Monks following the Way of the Meridian dedicate their training both spiritually and physically towards understanding the flow of energy inside all living things. Students of this tradition are able to directly influence this flow of energy with the application of ki-infused needles, which can be used to greatly enhance an ally's natural healing ability, or to greatly increase the amount of harm done to an enemy.

Acupuncture

Starting when you choose this tradition at 3rd level, you can create special needles with your ki and use them to harm enemies or heal allies.

You are now able to spend 1 ki point to touch a needle and infuse it with your ki. In combat, you are able to infuse up to 3 needles at a time in this way by using a bonus action and spending the requisite number of ki points. You can have a number of needles equal to your ki point maximum prepared in this way. A creature can only be affected by up to 5 ki needles at any given time. Any needle currently infused with ki loses its potency when you finish a long rest.

Whenever you touch a creature or hit it with an unarmed attack, you can attempt to implant a ki-infused needle into any corporeal target that is not a construct, undead, ooze or elemental by making a check against the target's AC, adding Wisdom modifier+Dexterity+1 modifier to your d20 roll for unarmored or lightly armored targets. Armored targets are more difficult to strike with the delicate ki needle: Wis+Dex-1 is instead added to your roll for medium and heavy armored targets. Natural armor is considered medium armor. You are able to add your Sleight of Hand modifier to this roll if the creature is surprised or unaware of your presence, or in social situations where you are attempting to implant the needle without being noticed. Enemies with a ki needle implanted take 1 extra psychic damage per needle from all melee attacks until the needle(s) are removed. Ki needle affected enemies may make a Perception check vs. your ki save DC at the end of their turn, removing 1 ki needle on a success. An enemy may also spend an Action on their turn to remove 1 ki needle. Any needles removed from an enemy lose their potency. If your initial check against the creature's AC to implant the needle fails, the needle breaks and loses its potency.

A ki needle can also be applied to an ally as a bonus action. The next time this ally regains hitpoints, it gains an additional 1d4+2 HP per needle applied, at which point any applied needles lose their potency.

Traditional Medicine

At 6th level, you gain a more thorough understanding of the potential applications of your ki needles for both healing and self defense. Multiple needles applied to a hostile target now cause the following effects:

• 2 needles: Ability check rolls are reduced by 1d4
• 3 needles: Attack and damage rolls reduced by 1d4
• 4 needles: AC is reduced by 2
• 5 needles: Target's speed becomes 0

Allies with 3 ki needles applied at one time now also gain 3d4 temporary hitpoints the next time they are healed, as well as advantage on Con saves until their next short rest. Allies with 4 ki needles applied also benefit from the Lesser Restoration spell the next time they are healed.

Additionally, your knowledge of traditional medicine now allows you to make better use of healer's kits. As an action, you can spend one use of a healer's kit to tend to a creature and restore 1d4 + Wis hit points to it. The creature can't regain hit points from this feature again until it finishes a short or long rest. You may also spend two uses of a healer's kit to produce a number of ki needles equal to your Wisdom modifier at the end of a long rest.

Moxibustion

Beginning at 11th level, you can utilize your skill with acupuncture and traditional medicine to optimize the flow of ki in the bodies of your allies. As part of a long rest, you can use your ki needles and a secret mix of dried and powdered medicinal herbs to give one ally a tripled jump height, advantage on Dexterity checks and saving throws, +2 to melee attack rolls, 10 extra feet of movement and 4d4 temporary hitpoints. These effects end as soon as the ally loses all of their temporary hitpoints from this feature. You can alternatively use this feature to remove an extra level of exhaustion from one ally during a long rest instead.

Kiss of the Dragon

At 17th level, you have mastered the use of ki needles in close quarters combat. You are now able to make grapple checks using your Dexterity (Acrobatics) modifier instead of your Strength (Athletics) modifier. If a grapple check succeeds, you may automatically implant 1 ki needle and force the target to make a Wisdom saving throw vs. your ki save DC or be paralyzed until the beginning of their next turn. A creature that is immune to paralysis must instead make a Wisdom saving throw vs. your ki save DC or be stunned until the beginning of their next turn.

A creature that has been successfully struck with the Kiss of the Dragon also becomes susceptible to additional ki needle effects until their next short rest, described below:

Every turn a hostile creature starts with 4 or more needles implanted, it must make a Constitution saving throw against your ki save DC or lose its damage resistances until the end of its next turn. 

Every turn a hostile creature starts with 5 needles implanted, it must make a Wisdom saving throw against your ki save DC or gain vulnerability to psychic damage until the end of its next turn.