Certain monastic orders practice the art of achieving enlightenment and understanding of various subjects through intense research and meditation. Through intense training they are able to manifest ki infused tattoos on their person. . Each tattoo is a permanent mark of wisdom, and a testament to the path a person has dedicated their life to. The tattooed monks of this order come in many forms and many races.  Distinguishable only through the tattoos that dot their body they travel the world to further their quest for enlightenment. Searching for and sharing thew knowledge they find in the journeys with the world.

 

The monks of this Order abide by several tenants that all followers are expected to follow.

 

• Freedom above all else

• Knowledge is power and should be given freely

• Expose those who would use knowledge for selfish gain. By force if needed.

 

Monk Levels	Features
3rd	Ki Tattoos
6th	Armor of Ink
11th	Temporary Tattoo
17th	Marked for Death

 

Ki Tattoos

The tattoos here are listed in alphabetical order. You cannot gain the effect of a Ki Tattoo more than once.

Beginning when you choose this monastic tradition at 3rd level, you learn to imbue yourself magical tattoos that focus the bearer's ki into specific forms. You begin with two tattoos, and gain additional tattoos as you gain levels in this class, as shown in the Tattoos table.

The tattoos must take a physical form on your body depicting the tattoo you choose. For example, if you choose the Turtle tattoo the tattoo must be of a Turtle tho the design may vary. You choose how the tattoo looks, it can be as detailed or as large as you want but it must depict the object or creature. You choose where these magically ki formed tattoos are on your body.

There are certain tattoos that you can "flare" for an additional effect. To flare a tattoo you cycle your ki through your body using the tattoo as a focus. This counts as an action for the purposes of keeping track of initiative.

*DO NOT BE AFRAID TO MAKE UP TATTOOS AND RUN THEM BY YOUR DM FOR APPROVAL. PART OF THIS SUB-CLASSES THEME ENCOURAGES EXPLORATION AND SELF EXPRESSION*

 

Spells and Ki Points

Monk Levels	Tattoos
3rd	2
6th	4
9th	5
11th	6

Bull Lvl 3 Required

You embody the spirit of the bull as your ki surges through you, strengthening and hardening your muscles. You gain proficiency in Strength (Athletics), if you did not have it before. You can use an action to flare this tattoo as an action and gain Expertise in Strength (Athletics). This effect lasts for 1 hour. You can’t use this feature again until you finish a long rest.

Chameleon Lvl 3 Required

You have learned to manipulate your ki in such a way that it envelops you entirely. If no creature can see you, you can use your action to become invisible for up to 10 minutes. This effect ends if you attack, or cast a spell.

Cobra Lvl 3 Required

You are light on your feet and flow through the trees and the underbursh with ease. You gain proficiency in Dexterity (Stealth), if you did not have it before. You can use an action to flare this tattoo as an action and gain Expertise in Dexterity (Stealth) This effect lasts for 1 hour. You can’t use this feature again until you finish a long rest.

Crane Lvl 6 Required

Your ki has formed into a protective outer layer around your feet and hands. You are no longer effected by Difficult Terrain, magically created Difficult Terrain still effects you.

You can flare this tattoo as an action to not be effected by magically created Difficult Terrain for up to 10 minutes.

You can't use this feature again until you complete a long rest.

Crescent Moon Lvl 6 Required

You funnel your ki and give them physical form.

You can spend 1 ki point to physically manifest your ki into a form of magical wings of your choice. For 10 minutes you sprout wings and gain a flying speed equal to your movement speed. You decide the appearance of these magical wings.

Dragon Lvl 6 Required

The dragon. The indomitable might of these ancient beasts wells within you as you have learned , albeit minimally, to imitate these beings. Once per long rest, the wearer may activate the tattoo to make a breath attack. The attack deals 2d6 damage on a failed save or half as much on a successful save. You can spend 1 to 3 ki points to increase the damage die by an additional 1D6 per Ki point spell. The type is determined by the type of dragon in the tattoo, as shown below. (Once chosen this cannot be changed) The wearer's saving throw DC for this attack is 8 + their Wisdom modifier + their proficiency bonus.

