Way of the Opened Gates

While many monks strive for subtlety and longevity, a monk of the Opened Gates tradition prefers to triumph in displays of raw power and skill- they are subjects to the ravages of time like most mortals, but it's a wonder they don't burn out long before they reach old age. Through rigorous and brutal training, they learn to focus their ki through specific points in their bodies, entering a state of amazing agility and power that heavily taxes their stamina.

The life of an adventurer is never easy. Many monks are content to stay and train in their monasteries; those who seek out the knowledge and power of the Ki Gates are usually filled with dark ambition, a desire to right an injustice, or to defend their homes when all other measures have been exhausted. The first departure comes when seeking out the techniques, for they are rare, and their existence closely guarded. As a monk, you probably spent a while training with a new master in these techniques, before either returning to your monastery, or heading off on your adventure.

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Ki Gates

Some speak of there being eight, but in practice there are four ki gates that define the powers of a Way of the Opened Gates monk. They go by many names, varying with the specific tradition.

The first gate is the one that initially allows the state of Opened Gates to be entered. It takes almost complete focus, and in the beginning can only be opened a few times a day. This gate is the one that keeps most from a prolonged pursuit of the Way: managing one's ki is one thing, but it is another altogether to keep the vast reserves held in check by the Ki Gates under control.

The second gate taps into the body's reserves of healing- and without it, the strain of opening this gate would lead to almost fatal levels of exhaustion. With long and arduous practice, those who master this gate can use the ki it unleashes to withstand blows that would normally be life-ending.

The third gate heightens mental clarity. Whereas most monks around this stage of their journey focus on finding mental resonance with other creatures and thereby can be understood almost universally, the focus of this ki gate is deep within. It takes much wisdom to make progress with it, but mastering it gives unmatched precision of motion.

The fourth gate is the most dynamic of all, tapping into the ki that powers individuals in the most dire of life-or-death moments. To master it is to come face to face with your own mortality- as doing so erodes the experienced monk's resistance to aging- because without the painfully slow but necessary progress with this gate, opening it would completely mutilate the user's body beyond repair. While many monks have heard whispers of the power of this gate, even among those of the Way its use is rare, as most find the price of mastering it just too high to pay.

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Ki Artistry

While most know Way of the Open Gate monks for their physical prowess, their profound control over their ki also lends itself to mental pursuits. In a different way than most monks, those of the Opened Gate find harmony with their surroundings through their ki, allowing them some control over the elements and the ki of others. This harmony and understanding may manifest as causing berries to grow, or wielding flame and frost, or helping others to unlock their own hidden potential. Ki artistry is a point of pride for those who commit to the Way, as it is a comfort and relief from the harsh demands of the Way's physical pursuits, and a type of active relaxation that they cultivate.

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Open the Gate

In battle, you fight with savage grace. On your turn, you can open a Ki Gate to enter the state of an Opened Gate as a bonus action.

While in the state of an Opened Gate, you gain the following benefits if you aren’t wearing armor or a shield:

• You have advantage on Dexterity checks and Dexterity saving throws.
• When you make a melee weapon or Martial Arts attack using Dexterity, you gain a bonus to the damage roll that increases as you gain levels as a monk, as shown in the Opened Gate column of the table.
• You have resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage.

If you are able to cast spells, you can’t cast them or concentrate on them while under the intense strain of an Opened Gate.

Your Opened Gate status lasts for 1 minute. It ends early if you are knocked unconscious or if your turn ends and you haven’t attacked a hostile creature since your last turn or taken damage since then. You can also end the state on your turn as a bonus action.

Once you have opened Ki Gates the number of times shown for your Monk level in the Gates column of the table, you must finish a long rest before you can open a Ki Gate again.

MONK LEVEL | KI GATES | OPENED GATE

• 3rd: ---------- 3 -------------- +2
• 6th: ---------- 4 -------------- +2
• 9th: ---------- 4 -------------- +3
• 12th: -------- 5 --------------- +3
• 16th: -------- 5 --------------- +4
• 17th: -------- 6 --------------- +4
• 20th: -------- ∞ --------------- +4

Purity of Focus

Your mastery of the ki flowing through you allows you to deal devastating blows. You can roll additional damage dice when determining the extra damage for a critical hit with a melee attack or Martial Arts while in your Opened Gate state. The number of die are equal to the bonus damage from an opened Ki Gate.

Invigorating Ki

The energy from an Opened Gate becomes intense enough to stave off death. Starting at 6th level, your Opened Gate state can keep you fighting despite grievous wounds. If you drop to 0 hit points while you’re in the Opened Gate state and don’t die outright, you can spend a ki point to make a DC 10 Constitution saving throw. If you succeed, you drop to 1 hit point instead.

Each time you use this feature after the first, the DC increases by 5. When you finish a short or long rest, the DC resets to 10. If you successfully use this feature more than once after a long rest you suffer a level of Exhaustion.

Forbidden Gate

Too much for most to handle, the ki of this gate gives clarity of mind as well as stamina. Beginning at 17th level, your Opened Gate ki is so fierce that your Opened Gate state ends early only if you fall unconscious or if you choose to end it.

 

Spellcasting

Aside from the overwhelming sheer force of the Ki Gates, your control of your ki allows some control over the elements and the flow of ki in other creatures, giving you access to some Sorcerer and Druid spells and augmenting your spell slots with your ki. You gain access to Druid or Sorcerer spells, and are able to cast them without expending a spell slot by instead expending a ki point for each spell level. For these spells, you use your Ki save DC: = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier.