Base Class: Monk
Monks of the Forgotten Fang embrace the pain of battle, not as a means of destruction, but as a path toward self-perfection. They believe true strength is earned through hardship, discipline, and restraint. Their philosophy teaches that power exists not to kill but to test, protect, and help others rise. A monk of the Forgotten Fang seeks to defeat their opponent without taking their life, believing that a strong foe should be allowed to rise again and a weak one given the chance to grow.
Embracing suffering, these monks turn their enemies’ strength against them, using parried blows to fuel their counterattacks with brutal efficiency. They close the gap between themselves and their foes with relentless aggression, always striving to push the boundaries of their power, while adhering to the Code of the Fang: killing should only occur when all other options are exhausted, and never out of anger or pride.
To follow the Forgotten Fang is to honor life through strength, and to understand that every warrior’s purpose is to test themselves and others—never for vengeance, but for the growth of all.
Level 3: Fang One – Rebounding Fang
When a creature lands a critical hit on you, you can use your reaction to reduce the damage by half and immediately make an unarmed strike against them.
- If your unarmed strike hits, you regain 1 ki point.
- If the creature is killed by this strike, you regain 2 ki points instead.
Flavor Text:
The Forgotten Fang does not strike out of anger but in measured retaliation. When an enemy lands a devastating blow, they soon learn that their success was their greatest mistake. A counter-strike finds its mark before they can react, draining the very strength they thought they had gained.
Level 6: Fang Two – Enduring Howl
Mechanics:
When you take damage from an enemy’s attack, you can spend 1 ki point to gain resistance to that attack's damage type(physical only) until the end of your next turn.
Additionally, if you take damage while below half HP, your unarmed strikes deal extra damage equal to your Martial Arts die until the end of your next turn.
Flavor Text:
Every blow lands harder now. You can feel the weakness creeping in as your blood spills, but something inside refuses to break. Your focus sharpens—with each strike, you feel your body adapt, your anger fueling you. Your strikes hit harder as you become the very embodiment of resilience, channeling the pain into overwhelming power.
Fang Three – Relentless Chase
When an enemy moves more than 10 feet away from you, you can spend 1 ki point to instantly move up to your speed toward them and make an unarmed strike.
- Player olls a D4. On a result of 3 or 4, this movement does not provoke opportunity attacks. On a result of 1 or 2, it does.(2x the normal damage on fail not including a critical roll).
Flavor Text:
Your enemy turns to flee, thinking they’ve escaped your reach, but you feel the pull. Every ounce of your being screams for the chase. In the blink of an eye, you close the distance—no hesitation, no mercy—and just before they can catch their breath, your fist meets their face, dragging them back into the nightmare they just tried to escape..
Level 17: Fang Four – Primal Resurgence
Mechanics:
When you drop below 10% of your maximum hit points, your ki surges, and you enter a state of primal resurgence for 1 minute.
During this time, you gain the following effects:
- Vulnerable Frenzy: Your AC drops to 0, meaning every attack roll against you automatically hits. However, all damage you take is reduced by half.
- Rebounding Fury: When a creature rolls 18 or higher on an attack against you, you can use your reaction to make an unarmed strike against them.
- If the attack hits, you regain 1 ki point.
- If the creature dies, you regain 2 ki points instead.
- Abyssal Hunt: If an enemy more than 10 feet away makes an attack against you, you can instantly move within 5 feet of them without provoking opportunity attacks. However, this movement does not allow you to attack—it is purely a forced engagement to keep them close.
- Unyielding Will: You cannot be frightened, charmed, or paralyzed while in this state. Your movement speed also increases by 10 feet.
After the ability ends, you immediately fall unconscious until you reach 85% of you max HP.
Flavor Text:
Normally, the Forgotten Fang avoids killing, preferring to subdue rather than destroy. But in this state, the concept of mercy and your past morals cease to exist. You can feel the darkness closing in, your body failing with every breath. But your spirit refuses to break. As your strength dwindles, something within you erupts—a primal rage that sharpens your senses and turns your fury into a weapon of destruction. Every blow lands with brutal force, and all that matters is ending the fight before you fall.
You move without hesitation. The enemy that once thought they had the upper hand is now your prey. Their strikes land, but you barely feel the damage. Each hit only fuels your ferocity. Your body becomes a weapon, growing more dangerous with every passing second. There is no thought of mercy. You are a force of nature, and nothing will stop you from breaking them.
No one is deserving of your mercy. All shall fall to your unbridled, primal rage. Enemies do not die swiftly. They are hunted, broken—torn apart piece by piece. Their bodies fail long before the killing blow, and the worst part? They remain conscious. Something keeps them awake, forcing them to feel every moment—the snapping of their bones, the tearing of their flesh, the blood spilling from their wounds.
This is not death.
Death is mercy.
This is something worse.