deals 4d10 psychic damage to the target. On a successful save, the creature takes half as much damage, then sees through the illusion and the phantasm fades from its mind.

At the end of each of your turns following the turn the creature was afflicted with Ki Demon, the creature can make a Wisdom saving throw to determine that the phantasm is an illusion. On a success, the creature sees through the illusion and the effect ends.

When you activate Ki Demon while maintaining a connection with a creature through Ki Reading and you've successfully probed deeper into its mind,  or if you are concentrating on a Mind Spike with the creature, the creature has disadvantage on its saving throw made to resist Ki Demon.

Adept of the Open Mind

At 11th level, your technique flourishes into devastating attacks on both the body and the psyche. You learn additional spells and gain the following option:

Limit Break. You briefly meditate, using your psychic prowess to temporarily transcend the limits of your physical power. As a bonus action, roll 1d4+2 and spend 3 Ki points. You lose hit points equal to twice the total rolled, then you may activate any number of effects from Imposing Presence. Until the end of your next turn you add the amount rolled to the attack and damage rolls made with your unarmed strikes or monk weapons, gain 20 ft. of walking speed, and can't fall unconscious as a result of being reduced to 0 hit points.

At the end of your next turn your body suffers the extreme recoil of the power you unleashed. Your movement speed becomes 0 ft., you have disadvantage on Strength and Dexterity saving throws, you can't take reactions, and creatures have advantage on attacks made against you until the beginning of your next turn. If you have 0 hit points when the effect ends, you immediately fall unconscious.

Agonizing Strike.  When you make a successful melee attack against a creature with an unarmed strike or a monk weapon, you may spend 6 Ki points to attempt to suffuse a creature's mind with your Ki, binding its consciousness within an illusory cell that only it perceives. The creature makes a Wisdom saving throw against your Spell Save DC. On a successful save, the target takes 5d10 Psychic damage and the effect ends.

On a failed save, the target takes 5d10 psychic damage, and you make the area immediately around the target’s space appear dangerous to it in some way. You might cause the target to perceive itself as being surrounded by fire, floating razors, or hideous maws filled with dripping teeth. Whatever form the illusion takes, the target can’t see or hear anything beyond it and is restrained for 1 minute. If the target is moved out of the illusion, makes a melee attack through it, or reaches any part of its body through it, the target takes 10d10 psychic damage, and the effect ends.

When you activate Agonizing Strike while maintaining a connection with a creature through Ki Reading and you've successfully probed deeper into its mind,  or if you are concentrating on a Mind Spike with the creature, the creature has disadvantage on its saving throw made to resist Agonizing Strike.

Mental Resilience. You gain resistance to psychic damage.

Master of the Open Mind

Starting at 17th level, you master not just the Ki of your own mind but also that of others. You learn additional spells and gain the following option:

Cessation of Suffering. As an action, you may spend 8 Ki points to suffuse the mind of a creature you are touching with your Ki, molding it and suppressing the life energy within it, attempting to shatter its intellect and personality. The target takes 4d6 psychic damage and must make a Wisdom saving throw against your Spell Save DC.

On a failed save, the creature’s Intelligence and Charisma scores become 1. The creature can’t cast spells, activate magic items, spend Ki points, understand language, or communicate in any intelligible way. The creature can, however, identify its friends, follow them, and even protect them.

At the end of every 7 days or the full duration of the effect if increased, the creature can repeat its saving throw against Cessation of Suffering. If it succeeds on its saving throw, the effect ends. The effect can also be ended if you spend an action to end it while making physical contact with the creature, by Greater Restoration, Heal, or Wish.

When you activate this ability, you may spend additional Ki points to increase its duration. For every 2 additional Ki points spent, the duration increases to 1 month (10), 6 months (12), 1 year (14), or until the spell is ended by you or one of the spells listed above (16).

When you activate Cessation of Suffering while maintaining a connection with a creature through Ki Reading and you've successfully probed deeper into its mind, or if you are concentrating on a Mind Spike with the creature, the creature has disadvantage on its saving throw made to resist Cessation of Suffering.

Once you've used this feature and a creature targeted by it fails its saving throw, you can't use it again until you've completed a long rest.

Imposing Will. Psychic damage you deal to creatures ignores resistances and is only halved by immunities.