Base Class: Monk
The Way of Karmic Exchange focuses on balancing personal gain and loss, good and evil, give and take. Karma will always balance out, especially for you. Decide for yourself how Karma brings balance.
Level 3: Karmic Insight
Starting at 3rd level, you gain insight into the unseen threads of Karmic balance that bind all beings. Through your actions, you accumulate Good Karma or Bad Karma, which affect both your fate and the tide of battle.
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Earning Good Karma: You gain 1 Good Karma whenever you aid a creature of good intent or harm a creature with Bad Karma.
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Earning Bad Karma: You gain 1 Bad Karma whenever you harm a creature with Good Karma or assist one burdened with Bad Karma.
Karma is a metaphysical currency known only to you and your DM. You may hold up to a total of 7 Karma points at one time, in any combination of Good and Bad. This number increases to 11 at level 7 and 15 at level 10.
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Spending Good Karma: As a reaction or bonus action (your choice), you may spend 1 Good Karma to gain one of the following benefits:
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Gain advantage on a single attack roll, ability check, or saving throw.
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Impose disadvantage on an attack made against you.
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Regain hit points equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of 1).
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Reroll a failed death saving throw.
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Alternatively, you may spend 1 Good Karma at any time to remove 1 Bad Karma from yourself.
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Spending Bad Karma: The DM may spend 1 Bad Karma on your behalf to impose one of the following effects:
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Grant advantage to an enemy attacking or targeting you.
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Cause your attack roll, saving throw, or ability check to be made at disadvantage.
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Prevent you from taking reactions until the start of your next turn.
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Force you to reroll a successful death saving throw.
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You may absolve 1 Bad Karma by choosing to take damage equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum 1), no action required.
Level 6: Tarnished Hand
You have learned that the world does not favor those who fight dirty—but sometimes, the reward is worth the stain.
Starting at 6th level, when you hit a creature with an unarmed strike, you may choose to invoke a dishonorable technique. If you do, you immediately incur 1 Bad Karma, and the target suffers one of the following effects of your choice:
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The creature must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw (DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier) or fall prone.
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Your unarmed strike deals damage as if you rolled an additional Martial Arts die.
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The creature is blinded until the end of its next turn.
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The creature cannot take reactions until the start of its next turn.
You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of once), and you regain all uses when you finish a short rest.
Level 11: Karmic Resonance
Starting at 11th level, you can use your Karma to effect others in exchange for the same or similar effect.
Selfless Echo
You may spend 1 Good Karma to aid an ally within 30 feet that you can see. Choose one of the following effects to grant them immediately:
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They gain advantage on their next attack roll, saving throw, or ability check.
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They regain hit points equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of 1).
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They may reroll a failed death saving throw.
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You may impose disadvantage on the next attack made against them before the start of your next turn.
On your next turn, you receive a similar benefit: the first time you make an attack roll, saving throw, or ability check, you may do so with advantage, or you regain hit points equal to your Wisdom modifier, whichever occurs first. If none of the benefits apply by the end of your turn, the karmic energy fades.
Wicked Reflection
You may spend 1 Bad Karma to hinder a creature within 30 feet that you can see. Choose one of the following effects:
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Their next attack roll is made with disadvantage.
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Their next attack deals half damage.
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They become vulnerable to all damage until the end of their next turn.
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They cannot take reactions until the start of their next turn.
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They have disadvantage on the next saving throw they make before the end of their next turn.
However, on your next turn, you suffer the same effect you imposed—no saving throw. You are aware of this consequence the moment you use the ability.
Level 17: Aria of Karmic Imbalance
Starting at 17th level, when you reach your maximum Karma capacity (15), you may use your action to release all of it in a surge of spiritual resonance. This initiates an Aria of Karmic Imbalance, lasting until the end of combat or for 1 minute (whichever is shorter). The effect depends on the ratio of Good to Bad Karma at the moment of release:
15 Good / 0 Bad — Aria of Grace (Pure Good)
A divine stillness falls across the battlefield.
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All allies within 60 feet gain +2 AC, resistance to all damage, and advantage on all saving throws.
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At the start of each of your turns, choose one ally to regain 10 hit points.
12–14 Good / 1–3 Bad — Aria of Mercy and Warning (Good-dominant blend)
You channel righteous protection with a hint of wrath.
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Allies within 60 feet gain +1 AC, +5 movement speed, and may add your Wisdom modifier to the first damage roll they deal each turn.
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Enemies within 30 feet have disadvantage on the first attack roll they make each round, and cannot benefit from cover or invisibility while within 30 feet of you.
8–11 Good / 4–7 Bad — Aria of Equal Weighing (Balanced blend)
Karma hums with both light and shadow.
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All allies within 60 feet gain +1 bonus to attack and saving throws and are immune to being frightened or charmed.
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All enemies within 60 feet suffer –1 AC and take 1d6 psychic damage the first time they damage an ally each round.
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No creature (ally or enemy) may gain advantage or disadvantage from external sources (spells, abilities, conditions).
4–7 Good / 8–11 Bad — Aria of Judgment and Endurance (Bad-dominant blend)
Retribution courses through your spirit, though a trace of mercy lingers.
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Enemies within 60 feet have –1 AC, and their movement speed is halved.
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Allies within 30 feet deal +1d4 radiant or force damage on weapon attacks (your choice).
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Once per round, when an enemy fails a saving throw, you may restrain them until the end of their next turn (no action required).
1–3 Good / 12–14 Bad — Aria of Suffering and Strength (Malice-dominant blend)
Pain empowers your purpose.
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Enemies within 60 feet have disadvantage on saving throws vs your monk features and spells, and cannot use reactions.
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Allies within 30 feet gain temporary hit points equal to your Wisdom modifier at the start of their turns.
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When an enemy misses an attack, they take 1d8 psychic damage.
0 Good / 15 Bad — Aria of Doom (Pure Bad)
Your body becomes the eye of karmic vengeance.
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All enemies within 60 feet suffer –2 AC, disadvantage on all saving throws, and cannot regain hit points.
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At the end of each of your turns, choose one enemy—they become vulnerable to all damage until the start of your next turn.
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If an enemy misses an attack against you, they take 2d10 force damage.
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