Base Class: Monk
The Way of the Framebound is a monastic tradition built on the belief that movement is not continuous, but divided into discrete moments. Practitioners train their bodies to perceive and obey these invisible frames, accelerating their actions so precisely that time itself struggles to keep up.
At early stages, Framebound monks learn to move and strike at extreme speed, chaining motion and attacks together as long as they maintain momentum. Their techniques reward constant movement and punish hesitation, turning the battlefield into a space where standing still is a mistake.
As their mastery grows, they learn to impose their frame logic onto others. Incoming force can be broken apart and dismissed as frozen moments, allowing the monk to brush aside attacks that should have struck true. Enemies caught without motion or trapped in poor timing suffer amplified damage, as the monk compresses multiple impacts into a single, devastating strike rather than relying on repeated blows.
At the height of the tradition, a Framebound monk no longer limits Projection Sorcery to their own body. They manifest frames directly into the air, suspending frozen moments throughout the battlefield. With a single decision, these frames collapse and detonate, converting stored motion into explosive force that locks enemies in place and tears through those unable to escape.
Way of the Framebound monks do not rely on spells or external magic. Their power comes from perfect physical control, relentless speed, and absolute adherence to motion law. Against them, strength means little if timing fails, and even the smallest mistake can leave an enemy trapped in a single frame, waiting to be shattered.
Accelerated Frames
Starting at 3rd level, your training in Projection Sorcery allows you to divide your movement and attacks into compressed frames of motion.
When you take the Attack action on your turn, you may spend 1 ki to activate Accelerated Frames until the end of your turn. While this feature is active, you gain the following benefits:
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Your walking speed increases by 20 feet
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Your movement does not provoke opportunity attacks
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You may make one additional unarmed strike as part of the same Attack action (this does not use your bonus action)
To maintain Accelerated Frames, you must keep moving. Before each attack you make during this turn, you must move at least 10 feet. If you fail to do so, the extra unarmed strike is lost and your speed becomes 0 until the start of your next turn.
Accelerated Frames represents your ability to strike and reposition faster than opponents can properly track, turning momentum into both offense and defense. Standing still breaks the rhythm, while constant motion keeps you untouchable.
Accelerated Frames
Starting at 3rd level, when you take the Attack action on your turn, you may spend 1 ki point to accelerate your motion until the end of your turn. While accelerated, your walking speed increases by 20 feet, your movement does not provoke opportunity attacks, and you may make one additional unarmed strike as part of the same Attack action (this attack does not use your bonus action).
To maintain this accelerated motion, you must move at least 10 feet before each attack you make during this turn. If you fail to do so, the extra unarmed strike is lost and your speed becomes 0 until the start of your next turn.
Frame Dominance
Starting at 6th level, your mastery of Projection Sorcery allows you to impose frame logic on both attacks and defenses. Frame Dominance consists of three techniques, each fueled by ki.
Frame Slip
When you take damage from an attack or effect that relies on motion or force, you may use your reaction and spend 1 ki point to reduce the damage by one Martial Arts die + your Dexterity modifier.
If this reduction lowers the damage to 0, you take no damage and may immediately move up to 10 feet without provoking opportunity attacks.
Frozen Frame Punishment
When you hit a creature with an unarmed strike while that creature:
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Has a speed of 0
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Is restrained or paralyzed
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Or cannot take reactions
you may spend 1 ki point to empower the strike. The attack deals one additional Martial Arts die of damage, and the target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or be unable to take reactions until the end of its next turn.
Projection Flurry
When you use Flurry of Blows, you may replace the two additional unarmed strikes with a single accelerated strike.
This accelerated strike is one unarmed attack. On a hit, it deals two additional Martial Arts dice of damage. This strike counts as a single attack and cannot be used with Stunning Strike.
Frame Overclock
Frame Overclock
Starting at 11th level, you can push Projection Sorcery beyond your own body, imposing frame logic onto the space around you.
As a bonus action, you may spend 3 ki points to activate Frame Overclock for 1 minute. The effect ends early if you are incapacitated.
While Frame Overclock is active, you gain the following benefits:
Overclocked Motion
Your walking speed increases by 30 feet, and you may move across difficult terrain, liquids, and vertical surfaces during your turn without falling, as long as you end your movement on a solid surface.
Forced Framing
When you move within 5 feet of a creature during your turn, you may force that creature to make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, the creature becomes Frame-Locked until the start of its next turn.
A Frame-Locked creature:
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Has its speed reduced to 0
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Cannot take reactions
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Cannot benefit from bonuses to speed
A creature that succeeds on this saving throw is immune to Forced Framing from you until the start of your next turn.
Accelerated Impact
Once per turn, when you hit a Frame-Locked creature with an unarmed strike, the attack deals two additional Martial Arts dice of damage.
Frame Overclock represents the moment your speed becomes oppressive, freezing enemies mid-action simply by passing them and punishing those who fail to keep pace.
24-Frame Detonation
Starting at 17th level, you can manifest Projection Sorcery beyond movement, creating tangible frames directly within the air and collapsing them into devastating explosions.
As an action, you may spend 6 ki points to create up to 24 spectral frames within 30 feet of you. Each frame appears as a thin, translucent pane of frozen motion occupying a 5-foot square. You may place the frames freely within range, stacking multiple frames in the same space if you choose.
The frames persist for 1 minute, until detonated, or until you are incapacitated. The frames are intangible to you, but enemies experience them as resistance in the air, treating their spaces as difficult terrain.
Frame Collapse
As a bonus action, you may cause any number of frames you created to collapse and detonate.
Each frame detonated forces creatures within 5 feet of it to make a Dexterity saving throw.
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On a failed save:
The creature takes force damage equal to two Martial Arts dice and has its speed reduced to 0 until the end of its next turn. -
On a successful save:
The creature takes half damage and suffers no movement penalty.
A creature caught in the area of multiple detonating frames takes damage from each frame, but its speed can only be reduced once per turn by this feature.
Projection Synergy
Creatures that are unable to move or take reactions when a frame detonates near them take one additional Martial Arts die of damage from that detonation.
Frame Backlash
After using 24-Frame Detonation, your body struggles to re-synchronize. Until the end of your next turn, you cannot spend more than 1 ki point on a single feature.
24-Frame Detonation represents the pinnacle of Framebound mastery. You no longer rely solely on speed or strikes. Instead, you fracture motion itself, weaponizing frozen moments and shattering them at will, leaving enemies trapped in a single instant before impact arrives.
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