Monks of the Way of the Ninja rely on their ability to imbue objects of power with their Ki. These mystic artisans double as a variety of other workmen: wizened hard working craftsman, a humble penmaker, or even a highly spiritual exorcist. Regardless of what they do in the day, when they take to the night, their humble craftmanship complements their deadly skill. Those who are prove themselves to the Way gain access to special equipment and eventually the Vault, a magical repository of legendary items to be used in times of great need.

Credits

Designer: Metabot, Lord_rava (Way of the Artisan — homebrewery)
Image: Red Moon Shinobi © cobaltplasma (source: deviantART)
Playtesting: deflubber (Player)
Balancing: UnicornRaptorJesus (DM)

This is not the subclass in its original form. It has been playtested and balanced in my homebrew campaign, and as such, things have been changed and clarified to suit it. (Added items are of my and the player utilizing the class's design.) As such, things in this subclass are subject to change at any time.

Ki Craft

You learn ancient techniques to create beautiful objects out of everyday materials. You can make things like smooth clay balls (dorodango), hollow-point darts filled with water, and strips of paper with beautiful calligraphy. You carry these with you hidden under your garments.

You can infuse one of these objects with on Ki point (unless otherwise stated) and and use it. For example, infusing a ball of clay causes cracks to appear on the surface, sizzling with magic. When thrown, the ball bursts, creating a cloud of dust. At higher levels, more items will become open to you.

• For poison darts and kunai, make an attack with a dagger, applying the effect on a hit (as well as damage from the dagger).
• For an action, you throw a bomb a location 20 feet away. The diameter of the bomb's area of effect is equal to the bonus distance granted by unarmed movement.
• For an action, you place a seal, which lasts for a minute, in a space adjacent to you. Make a successful Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check against any creatures that has line of sight of you, or they know the trap is there. Creatures can only communicate the exact location of a trap if they use an action to point it out, but can't remove it without dispel magic. The trap can be triggered using your reaction. The trap affects a 10 foot cubic area.

ITEM	EFFECT
Blood-reversing Dart	The dart deals 1d6 poison damage on a hit, and the target must succeed on a Constitution save or be poisoned until they receive magical healing.
Ki block Dart	The dart deals 1d6  poison damage on a hit, and the target must succeed on a successful Constitution save or be incapacitated for up to one hour or until the next time they take damage.
Inkdust Bomb	Area is heavily obscured for one minute.
Chokedust Bomb	Creatures in area can't breath, are lightly obscured, and cannot cast spells with verbal component. The Chokedust lasts until the end of your next turn.
Snare Seal	The creature who enters the space must make a Strength saving throw or their speed drops to zero and they go prone. This effect lasts until the beginning of their next turn.
Shock Seal	The creature must succeed on a dexterity saving throw or take 2d6 lightning damage. The creature cannot take reactions until the start of its next turn.
Energy Shuriken	This shuriken surrounds itself with energy when thrown. Deals either fire, lightning, acid, or poison damage in place of its regular slashing damage. Any seals within 5 feet of the target are activated. If the attack misses, or when the attack lands, the shuriken disappears.

At higher levels, you gain:

ITEM	EFFECT
(Level 8) Leaping Charm	As an action, spend 2 Ki points to mystically imbue yourself with the grace of a leaping feline. You can now jump up to three times the normal distance, though you can't jump farther than your remaining movement would allow.
(Level 8) Gunpowder Breath	As an action, You spend 2 ki points and breathe out a cloud of explosive gas that stretches out to a radius equal to your smoke bomb radius that lasts for an amount of rounds equal to your proficiency bonus. Once ignited by fire, creatures in the smoke need to make a Dexterity saving throw or take 3d6 bludgeoning damage.
(Level 10) Spider Charm	As an action, spend 2 Ki points to mystically imbue yourself with the abilities of a spider. For up to an hour, you gain the ability to move across vertical surfaces and along ceilings, leaving your hands free. You also gain a climbing speed equal to your walking speed.
(Level 12) Teleportation Charm	As an bonus action, spend 2 Ki points to mystically imbue yourself with the properties of mist. You can then to teleport to an unoccupied space you can see within 60 ft.

Ninja's Gear

At 6th level, Your attacks with your ninja tools count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity.

During your next long rest you will awaken to a set of equipment folded neatly next to you, on top of which there is a scroll, which reads "You have proven your loyalty to the Way. As a sign of good faith we present you the traditional gear of our clan." Choose two items in the Ninja's Gear table below.

ITEM	EFFECT
Boots of the Step	Footsteps don't make any sound
Concealed Weapons	You have advantage on sleight of hand checks to hide any objects on your person
Hand wraps	You can change the damage of your unarmed strikes to be piercing or slashing damage
Cloak of gliding	When falling, you can choose to move 5 feet horizontally for every 10 feet you fall.
Grapplehook Launcher	You have advantage on grappling hook related ability checks.

 

Boots of the Step

Footsteps don't make any sound.

Cloak of Gliding

When falling, you can choose to move 5 feet horizontally for every 10 feet you fall.

Concealed Weapons

You have advantage on sleight of hand checks to hide any objects on your person.

Grapplehook Launcher

You have advantage on grappling hook related ability checks.

