Way of the Hermetic

Monks of the Way of the Hermetic have studied the ki that flows through their own bodies, as well as the ki which flows throughout the entire natural world, and are able to utilize both in tandem to achieve miraculous feats. They can affect the pool of ki that flows throughout the world to revitalize themselves and others, or to attack their foes. True masters of this style are able to control life itself by manipulating their ki into pure life energy, making them highly sought out as healers and mystics.

Hermetic's Studies: Apprentice

Starting at 3rd level, you gain the ability to channel your ki through the pool of ki that runs throughout the natural world. By using your own ki to manipulate this force, you gain several abilities.

Vitality - As an action, you can expend 1 or more ki points and channel the forces of vitality through the world, healing yourself or one creature within 30 feet by 5 HP + your WIS modifier per ki point spent, or instead you may remove one condition of poisoned or paralyzed, or one disease from the target per ki point spent. When you reach higher levels within this class, the HP healed by this feature increases to 10 HP + WIS mod per ki point at level 6, 15 HP + WIS mod per ki point at level 11, and 20 HP + WIS mod per ki point at level 17.

Defensive Wall - As a reaction when you are hit by an attack, you can spend 1 ki point to raise up a wall made of natural or man-made material directly in front of you at the source of the attack. Your AC increases by your WIS mod against that attack, then the wall collapses into the material it was made from.

Mold the World - You learn the Mold Earth, Mending, and Shape Water cantrips, and WIS is your spellcasting modifier for them. Your ability to control the ki that runs throughout the world gives you the ability to shape the world in several ways.

Wisdom of The Land

At 3rd level when selecting this subclass, your studies of the pool of ki flowing throughout the world grants you insights into the workings of the natural world. You gain proficiency with nature, or if you are already proficient, you may choose one additional proficiency from the monk skill list.

Hermetic's Studies: Adept

Starting at 6th level, you can channel your ki through the ground to attack your foes. Whenever you use your flurry of blows, you can spend an additional ki point to make an additional bonus action attack against a target by striking them with a fist composed of natural or man-made material from a surface nearby. Make a melee attack against the target with a range of 60 ft. On a hit, the target takes 2d10 + your WIS mod in bludgeoning damage. You and the target must both be within 60 ft. of a section of natural or man-made material with at least 5 square feet of material to make this attack, and a section of that material shoots out as a fist to strike them. After the attack, a 5 foot square of the material used to make the attack becomes dust (or whatever is appropriate for the material) and falls to the ground, and that section of the material is now missing from it's source. You may choose the specific dimensions of the material to be consumed in this way when you make the attack, but it must be a congruent section of the material that is exactly 5 square feet.

Hermetic's Studies: Expert

Starting at 11th level, by tapping into the deeper power of the ki flowing through the world, you are now able to manipulate the raw, arcane energy of the world. As an action, you can spend 4 ki points and choose a point within 120 feet, and a Pillar of Light erupts from the ground which is 100 feet high and 15 feet wide. Each creature in the area must make a constitution saving throw against your monk ability saving throw DC (8 + proficiency + WIS mod), or take 8D8 radiant damage, and be stunned until the start of your next turn on a failed save, or take half as much damage and not be stunned on a success. You can increase the damage by an additional 1D8 radiant damage per ki point spent above 4, to a maximum of 8 ki points total.

Hermetic's Studies: Mastery

At 17th level, your mastery of your own ki and your understanding and frequent use of the ki which runs throughout the natural world tethers your life force and allows you to manipulate the very forces of life itself. Once per day upon the moment of your death, your body automatically projects an ethereal version of yourself through manipulation of your own ki intermingled with the ki from the world itself. This form has resistance to all damage, and has your own natural HP maximum. While in this form, you may act normally and make use of all your abilities, and your ki points are automatically restored to their maximum amount upon entering the form, however, you may not access any of your weapons and equipment unless you retrieve them from your body as an action. While in this state, as an action, you may spend 17 ki points to return to your body, which returns you to life and restores you to consciousness with 1 HP. There is no time limit for you to return to your body, but your body must be intact to use this feature in this way. Additionally, you also gain the ability to use 16 ki points to cast the True Resurrection spell without the need for material components, but this exertion causes you to gain 3 levels of exhaustion whenever you cast the spell, and this spell cannot be used while you are in your ethereal form.