Warrior of Animal Forms

Monks who study The Way of Animal Forms embrace the hidden power of the natural world. Studying various animals have led to a greater understanding of how to unlock hidden power within themselves. This could be the raw power of a tiger's strikes, the speed of a mantis, the precision of a viper, the dexterity and grappling ability of a monkey or even the grace of a crane. Those who have truly mastered this way of martial prowess even lay claim to embodying the power and defensive ability of a dragon.....

Level 3: Animal Stance

Starting at 3rd level you can choose one of the following stances and gain the following benefits when in the stance. At the start of each combat you can assume the form and it then costs you a bonus action to change form.

Crane - you gain +5ft reach on your attacks and can take the Step of the Wind Dash Action without expending a Ki point; when you do so enemies have disadvantage on opportunity attacks against you. You can expend a Focus Point to make it impossible for opportunity attacks to be taken against you.

Reaction, Cranes Grace: you gain a +2 on a deflect attacks reaction and if it was a missile weapon, the enemy has disadvantage on the saving throw against the redirected damage.

Tiger - You gain +2 damage to your attacks and your unarmed damage becomes slashing. You also gain advantage on strength and constitution saving throws.

Reaction Tigers Wrath: you gain +2 to hit on an opportunity attack and if you hit you deal an extra D6 slashing damage in addition.

Monkey - you gain a climbing speed equal to your movement plus 5ft for each number in your Dex modifier. You can also use your Dexterity score for grapple checks and you gain advantage on them.

Reaction - Monkey’s Mischief: You may choose to forgo an opportunity attack to grapple an opponent using your Dex score with advantage OR force them to make a Dex save (DC = 10 + your Dex modifier) and if they fail they are knocked prone and their movement is reduced to zero.

Viper - you gain +2 AC and you can take the patient defence bonus action without expending a Focus Point. You also gain advantage on dexterity savings throws. You can expend a Focus Point to have advantage when making opportunity attacks.

Reaction - Viper’s Strike: You can use your reaction to make an opportunity attack and when you do so your enemy must make a constitution saving throw (DC = 10 + Your Wisdom modifier) or gain the poisoned condition.

Mantis - you gain advantage on ranged attacks and unarmed strikes. You gain advantage on wisdom saving throws and can expend a Focus Point to take an attack action as a bonus action.

Reaction - Mantis Trap: Add a D6 to the 'Deflect Attacks' Reaction and, if it was a melee attack, enemy has disadvantage on the saving throw against redirected damage.

Animalistic weaponry:

Upon choosing your first form certain weapons ‘Monk’ weapons when in that form. You may spend a focus point when using a bonus action to switch stances to also swap weapon.

Crane = Rapiers and Shortswords

Tiger = Great Weapons

Monkey = Longswords and Hand Axes

Viper = Pikes, Tridents, Spears, Glaives and Halberds

Mantis = Cross Bows, Short Bows and Long Bows

Crane

Crane - you gain +5ft reach on your attacks and can take the Step of the Wind Dash Action without expending a Ki point; when you do so enemies have disadvantage on opportunity attacks against you. You can expend a Focus Point to make it impossible for opportunity attacks to be taken against you.

Reaction, Cranes Grace: you gain a +2 on a deflect attacks reaction and if it was a missile weapon, the enemy has disadvantage on the saving throw against the redirected damage

Form of the Dragon

Base AC becomes 18 before modifiers, any critical hits become normal ones against you and if, after all modifiers, an attack roll you make is at least 5 over a creatures AC you can spend a Ki point to make it count as a critical hit.

Mantis

Mantis - you gain advantage on ranged attacks and unarmed strikes. You gain advantage on wisdom saving throws and can expend a Ki point to take an attack action as a bonus action.

Reaction - Mantis Trap: Add a D6 to the 'Deflect Attacks' Reaction

Monkey

You gain a climbing speed equal to your movement plus 5ft for each number in your Dex modifier. You can also use your Dexterity score for grapple checks and you gain advantage on them.

Reaction - Monkey’s Mischief: You may choose to forgo an opportunity attack to grapple an opponent using your Dex score with advantage OR force them to make a Dex save (DC = 10 + your Dex modifier) and if they fail they are knocked prone and their movement is reduced to zero.

Tiger

You gain +2 damage to your attacks and your unarmed damage becomes slashing. You also gain advantage on strength and constitution saving throws.

Reaction Tigers Wrath: you gain +2 to hit on an opportunity attack and if you hit you deal an extra D6 slashing damage in addition.

Viper

Viper - you gain +2 AC and you can take the patient defence bonus action without expending a Ki Point. You also gain advantage on dexterity savings throws. You can expend a Ki point to have advantage when making opportunity attacks.

Reaction - Viper’s Strike: You can use your reaction to make an opportunity attack and when you do so your enemy must make a constitution saving throw (DC = 10 + Your Wisdom modifier) or gain the poisoned condition.

Level 6: Animalistic Meditation

6th Level -

2 Additional Stance choices.

Animalistic Meditation:

For each Animal Form you have chosen you may expend a ki point to meditate for 1 minute and gain the following benefits until a short rest or you meditate again:

Crane = You gain a fly speed equal to half your movement plus 5ft per Dex modifier.

Tiger = Advantage on all strength based checks and intimidation checks alongside proficiency/ double proficiency (if you already have proficiency). Gain darkvision.

Monkey = A climb speed equal to your movement plus 5ft for each Dex modifier. Advantage on acrobatics and sleight of hand checks as well as proficiency/ double proficiency (if you already have proficiency).

Viper = Advantage on medicine, nature and survival checks alongside proficiency/ double proficiency (if you already have proficiency)

Mantis = Immunity to being charmed. Advantage in persuasion and deception checks alongside proficiency/ double proficiency (if you already have proficiency).

You may also expend a bonus action to study a non magical animal/ creature you are fighting and understand one weakness or resistance - you find out this information on your next turn.

Crane

Crane = You gain a fly speed equal to half your movement plus 5ft per Dex modifier.

Mantis

Mantis = Immunity to being charmed. Advantage in persuasion and deception checks alongside proficiency/ double proficiency (if you already have proficiency).

Monkey

Monkey = A climb speed equal to your movement plus 5ft for each Dex modifier. Advantage on acrobatics and sleight of hand checks as well as proficiency/ double proficiency (if you already have proficiency).

Tiger

Tiger = Advantage on all strength based checks and intimidation checks alongside proficiency/ double proficiency (if you already have proficiency). Gain Darkvision.

Viper

Viper = Advantage on medicine, nature and survival checks alongside proficiency/ double proficiency (if you already have proficiency)

Level 11: Animalistic Elements

At 11th Level your unarmed strikes gain an elemental damage associated with each Animal form when in the form. You also gain resistance to the associated damage type when in that form.

Viper = Poison

Tiger = Fire

Crane = Cold

Mantis = Acid

Monkey = Force

Forms Fury

You can expend 2 Focus Points and an action to unleash a cone of elemental damage of the form you are in, which does 4d6 plus your Wisdom modifier. You may do this once per long rest.

Your ability to study animals and creatures extends to magical ones and you can opt to learn the AC of them rather than a resistance or weakness.

Dragon Stance

You channel inner power of Dragonkind. 

Level 17 - Form of the Dragon

Your base AC becomes 18 before modifiers, any critical hits become normal ones against you and if, after all modifiers, an attack roll you make is at least 3 over a creatures AC you can spend a Ki point to make it count as a critical hit. Your unarmed strikes deal Radiant damage