Dragon	Damage Type	Breath Weapon
Black / Copper	Acid	5 by 30 ft line (Dex save)
Blue / Bronze	Lightning	5 by 30 ft line (Dex save)
Green	Poison	15 foot cone (Con save)
Red / Gold / Brass	Fire	15 foot cone (Dex save)
White / Silver	Cold	15 foot cone (Dex save)

 

Full Moon Lvl 3 Required

You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

 

You can flare this tattoo as an action and grant dark vision to a number of creatures equal to your Wisdom Modifier for a number of hours equal to your proficiency bonus. You can’t use this feature again until you finish a long rest.

Insurmountable Lvl 11 Required

Your ki flows through you with such intensity that your constitution now matches the beasts of myth and legend. Personifying these beasts, your ki funnels through you as the adrenaline fills your veins grants you the following benefits.

•   You gain advantage against attempts to be grappled.

Once per long rest at the start of your turn, you may flare the tattoo. Thereafter, the wearer gains 15 temporary hit points at the beginning of your turn (these do not stack) for 1 minute. Also, the first attack you make on each of your turns has advantage as long as this tattoo is flared. 

NOTE - If you have multi attack, the first attack of however many attacks you have is the only one that has advantage. 

When the tattoo’s effects end, you lose any remaining temporary hit points.

 

Mage's Eye Lvl 3 Required

You have learned to manipulate your ki in such a way that you can extend it past yourself. You have learned to feel the tendrils of magic that flows around the world unseen to the naked eye. You can cast the spell detect magic at will or as a ritual.

Mark of The Healer Lvl 6 Required

You have learned to channel your ki outwards. Using it to heal both yourself and others in a shining yellow glow. You may activate this tattoo as an action. You and up to 2 creatures within 30  ft. of you heal for 2D6 + Wisdom Modifier. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Wisdom Modifier. You regain charges of this feature by completing a long rest.

Monkey Lvl 3 Required

Your limbs are flexible and limber. Your balance is second to none as your ki flows through you and allows your body to move in ways most people cant. and  You gain proficiency in Dexterity (Acrobatics), if you did not have it before. You can use an action to flare this tattoo as an action and gain Expertise in Dexterity (Acrobatics). This effect lasts for 1 hour. You can’t use this feature again until you finish a long rest.

Mountian Lvl 9 Required

Impossible to move you ingrain your feet into the ground and your ki anchors itself into the earth itself.

When you use the Dodge action you can spend 1 additional ki point to also gain the benefit of this tattoo. Alternatively you can spend 2 ki points to activate it has a reaction. You must be standing on solid ground to activate this tattoo.

While this tattoo is active, you have advantage on Strength checks, total speed becomes 0 and you cannot be moved, pushed, grappled, frightened, or knocked prone against your will, even if magically compelled to do so.

While this tattoo is active, you may hold up to 8,000 pounds. More weight causes the tattoo effect to end and you are knocked prone. If the effect of the tattoo is ended in this way you are knocked prone.  A creature can use an action to make a DC 30 Strength check, pushing you up to 10 feet on a success. Any object that crashes into you while this tattoo is active stops immediately or deviates it's course (is appropriate and at DMs discretion).

The tattoo effect lasts until the beginning of your next turn if activated as a Reaction, or last for 1 minute if you have activated it as part of the Dodge action. You can also end it earlier if you wish (no action required). In any case, when the effect is about to wear off, you can use again a Dodge action and pay the ki cost to maintain the effect

Owl Lvl 3 Required

Take wisdom from the sage of the forest in your meditations. Your Wisdom score increases by 2, to a maximum of 20.

Ox Lvl 6 Required

You have chosen to embody the hearty Ox. Your ki flows through you, hardening your constitution. Your maximum hit points are increased by 1 per character level. 

Phoenix Lvl 11 Required

The essence of fire is so suffused within your ki, your body and your very life force that it lashes out at those that would oppose you. Even reviving you should you fall.

 You gain resistance to Fire damage. 

Any creature that hits you with a melee attack while within 5 ft of you takes 1d6 Fire damage.  

When you are reduced to 0 hit points or less, your body releases a burst of fire in a 15-foot radius centered on you. Each creature in the area must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, the creature takes 2d10 fire damage for every 2 unspent Ki points you have and half that much damage on a successful save.

