Way of the Threefold Trance (Public)

These are monks who learn to channel there Ki into a weapon, or into opening their body's to magic. At the end of a long rest, a monk can meditate, choosing one of three paths. 

Threefold Path

Starting at 3rd level these monks learn to channel there Ki into a weapon, or into opening their body's to magic. At the end of a long rest, the monk can spend an hour choosing one of three paths.

The Path of Sōhei. The monk goes through an hour long process with a melee weapon, going through many positions with the weapon, concentrating and focusing their Ki onto the weapon and bonding with it making that weapon a monk weapon for them.

 

The Path of Spirit. The monk goes through an hour long process with a ranged weapon, focusing their Ki onto the weapon using their third eye to see and interact with the spirits of animals such as eagles bonding with them, the spirits will help guide the monks ammunition to their target. Making that ranged weapon a monk weapon for them.

 

The Path of Zen Meditation. The monk goes through an hour long process, with a combination of study, and channeling all of their concentration into the weave, they gain the ability to cast spells, but at the cost of all of their weapon proficiencies, even the ones that all monks get. The monks body becomes its spell casting focus, Intelligence is their spellcasting ability, and they choose there spells from the Way of the Threefold Trance spell list. They have spell slots equal to the Eldritch Knight, and Arcane Trickster.

 

A monk can change their path, but only after a long rest, if they are unable to go through the hour long process they stay on the path they are on until a new path is chosen, they are able to change the melee or ranged weapon they are bonded to with a short rest as long as they are not changing their path.

Spellcasting

When you reach 3rd level, you gain the ability to cast spells. See Spells Rules for the general rules of spellcasting and the Spells Listing for the Way of the Threefold Trance spell list.

Cantrips

You learn two cantrips of your choice from the Way of the Threefold Trance spell list. You learn another Way of the Threefold Trance cantrip of your choice at 10th level.

Spell Slots

The Way of the Threefold Trance Monk Spellcasting table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your Way of the Threefold Trance spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these spells, you must expend a slot of the spell’s level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.

For example, if you know the 1st-level spell charm person and have a 1st-level and a 2nd-level spell slot available, you can cast charm person using either slot.

Extra Spellcasting Requirments

A Way of the Threefold Trance Monk does not cast spells the same way that say a wizard, or a druid would. A Way of the Threefold Trance monk has to cast their spells threw their touch. When a Way of the Threefold Trance monk uses a spell to buff an ally or debuff an enemy they have to make physical contact with that creature to transfer the mix of Ki energy and arcane energy, even if the spell has a range of more than touch. Remember to always put either a monkish or spiritual spin on it. For example, if a monk uses revivify to bring an ally back to life, think of it as the monk using whatever 300gp worth of materials to punch the ally in the chest and restart their heart.

The only Way of the Threefold Monk spells that ignore the extra spellcasting requirements are spells that simulate weapons such as Lightning Lure, as long as the spell stays in contact with you, it counts as a extension of your body. A spell like Shadow Blade however you can make attacks with it against enemy's with 5 feet, but if you attempt to throw the blade it leaves contact with your body and fades without you making an attack roll.

Your Body is a Weapon

If casting a spell requires the Monk to make a weapon attack such as Booming Blade, or Branding Smite your body counts as a weapon for those spells.

Spells Known of 1st-Level and Higher

You know three 1st-level Way of the Threefold Trance spells of your choice.

The Spells Known column of the Way of the Threefold Trance Monk Spellcasting table shows when you learn more Way of the Threefold Trance spells of 1st level or higher. Each of these spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots. For instance, when you reach 7th level in this class, you can learn one new spell of 1st or 2nd level.

The spells you learn at 8th, 14th, and 20th level can come from the Way of the Threefold Trance spell list as well.

Whenever you gain a level in this class, you can replace one of the Way of the Threefold Trance spells you know with another spell of your choice from the Way of the Threefold Trance spell list. The new spell must be of a level for which you have spell slots

 

Spellcasting Ability

Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for your Way of the Threefold Trance spells since you learn your spells through meditation and study. You use your Intelligence whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Intelligence modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a Way of the Threefold Trance spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier

Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier

Way of the Threefold Trance Monk Spellcasting

Way of the Threefold Trance Level	Cantrips Known	Spells Known	— Spell Slots per Spell Level —
			1st	2nd	3rd	4th
3rd	2	3	2	—	—	—
4th	2	4	3	—	—	—
5th	2	4	3	—	—	—
6th	2	4	3	—	—	—
7th	2	5	4	2	—	—
8th	2	6	4	2	—	—
9th	2	6	4	2	—	—
10th	3	7	4	3	—	—
11th	3	8	4	3	—	—
12th	3	8	4	3	—	—
13th	3	9	4	3	2	—
14th	3	10	4	3	2	—
15th	3	10	4	3	2	—
16th	3	11	4	3	3	—
17th	3	11	4	3	3	—
18th	3	11	4	3	3	—
19th	3	12	4	3	3	1
20th	3	13	4	3	3	1

 

Spell List

So since I can not just add the spells the Bladedancer can do because you can only add like 5 spells onto a subclass normally I am going to write out all of the spells that the Bladedancing monk can learn, the class is going to have "Access" too more spells than what I am writing here, but only the spells written here are spells they can actually learn. It is up to the DM and the player to make sure you do not either accidentally, or purposefully(you filthy cheater) use a spell not written here.

Cantrips: Blade Ward, Booming Blade, Friends, Green-Flame Blade, Guidance, Light, Lightning Lure, Resistance, Shillelagh, Spare the Dying, Sword Burst, and Thorn Whip

1st level spells: Absorb Elements, Animal Friendship, Compelled Duel, Cure Wounds, Detect Evil and Good, Detect Magic, Detect Poison and Disease, Ensnaring Strike, Feather Fall, Hail of Thorns, Heroism, Hunter's Mark, Identify, Inflict Wounds, Jump, Longstrider, Purify Food and Drink, Searing Smite, Speak with Animals, Thunderous Smite, Wrathful Smite, and Zephyr Strike

2ed level spells: Animal Messenger, Augury, Blur, Branding Smite, Calm Emotions, Cordon of Arrows, Darkvision, Enhance Ability, Find Traps, Flame Blade, Gentle Repose, Lesser Restoration, Magic Weapon, Melf’s Acid Arrow, See Invisibility, Shadow Blade, Spiritual Weapon, and Suggestion

3rd level spells: Aura of Vitality, Beacon of Hope, Bestow Curse, Blinding Smite, Conjure Barrage, Crusader’s Mantle, Dispel Magic, Elemental Weapon, Feign Death, Flame Arrows, Haste, Life Transference, Lightning Arrow, Protection from Energy, Remove Curse, Revivify, Speak with Dead, Speak with Plants, Spirit Guardians, and Thunder Step

4th level spells: Aura of Life, Aura of Purity, Death Ward, Elemental Bane, Freedom of Movement, Staggering Smite, and Stoneskin

Path Trance

Starting at 3rd level you gain the ability to go into one of three trance-like states depending on which path you are currently on.

 

The Sōhei Trance. While wielding your bonded melee weapon, you can spend 2 ki points to enter a trance-like state with your melee meditated weapon as a bonus action, making it seem like time slows down, making you react faster. You are harder to hit, and you can do more each round. For 1 minute:

 

• Your speed is increased by 10 feet.
• Your ac goes up by 2.
• You get one more action per turn which must be used to either use the dash action or make one weapon attack.
• You must be wielding your melee meditated weapon in order to enter the trance and wield that weapon throughout the trance if you are forced to drop the weapon you retain your trance as long as your pick the weapon back up before the end of your next turn, if not the trance ends early.

When your Trance ends you feel exhausted from pushing your body so far leaving you unable to move or take actions on your next turn.

 

The Spirit Trance. While wielding your bonded ranged weapon, you can spend 2 ki points to enter a trance-like state with your bonded weapon as a bonus action. You go into such an intense focus on your ranged attacks that your body can not do much but shoot your enemies down. For 1 minute:

 

• Your speed is reduced to zero.
• Your ac is reduced by 2.
• You gain a second attack with your ranged meditated weapon if you take the attack action, or a third when you reach 5th level in this class.
• You can spend 1 ki point to take 1 ranged attack with your ranged meditated weapon as a bonus action.
• You add your wisdom as well as your dexterity modifiers to your ranged attack and damage rolls. 
• You do not have disadvantage on ranged attack roll from enemy's being within 5 feet of you.

When your Trance ends you feel exhausted from pushing your body so far leaving you unable to move or take actions on your next turn.

