The Way of the Rock is for those who cherish peace of mind and body.  For these monks, the focus is not great speed and acrobatic skill, but rather on overcoming those obstacles to internal tranquility.  As a result, WotR monks lack some of the qualities of their jumpier brethren.  WotR monks do not increase their foot speed over time, and they never master either the Step of the Wind or Evasion.  

This is not to say that WotR monks are slow and clumsy; movement can graceful and even quick, but as a means, not an end.  WotR monks can master all other skills of the general monk class.  Just as importantly, WotR monks can master skills specific to the Order that allow them to surmount many of the dangers of the world.  These skills include: 

Ki Ability - Disrupt Balance: You can expend one ki point to take either the Grapple action or the Shove action as a bonus action on its turn.  When taking this action, you have advantage. 

Thick Skin: Beginning at 2nd level, you get an extra hit point with each level gained.  This bonus increases to +2 at 7th level, +3 at 12th level, and +4 at 16th level. 

Sure Footed: Starting at 7th level, you gain greater control over your movement, and the movement of those around you, providing you with the following benefits:

• Plant - Your check against grappling and shoving increases by one for every three levels of experience, and once per round, you may make a Dexterity saving throw against any attack or other event that could make you prone (or have advantage if such attack or event already provides for a saving throw).  
• Parry - When a creature damages you with a melee attack, you can spend ki points as a reaction to reduce the damage.  Damage is reduced by your Dexterity modifier plus 1d8 for each ki point spent.  
• Redirect - When a creature misses you with a melee attack roll, you can spend 1 ki point as a reaction to cause that attack to hit one creature of your choice, other than the attacker, that you can see within 5 feet of you.

 

 

Damage Resistance

At 3rd level, you gain resistance to one form of damage of your choice ("Resistance Type").  You can elect an additional Resistance Type at 6th level, 11th level, and 17th level. 

In addition, you can gain temporary resistance to any other form of damage for one turn by expending 2 ki.  For temporary damage resistance, you must select the damage type as an action.    

Damage Immunity

At 6th level, you can gain temporary immunity for one minute by expending 2 ki for any Resistance Type, and 4 ki for any other type of damage.  As with temporary damage resistance, temporary damage immunity requires the use of an action. 

Damage Redirection

At 11th level, you can redirect the energy of any attack upon you in any direction by expending 4 ki.  The redirected energy has the same qualities as the attack itself.  For example, lightning will be redirected as lightning, blunt force will be redirected as blunt force, etc., and will follow the same rules (e.g., area of effect, saving throws, etc.), EXCEPT that total damage will be reduced by 1 hp for each point of ki used.

This ability is exercised as a reaction.  The protection afforded this ability solely covers you, but you can expand the radius of protection to 5' with an additional 1 ki, and to 10' with an additional 3 ki. 

Damage Mastery

At 17th level, you can absorb an attack and harness its energy by expending 6 ki.  This ability is exercised as a reaction.  The energy can be harnessed in one of three ways:  

• Energy Armor - Any damage to hit points you would otherwise have taken now become your protective energy - "energy points."  Energy points will be expended in the same manner as hit points, but with no recovery once expended. 
• Melee Energy - Once per turn, you can use all or a portion of its absorbed energy with an unarmed attack.  You must elect to use this energy prior to the attack, and identify the number of energy points you will use.  Those energy points will be expended regardless of whether the attack succeeds for fails.  If the attack succeeds, the amount of energy points will be added "point-for-point" to the total damage (i.e., if you expend 8 energy points, damage for a successful attack is +8). 
• Missile Energy - You can use all or a portion of the absorbed energy for missile attacks (but not bonus attacks).  The missile attacks have a range of up to 120 feet, and otherwise are similar to magic missiles, EXCEPT that:
  • You can elect the number of missiles you will create (which missiles may be directed against one creature or several). 
  • The damage will be divided evenly between missiles. 
  • For each missile created, one additional energy point is used.  So, for example, if you have absorbed 30 energy points, you can create one missile for 29 hit points of damage, two missiles for 14 hit points of damage, three missiles for 9 hit points of damage, etc.