Way of Many Forms

Many monasteries adopt a particular style of fighting that sets them apart from their distant brethren, but usually only in the visual application of their martial arts. The way of many forms, however, teaches a monk to use these different styles to change how they fight, leaving their opponent vulnerable to the monk’s ever-changing tactics.

Martial Disciplines

When choosing this monastic tradition at 3rd level, you have dedicated yourself to the many forms of martial discipline, emulating the capabilities of the creature the form is named after. Choose one of the following options as your martial discipline, gaining its features.

Dragon

Following the discipline of the Dragon is to channel raw power behind each blow, leaving an opponent bruised and fearful of continued assault.  

Teeth of the Dragon. When you hit a creature with an unarmed strike on your turn, you can use your bonus action to deal additional damage equal to 1d4 plus your strength ability modifier. This die changes as you gain monk levels, as shown in the Martial Arts column of the Monk table.

Frightening Blows. When you hit a creature with one of your attacks from Flurry of Blows, it must make a Wisdom saving throw or become frightened of you until the end of your next turn.

Predatory Stance. Whenever a creature within sight is frightened, you can use your reaction to move up to your speed to an unoccupied space adjacent to the creature. Until the end of your next turn, the first attack you make against a frightened creature has advantage.

Hydra

To rain down an endless barrage of strikes, a monk must emulate the discipline of the Hydra. What would be the many heads of the dangerous creature is channeled into the fists and feet of the monk as they relentlessly pursue a target.

Heads of the Hydra. If you hit a creature with two or more attacks in a turn, you can use your reaction to make one unarmed strike against that creature.

Awareness. You add your proficiency bonus to any Wisdom (Perception) checks if you are not proficient in Perception. Additionally, you cannot be surprised while conscious. 

Sustaining Stance. Whenever you hit a creature with an attack from a reaction, you can spend 1 ki point to regain hit points equal to 1d10 + your monk level + your Wisdom modifier.

Kraken

To control and suppress the capabilities of an opponent is the strategy behind the discipline of the Kraken. A monk who follows this discipline learns to grapple and hold an enemy in place, forcing the flow of battle to follow their command.

Grip of the Kraken. When you hit a creature with a melee attack, you may spend a ki point to attempt to grapple it with the same attack. You have advantage on the Strength (Athletics) check for this check.

Rolling Toss. While you are grappling a creature that is the same size or smaller than you, you can use your bonus action to throw the creature. The creature can attempt to resist the throw by making a Strength or Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, the creature is thrown a distance equal to your Strength ability modifier times 5. On a successful save, the creature is thrown 5 feet.

Holding Stance. You have advantage on Strength (Athletics) checks to prevent a creature from escaping your grapple, and moving a creature that you have grappled and is the same size as you or smaller does not cost additional movement.

Manticore

The purvue of ranged combat falls under the discipline of the Manticore, giving a monk the ability to wear down their foe from a distance.

Spines of the Manticore. As a bonus action, you can quickly fashion together nearby materials to use as darts. You can have up to 4 of these improvised darts at a time. 

Floating Stance. Whenever you make a ranged weapon attack with a monk weapon, its normal and long-range is tripled. Darts are now considered monk weapons for you. After using the Attack action to make a ranged weapon attack using a dart, you can use your bonus action to make a ranged weapon attack with a dart. If you spend a ki point with this bonus action, you can make two attacks. 

Savage Assault. If on your previous turn you hit a creature with at least one ranged weapon attack, the first melee weapon attack you make against that creature this turn has advantage.

Taunting Movement. When you take the Disengage action, you can force an adjacent creature to make a Charisma saving throw. On a failed save, they have disadvantage on attacks against creatures other than you until the end of your next turn.

Sphinx

The perfect defense can only be achieved by being able to react and foresee the moves of an enemy. The discipline of the Sphinx allows a monk to anticipate incoming attacks and deflect them with practiced ease.

Enhanced Insight. You add your proficiency bonus to any Wisdom (Insight) checks if you are not proficient in Insight. If you are already proficient, you add your proficiency bonus twice. 

Sphinx’s Wisdom. As a reaction to a creature targeting you with an attack or spell, you can make a Wisdom (Insight) check contested by their Charisma (Deception). If you succeed, roll your martial arts die. You gain a bonus to your AC and saving throws equal to the total plus your Wisdom modifier until the start of your next turn*. 

(Alternate text *here: against attacks and spells from that creature. You can spend a ki point as part of this reaction to have the bonuses affect attacks and spells from all creatures.)

Mystical Stance. When you use your bonus action to use your Patient Defense feature, you are affected by the Sanctuary spell until the start of your next turn.

Stance of Many Forms

At 6th level, you have learned to transition between the different forms to gain the benefits you desire. By spending 1 ki point at the start of your turn, you can select a martial discipline and gain its features for up to 1 minute. You can only have the benefits of one martial discipline at a time.

At 11th level, you can have the benefits of more than one martial discipline active at a time.

Improved Disciplines

Also at 6th level, you gain an additional feature for your martial discipline.

Deadly Needle (Manticore)

Your ranged weapon attacks count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.

Floating Leap (Dragon)

After making an attack, you gain a flying speed equal to your remaining movement speed until the end of the turn.

Many Arms (Kraken)

When attempting to grapple a creature, you can attempt to grapple one additional creature who is within 10 feet of you. If you grapple a creature that is not adjacent to you, it is moved to an unoccupied space next to you.

Masked Eye (Sphinx)

You are immune to any effect that would sense your emotions or read your thoughts, and Wisdom (Insight) checks against you have disadvantage.

Split Mind (Hydra)

You have advantage on saving throws against being blinded, charmed, deafened, frightened, stunned, and knocked unconscious.

Heightened Form

At 11th level, when finishing a short or long rest, you can choose a discipline to replace your current discipline, gaining its features.

Mastered Disciplines

Also at 11th level, you gain an additional feature for your martial discipline.

Crushing Grip (Kraken)

At the start of a creature’s turn when grappled by you, it takes damage equal to your martial arts die plus your strength ability modifier.

Relentless Strike (Hydra)

You gain a number of charges equal to your Wisdom modifier. If you have already used your reaction during a round, you can use a charge to gain an additional reaction that can be used for an opportunity attack or your heads of the hydra feature. You regain all charges at the end of a short or long rest. 

Scaled Fist (Dragon)

As an action, make one unarmed strike. On a hit, you add 4d8 acid, cold, fire, lightning, or poison damage (your choice) to the damage roll. This action counts as the Attack action when interacting with other features.

Stinging Rain (Manticore)

When you hit a creature with an attack that has advantage, you can make one additional ranged weapon attack against that creature with a dart. This ranged attack does not have disadvantage if a hostile creature is within 5 feet of you.

Wisened Palm (Sphinx)

Your melee weapon attacks have a bonus to damage rolls equal to your Wisdom ability modifier.

Stance of Many Forms

At 11th level, you can have the benefits of more than one martial discipline active at a time.

Master of the Many

At 17th level, you have mastered the myriad of martial disciplines, weaving them together with ease. You gain the features of two disciplines instead of one after finishing a short or long rest, and using your stance of many forms feature no longer costs a ki point.