Way of the Animal

Monks of the way of the animal are embodiments of the animal that inspires their martial arts style. Monasteries that practice the way of the animal encourage their disciples to observe nature not as an outsider, as a baby animal learning to walk. The variety of skills this way breeds has led to monasteries of the way of the animal being unbreakable bastions, with seemingly no weak points. Whether you strike with the brutal might of a tiger, the cunning of a spider, or the unpredictability of a monkey; the way of the animal can suit monks of every proclivity.

Level 3: Observer of the Wilds

Beginning at 3rd level, due to your time spent in the wild observing the beasts, you have become more in tune with wildlife and nature as a whole.

 You gain proficiency in nature and animal handling, additionally you can communicate simple ideas to animals, with commands/requests no longer than 3 words.

Level 3: Monastic Muse

At level 3 choose one animal from the list below; this animal is you monastic muse, or the animal from which your martial arts derives it’s inspiration. Whenever you gain a subclass feature that lets you choose from a list of animals, you must always select the option you choose at this level.

Way of the Boar

With your martial arts, you bring to the battlefield an unstoppable fury reminiscent of a wild boar. You gain the following:

• You gain proficiency in all melee weapons; two-handed and heavy weapons are considered monk weapons for you, however you must still use STR instead of DEX for the attack rolls/damage with heavy/two-handed weapons

• While unarmored you may use CON in place of your DEX when calculating your armor class

•You can spend 1 ki point  as a reaction when you are hit by an attack that deals piercing/slashing/bludgeoning damage, doing so reduces the damage taken by (CON+Prof. Bonus)

Way of the Crane

With your martial arts, you bring to the battlefield a graceful guard reminiscent of a patient crane. You gain the following:

• Focus Ki- If you used step of the wind or patient defense on your last turn and have not taken any damage since then, you regain 1 ki point at the beginning of your turn. You cannot use this feature on consecutive turns.

• Defensive Stance- When you activate patient defense or step of the wind, you gain advantage on all attack rolls made in the same round. While in this stance, enemies provoke opportunity attacks when they enter your melee range, rather than when they leave it.

Way of the Monkey

With your martial arts, you bring to the battlefield an infuriating nimbleness reminiscent of a playful monkey. You gain the following:

• Split Focus- Once per turn when you hit a creature with an unarmed strike, you can spend 1 ki point to make another unarmed strike on another creature with 5 feet.

Way of the Spider

With your martial arts, you bring to the battlefield an unseen threat reminiscent of a stalking spider. You gain the following:

• Lie in Wait- You can use the hide action as a bonus action.

• Spider pounce- If you are hidden, you can spend 1 ki point as a bonus action to attempt to restrain a creature within 5 feet. They must make a DEX saving throw against your ki save DC; on a fail they are prone and restrained until the end of your next turn, if they succeed they are unaffected. 

Way of the Tiger

With your martial arts, you bring to the battlefield a terrifying fury reminiscent of a roaring tiger. You gain the following:

• Tiger Fist- Once per turn when you land an unarmed strike you can add your STR modifier in addition to your DEX modifier for damage rolls.

• Tiger’s Roar- As a bonus action you can expend 2 ki points to let out a fiercesome roar. All creatures with 30 feet  must make a WIS saving throw against your ki save DC. If they fail, they are frightened for <1 minute; they can repeat this save at the end of each of their turns. If they succeed they are not frightened, and can not be frightened by this ability again for

Way of the Viper

With your martial arts, you bring to the battlefield a debilitating sting reminiscent of a venomous viper. You gain the following:

• Nerve Strike- Once per turn when you hit a creature with an unarmed strike, you can force the creature to make a CON saving throw against your ki save DC. On a fail they become poisoned until the end of their next turn, on a success they are not poisoned.

•Slip and strike- When you attack a poisoned creature, you do so with advantage. Additionally, you do not provoke opportunity attacks from poisoned creatures.

 

Natural Expert

At level 6, your practice in the form of your chosen animal has manifested itself in your movements and the way you approach day to day life. You gain the following:

• Skill expert- You gain proficiency in the skill associated with your chosen animal; If you already have proficiency in the gained skill, you instead gain expertise.

• Footwork of the Fauna- You gain a unique movement option, dependent on your chosen animal

Move like the Boar

• Unimpeded Movement- Your speed is not reduced while you are grappling a creature.

• Ground Work- While you are prone, you do not suffer disadvantage on attack rolls. Additionally creatures do not receive advantage on melee attacks against you due to you being prone.

Move like the Crane

• Crane’s Grace- Use DEX in place of STR when calculating jump distance. 

• Flight of the Crane- When a hostile creature enters a space within 10 feet of you, you can use your reaction to jump away in a direction of your choice.

Move like the Monkey

• Simian’s ascent- You gain a climbing speed equal to your walking speed.

• Flexible Footwork- You can move through other creature’s spaces without requiring a skill check, opportunity attacks made during this movement that miss, instead hit the creature whose space you are moving through.

