Kensei Warrior

Monks of the Way of the Kensei train relentlessly with their weapons, to the point that the weapon becomes like an extension of the body. Founded on a mastery of sword fighting, the tradition has expanded to include many different weapons.

A kensei sees a weapon much in the same way a calligrapher or a painter regards a pen or brush. Whatever the weapon, the kensei views it as a tool used to express the beauty and precision of the martial arts. That such mastery makes a kensei a peerless warrior is but a side effect of intense devotion, practice, and study.

(This is a revised version of the Way of the Kensei Monk subclass found in Xanathar's Guide to Everything for the purpose of adapting it to the 2024 version.)

Level 3: Path of the Kensei

Your special martial arts training leads you to master the use of certain weapons. This path also includes instruction in the deft strokes of calligraphy or painting. You gain the following benefits.

Kensei Weapons. Your Martial Arts feature now include as part of your Monk weapons any Simple or Martial weapon that lack the Heavy or Two-Handed properties, as well as the Longbow. You can also use the mastery properties of two Monk weapons of your choice. Whenever you finish a Long Rest, you can change the kinds of weapons you chose.

Agile Parry. If you make an Unarmed Strike on your turn and are holding a Monk weapon, you can use it to defend yourself if it is a melee weapon. You gain a +2 bonus to AC until the start of your next turn, while the weapon is in your hand and you aren’t incapacitated.

Kensei's Shot. You can use a bonus action on your turn to make your ranged attacks with a Monk weapon more deadly. When you do so, any target you hit with a ranged attack using a Monk weapon takes an extra roll of your Martial Arts die in damage. You retain this benefit until the end of the current turn.

Way of the Brush. You gain proficiency with the Calligrapher's Supplies and Painter's Supplies.

Level 6: One with the Blade

You extend your Focus into your Monk weapons, granting you the following benefits.

Empowered Weapons. Whenever you deal damage with your Monk weapon, it can deal your choice of Force damage or its normal damage type.

Deft Strike. When you hit a target with a Monk weapon, you can spend 1 Focus Point to cause the weapon to deal extra damage to the target or to a creature within 5 feet of the target equal to your Martial Arts die. You can use this feature only once on each of your turns.

Level 11: Sharpen the Blade

You gain the ability to augment your weapons further with your Focus. As a Bonus Action, you can expend up to 3 Focus Points to grant one Monk weapon you touch a bonus to attack and damage rolls when you attack with it. The bonus equals the number of Focus Points you spent. This bonus lasts for 1 minute or until you use this feature again.

When you use this feature on a magic weapon that already has a bonus to attack and damage rolls, the number of Focus Points you can expend cannot exceed a +3 bonus in total; for example, if you expend Focus Points on a +1 magic weapon, you can only expend a maximum of two Focus Points to grant it a +3 bonus instead.

Level 17: Unerring Accuracy

Your mastery of weapons grants you extraordinary accuracy. If you miss with an attack roll using a Monk weapon on your turn, you can spend 1 Focus Point to add one roll of your Martial Arts die to your attack. You can use this feature only once on each of your turns.