 

The Zen Meditation Trance. While on this path you can spend 2 ki points to enter a trance like state as a bonus action, making you body become a true conduit for the weave, making your eyes and body glow with pure magical energy. For 1 minute:

 

• When you are hit with a melee attack, the attacker takes magical damage equal to your wisdom+ you spell ability modifier.
• While in this trance, all of the damage you do with spells is pure magic damage, exceeding any damage resistance or immunity the target may usually have against the spell.
• You get one more action per turn which must be used to either use the disengage action, or to cast one spell that has a casting time of no longer than 1 minute.
• You can only lose concentration on a spell if you choose to, but you can still only concentration on one spell at a time.
• You are so concentrated on your trance that while in this trance you can only attack with spells, no weapon, or melee attacks at all.
• You are unable to use the dash action while in this trance
• While in this trance you may spend one Ki point to reroll the damage dice of a spell, the amount of dice you can reroll is equal to you spell casting ability modifier, and you must use the new roll. 

When your Trance ends you feel exhausted from channeling so much of the weave through your body, leaving you unable to move or take actions on your next turn, also you are unable to cast spells until you finish a short rest. 

 

You can use your path trance once per long rest.

The Path of Effort

Starting at 6th level you learn to add your ki to make you a better spell caster. You learn how to add your bonded melee weapon to your Deflect Missles ability. You learn how use your Ki to enhance your bonded ranged weapon.  

The Path of Sōhei. You learn to become one with your bonded weapon, using it as an extension of your arm. You gain the ability to add your melee Bonded weapons damage dice to your deflect missiles ability, both to the deflect and the ranged attack if you choose to do so.

The Path of Spirit. You learn how to expend Ki to improve your shots. The spirits guide your attack, carrying it farther than it could normally go, you can expend 1 Ki in order to double the short and long range of your next ranged weapon attack. The spirits help calm your mind, and quiet the wind of your attack, you can expend 1 Ki point in order to make your next ranged attack silent, not giving your position away on a hit or a miss if you are hidden before making the attack.

The Path of Zen Meditation. You learn how to tap into your Ki magic to bend the weave to your will. You gain the ability to expend 2 Ki points in order to cast a spell that would normally take 1 action, as a bonus action.

The Path of Resolve

Starting at 11th level you learn to channel your Ki into your spells giving you more spell slots, or your spell slots for Ki. You learn to channel your Ki into your bonded melee weapon. You learn to use the spirits guidance when in need. 

The Path of Sōhei. You have trained with your bonded weapon to the point that you are able to take advantage of every opening. When a creature misses you with an attack you may spend 1 Ki to use your reaction to make a Melee attack against them.

 

The Path of Spirit. You learn to better commune with the spirits so they may guide you using the eyes, ears, and wisdom of the spirits to your advantage. You learn to expend 1 Ki in order to make a perception check as a bonus action. You also may expend 1 Ki point to gain advantage on any insight checks. You may also expend 3 Ki in order to detect and know the location of any traps within 30 feet of your current location. 

 

The Path of Zen Meditation. You learn to channel the weave into your body, empowering and replenishing your Ki, or using your Ki to pull some of the weave into your body. You learn how to use your Ki points to gain additional spell slots or sacrifice spell slots to gain additional Ki points. Spell slots gained with this ability only last for 1 hour.

Creating Spell Slots: You can transform unexpended Ki points, into one spell slot as a bonus action on your turn. Below is shown the cost of creating a spell slot of a given level. You can create spell slots no higher than 4th level.

                                           Spell Slot Level                                           Ki Point Cost

                                           1st                                                                 2

                                           2nd                                                                3

                                           3rd                                                                 5

                                           4th                                                                 6

Converting a Spell Slot into Ki Points: As a bonus action on your turn, you can expend one spell slot and gain a number of Ki Points equal to the slot's level.

The Chosen Path

Starting at level 17 you choose one Path that you will walk from now on. The path you choose not will be permanent, with no second chances so you must choose wisely.

The Path of Sōhei.  You walk the path or the Sōhei, the warrior monk now and forever. You spend 10 hours with your bonded weapon going through many positions with the weapon, concentrating and focusing your Ki into the weapon and bonding with it permanently, this process leaves you exhausted, you take 5 levels of exhaustion. The only way for this weapon to stop being your bonded weapon you have to die and stay dead for 10 years. During those 10 years, nobody else would be able to use that weapon as their monk bonded weapon or even attune to it if the weapon requires attunement. The bonded weapon can not even be take from your hand unless you allow it, even when unconscious. additionally, if the weapon you have chosen is sentient, it has to agree to the bond in order for it to work. You can never take another Path, or bond with any other weapons.

