While most monastic traditions focus on skill and meditation to channel their ki, the monks of the Way of the Boxer focus on using their ki to fuel their resilience in battle, staying conscious long enough to knock out their opponents. The Way of the Boxer puts heavy emphasis on physical endurance, using Wisdom and Constitution as their primary abilities, which is a bit different from the normal Dexterity and Wisdom of most monks. Nonetheless, the battle prowess of the boxer is undisputable: working best while fighting against a single opponent, the boxer is able to wear down even the most durable foes, blocking attacks and ducking and slipping to reduce the damage taken, and increase their damage output strategically by using jabs, hooks, feints, and uppercuts. Boxers also don't get knocked unconsciously as easily as other people.

 

Tough

Beginning when you take this subclass at 3rd level, you can use your Constitution modifier in place of your Dexterity modifier for your Unarmored Defense feature.

 

Block

As a boxer, you learn how to shrug off the most potent of blows. Beginning at 3rd level, whenever you are hit with a melee attack, you can use your reaction or spend one ki point to gain resistance to the damage dealt until the start of your next turn.

 

Jab

While the jab isn't very powerful, it is essential to the boxers offensive arsenal. Starting at 3rd level, you can designate an Unarmed Strike attack as a jab. Doing so adds +2 to the attack roll, as the jab strikes quickly. The damage dealt from this attack does not include any modifiers. On a hit, the targets Armor Class is decreased by the damage rolled until the end of your current turn. Additionally, you hit a critical hit until the end of your current turn against the target on a 19 through 20 on the die.

 

Bob and Weave

You learn to duck and slip by your foes attacks. Beginning at 6th level, whenever an attack misses you, you can use your reaction or spend one ki point to move 5 feet in any direction so long as it is not blocked or make one jab attack against a creature within range.

 

Hook

Beginning at 6th level, you can designate an Unarmed Strike as a hook. Doing so decreases the attack roll by -2, as the hook is a bit slower than a normal attack. The damage on a hit from this attack is rolled twice instead of once. Additionally, you can force the target to make a Strength Saving throw (DC 8+proficiency bonus+strength modifier), falling prone on a failure, and suffering no effects on a success besides the damage, or force the target to make a Constitution Saving throw (DC 8+proficiency bonus+strength modifier), having their movement speed be reduced by half and cannot take reactions on a failure, and suffering no effects on a success besides the damage. A hook Unarmed Strike cannot be used more than once per turn, as it is a slower attack.

 

Feint

Beginning at 11th level, whenever you make a jab attack, you can choose to automatically miss the attack roll, but force the target to make a Wisdom Saving Throw instead (DC 8+proficiency bonus+wisdom modifier). On a fail they have their AC decreased by two rolls of the martial arts die until the end of your current turn, on a success their Armor Class is reduced by one roll of the martials die. Additionally, if they fail the saving throw, you hit a critical hit until the end of your current turn against the target on a 15 through 20 on the die. If the creature succeeds on the Saving Throw, they are immune to the effects of Feint until the start of your next turn.

 

Not Done Yet!

Your tenacity in battle allows you to stay conscious even when reduced to 0 Hit Points. When you reach 11th level, you gain the Relentless Endurance feature, allowing you to go to 1 Hit Point when reduced to 0 and not killed outright. You can use this feature a number of times equal to Constitution modifier divided by two (rounded down), to a minimum of 1. If you already have Relentless Endurance (say from the half-orc racial feature), it stacks.

 

Uppercut

You gain the ability to make a devastating blow with your fists: the uppercut. Once you reach 17th level you can designate an Unarmed Strike as an uppercut. When the attack hits, if the creature has current hit points less than yours, it must make a Constitution Saving throw (DC 8+proficiency bonus+wisdom modifier) being instantly knocked unconscious on a failure. The damage on a hit from this attack is rolled three times instead of once. An uppercut cannot be used more than once per turn. You can make an uppercut attack an amount of times equal to your monk level divided by 5 (rounded down) per long rest. A critical hit from an Unarmed Strike will replenish one uppercut.