You follow a monastic tradition of desert survivalists and assassins. Long ago the founders of this tradition served powerful, malicious earth genies known as dao, and were gifted some of their arcane arts. Known for bending the sands to their will, monks of this tradition use their abilities to deflect attacks, survive in the harsh desert landscape and confuse, ambush and weaken their targets before closing in for the kill.

 

Secrets of the Sands

Starting when you choose this tradition at third level, you gain the poison spray cantrip if you don’t already know it. Additionally, you can use your ki to cast certain spells. To cast one of these spells, you use its casting time and other rules, but you don’t need to provide material components for it. You can spend 1 ki point to cast shield, and can spend 2 ki points to cast blindness/deafness, mirror image and rope trick. 

Each of these spells should be flavored to utilize the desert sands or similar thematic aspects. The blindness/deafness spell could take the form of a jet of sand striking the eyes or ears of the target. The shield spell could take the form of a wall of sand rising in front of the monk to block an incoming attack. The mirror image spell is akin to a desert mirage, a trick of the heat to confuse an opponent. The casting of poison spray could originate from a magical tattoo in the form of a serpent.

Fists of Sand and Stone

At sixth level you can channel your ki into powerful strikes that impair and displace your foes.

Envenom Weapon. As a bonus action you can spend 1 ki point to envenom any piercing or slashing weapon you are currently wielding. For the next minute, your attacks with this weapon do an additional 1d6 poison damage. When you succeed on a melee attack versus a target with this weapon, they must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or suffer the poisoned condition for a number of rounds equal to your Wisdom modifier. Multiple hits do not extend this duration. You can spend 1 additional ki point to force the target to make this save with disadvantage. After shaking off the effects of this ability, a target cannot be affected by it again for 24 hours.

Hammering Stone. As an action, you can spend 2 ki points to form a giant fist made from nearby sand and stone that strikes at a target within 30 feet of you. That creature must make a Strength saving throw. On a failed save, the creature takes 3d10 bludgeoning damage, plus an extra 1d10 bludgeoning damage for each additional ki point you spend (up to a maximum of 6 ki points in total), and you can push the creature up to 20 feet away from you and knock it prone. On a successful save, the creature takes half as much damage, and you don’t push it or knock it prone.

Sand Stride

At eleventh level you gain the ability to harness the winds of the desert to move at incredible speed. As a bonus action you vanish into whirlwind of sand and can move up to 60 feet to an unoccupied space you can see. This movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity, and you can move through occupied spaces during this time. Any enemies you move through must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or suffer the blinded condition until the end of your next turn.

Coiled Viper

Starting at seventeenth level when a creature within 5 feet of you attacks you and misses, you can make an immediate melee weapon or unarmed attack against the creature. This attack does not use your reaction.