Hand Wraps

You can change the damage of your unarmed strikes to be piercing or slashing damage

Mastery of the Simple

At 11th level, you have additional options for your equipment. If a creature fails on the save for your poison dart, you can choose for them to be charmed or frightened of you until the start of your next turn instead of the normal effects.

Creatures who start their turn in your bomb's area of effect need to making a constitution saving throw or be poisoned for Inkdust or incapacitated for Chokedust.

You shroud your traps in Ki. You have advantage on your sleight of hand check to place your seals, and truesight, tremorsense, and blindsight do not automatically reveal your traps.

Vault's Tribute

At 17th level, you learn the secrets of accessing the Ninja's Vault, a demiplane inaccessible by mortals except through a closely guarded ritual. You learn this ritual, which takes one minute and 100gp worth of materials. At the end of the ritual one magical item you are attuned to vanishes and gains a place in the Vault.

You can summon any item you tribute to the vault with a bonus action, and can immediately attune to it without taking a short rest first. In addition, you learn of one of the legendary items listed in the Vault’s Repository, and can summon that item as well. However, you must take a short rest to attune to the legendary item summoned.

Vault Repository

Bo of Intent

This legendary staff was once wielded by the Monkey King himself. You gain a +2 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this magic weapon.

While attuned to the staff, you can use a bonus action to manipulate the weapon:

• You can shrink the weapon into a needle
• You can return the weapon to its normal size
• You can enlarge the weapon. It deals an additional 1d6 bludgeoning damage on a hit and gains a reach of 10 feet.
• You can move the weapon up to 30 feet in any direction, but you can't make an attack with it.

Guzzle Gourd

This bright red gourd has several golden rings that restrain its bulging nature.

For an action, you can speak a command word and unstopper the Gourd. A creature you choose within 30 feet vanishes into the gourd and is transported into a demiplane. At the beginning of each of its turns, it must make a DC 20 charisma saving throw or be incapacitated until the start of its next turn and take 1d10 acid damage. Each time the creature fails this save, the save DC decreases by 5.

If the creature makes the save, it can escape from the demiplane using 5 feet of Movement, exiting prone. That creature cannot be effected by this item for 24 hours.

Tender Nightmare

This elegantly drawn longsword features two edges: one so sharp that taking lives is as effortless as cutting through butterfly wings -- the other somehow even sharper. The creator of the sword attempted to temper the sword's bloody nature through runes infused in the hilt.

This weapon is a Vorpal sword, which counts as a monk weapon for your, and scores a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20. You gain a +2 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this magic weapon. Attacks towards anyone you considered an ally when you attuned to this blade automatically miss.

When you use your Flurry of Blows feature, you can instead make a melee weapon attack with this weapon on all targets within reach, rolling separately for each target.

Spear of Endless Winter

This is but a shaft with a tip that emanates an impossible aura of cold - the spear blade itself is made out of the frozen encrusted blood of enemies past.

Once per short rest you can activate the weapon. For the next minute, the weapon gains the properties of a Frost brand and is a monk weapon for you. If you reduce a creature to zero hit points you add its blood to the spear, and deal an additional 20 cold damage on your next attack.

When you use your Flurry of Blows feature, you can instead make a melee weapon attack with this weapon on all targets within a 15 foot cone, rolling separately for each target.

Bo of Intent

This legendary staff was once wielded by the Monkey King himself. You gain a +2 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this magic weapon.

While attuned to the staff, you can use a bonus action to manipulate the weapon:

• You can shrink the weapon into a needle
• You can return the weapon to its normal size
• You can enlarge the weapon. It deals an additional 1d6 bludgeoning damage on a hit and gains a reach of 10 feet.
• You can move the weapon up to 30 feet in any direction, but you can't make an attack with it.

Guzzle Gourd

This bright red gourd has several golden rings that restrain its bulging nature.

For an action, you can speak a command word and unstopper the Gourd. A creature you choose within 30 feet vanishes into the gourd and is transported into a demiplane. At the beginning of each of its turns, it must make a DC 20 charisma saving throw or be incapacitated until the start of its next turn and take 1d10 acid damage. Each time the creature fails this save, the save DC decreases by 1.

If the creature makes the save, it can escape from the demiplane using 5 feet of Movement, exiting prone. That creature cannot be effected by this item for 24 hours.

Spear of Endless Winter

This is but a shaft with a tip that emanates an impossible aura of cold - the spear blade itself is made out of the frozen encrusted blood of enemies past.

Once per short rest you can activate the weapon. For the next minute, the weapon gains the properties of a Frost brand and is a monk weapon for you. If you reduce a creature to zero hit points you add its blood to the spear, and deal an additional 20 cold damage on your next attack.

When you use your Flurry of Blows feature, you can instead make a melee weapon attack with this weapon on all targets within a 15 foot cone, rolling separately for each target.

Tender Nightmare

This elegantly drawn longsword features two edges: one so sharp that taking lives is as effortless as cutting through butterfly wings -- the other somehow even sharper. The creator of the sword attempted to temper the sword's bloody nature through runes infused in the hilt.

This weapon is a Vorpal sword, which counts as a monk weapon for your, and scores a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20. You gain a +2 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this magic weapon. Attacks towards anyone you considered an ally when you attuned to this blade automatically miss.

When you use your Flurry of Blows feature, you can instead make a melee weapon attack with this weapon on all targets within reach, rolling separately for each target.