Way of the Syphon Host

[original concept by Katanamago]

Note: this class is super broken and not meant to for a traditional D&D style setting.

The Syphon organisms are microscopic, hive mind-like parasites that feed, communicate, and defend themselves with the manipulation of electron pathways and their energy. Originating from outer space, they "pilot" asteroids by latching onto them and steering them towards planets rich with life to find hosts, as they cannot survive alone for very long.

The host symbiosis process involves a varied number of Syphon parasites using a bolt of lightning to strike the host and travel into them, breaking down their own forms to alter and merge with the DNA of the host. This process usually causes too much stress on the host body resulting in likely death, but a successful merging results in a being that can manipulate electrons in the same way as the Syphons, but also requires them to survive. Syphon hosts no longer need food or water, and their aging process stops. Instead, they "nourish" themselves by absorbing electrons around them from objects, creatures, etc. The vast majority of parasites congregate in the host's irises, causing their eyes to glow orange when using their abilities. 

Syphons earned their name due to the way their hosts absorb the energy around them.

Successful Symbiosis

At 3rd level, you were struck by orange lightning from god knows where, and now you have cool powers. As a Syphon Host, you gain the following effects:

• You no longer age nor need to eat or drink to survive.
• You are immune to lightning damage, and can choose to absorb lightning based attacks as a reaction and restore one ki point.
• You cannot regain ki points on a short or long rest. You must instead absorb electricity from objects, surroundings, attacks, etc. that have it.
• When you have one ki point left, you gain a special point of exhaustion(this point goes away after restoring ki points.), and you lose consciousness when you have zero ki points left.
• Your eyes glow orange when using any of your Syphon abilities, and you are able to sense the presence of electricity in your surroundings.
• You can create harmless light from your electricity as a free action

Syphon Techniques

At 3rd level, you choose three abilities from the list of Syphon techniques. You choose additional techniques at 6th, 11th, and 14th levels. You can swap out your other abilities each time you get a new one.

Some abilities will allow you to cast spells. To cast these spells, you use its casting time and other rules, but you do not need to provide material or vocal components for them. You use Wisdom for your spell checks. You use ki points to cast spells, and can increase the spell level by 1 for each additional ki point spent.

The maximum number of ki points you can spend to cast a spell in this way (including its base ki point cost and any additional ki points you spend to increase its level) is determined by your monk level, as shown in the table below:

Monk Levels	Maximum Ki Points for a Spell
3rd-8th	3
9th-12th	4
13th-16th	5
17th-20th	8

 

List of Syphon Techniques:

Body Energizer

You can spend a ki point and use your bonus action to pump electricity through your muscles, increasing your speed and making everyone believe you didn't skip leg day. Your movement speed is doubled until the end of your turn, and enemies cannot take reactions against you. At 9th level, you can take an extra bonus action.

Electromagnetism

I get it, sometimes you want to be more subtle with your powers. You can spend a ki point and use your action to create electromagnetic waves to manipulate metallic objects within 30 feet that are under 50 pounds. At 8th level, you can spend additional ki points to improve the range, your ability to move heavier objects, or the number of objects you can move:

• You are able to move an additional 50 pounds per ki point
• You are able to move an object that is 15 feet farther away from you per ki point.
• you are able to move one additional object per ki point, up to four. Bonuses from the other traits apply to all objects you are controlling.

Depending on how you control objects, ability checks may have to be made. (Ex. taking a sword from an orc would require a strength check vs your spell check which is wisdom.) These checks/possibilities will be made at the DM's discretion.

Energy Conduit

As a reaction, you can save a teammate's bacon within 5 feet by redirecting any lightning damage they would have taken from an attack to yourself. You can immediately use the Absorb Electricity ability for the damage you would have received. 

Lightning Weaver

You are able to course your electric energy into your opponents and give them a bad day.

You gain the shocking grasp cantrip, and can cast it without its vocal component. You can spend a ki point to increase its range to 30 feet. at 6th level, you gain access to the lightning bolt 3rd level spell and can cast it without material or vocal components, following the spell casting chart.

Resourceful Harvester

You are able to absorb trace electrons from your surroundings while you rest, replenishing 1d6 ki points on a short rest and 2d6 ki points on a long rest. At 10th level, the dice become 2d6 per short rest and 4d6 per long rest. In addition, you are able to squeeze more energy out when you use Absorb Electricity, allowing you to gain two ki points instead of one. 

Shocking Blows

You can spend a ki point at the beginning of your turn to electrify your strikes, adding 1d4 lightning damage to each melee attack you make until your next turn. The die becomes a d6 at 6th level, and a d8 at 11th level. You'll look cooler than anyone else who punches things, too.

Storm Flesh

You spend a ki point and use your bonus action and surround yourself with defensive lightning, because its the only friend you'll ever need. Until your next turn, enemies that hit you with a melee attack receive 1d6 lightning damage. If the enemy used a metallic object to attack, the die becomes a d8. The damage increases to 2d6/d8 with at 6th level, and 3d6/d8 at 11th level.

Electrifying Strike

At 6th level, when you use Stunning Strike, you can spend an additional ki point to impose disadvantage on the target creature's saving throw. It's a pretty dick move.

Syphon Regeneration

At 11th level, your adept experience with your Syphon abilities allows you to save your health potions and replenish yourself in different ways. When using Absorb Electricity, You may choose to replenish your hit points instead of ki points. If you absorb damage, you heal an amount of hit points equal to the damage you would have recieved. If you absorb from your surroundings, you gain hit points at the DM's discretion.

Super Syphon

At 17th level, while you are at max ki points, you are able to overcharge yourself, absorbing more electric energy than your body can handle. While extremely strenuous on the body, this edgelord move allows you to take on a form that amplifies all of your senses and Syphon characteristics. This form lasts for 30 seconds at 17th level, and 60 seconds at 20th level. When the form ends, you are left with one ki point remaining. However, if you spend all your ki points using monk skills, spells, etc, the form will end early and you will become unconscious. During the transformation, you gain the following effects:

• Physically, your veins begin to glow orange underneath your skin, your hair (if you have it) wildly defies gravity with streaks of light and orange color, and your eyes glow with a much more intense brightness. You become surrounded in a hyperactive orange aura of lightning.
• You are not able to use Absorb Electricity to restore ki points, as you are overcharged. (but you can still restore health.)
• If you are outside, the weather becomes dark and thunderous.
• You add additional lightning damage equal to your available ki points to each melee attack you make.
• All abilities from your Syphon Techniques cost one less ki point to use/cast(meaning some will cost no ki points).
• You gain the ability to cast chain lightning following the ki cost chart for spells.
• Stunning strike inflicts the paralyzed condition instead of the stunned condition.