• With your permanently bonded weapon, you can use your Trance ability as many times as you want, as long as you have the Ki to do so. Additionally, you have reached such a mastery of this ability that your body no longer gets exhausted at the end of your Trance.   
• Additionally, if the weapon you have bonded with requires attunement, it no longer counts against your number of attuned items.
• Your bonded weapon now has  the thrown property with a range of 60 feet, as soon as the thrown the weapon hits or misses, it instantly reappears in your hand allowing you to use all of your normal weapon attacks at a range.
• When you hit with your bonded weapon, you can expend 1 to 10 Ki points to deal an extra 1d6 force damage per Ki point spent.

If your bonded weapon is ever destroyed, you are still unable to choose a new weapon, but you are able to go threw a 10 hours process, using your unbreakable bond with your weapon to reform it as if it were never damaged. This process leaves you exhausted, you take 5 levels of exhaustion

 

The Path of Spirit. You walk the path of the spirits, you have become one with the spirits now and forever. You spend 10 hours with your bonded ranged weapon, communing with the spirits, if the spirits that have watched over you for all this time find you worthy they will bond with you and your weapon permanently, this process leaves you exhausted, you take 5 levels of exhaustion. The spirits guild you and your attacks as easily as if they had taken form. The only way for this weapon to stop being your bonded weapon is if the spirits find you no longer worthy. If they do though, even in death nobody else would be able to use that weapon as their monk bonded weapon or even attune to it if the weapon requires attunement unless the spirits allow it. The bonded weapon can not even be take from your hands unless the spirits allow it, even when unconscious. additionally, if the weapon you have chosen is sentient, it has to agree to the bond in order for it to work. You can never take another Path, or bond with any other weapons.

• With your permanently bonded weapon, you can use your Trance ability as many times as you want, as long as you have the Ki to do so. Additionally, you have reached such a mastery of this ability that your body no longer gets exhausted at the end of your Trance.
•  You are one with the spirits, using any of The Path of Spirit Resolve ability's no longer cost any Ki for you, so you may now make a perception check as a bonus action, have advantage on any insight checks, and know the location of any traps within 30 feet of your current location without using any Ki points.
•  You learn to use the spirits to your advantage during battle. When you make an attack roll with your bonded weapon and miss, you can spend 2 Ki points to reroll the attack, you must use this ability after the roll, but before you know weather the shot hits, also you must use the new roll. 
• Additionally when you attack you may spend Ki to attack more than one target with a single attack. When you make an attack roll against a creature, you may spend 1 Ki per target (Max of 4), the spirits take form as copy's of your ammunition. You make separate attack rolls for each target, each target must be within range, and all in the same line of sight.

If your bonded weapon is ever destroyed, you are still unable to choose a new weapon, but you are able to go threw a 10 hours process, using your unbreakable bond with the spirits to reform it as if it were never damaged. This process leaves you exhausted, you take 5 levels of exhaustion

 

 The Path of Zen Meditation. You walk the path of zen meditation, you pull the weave into yourself now and forever. You spend 10 hours in a meditative state pulling in the weave and bonding it to your body, this process leaves you exhausted, you take 5 levels of exhaustion. If you die part of your soul enters the weave, making it easier for you to be brought back to life, and your soul is more powerful, making it harder for you to be killed. It is easier for you to understand, and use magic in any of its forms. You can never take another Path, or bond with any weapon.

• Permanently bonding yourself to the weave allows you to use your Trance ability as many times as you want, as long as you have the Ki to do so. Additionally, you have reached such a mastery of this ability that your body no longer gets exhausted at the end of your Trance.
• You channel the weave into your sight, you now have truesight out to 120 feet.
• Every time you deal damage to a target the weave adds to the attack, whenever you deal damage add 1d8 pure magic damage.
• Your knowledge of magic and the weave allows you to ignore all class, race, and level requirements of the use of magic items.

 

 

The Path of Enlightenment. You walk the path of understanding insight and knowledge, you balance all of the paths together into one. You spend 24 hours in a Trance, communing with the spirits, bonding with your melee weapon, and your ranged weapon, and bending the weave into it all, bringing everything you have learned so far into one place, this process leaves you exhausted, you take 5 levels of exhaustion. You now walk all three paths, every ability from the Path of Sōhei, Spirit, and Zen Meditation from level 11 and below are at your disposal at all times. You walk the Path of Enlightenment and are no longer able to choose just one path.

You no longer have a limited amount of uses of your trance ability, as long as you have the Ki you can enter the trance as many times as you like, but only one trance can be entered during your 1 min trance, you may end your trance early if you want, but you still spend 2 Ki no matter how long you enter the trance for. You also still get exhausted at the end of your Trance, being unable to move or take actions for the next turn after your trance ends.