Monks of the Way of the Shikigami dedicate themselves to the delicate art of paper folding, learning to breathe life into conjured spirits, binding them into skillfully folded paper manikins. A spirits’ power is connected to the life energy of their master, who are taught that only through dedication and the observation of life can one learn to bestow spirits the gift of mind, body, and soul.

Bonus Proficiencies

When you choose this tradition at 3rd level, you gain proficiency in the Sleight of Hand skill if you don’t already have it. Your martial training denotes the importance of quick and precise reflexes. You also gain proficiency with calligrapher’s supplies and 20 pieces of paper.

Paper Armaments

At 3rd level, you can use your action to spend 1 Ki points and create a weapon from a piece of paper in your empty hand. You can choose the form that this weapon takes each time you create it (see chapter 5 of the Player’s Handbook for weapon options). When you create a ranged weapon in this way, you must still provide normal ammunition. This weapon counts as a Monk Weapon while you wield it. This weapon counts as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage. This weapon disappears if it is more than 5 feet away from you for 1 minute or more. It also disappears if you use this feature again, if you dismiss the weapon (no action required), or if you die, and the piece of paper is not consumed.

Paper Manikins

At 6th level, you can summon beasts made from Ki-infused paper. As an action on your turn, if you have a number of pieces of paper equal to four times the creatures’ CR, you may spend 3 Ki points to summon paper constructs that take the form of beasts you have seen before and appear in unoccupied spaces that you can see within range. These creatures are constructs of their original CR and have vulnerability to fire damage.

Choose one of the following options for what appears:

• One creature of challenge rating 1 or lower
• Two creatures of challenge rating 1/2 or lower
• Four creatures of challenge rating 1/4 or lower

Myriad Beasts Bond

At 11th level, your manikins have grown in strength as your Ki becomes more plentiful. On your turn, when you use an action to summon Paper Manikins, you can spend additional Ki points and paper to summon higher challenge rating Manikins.

• 2 Additional Ki points: Creatures double the original CR or lower.
• 4 Additional Ki Points: Creatures quadruple the original CR or lower.

When you summon your Manikins in this way, they lose their vulnerability to fire and their attacks count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.

Dance of the Shikigami

At 17th level, you can spend 4 Ki points and 10 pieces of paper to summon a harrowing storm comprised of innumerable pieces of paper that endlessly whirl and slice through the air in a 15-root radius centered on you that moves with you. Creatures other then you and your Manikins that enter, exit, or are within the area of the storm are deafened and must on a Constitution saving throw or take 4d6 magical slashing damage, or half as much on a successful save.

    In addition, the area within this ability counts as difficult terrain for creatures other than you and your Manikins; and the attack rolls of ranged weapon attacks have disadvantage if the attacks pass in or out of the wind. This storm lasts for 1 minute, until you dismiss it with a bonus action, or you die.