Way of Aether

When the Weave shattered during the Spellplague, magic scattered like shards of glass across reality. Aether is what leaked through the cracks — raw, unstable essence that lingered. Monks of the Way of Aether seek to understand this unseen energy. Through rigorous discipline and still meditation, they learn to manipulate this current — halting blades midair, pushing foes away without touch, and bending the battlefield to their will.

Level 3: Stillness of Aether

You have learned to let Aether flow through you like breath. Whenever you spend Focus Points, faint streams of luminous energy ripple across your body until the start of your next turn. Your training grants you the following abilities:

• Aether Defense: When you use your Deflect Attacks class feature, you may add an extra 1d4 Aether bonus to the damage reduction roll. This increases to 1d6 at 6th level, 1d8 at 11th level, and 1d10 at 17th level. Additionally, if the attack’s damage is reduced to 0, you immediately gain temporary hit points equal to your Wisdom modifier + proficiency bonus.
• Aether Drift: When you use Step of the Wind, all hostile creatures that attempt to make opportunity attacks against you have disadvantage until the start of your next turn. (The rest of Step of the Wind functions normally)
• Aether Flow: When you use Patient Defense, your movement speed increases by 10 feet until the start of your next turn and you gain temporary hit points equal to your Wisdom modifier + your proficiency bonus.
• Aether Hand: You learn the Mage Hand cantrip. When you cast it, the hand manifests as an invisible current of Aether (invisible even to creatures with truesight). Its range is 30 feet, and it can manipulate or lift objects weighing up to 30 × your Wisdom modifier pounds.
• Aether Strikes: When you use Flurry of Blows, each unarmed strike deals an additional 1d4 force damage. Additionally you can move the target up to 5 feet in any direction (no save) for each successful hit. This extra damage increases to 1d6 at 6th level, 1d8 at 11th level, and 1d10 at 17th level.
• Mind Over Matter: You can use your Wisdom modifier instead of Strength for all strength based weapon attacks.

Level 6: Aetheric Equilibrium

Your study of Aether allows you to control motion and weight itself. You gain the following features:

• Aether Field: As a bonus action, you can spend 2 Focus Points to create a shifting pressure field for 1 minute (no concentration). All hostile creatures within 10 feet of you treat the area as difficult terrain. When a creature hits you with a melee attack while this field is active, it takes force damage equal to your Wisdom modifier as the Aether ripples in retaliation.
• Aether Grasp: As an action, you can spend 2 Focus Points to cause a creature you can see within 30 feet to make a Strength saving throw (DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier). On a failure, it is restrained by Aetheric pressure until the start of your next turn.
• Aether Step: When you start or end your turn, you can spend 1 Focus Point to teleport up to 15 feet to an unoccupied space you can see. This teleportation doesn’t require any action, and you can use this feature only once per turn.

Level 11: Aetheric Meditation

Your body and spirit now harmonize with the Aether’s natural rhythm. As an action, you can spend 3 Focus Points to enter a meditative stance for 1 minute. You can maintain this stance even while moving or attacking; it ends early if you are incapacitated. While in this stance:

• You regain 3 Focus Points when you score a critical hit or reduce a creature to 0 HP.
• You gain blindsight 30 ft. and advantage on Wisdom saving throws.
• Once per stance, when you hit with an unarmed strike, you can automatically disarm or knock the target prone (no save).
• When you move, you can hover up to 10 feet above the ground until the start of your next turn, then gently descend until you touch the ground.

Level 17: Master of Flow

You have achieved total harmony with Aether, able to command its currents with a thought.

Aether Singularity: As an action, you can spend 4 Focus Points to release a surge of suspended force in a 20-foot-radius sphere centered on a point you can see within 60 feet. This swirling point of compression counts as difficult terrain and lasts for 1 minute. While you remain within 60 feet of the Singularity’s center:

• you can use a bonus action on your turn to move it up to 30 feet. Its center must stay within 60 feet of you; if you move further away, the Singularity collapses immediately and forces all creatures within it to make a Dexterity saving throw (DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier).Each hostile creature that starts its turn in the area must make a Strength saving throw (DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier):
  • Failed save: The creature takes 6d10 force damage, is pulled 10 feet toward the center, and is stunned until the start of its next turn.
  • Successful save: The creature takes half damage and is not pulled or stunned.

For 1 minute after creating the Singularity (no concentration required):

• Your jump distance is tripled, and your movement speed increases by 5 feet per hostile creature within the Singularity.
• You have advantage on Dexterity saving throws.
• You can move through difficult terrain without penalty.