Hokuto Shinken

The art's power is focused into channeling one's energy in a single blow and striking into the 708 pressure points in the body. These pressure points destroy the enemy from within, and causes the victim to explode, or otherwise incapacitated. It can also be used to heal certain physical and psychological wounds, such as restoring a person's voice, eyesight or memories, though the main purpose of Hokuto Shinken is assassination. When trying to destroy or manipulate a target, a pressure point must be struck with great strength and accuracy. Conversely to cause a healing effect, the pressure points must be touched with precise gentleness. In either case a great level of skill is required to trigger the desired effects. An inexperienced user may cause an alternative reaction or simply nothing, and in the most extreme cases it can backfire.

While a normal fighter uses 30% of his natural abilities, a Hokuto Shinken successor knows how to utilize his remaining 70% using the Art of Dragon's Breathing. They also derive power by using fighting aura  or Ki to use the human body's full potential, radiating it from their own body as an aura whilst focusing it for attacks. It can be used to launch ki-based attacks that can be used to strike targets at long range, or to defend the user from attack.

Like other martial arts, there are soft and hard aspects to Hokuto Shinken. Soft aspects focus on accuracy, fluidity and directness to properly aim for specific meridians with untold agility. Hard aspects focus on strength, form and force to deliver powerful and indiscriminate attacks at many meridians on the body.

Though Hokuto Shinken finds power through the internal workings of the body, its true strength lies in the power of love. "Love" can be driven from the power of friendship, fraternal bonds between brothers, or romantic ties. Love can only be realized within a user through knowing true loss and sorrow. It is understanding and accepting this emotion that refines its techniques and separates it from copycat users. Expert users of Hokuto Shinken can perfectly mimic the techniques of the people they respect in their hearts.

Due to its deadliness, Hokuto Shinken can only be passed down from one to another, and there can only be one successor per generation according to the art's law. Students who fail the successorship must renounce the style voluntarily or risk having their memories erased or their fists crushed. Because of this, there has been great competition over who gets to be the successor. Due to its importance in history, the role of Hokuto Shinken's successor is intertwined not only with the affairs of the governing powers of the land, but also with Taoist astrology and legend. Furthermore, it is also said to be the second guardian of the Celestial Emperor, with its duty bound to protect the innocent, uphold peace, and become the merciless judge and punisher of evil under the skies of the world.

Mastery of Keiraku Hiko

You have memorized all 708 pressure points on humanoid bodies and know when some races have more or less due to your training. You gain proficiency in the Medicine and Perception skills.

Art of Dragon's Breathing

You begin breathing in a special state of focus, causing your body to increase its muscle mass and  use over 70% of it's true power at once. When you enter combat, you can choose to activate this ability at the start of the round. Doing so allows you to add your Constitution modifier to your AC. Doing this also destroys most clothing as well as any bindings on you and forces a break on grapples. While in this state of focus, you can also see into the astral plane and gain 10 ft True Sight. This lasts until combat is finished.

Rocky Mountain Splitting Wave

Your training has allowed you to become powerful enough to split stone, let alone skull, with a single chop. Once per round, as part of an attack action, you can spend 2 Ki points to perform this ability. The target takes 2d12 + your Monk level bludgeoning damage and the target must make a Strength save or be knocked prone. If this attack drops a target to zero hitpoints, it is killed out right as it's head is split in two.

Hundred Crack Fist

You have learned to specifically target a foes pressure points in the heat of battle with incredible speed and accuracy. As an action, you can spend 5 Ki points to use the Hundred Crack Fist. You strike at a foes pressure points a hundred times at blinding speed. Make an attack roll against the target adding you Medicine and Perception to the total roll, dealing 2d20 + your Medicine Skill + your Perception in force damage to the target. This attack does only half damage to constructs or similar creatures lacking pressure points. This can only be done once per long rest.

At 11th level this can be done 2 times per long rest, and at level 17 this can be done 3 times per long rest.

Thousand Hand Destruction Fist

You have enhanced the Hundred Crack Fist technique into the Thousand Hand Destruction Fist, allowing for more power to strike your foe. As an action, you can spend 10 Ki to activate this ability. Make an attack against the target adding your Medicine and Perception to the total roll, dealing 5d12 + your Medicine + your Perception in Force damage to the target. While rolling the attack, the target's AC loses any bonuses it had from it's Dex modifier. This attack does only half damage to constructs or similar creatures lacking pressure points. This can only be performed once per long rest.

Starting at level 17, this can be performed twice per long rest.

Heaven Breaking Life or Death

Your mastery over your Ki allows you to expel it from your finger tips at the opponent, causing them to take damage directly to their soul before it reacts to their body. As an action, you may spend 7 Ki points. Make an attack roll against a target adding your Monk level to the total roll, the target takes 2d20 + your Monk level in Force damage and must make a Con Save equal to the damage dealt. Upon failure, the target takes extra Force damage equal to your monk level. If the target is dropped to zero hitpoints this way, they explode instantly in several pieces. This attack does only half damage to constructs or similar creatures lacking pressure points. This ability can only be used once per long rest.

Starting at level 17, you can perform this ability twice per long rest.

Nil-Thought Rebirth

You have embraced the true nature of sorrow and have transcended to near god status on the spiritual level. Once per battle, you may activate this feature as a free action. For 2 rounds, you are immune to all forms of damage except Force and Necrotic, and are immune to all status effects and terrain hazards. You gain a spiritual appearance and all damage you deal now adds your Monk level to it, if your attack already adds your Monk level to the damage, you may add it a second time. Any damage you deal also ignores any resistance and immunity the target may have. If you would drop to zero hitpoints, be banished to another plane or similar, your spirit form instead vanishes and you exit the state of Nil-Thought Rebirth. When you exit the state of Nil-Thought Rebirth, you drop to one hitpoint, you fall unconscious and gain 3 levels of exhaustion.

This feature can only be used once every week.