Way of the Spirit Blade

Your ki manifests as an astral blade, an extension of both your physical body and fighting spirit.

Spirit Blade

At 3rd Level, You harness your ki as a meta-physical weapon known as a Spirit Blade, drawing it from yourself as you would a blade from its sheath. As a Bonus Action, you can spend 2 Ki Points to cast the Shadow Blade spell at 2nd Level, maintaining concentration on it as described in the spell. The weapon created through the spell, being a simple weapon without the two-handed or heavy properties, can be used as a monk weapon.

You can spend additional Ki Points to cast Shadow Blade in this way as a higher-level spell. Each additional Ki Point you spend increases the spell’s level by 1. The maximum number of Ki Points (2 plus any additional points) that you can spend on the spell equals half your Monk level (rounded up).

Additionally, once on your turns, when you throw your Spirit Blade for a thrown weapon attack, the blade instantly reappears in your hand after a hit or miss.

Spirit Blade Techniques

At 6th Level, You study the astral energies within. Your new-found and yet intimate knowledge of what forges your Spirit Blade now manifest once latent abilities. When you cast the Shadow Blade spell through your "Spirit Blade" feature, you can expend 1 additional Ki Point in order to make one weapon attack using your Spirit Blade as part of the same action.

Additionally, while maintianing concentration on a Shadow Blade cast through your "Spirit Blade" feature, you gain the following benefits:

Sense Beyond Self. You gain advantage on Dexterity (Acrobatics) checks and Wisdom (Insight and Perception) checks.

Blade Step. Once during your turn, if you hit a creature with a thrown Spirit Blade during your Attack Action, you can teleport into an unoccupied space within 5 ft. of your target.

Instinctive Reversal. When you are hit by an attack roll while wielding your Spirit Blade, you can use your reaction to grant a bonus to your AC against that attack, potentially causing it to miss. The bonus equals your Wisdom modifier (minimum of +1). If the attack misses, you can make one weapon attack against the attacker as part of this reaction, provided the attacker is within your weapon’s range.

Astral Aura

At 11th Level, Your astral energies overflow, causing your body to become shrouded in Ki. At the start of your turns, you can expend 1 Ki Point in order to surround yourself in a Ki-based aura until the end of that turn (no Action required). While this aura is present, any unarmed strikes you hit with deal an additional martial arts die of psychic damage. Weapon attacks you make with your Spirit Blade while this aura is present score a Critical Hit on a roll of 19 or 20.

Spirit Blade Master

At 17th Level, You and your Spirit Blade have become one and the same, unlocking your full potential. While maintianing concentration on a Shadow Blade cast through your "Spirit Blade" feature, you gain the following benefits:

Astral Shroud. If you use your "Astral Aura" feature at the start of your turn, you gain a +2 bonus to your AC until the start of your next turn, and the area within 20 ft. of you to becomes dimmly lit until the end of the turn. This dim light is centered around you, moving as you move, and you can see within it as if it were brightly lit. Weapon attacks you make using your Spirit Blade is made with advantage when made against a creature within dim light, as described in the Shadow Blade spell.

Ki-flow Laceration. If you use Stunning Strike after hitting a creature with your Spirit Blade and it fails its Constitution saving throw, the creature is dealt an additional martial arts die of psychic damage and becomes paralyzed until the end of its next turn or until it takes damage.

Masterful Onslaught. Once during your turn, if you make a weapon attack using your Spirit Blade and you have advantage on the attack roll, you can forgo the advantage in order to make 1 additional weapon attack with your Spirit Blade as part of the same action.