Monks who follow the Way of the Flowing River act like a calm and steady stream of water, moving with a grace and finesse that is not seen even among other monks. None of their movements are sloppy or less than perfect, and they never use more energy than they need to. In combat they wait and listen, moving only as the tide of battle pushes and pulls them, and in social situations they serve as a calming influence, easing the tension in even the most dramatic of moments.

Bonus Proficiencies

Beginning when you choose this tradition at 3rd level, you’ve grown more nimble and have seen the true value of staying calm, using artistic expression to do so. You gain proficiency in the Dexterity (Acrobatics) skill, and one set of Artisan’s tools of your choice.

Stance of the Flowing River

Also at 3rd level, you’ve been taught a stance to take in combat that emulates a flowing river. As a bonus action, you can enter into this stance for 1 minute, or until you’re incapacitated. For the duration, you gain the following features:

• You gain a bonus to your AC equal to the number of enemies that are within melee range of you, up to a maximum of +5. This bonus changes as enemies leave or enter your melee range.
• Whenever you spend ki points, you regain hit points equal to the number of ki points you spend.
• You have advantage on opportunity attacks, and opportunity attacks made against you have disadvantage.

You can use this feature once per short rest, unless you spend 2 ki points to use it again.

Serene Waters

At 6th level, your mind is as peaceful and calm as a slowly trickling river, making you a calming influence for anyone you meet. You gain proficiency in the Charisma (Persuasion) skill, and have advantage on Charisma (Persuasion) checks made while interacting with creatures that you’ve never fought or shown aggression to.

Guiding Currents

At 11th level, you’ve learned how to channel your ki to emulate a river’s flowing currents in combat. While under the effects of your Stance of the Flowing River feature, you can use your reaction and 1 ki point when you’re targeted by a melee attack to redirect the attack at a different creature within melee range of you. If there are no other creatures within melee range, the attack hits you, but you can lower the damage by an amount equal to half your monk level plus your Wisdom modifier.

Spiritual Maelstrom

At 17th level, you’ve learnt how to use your ki to pull in and absorb spells and magical effects like a churning maelstrom. As a reaction to you being caught within the area of a harmful spell or magical effect, such as a Cone of Cold spell or the breath of an Ancient Red Dragon, you can expend 2 ki points to absorb the attack. After doing so, you take half damage from the attack but suffer no extra effects from it, and the attack deals no damage to any other creatures, structures or objects caught within the area. The damage you take from the attack after using this feature cannot be lowered in any way.

You can use this feature once per short rest, unless you spend 5 ki points to use it again.