Way of Ruin

Monks of the Way of Ruin reject their peers' ideals of serenity and peace. Instead, they dedicate themselves to strength and to anger, embracing their fury as a honing steel for their brutal, merciless style of martial arts. Thus, they become no sages or warriors of grace, but walking embodiments of destruction, with fists that can shatter rock and raze entire buildings.

Brutal Might

Beginning when you choose this tradition at 3rd level, you’ve become a master of brutal force. You gain proficiency in the Strength (Athletics) skill and gain the following features:

Ruinous Strength. You use your Strength modifier, instead of your Dexterity modifier, when you use your Deflect Missiles feature and when determining your Unarmored Defense.

Shattering Blows. Whenever you hit a creature or object with an unarmed strike and your attack roll exceeds the target’s AC by 5 or more, you can choose to deal extra thunder damage to it equal to one roll of your Martial Arts die.

Destructive Arts

Also at 3rd level, you’ve learnt new combat techniques that fully encapsulate the ferocity with which you fight. You gain the following abilities:

Bursting Fist. Once on each of your turns when you hit a creature with an unarmed strike, you can spend 1 ki point to amplify its power, generating a blast of force from the impact. All creatures in a 15-foot cone originating from you must make a Constitution saving throw. The target of your unarmed strike has disadvantage on its saving throw. On a failed save, a creature takes thunder damage equal to 1d4 + your Wisdom modifier. If the unarmed strike scored a critical hit, you also roll an additional damage die when determining the damage of the cone of force.

At 11th level, the damage die increases in size from a d4 to a d6.

Crushing Leap. As an action, you can spend 1 ki point to empower your legs and leap towards a creature you can see within 15 feet. This movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity and does not count towards your movement on your current turn. Upon landing, you can make a single unarmed strike against the target, adding a bonus to your attack roll equal to your Wisdom modifier. On a hit, the target must make a Strength saving throw. On a failed save, the target is knocked prone. Using this feature counts as taking the Attack action for the purpose of using your Flurry of Blows feature.

Roaring Wave. As an action, you can spend 2 ki points to violently strike or stomp the ground, creating a shockwave that ripples out from you. All creatures within 15 feet of you that are standing on the ground must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, a creature takes thunder damage equal to 2d8 + your Wisdom modifier. The shockwave spreads around corners and damages any non-magical objects that aren't being worn or carried.

At 6th level, you can spend up to 6 extra ki points as part of this feature, increasing the thunder damage dealt by 1d8 per additional ki point spent.

Siege Might

At 6th level, your body is an instrument of demolition. When you hit a non-magical object or structure with an unarmed strike, you can choose to deal maximum damage instead of rolling. Moreover, constructs have disadvantage on saving throws made against your class features.

At 9th level, you deal double damage to objects and structures.

Demolishing Charge

Also at 6th level, only the greatest of obstacles can hope to impede your advance. Whenever you take the Dash action, you can spend 1 ki point to gain the following benefits until the end of your current turn:

• You can move through an enemy’s space, though it costs you 2 feet of movement for every 1 foot you move. If the enemy is of Large or smaller size, you can also force it to make a Strength saving throw when you pass through its space. On a failed save, it is knocked 5 feet in a direction of your choice. A single creature cannot be forced to make a saving throw against this effect more than once per turn.
• As part of your movement, you can attempt to break down solid objects. Upon making contact with a non-magical object while moving, you can choose to deal bludgeoning damage equal to three times your monk level to it. If the object is two or more size categories larger than you, you instead deal this damage to a section of the object that is no larger than you.

Calamitous Arts

At 11th level, you’ve mastered your destructive techniques. The abilities of your Destructive Arts feature improve in the following ways:

Bursting Fist. The cone increases in size to 30 feet.

Crushing Leap. If the unarmed strike hits, the target is pushed up to 30 feet away from you, in addition to being knocked prone. Furthermore, if the target impacts a creature or object, both the target and what it impacts takes bludgeoning damage equal to two rolls of your Martial Arts die.

Roaring Wave. The shockwave expands to affect all creatures within 30 feet, and targets who fail their saving throw are also knocked prone.

Rumbling Impacts

At 17th level, your ferocious strikes cause the very earth to tremble. Whenever you spend 1 or more ki points as part of a melee attack, the attack scores a critical hit on a 19-20. Furthermore, whenever you score a critical hit with an unarmed strike, the target and each creature within 15 feet of you (other than yourself) must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, a creature takes thunder damage equal to two rolls of your Martial Arts die and becomes deafened until the beginning of your next turn. This impact emits a thunderous rumble audible up to 300 feet away. On a successful save, a creature takes half damage, isn’t deafened, and becomes immune to this feature for the next 8 hours.