Way of the Gates (5e Subclass)
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Way of the Gates
Monk Subclass
This subclasses are designed to monks how wants to use physical combats with some Chi skills. It was inspired by the way of the Limitless, my sincere thanks to its creator.
"An old man walks down through an alley. A thief smile as he slowly approaches the fragile ancient. "Give me your money or your life", says the smiling thief. The Old Man stops for a moment, take a deep breath and, all of a sudden, appears behind the bandit, breaking his ribs with a punch. Before fainting, the thief sees the Old Man with red skin, swell muscles, veins apparent and a humble smile."
"An young boy with veins apparent, swell muscles, red skin and a white aura fights with a short sword and his fists against many adversaries, beating one after other. As the last enemy falls unconscious, the boy gets back to normal and fall on his knees, suffering from exhaustion."
"A woman cries as she remembers her family and the sacrifice she is about to make, but that's all for saving her family. She faces the undead king and screams in pain, as her veins become apparent, her muscles swell, her skin becomes red, her hair flotes and a originaly white aura becomes red as blood. Few seconds later she and what lefted from the dead king rest for eternity on the ground"
Disclaimer: This subclass hasn’t been play tested yet.
Gate Opening
When you choose the Way of the Gates in the 3rd level, you can use your action to open up to two gates and your bonus action to open one gate. Each gate gives a type of bonus and allow you to use some Chi Abilities, as described below. Each gate costs 1 ki point to open. A gate lasts 4 rounds. Each extra gate opened raises the duration by 1. After the rounds ends, you gain a level of exhaustion per gate. The number of gates you have open plus your exhaustion level can't surpass 6 (See examples)
- 1st Gate - Speed: Your veins become apparent in your body, swelling against your skin. You have advantage on all roll dexterity related rolls; you add +1 to your Dexterity Modifier (up to +5); you add 20 feet to your base movement speed; you gain +1 to hit with unarmed attacks.
- 2nd Gate - Power: Your muscles swell. You have advantage on all rolls related to strength; you add +1 to your Strength Modifier (up to +5); your martial arts dice raises by one step and your unarmed attacks deal +1 damage.
- 3rd Gate - Fortitude: Your skin turns red. You have advantage on all rolls related to Constitution; you add +1 to your Constitution Modifier (up to +5); you gain +1 to AC; and you gain 2d4 Temp HP.
Also, you are able to use some Chi Abilities without opening gates (see Chi Abilities -> Gateless, below)
Expanded Gates
At 6th level, you can push your Chi flow even further. You can now open gates 1, 2 and 3 spending 2 Chi point for each, but you don’t get exhausted. Also, once you opened a gate, you can spend an extra chi point to open another gate related to it (see below) Each gate after level 3 still costing 1 Chi point to active but gives you 2 levels of exhaustion at the end.
- 4th Gate - Flux (related to Speed): A transparent Chi aura flows around you. You have advantage in all rolls related to dexterity and wisdom; you add 30 feet to your movement speed; your attack dice raises by one; you add +3 to any damage you deal; you add +1 to your attack rolls; you gain an extra attack; you add +2 to your AC; you can run horizontally and vertically on walls and similar, but you can't stop there otherwise you will start falling; enemies have disadvantage on attack rolls against you do to the concentration of Chi around you; and you regain 5d8 HP. Also, you can use Misty Step as your bonus action without spending Chi points (it range is equal to your movement speed/ Recharge 4-6: After you use this feature you must recharge before using it again, you throw a d6 at the beginning of your turn and if gets 4, 5 or 6, you can use it again).
- 5th Gate: Your hair floats, your eyes turn white, your muscles grow and the Chi aura becomes green. You can apply your proficiency bonus to and have advantage in all physical and wisdom rolls; you add 20 feet to your movement speed; you add +3 to your Strenght, Dexterity and Constitution points (up to 21); your attack dice raises by one; you add +4 to any damage you deal; you add +2 to your attack rolls; you gain an extra attack; you add +3 to your AC; you can run horizontally and vertically on walls and similar, but you can't stop there otherwise you will start falling; enemies have disadvantage on attack rolls against you do to the concentration of Chi around you; and you regain 7d8 HP. Also, you can use Misty Step as your bonus action without spending Chi points (it range is equal to your movement speed/ Recharge 3-6: After you use this feature you must recharge before using it again, you throw a d6 at the beginning of your turn and if gets 3, 4, 5 or 6, you can use it again).
