Aryssa -- Way of the Trial Combatant

Trial Combatants are Monks that focus on the Combat pillar, while excelling at certain aspects of the Social pillar of Adventure. This is usually a formally trained art handed down from master to apprentice, though some rare adventurers may independently pursue this style. In particular, Dwarven masters are known to take on two apprentices at a time so that the apprentices may practice with each other on even footing; taking on non-dwarven students is generally frowned upon, but gnomish students are not unheard of, and as many in Everbright society see Trial Combatants as mercenaries at best, they expect some masters to simply teach those who are willing to pay. Because of the nature of the job, many Trial Combatants become adventurers intentionally or through the happenstance of traveling through the Everbright or Aryssa. Trial Combatants make excellent front line characters and enhances the Monk's already excellent mobility and ability to lock down a single target.

Play a Trial Combatant if...

• You want to be a tradition or honor-bound duelist.
• You want to be protect weaker members of your team from the front.
• You want to excel in combat against single powerful foes.
• You imagine your Monk hails from the Everbright or has learned a martial art foreign to their homeland.

Building a Trial Combatant: Like all Monks, focus on the Trial Combatant's preferred to hit and damage stat, Dexterity or Strength, first, and all heroes benefit from Constitution. Like other Monks, do not neglect your Wisdom.

Trial Combatant's Enhanced Ki Usage

Starting at Level 3, whenever you spend a Ki point on Flurry of Blows, Patient Defense, or Step of the Wind, the effect is improved.

• Flurry of Blows: For each attack on the same target after the first, if you hit, deal additional damage equal to your Proficiency Modifier.
• Patient Defense: When you use this, choose a single hostile creature you can see. Until the start of your next turn, when that creature attacks and hits you, you reduce its damage done by your Proficiency Bonus, to a minimum of 1.
• Step of the Wind: If you end the move granted by Step of the Wind next to a hostile creature and no other creatures in the first round of combat, you have Advantage on all melee attacks made against that creature until the start of your next turn. 

Everbright Dueling Skill Training

Starting at Level 3, you gain Proficiency with History or Survival (or another Skill if you are already proficient in History or Survival). Trial Combatants spend a significant amount of their time not just training in martial arts, but in learning the traditions and legal structure surrounding their ritualistic duels and in surviving in the Everbright.

Everbright Dueling Skill Training: History

You have chosen Proficiency in History. 

Everbright Dueling Skill Training: Survival

You have chosen Proficiency in Survival.

Trial by Combat: Ritual Combat

Starting at Level 3, you may expend a point of Ki whenever you roll Initiative for the following benefits:

• Add your Proficiency Bonus to your Initiative roll.
• Choose a single hostile creature you can see. That creature and you are effected by Ritual Combat.

Ritual Combat: Whenever a creature effected by Ritual Combat attempts to attack a target other than the other creature effected by Ritual Combat, the attacking creature must make a Wisdom Saving Throw against your Spell Save DC (8 + Wisdom Modifier + Proficiency Bonus). On a failed save, that creature's attacks have Disadvantage until the start of the creature's next turn; once a creature has failed a Ritual Combat saving throw, it does not need to make another save until the start of the creature's next turn. You have Advantage on saves against your own Ritual Combat.

Ritual Combat: If you reduce a creature effected by your Ritual Combat to zero or fewer Hit Points, you may regain 1 Ki Point.

Training Regimen

Starting at Level 6, you gain an additional Hit Point per Hit Die you have.

Trial by Combat: Combo Breaker

Starting at 6th level, you gain the following bonus against a creature effected by your Ritual Combat.

Combo Breaker: When a creature under the effect of your Ritual Combat would attack you or an adjacent friendly creature for the second time in a turn, you may spend your Reaction and a Ki point to immediately make a melee Attack against that creature. This attack automatically is a Stunning Strike if it hits the creature (note: You only need to spend one Ki point for this, not an additional Ki point to activate Stunning Strike). If you hit, you may add your Proficiency Bonus to the damage dealt.

Trial by Combat: Improved Strikes

Starting at 11th Level, you gain the following bonuses when attacking a creature effected by your Ritual Combat.

Combination Strike: If you hit a creature that is effected by your Ritual Combat with two Attacks in one turn, you may spend a Ki to make an additional Attack with Advantage; if that Attack hits, the damage roll is also made with Advantage. If that Attack hits, you may make an additional Martial Arts attack with Disadvantage. You may only trigger Combination Strike once per turn.

Recovery Strike: The first time you miss an Attack on your turn against the target of your Ritual Combat, you may make a Wisdom Saving Throw against your Spell Save DC (8 + Proficiency Bonus + Wisdom Bonus). If you succeed, you may re-roll the failed Attack.

Trial by Combat: Persistence

Starting at 17th level, you gain the following benefits to your Ritual Combat.

Still Standing: The first time you would be reduced to zero Hit Points or immediately killed by an effect controlled by a creature effected by your Ritual Combat, you may spend a Ki point to be reduced to 1 Hit Point instead. In addition, you may spend any amount of additional Ki points as you choose; if you do, immediately use that many Hit Dice as though you were taking a Short Rest to restore Hit Points; you gain no other benefits. This ability may only be used once per Long Rest.

Dueling Persistence: If a creature effected by your Ritual Combat provokes an Attack of Opportunity, you may spend a Ki instead of your Reaction to make that attack and move 5 feet. This ability may only be used a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier per Long Rest and is refreshed if you reduce a creature effected by your Ritual Combat to zero or fewer Hit Points.