Way of the Sura

Hidden away in high mountains, warrior monks train in hand to hand combat, throwing one another to the ground. Deep in a dark forest, a solitary monk sits beneath a waterfall, holding a serene pose as the water breaks against their body. In a desert oasis, groups of young warriors force their hands through bowls of hot sand. No matter where they may be from, the secretive sect of monks known only as the Sura, live their lives.

Normally trained from a young age, the Sura are fighters before scholars. They focus on training their bodies to be deadly weapons in the same way other monks do but carry a distinct fighting style that highlights their form. Where one monk might strike a foe multiple times and then slip away to challenge another or escape their counterattack, the Sura focus on restraining one opponent at a time with precise joint locks and forceful throws. Using techniques handed down from master to apprentice, the Sura learn to use their opponent's bodies against them, all while maintaining their own presence on the battlefield.

As they grow stronger, the Sura gain access to new techniques, handed down to them when they are ready. Their mastery dictates when they will be taught their next lesson, as it is written in the code each Sura follows. Each technique furthers their abilities and widens the niche of combat they excel in.

Most Sura do not climb to the ranks necessary to learn the most storied techniques of their style; the Ki Leech Technique and the legendary Godfist Technique. The story goes that the first Sura, a monk named Arashi, fought an ancient green dragon that was terrorizing the people of his homeland. When he caught hold of the monster's claw, it fell to the ground in agony and could not release itself from the monk's grasp. In a plea for mercy, the dragon swore to flee the monk's homeland and never return. When the monk accepted, the dragon fled across the horizon, true to its word and fearful of the monk's wrath.

Today, the Sura are secretive and do not accept those that invite themselves to join their ranks. Each monk who walks the Way of the Sura is chosen to do so, not by their teachers, but by destiny.

Sura Fighting Style

 Starting at 3rd level, your mastery of the Sura fighting style grants you several advantages. You can use your Dexterity modifier in place of your Strength modifier when making Athletics Checks. When you successfully start a grapple, you can spend a Ki point to impose one of the following effects on that target:

• You knock the target Prone.
• You make an unarmed attack against the target.
• You disarm the target, forcing it to drop one item of your choice that it’s holding.

Dancing Shield Technique

Starting at 6th level, you learn how to shield yourself from attacks while maintaining a grapple. While you are grappling a creature, you gain the benefits of Half Cover against ranged attacks. Whenever you would be hit by an attack, you can spend a Ki point as a reaction to maneuver the creature you are grappling into the path of the attack, granting you a +2 bonus to AC against the triggering attack. If the attack then misses, the grappled creature becomes the target of the attack instead.

Ki Leech Technique

Starting at 11th level, you learn to leech Ki directly from an opponent, revitalizing yourself while draining them. While you have a creature grappled, you can use your action to drain a number of Ki points it up to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of 1). When you do, the target takes 1d10 necrotic damage for each Ki point drained, and you gain temporary hit points equal to your Monk level + your Wisdom modifier.

Whenever you use this feature, you must complete a short or long rest to be able to use it again.

Godfist Technique

Starting at 17th level, your mastery of the Way of the Sura is beyond compare. Whenever a creature within 5ft of you casts a spell or makes an attack, you can use your reaction to spend a Ki point to attempt to grapple that creature. The grapple and any effects you impose on that creature occur before the triggering action. Size difference also no longer hinders your ability to maintain a grapple on a creature and while you have a creature grappled, it cannot take reactions or use its action to make an attack that doesn't include you.