Additionally, when you die (other than from old age), you have the chance to return to life like the Phoenix. Roll a percentile dice and subtract 5% for every two ki points (rounded down) you have left. If the total is equal to or lower than your Monk level, your body ignites in an burst of flames and you return to life 1 round later with 1d8 + Constitution Modifier hit points.

Rabbits Foot Lvl 9 Required

Whenever you spend multiple ki points you have the chance of regaining the use of some of your ki. At the end of the round when you have used multiple ki points roll a d20. On an 11 or above you regain a total of half (rounded down) of the ki points spent that round.

Sage Lvl 3 Required

Your meditation and intense study has bore fruit. Your can use your ki to enter a state on intense study for a short while. You gain proficiency if Intelligence (Investigation) if you did not have it before. You can flare this tattoo to gain expertise in Intelligence  (Investigation) for one hour. You can't use this feature again until you finish a long rest.

Shadow Lvl 9 Required

Your ki pours off of your body as you have meditated on the night and silence of it.

Once per long rest you may cast Pass Without a Trace on yourself.

You can flare this tattoo to cast this on a number of creatures equal to your Wisdom modifier.

Additionally, you are harder to see and gain advantage on Stealth checks as long as you are in dim or no light.

Stag Lvl 9 Required

You have learned to funnel your ki into the surrounding area through the ground. Through this connection you have gained several benefits.

You channel the working of your tattoo to heighten your awareness to the surrounding area.

• Your movement speed is increased by 10ft

• You gain a bonus to your initiative based on your Wisdom modifier.

• You learn Sylvan and can communicate with Beasts in a limited manner. 

Sunrise Lvl 6 Required

The warm and encompassing glow of the sun radiates both within and from you. You gain resistance to Radiant damage. Also, whenever you deal damage with an unarmed strike, you can change the damage type to fire damage.

 

*Note, at later levels, as your fists deal magic damage so does this damage become magical.

The Wall Lvl 6 Required

Channeling the power of an immovable object you gain a +1 bonus to AC and all saving throws.

As an action you may flare this tattoo grant all allies within 30ft of you temporary health points equal to your monk level + your WIS modifier. These temporary health points disappear at the end of your next turn. You can't use this feature again until you finish a short rest.

Third Eye Lvl 6 Required

Spend a ki point to use your action to detect the presence of living things within 100ft as you send out a pulse of ki. When you do so, you learn the number of creatures in the area, and their location but not their type.

Turtle Lvl 6 Required

A simmering shield of green protects you.As a reaction to taking damage you can spend two ki points and  gain a number of hit points equal to your Monk Level + your Wisdom Modifier + your proficiency bonus. These temporary hit points take as much of the triggering damage as possible and then disappear at the start of your next turn.

Wind Lvl 3 Required

Your body bends and flows like the wind as your ki suffuses your body. Your Dexterity score increases by 2, to a maximum of 20

Armor of Ink

Starting at 6th level, your tattoos overflow with ki and act as a barrier. As a reaction to taking damage you can spent 1 ki point to gain resistance to the triggering damage type (s) until the end of your next turn. You can spend 3 ki points to gain resistance to the triggering damage type (s) for 1 minute. While you have resistance in this way you cannot gain another damage resistance as a result of using your Armor of Ink.

Temporary Tattoo

By 11th level, you have learned to inscribe your tattoos using temporary ink. You can tattoo a willing creature with a temporary version of a tattoo you have, in a ritual that takes 10 minutes and 25 GP of incense and tattooing ink. The ritual then consumes these material components.

If the tattoo causes an affect that uses a modifier or a saving throw you use the DC or appropriate ability modifier of the recipient. This creature gains the benefits of this tattoo for 24 hours, after which the tattoo then fades.. Only one creature can gain the effects of a temporary tattoo at a time.

Marked for Death

At 17th level your ki can invade and corrupt the body of another creature. When you hit a creature with both of your flurry of blows you can create a special mark, a tattoo that beckons death, to the creature you hit with your attacks. The creature is marked in this way for one minute.  A marked creature cannot regain lost hit points, and loses immunity to damage types instead gaining resistance as well as losing resistance to any damage it is resistant to before it was marked.

ie. Immunity -> Resistance,   Resistance -> Normal,  Normal -> Vulnerability

  Once you use this ability, you must complete a long rest before you can use it again.