- 6th Gate: The aura turns red. You can apply your proficiency bonus to and have advantage in all physical and wisdom rolls; you add 30 feet to your movement speed; you add +4 to your Strenght, Dexterity and Constitution points (up to 22); your attack dice raises by one; you add +6 to any damage you deal; you add +4 to your attack rolls; you gain two extra attacks per turn; you add +4 to your AC; you can run horizontally and vertically on walls and similar, but you can't stop there otherwise you will start falling; enemies have disadvantage on attack rolls against you do to the concentration of Chi around you; and you regain 10d8 HP. Also, instead of moving, you use Misty Step, without spending Chi points (its range is equal to your movement speed). You still being able to use Misty Step as your bonus action without spending Chi Points.
Also, Chi Punch, Enhanced Chi Wave and Enhanced Chi Blast and Death Chi Punch become Gateless Ability.
Renewing Meditation
When you reach the 11th level, you heal 3 exhaustion levels per long rest, thus your long rest now consists in 4 hours meditation and 4 hours doing light activity.
Also, Hurricane Kick, Lotus Button Sequence and Take Down Punch become Gateless Ability and Chi Restoration reduces to half an hour.
Absolute Gate Control
After long time training and developing your Chi and Body, you can open gates without getting exhausted, but it requires more Chi. In 17th level, you can expend 2 Chi points per gate and not get exhaustion levels by the end. If you use the 6th gate, after it ends, your maximum HP is halved (rounded down) until you take a short or long rest.
Also, Chi Step and Chi Shield become Gateless Chi Ability.
- Important to notice that the rule "The number of gates you have opened plus your exhaustion level can't surpass 6" is still valid although opening gates don't cause exhaustion anymore.
Chi Abilities
The Chi Abilities of a previous gate can be used in higher gates.
Gateless
- Improve: your Chi allows you to focus better. You can use a bonus action to use Guidance or Resistance.
- Chi Wave: you send a wave Chi. You can use an action to use Gust of Wind.
- Chi Burst: you close-look an enemy searching for weak spots. You can use an action to use True Strike.
- Chi Blast: you blast Chi from your palm. You can use an action to use Thunderclap.
- Chi Restoration: you can use 2 Chi point and 1 hour (half an hour at level 11th) of meditation to heal an exhaustion level.
- Chi Coma: your chi protects your body from dying of exhaustion. You can spend 2 Chi points to not die from 6th level exhaustion. When you use this ability you immediatly close all gates and faint (0HP). For every purpose you still with 6 levels of exhaustion. You're in coma until you loose one level of exhaustion.
1st Gate
- Forced Duel: you can spend 1 Chi point to use ‘‘Compelled Duel’’.
- Extended Fury of Blows: when you hit both attacks of Flury of Blows you can make a third attack.
- Hurricane Kick: your unarmed attacks hit all enemies in 5 feet radius (Becomes Gateless at 11th level).
- Enhanced Chi Blast: you enhance your Chi Blast. You can spend 1 Chi point to use Thunderwave. You can spend up to 2 extra Chi poins to add 1d8 for each (Becomes Gateless at 6th level).
- Enhanced Chi Wave: you enhance your Chi Wave. You can spend 2 Chi point to use Gust of Wind (Becomes Gateless at 6th level).
- Chi Punch: you imbue your punch with Chi. You deal an extra 1d6 physical damage to an unarmed strike. You can spend up to 2 extra Chi poins to add 1d6 for each point (Becomes Gateless at 6th level).
