The Way of the Formless teaches its students that ki is not their own nor is it bound to them. Monks of this tradition effortlessly read and respond to the flow of battle. They turn their opponents' attacks against them and in their hands, otherwise harmless objects turn into deadly weapons.

Inspired by the shape of water, the Way of the Formless instructs monks to act allow circumstance to shape their actions. Followers of this tradition must be adaptable in mind and body and its most accomplished practitioners often present themselves as simple, if slightly eccentric, commoners. No student masters this discipline solely by training in a monastery, instead they are encouraged to drift through the world as part of their training and take on temporary identities suitable to their surroundings.

Freedom of Form

You gain proficiency in the Deception skill, and you gain proficiency with the Disguise Kit and improvised weapons. Improvised weapons are considered monk weapons for you.

Reverse Flow

You learn to read and respond to the flow of ki in others in battle. In combat, you get a special reaction that you can take once on every hostile creature's turn, except the turn that you take your normal reaction. You can use this special reaction to use one of the following options:

• Deflect Missiles. When you use your Deflect Missiles feature as part of this special reaction, the ranged attack it grants does not cost ki points.
• Fade and Counter. When you are hit by a melee attack, you can decrease the damage by a roll of your Martial Arts die + your Dexterity modifier. As a part of this reaction, you can counter with an unarmed strike or an improvised weapon.
• Bend Magic. When you are hit by a spell attack, you can focus your ki to increase your resilience. When you do, you reduce damage by an amount equal to 1d10 + your Wisdom modifier + your monk level. If you reduce the damage to 0, you capture some of the lingering energy as part of the same reaction. If you do and hit with an unarmed strike or an improvised weapon before the end of your next turn, the target takes additional damage of the triggering type equal to a roll of your Martial Arts die + your Wisdom modifier.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Proficiency Bonus, unless you spend 1 ki point to do so. You regain all expended uses of it when you finish a long rest.

At 11th level, you gain 2 additional options to use with this feature and can use this feature with your normal reaction without spending ki.

Flux of Life

Ki flows more freely in and out of your body, allowing you to manipulate the ki within items and creatures you touch. You gain the following benefits:

• Improvised weapons now count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistances when you wield them.
• The first time you use your Stunning Strike feature on your turn, you deal additional force damage equal to your Wisdom modifier. If the target of your Stunning Strike succeeds on their saving throw, they instead have disadvantage on their next attack.

Contorted Flow

At 11th level, you learn to better read the ki of those around you. You gain 2 additional options to use with your Reverse Flow feature.

• Yielding Art. When a creature no more than one size larger than you misses you or an ally within 5 feet with a melee attack, you can force that creature to make a Strength saving throw. On a failed save, you can move it to a space within 5 feet of you of your choice. Additionally, it is knocked prone and takes bludgeoning damage equal to your monk level + one roll of your Martial Arts die.
• Intercepting Fist. When a creature within 5 feet hits an ally with a melee attack, you can make an unarmed strike against them to attempt to intercept the attack. On a miss, you become the target of the attack instead. On a hit, you can force that creature to make a Dexterity saving throw. If they fail the save, you redirect that creature's attack in a direction of your choice.

 Additionally, you can use your Reverse Flow feature with your normal reaction without spending ki.

Against the Tide

The way of the Formless has taught you to always adapt, even to the most perilous situations. When you have less than a third of your hit points (rounded up) remaining, you can choose to enter a state of resurgence on your turn (no action required) for one minute. It ends early if you are knocked unconscious. You gain the following benefits for its duration:

• You regain a number of special ki points equal to your Wisdom modifier. These can only be used to fuel your Reverse Flow feature and vanish when this state ends.
• You have resistance to bludgeoning, slashing and piercing damage.
• If you are blinded, deafened, paralysed or stunned at the start of your turn, you can roll a DC 10 Constitution saving throw to suppress the effects of the condition for that turn. If you are charmed or frightened at the start of your turn, you instead roll a DC 10 Wisdom saving throw. Each time you succeed on this saving throw, the DC increases by 2.

When this state ends, you must make a Constitution saving throw with a DC of 10 + the number of turns you spent in this state or gain one level of exhaustion. Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest. When you do, each saving throw DC of this feature resets to 10.