Move like the Spider

• Climb and Cling- Gain a climbing speed equal to your walking speed, additionally you can cling to flat walls and ceilings

• Tether Zip- As a bonus action you can grapple to a surface within 40 feet. If you land within 5 feet of a creature you can expend 1 ki point to make an unarmed strike against that creature as a part of the same bonus action. Attacks of opportunity made against you during this movement are made with disadvantage.

Move like the Tiger

• Feral Leap- Your jump distance is doubled.

• Leaping Strike- If you jump at least 15 feet and land within 5 feet of a creature. Your next melee attack made against that creature is made with advantage.

Move like the Viper

• Slithering Speed- Standing up from prone costs no additional movement; additionally your walking speed increases by 15 feet.

• Keen Reaction- When you are targeted with an attack you can spend 2 ki points to activate patient defense as a reaction

Animal Spirit

Beginning at level 11, once per long rest your chosen animal manifests as a spirit that grants you supernatural abilities.

(Boar) Relentless Spirit

•Once per long rest when you are reduced to 0 HP, the spirit of the boar awakens in you causing you to fall to 1 HP instead. You can then immediately make a weapon attack or unarmed strike against a creature within 5 feet.

(Crane) Gentle Spirit

Once per long rest you can awaken the spirit of the crane within you as a bonus action, you regain (2d4+CON) hit points; for the next <1 minute you regain (1d4+CON) hit points at the beginning of your turn, if you take damage you stop regenerating health. 

(Monkey) Goading Spirit

Once per long rest you can awaken the spirit of the monkey within you as a bonus action; as you begin heckling enemies near you. All creatures of your choice within 30 feet must make a WIS save against your ki save DC; on a success they are unaffected. On a fail they feel compelled to attack you as if under the effect of the compelled duel spell for <1 minute, they can repeat this save at the end of each of their turns.

(Spider) Silent Spirit

Once per long rest you can awaken the spirit of the spider within you as a bonus action. For the next 1 minute you can remain hidden after making attacks or using special actions; every turn you make an attack roll while hidden or do something that would otherwise reveal your location, you must make a stealth check at the end of your turn. The DC begins at 16, and increases by 1 after every roll.

(Tiger) Savage Spirit

• Once per long rest you can use a bonus action to awaken the spirit of the tiger within you. You enter a savage fury for 1 minute or until you are incapacitated. During this fury you can not take any action except the attack action and all of your unarmed strikes add your STR modifier to damage, this can stake with your tiger fist ability.

(Viper) Piercing Spirit

• Once per long rest you can awaken the spirit of the viper within you as a bonus action. Move as many spaces as your speed allows, any creatures you pass by you can make a single unarmed strike against, attempting to nerve strike each one as a part of the attacks. 

Beastial Apex

At 17th level you have come to fully embody your animal muse’s spirit, you gain an ability based on your chosen animal. 

(Boar) Unstoppable Force

• Reduce all bludgeoning, slashing and piercing damage by (CON+ Prof. Bonus)

• You can’t be moved against your will by any physical force.

• When you hit with a melee weapon attack or unarmed strike, you can spend 1 ki point to attempt to shove the creature with the strike. The target must make a DEX or STR saving throw (their choice); on a fail you can shove them up to 10 feet in a direction of your choice or knock them prone. On a success the creature suffers no effect.

(Crane) Soaring Ki

• You can use your deflect missles ability to deflect magical projectiles.

• If you are in the air you can spend 1 ki point to remain in the air until the beginning of your next turn.

• After using patient defense or step of the wind your crit range increases by one until the end of your next turn.

(Monkey) Crowd Work

• If 2 or more hostile creatures are within 10 feet of you, you double your DEX modifier when calculating your armor class

• When an attack misses you, you can spend 2 ki points to redirect the attack towards another creature within 5 feet as a reaction.

• When you make an opportunity attack, the creature must make a STR or DEX save against your Ki save DC; if they fail, they are knocked prone, if they succeed nothing happens.

(Spider) Anything a Spider Can

• Your spider pounce ability’s range increases to 40 feet.

• If you successfully restrain a creature within your spider pounce ability you can spend an additional ki point to pull them up to 30 feet towards you. If the creature ends with 5 feet of you, you can make an unarmed strike as a part of the same bonus action.

• If a creature attacks you without advantage, it makes that attack at disadvantage.

(Tiger) Bleeding Strikes

• When you hit a creature with an unarmed strike you can spend 1 ki point to force the creature to make a DEX saving throw against your ki save DC. If it fails it begins bleeding until the end of your next turn or until they are healed. If it succeeds it does not begin bleeding.

• A bleeding creature takes an additional 1d4 from every source of damage, and they take an additional 2d4 from your unarmed strikes.

• If you bring a bleeding creature to 0HP you gain a number of hit points equal to your constitution modifier.

Constructs and undead are immune to the bleeding effect.

(Viper) Blinding Speed

• When you use a bonus action to make an unarmed strike, you can make 1 additional strike as a part of the same bonus action. 

• Once per turn when a creature fails against your stunning strike, you can make an additional unarmed strike as a part of the same attack.

• Your movement speed increases by 10 feet.