- Death Chi Punch: you use the vibration of your Chi in a punch to cause necrotic damage. You can use 1 Chi point to use Inflict Wounds with an unarmed strike (Becomes Gateless at 6th level). You can spend up to 2 extra Chi poins to add 1d10 for each.
- Chi Jump: you focus your Chi on your legs to jump even higher. You can spend 1 Chi point to use ‘‘Jump’’ on your self.
2nd Gate
- Lotus Button Sequence: you can spend 1 Chi point to hit an enemy with three kicks as an action. If the enemy is Large or smaller, the creatures lifts 1 meter in the air per hit (Becomes Gateless at 11th level).
- Take Down Punch: you can spend 1 Chi point to take down an enemy that’s on the air with a punch. He must make a Dexterity (Acrobatics) test (CD = 8 + Dexterity Modifier + Proficiency Bonus). On a failed save, the creature is knocked prone and takes 1d6 bludgeoning plus unarmed attack damage and fall damage. On a successful save, the creature takes only the unarmed attack. You can spend up to 2 extra Chi points to add 1d6 for each (Becomes Gateless at 11th level).
- Chi Wave Punch: you imbue your punch with Chi and release it as you strike. You can spend 1 point to use Thunderous Smite.
- Chi Mark: you use your Chi to mark a target. You can spend 1 Chi point to use Hunter's Mark on someone that you've touched or hitted before.
3rd Gate
- Stunning Chi Kick: you can spend 1 Chi point to kick an enemy and apply Stunned condition.
- Always Ready: you can spend 1 Chi point to counter-attack an enemy as a reaction.
- Chi Stealing: when you hit both attacks of Flury of Blows you regain 1 Chi point. This ability can restore up to 4 Chi points per long rest.
- Chi Step: you can spend 1 Chi point to use Misty Step as a bonus action (Becomes Gateless at 17th level).
- Chi Skin: you imbue your skin with Chi making it more resistent. You can use 2 Chi points to use Barkskin.
4th Gate
- Lotus Sequence: you can spend 1 Chi point to hit an enemy with a heavy kick (+3 damage) and two punches as an action. If the enemy is Large or smaller, the creatures lifts up 1 meter in the air per hit.
- Overlimit Fury of Blows: when you hit both of your Fury of Blows you can make an additional two attacks, but enemies gain advantage on attack rolls against you until next turn
- Chi Shield: your Chi protects you. You can spend 1 Chi point to cast Shield as a reaction (Becomes Gateless at 17th level).
- Chi Aura: you channel your Chi through your aura. You can spend 2 Chi poins to use Crusader's Mantle.
5th Gate
- Quick Dodge: you can spend 1 Chi point to use Dodge as a bonus action.
- Chi Reinfocerd Skin: you imbue your skin with a lot of Chi making it far more resistent. You can spend 3 Chi poins to use Stoneskin.
- Chi Quake: you use your chi to shake the ground. You can spend 2 Chi points to use "Earth Tremor" as a Third Slot Magic and the creatures have disadvantage in the dexterity saving throw.
6th Gate
- Dying Lotus Sequence: you can spend 1 Chi point to hit an enemy with two heavy kicks (+3 damage) and four punches as an action. If the enemy is Large or smaller, the creatures lifts up 1 meter in the air per hit.
- Sacrifice Punch: you use your Chi and your Vital energy to cause massive damage to a target. You can spend X (up to 7) Chi points to deal 2Xd10 + 1.5 times the amount of HP you sacrifice (up to 30) damage to the target.
- Chi Bomb: overcharging your punch with Chi you cause great damage in a short area. You can spend 3 Chi points to use Destructive Wave. This Ability can only be used three times per long rest.
Examples
- )A 3rd level monk can use a bonus action and 1 Chi point to open a gate, so it would be at 1st Gate. 1 minute later, he expands other 2 ki points and a action to open the 2nd and consecutively the 3rd Gate. When he opens the 3rd Gate, his 3 minutes resets. After the 3 minutes, he will have 3 levels of exhaustion.
A monk that already have two level of exhaustion can open up to 4 gates. The number of gates you have opened plus your exhaustion level can't surpass 6.
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