Soul Weaver

The practice of Soul Weaving has many applications. Edelia, the school where Weavers are taught, primarily educates in weaving as an art form. Soul threads can be formed into beautiful tapestries, or incredibly practical magic armor. Throughout history, Weavers have remained divided on the right way to use their talents, between crafting and warfare. A large part of this decision for any individual comes down to the Elemental Spirit they form a bond with as their Soul Ally. A Weaver and their Soul Ally must be aligned in body and mind, neither able to make real progress without the full cooperation of the other. 

Level 3: Soul Ally

You have formed a bond with an Elemental Spirit who has now become your Soul Ally. You are dependent on this bond and the presence of your Soul Ally. Without them you are unable to draw magic in the form of Soul Threads or use any of your Soul Weaver abilities. It is critical for a Soul Weaver and their Soul Ally to align on core values in order for the partnership to work. You may choose the appearance and natural attuned element of your Soul Ally, or have your DM choose for you. The element must be one of the following: Fire (Fire), Ice (Cold), Energy (Lightning), Wind (Thunder), Light (Radiant), or Darkness (Necrotic).

Your Soul Ally is friendly to you and your companions, and will obey your commands during battle. In combat, your Soul Ally shares your initiative count, but they take their turn immediately after yours. Soul Allies tend to stay back from the action in combat, acting as a vessel for you to channel their power, but rarely interacting directly due to the danger it poses to both of you should they be dispelled. They can move and use their reaction on their own, but the only action they take on their turn is the Dodge action, unless you take a bonus action on your turn to command them to take one of the actions in their stat block or the Dash, Disengage, Help, Hide, or Search action.

When your Soul Ally drops to 0 hit points, they disappear, leaving behind no physical form, leaving you without access to your Soul Weaver abilities. They will reappear after you complete a short rest. You can also temporarily dismiss your Soul Ally using a reaction, and they disappear into a pocket dimension until you summon them again. As a bonus action while they are temporarily dismissed, you can cause them to reappear in any unoccupied space within 30 feet of you.

Your Soul Ally's strength and durability on the material plane is dependent on your own. As you level up and grow stronger, their AC and HP will increase alongside yours. For each monk level you take after level 3, your Soul Ally's HP will increase by 1d6 hit die + their Constitution modifier (average 4.5 HP increase). Their AC is equal to 11 + your Proficiency Bonus.

Darkness Attunement

Your Soul Ally is naturally attuned to the element of Darkness. Their attacks deal necrotic damage, and your Soul Claws default to necrotic damage unless you select a different element to attune to over a long rest.

Energy Attunement

Your Soul Ally is naturally attuned to the element of Energy. Their attacks deal lightning damage, and your Soul Claws default to lightning damage unless you select a different element to attune to over a long rest.

Fire Attunement

Your Soul Ally is naturally attuned to the element of Fire. Their attacks deal fire damage, and your Soul Claws default to fire damage unless you select a different element to attune to over a long rest.

Ice Attunement

Your Soul Ally is naturally attuned to the element of Ice. Their attacks deal cold damage, and your Soul Claws default to cold damage unless you select a different element to attune to over a long rest.

Light Attunement

Your Soul Ally is naturally attuned to the element of Light. Their attacks deal radiant damage, and your Soul Claws default to radiant damage unless you select a different element to attune to over a long rest.

Wind Attunement

Your Soul Ally is naturally attuned to the element of Wind. Their attacks deal thunder damage, and your Soul Claws default to thunder damage unless you select a different element to attune to over a long rest.

Level 3: Spirit Looms

All Weavers wear a pair of special gauntlets that aid them in their art called Spirit Looms. Your Spirit Looms project magical energy in the form of Soul Claws aligned with a particular element, usually tied to your Soul Ally. These Soul Claws augment your physical attacks. While wearing these Spirit Looms, you gain the following benefits:

Weaving Tools. You become proficient with Weaver's Tools, and are able to use your Spirit Looms in place of traditional tools. Starting at 6th level, you have expertise on checks with Weaver's Tools.

Spirit Strikes. Whenever you complete a long rest, you may meditate with your Soul Ally to attune your soul to a particular element for the next 24 hours, after which it reverts to the natural element your Soul Ally is attuned to. You may choose one of the following: Fire (Fire), Ice (Cold), or Energy (Lightning). At 6th level, you may choose from additional options: Wind (Thunder), Light (Radiant), or Darkness (Necrotic). You may activate or deactivate your Soul Claws as a free action, and when they are active, your unarmed attacks deal damage of the attuned type instead of bludgeoning damage. Starting at 11th level, these attacks ignore resistance of the attuned type as well.

Level 6: Weaver Techniques

You gain the ability to augment your monk skills with Soul Weaver techniques, gaining the following abilities:

Soul Lock. When you successfully stun a creature with your Stunning Strike, you may spend 1 additional Focus Point to attempt to stun another creature within 30 ft. of you.

Dissipate Spell. Your ability to Deflect Attacks now extends to damaging spell attacks that target only you. The reduction uses your Wisdom modifier instead of Dexterity, but otherwise works exactly the same as with physical attacks.

Sealing Slash. Whenever you successfully strike a creature with an unarmed strike using your Soul Claws, you may spend 3 Focus Points to attempt a Sealing Ritual. The target must make a Wisdom Saving throw. On a failed save, the target is unable to cast spells until the start of your next turn. On a successful save, they make spell attack rolls with disadvantage and saves made against their spells are rolled with advantage until the start of your next turn.

Level 11: Advanced Weaving

The strength of your Soul Ally bond and growing connection to the Weave grants you the ability to shape soul threads drawn from your Soul Ally into spells. You learn 2 spells of your choice from the Wizard spell list. One must be 5th level or lower, the other must be 3rd level or lower. At 17th level you may choose 2 additional spells following the same restrictions. Every time you take a level in monk you may change any number of your selected spells, as long as the new selections respect the spell level restrictions.

You may cast these spells by spending a number of Focus Points equal to the spell's level. Once a spell has been cast this way it cannot be used again until you complete a short rest. Wisdom is your spell casting ability for spells cast this way.

Level 17: Synchronize

You have perfected your bond with your Soul Ally. As an action, you may spend 5 Focus Points to merge with your Soul Ally and reach an elevated state of body and mind for 1 minute. While in this elevated state, you receive the following benefits:

Soul Speed. Your movement speed and jump distance are doubled. Your movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity.

Flurry of Souls. You are able to use Flurry of Blows without expending any Focus Points. Attacks with your Soul Claws ignore immunity to your attuned element.

Soul Darts. You may expel shards from your Soul Claws as ranged attacks. You may replace any number of unarmed strikes with ranged attacks with a 20 ft. / 60 ft. range. These attacks deal damage based on your attuned element.

Soul Burst. You may end synchronization early as an action. When you do so, make 4 ranged attack rolls against any combination of creatures you can see within 120 feet of you. On a hit, each beam deals Force damage equal to two rolls of your Martial Arts Die + your Wisdom modifier. Attacks made against a target that has already been hit by at least one beam are made with advantage.

If you are reduced to 0 Hit Points while Synchronized, you make an uncontrolled Soul Burst immediately, rolling the attacks at disadvantage. Then your Soul Ally is dispelled, and you regain 1 Hit Point plus Temporary Hit Points equal to your Monk Level + 2 rolls of your Martial Arts Dice. 

Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a Long Rest.