WORK IN PROGRESS!

Monks of the Way of the Passive Fist have shifted their focus towards harmonious peace and diplomacy. These martial artists are less capable of direct destruction, but rather focus on defending their allies and controlling their foes in grapples. A monk who has progressed further along the Way of the Passive fist learns techniques to redirect enemy hostility back into the foes themselves.

This subclass, aside from stealing a pun from a recent indie game, is an aim to bring very different tactics to playing a monk. The focus on grappling and disabling foes is loosely inspired by martial arts like Aikido.

Passive Philosophy

At 3rd level, the philosophy of the Passive Fist alters your perspective on conflict, sapping your offensive capabilities but enhancing others.

When you would damage another creature using any mechanism not specifically granted by the Way of the Passive Fist, the creature has resistance against that damage if it would not already be resistant or immune to it. This includes, but is not limited to, your attacks, spells, auras, and so on.

You gain proficiency in the Persuasion skill. When you would make a Charisma (Persuasion) check to dissuade violence, you may use your Wisdom in place of Charisma.

Supernatural Grapple Control

At 3rd level, your supernatural mastery of ki flows allows you to entrap foes in ways that seem impossible to the untrained eye.

You may Shove, Grapple, and oppose Escape a Grapple attempts against you using Dexterity (Acrobatics) rather than Strength (Athletics).

As your training progresses, you learn to grapple creatures far larger than normal. At level 6, you may grapple creatures two sizes larger than you. At level 11, this increases to three sizes larger than you. At level 17, this increases to four sizes larger than you.

Guardian Technique

At 3rd level, you learn to extend protection to your allies.

When you take the Dodge action, you may spend 1 ki point to defend an ally within your reach, in addition to yourself. This effect on the ally lasts until the start of your next turn, or until the ally is no longer within your reach, whichever is sooner.

Any attack roll made against the ally has disadvantage if you can see the attacker. The ally makes Dexterity saving throws with advantage. You may use your Deflect Missiles class feature on ranged weapon attacks directed at the ally.

Neutralize Ki Flow

At 6th level, you train in the techniques of damaging an opponent's ki flow by stressing their joints and pressure points.

As an action, you damage a creature you are grappling. The target takes 1d6 plus your Dexterity modifier in bludgeoning damage or 1d6 plus your Wisdom modifier in psychic damage. This counts as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage. A creature reduced to 0 hit points by this damage does not die, and is instead unconscious and stable.

You may spend 1 ki point to increase the damage by redirecting the accumulated energy of opponents' failed attacks. Add an additional 1d6 for each weapon attack that has missed you or an ally under the effects of your Guardian Technique within the last minute or since you last used the increased damage version of Neutralize Flow, whichever is fewer. The total number of martial arts dice in a single use of Neutralize Flow may not exceed your proficiency modifier plus your wisdom modifier.

The d6 damage dice increase in size as your martial arts die does: d8's at 11th level, and d10's at 17th level.

You may spend 1 additional ki point to activate this as a bonus action, rather than an action.

Harmonious Way

At 11th level, you gain expertise in the Persuasion skill.

Interrupt Chakras

At 11th level, you learn to interrupt your grappled foes by flooding their chakras with your own ki at a critical moment.

When a creature you are grappling begins making a melee weapon attack, casting a spell, or activating a magic item, you may spend 1 ki point as a reaction. The target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or be stunned until the beginning of their next turn.

This occurs before you learn the result of their attack roll or what spell they are casting. Because this takes effect before they act, a stunned target who is incapable of continuing their triggering behavior does not waste resources such as spell slots or magic item charges.

TO BE DETERMINED

At 17th level, you gain SOMETHING TO BE DETERMINED.