Way of the Guarded Aspect

The Order of the Twin Aspects

The Mark and the Forms

The Forms of the Order of the Twin Aspects were not invented—they were observed.

After the Sundering Campaigns, the twin founders abandoned conventional warfare and turned instead to the natural world. They studied beings that endured not through aggression, but through inevitability. Creatures that did not merely survive conflict, but reshaped it through presence alone.

From these observations came the Forms—disciplined expressions of breath, posture, motion, and intent. A Form is not a technique. It is a truth embodied.

Each Form reflects a legendary guardian:

• The Zaratan, whose shell bears continents.
• The Dragon Turtle, whose tide buries empires.
• The Phoenix Warden, whose flame protects rather than consumes.
• The Great Roc, whose shadow commands the sky.
• The Kirin, whose lightning moves only with purpose.
• The Astral Colossus, who anchors fractured reality.
• The Empyrean Sentinel, whose presence inspires defiance.
• The Gravewarden Leviathan, who stands where death must not pass.

These truths may be expressed in two ways: to endure, or to destroy. Thus, the Guarded Aspect and the Rending Aspect were born.

It is said that when Kaelen finally fell in battle, Seris stood alone for three days without moving, guarding his body until the fighting ceased. When Seris died years later, Kaelen’s axe was found driven into the earth beside her resting place, its edge never dulled.

The Order has endured ever since.

Level 3: Intercepting Stance

When a creature you can see within 5 feet of you is hit by an attack, you may use your reaction and spend 1 ki point to reduce the damage by:

1d10 + your Wisdom modifier + your monk level

If this reduces the damage to 0, you may immediately swap places with the protected creature, provided it is your size or smaller.

Level 3: Guarded Reprisal

Once per turn when you hit a creature with an unarmed strike or a monk weapon, you may deal additional damage based on your active Guarded Form. The damage type matches your Form’s element.

The extra damage is:
2d4 at 3rd level
2d6 at 7th level
2d8 at 15th level

This feature requires no action and no ki.

Level 3: Open Hand Technique

Whenever you hit a creature with an attack granted by your Flurry of Blows, you can impose one of the following effects on that target.

Addle. The target can’t make Opportunity Attacks until the start of its next turn.

Push. The target must succeed on a Strength saving throw or be pushed up to 15 feet away from you.

Topple. The target must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or have the Prone condition.

Level 6: Anchored Form

When you use Intercepting Stance, your active Guarded Form grants an additional effect:

Zaratan: You gain resistance to all damage until the start of your next turn.
Dragon Turtle: The attacker’s speed becomes 0 until the end of its next turn.
Phoenix Warden: The attacker takes fire damage equal to your Wisdom modifier.
Great Roc: You may push the attacker up to 10 feet away from the protected creature.
Kirin: You may move yourself or the protected creature up to 10 feet without provoking opportunity attacks.
Astral Colossus: The attacker has disadvantage on its next attack roll.
Empyrean Sentinel: The protected creature gains temporary hit points equal to twice your proficiency bonus (these temporary hit points do not stack).
Gravewarden Leviathan: The attacker has disadvantage on the next saving throw it makes before the end of its next turn.

Can only be used x Level in Monk per long rest.

 

Level 11: Living Bulwark

While you are conscious and not incapacitated:

• You cannot be forcibly moved unless you choose to be.
• Allies equal to the player's Proficiency bonus within 30 feet of you gain a +1 bonus to AC. 

In addition, when you use Intercepting Stance, you may spend ki points proportionally to increase the bonus to AC by 1.

Level 11: Fleet Step

When you take a Bonus Action other than Step of the Wind, you can also use Step of the Wind immediately after that Bonus Action.

Level 17: Immutable Guardian

When a creature you can see within 10 feet of you would be reduced to 0 hit points, you may use your reaction and spend 3 ki points to reduce that creature to 1 hit point instead.

If you do, you become immune to all damage until the start of your next turn.

There is no limit to how often you may use this feature, other than your available ki.