Néngyuán (5e Equipment)

Weapon (quarterstaff), very rare (requires attunement) A Néngyuán is a quarterstaff made of Bamboo that has been altered by a soen sa monk to channel and harness the mystic energy of Ki. The Néngyuán looks like a dark bamboo bō unless an attuned wielder spends their action to set it alight. Once this is done the Néngyuán appears to be imbued with pure energy and small veins of ethereal light pulsate along its length. A Néngyuán alight with its wielder's ki creates bright light in a 20 ft radius, and dim light in a 30 ft radius. Forging a Néngyuán A Néngyuán must be created by a soen sa monk (one who has at least obtained the power of Empty Body) who is a disciple in the Way of the Open Hand. The monk who creates this weapon must know the martial discipline Quivering Palm to shape it from living bamboo (the creator must begin with a whole stalk of bamboo that is still alive and has not been shaped or cut by a tool). Starting at dawn, the monk must expend 10 ki points before the next dawn to alter the Ki of the bamboo to be able to receive the Ki of its attuned wielder. Each time the monk does so he/she takes 1d10 necrotic damage as the Néngyuán reacts to the transformation. To successfully create a Néngyuán, the monk must succeed a wisdom check of 12 or higher. The monk cannot rest or be healed during this time. A monk that fails the attempt to create a Néngyuán will forever lose the ability to fashion one. A successful monk may then use the Néngyuán for him/herself or bestow it upon another. A monk that creates a Néngyuán immediately knows the steps to attune it. Attunement A creature that wishes to attune itself to a Néngyuán must use it to kill 4 enemies; one per day for four days (each day starting at dawn). During this time the wielder cannot attack any creatures unless using the Néngyuán and/or unarmed strikes or the count resets. Before the Néngyuán is attuned to its wielder, it has the stats of a normal quarterstaff with -3 to attack and damage and feels heavy to the point of being burdensome. Each consecutive day of kills as described above adds +1 to the modifier on the dawn of the next day. On the dawn of the fifth day, the wielder must hold the Néngyuán as it pulsates in his/her hands (The Ki of the wielder leaving its body and melding with the Néngyuán). The creature must make a Constitution check of 15 or higher or the creature cannot stand the pain and lets go of the Néngyuán. A monk can expend 2 ki points to retry the roll until either he/she runs out of ki or succeeds. A failed attunement makes it so the creature cannot re-attempt attunement with any Néngyuán for at least a year and the creature's hit points are reduced to half of what they were before the attempt from necrotic damage. The creature also takes a permanent 1d10 off of their hit point maximum. A successful attempt reduces the creature to 1 hp and cosmetically it appears as though the veins running from the creature’s forearms down through its hands are blackened with necrosis, but the creature has no symptoms of necrotic damage in his/her limbs despite its visual appearance. Inner Light After attunement the Néngyuán feels as light as if it were made of wax wood to its wielder and strikes with 1d8 one-handed and 1d10 when wielded with two-hands (bludgeoning damage) with a +2 to attack and damage. Its wielder can spend an action to light the Néngyuán, draining 1d12 hp or 1 ki point. When alight, the Néngyuán looks like a staff imbued with pure energy and small veins of ethereal light pulsate along its length. During this time, it brightly lights an area of 20ft around it and 30ft of dim light. Its modifier becomes +3 and all damage it deals is necrotic damage. A creature that is not attuned to a Néngyuán will take 1d6 necrotic damage if it tries to grab the Néngyuán and takes 1d6 necrotic damage if it starts its turn holding the Néngyuán. When a blow is landed with the Néngyuán or the blow misses the creature's AC by 3 or less, the creature being attacked takes 1d4 necrotic damage from the staff as its flow of Ki is disrupted. 'Darkness to light' A monk attuned to a Néngyuán who fails all of their death saving throws is not dead permanently. Upon failing the death saving throws, the Ki of the monk retreats into the Néngyuán and is harnessed there safely. When the Néngyuán is placed into the hands of the monk it was attuned to, and left undisturbed for a period of 24 hours, the monk's Ki will return to his/her body and reanimate it causing the monk to revive with 1 HP. If either the Néngyuán or the monk’s body are destroyed, the Ki will disperse and be lost. Those who have no intent of harming the fallen monk can sense his/her Ki once it retreats into the staff. Monk Bonuses A monk that studies the Way of the Open Hand and attunes his/her self with a Néngyuán will augment the following Martial Disciplines in which they are already proficient to include the following effects: Wholeness of Body: Whenever you successfully strike a target with an alight Néngyuán, you steal the Ki of your target and return it to yourself in the form of 1hp. Tranquility: If you have the sanctuary spell effect upon yourself while lighting a Néngyuán, you may use an action to channel it through your Néngyuán to a nearby ally. The transferred sanctuary spell effect lasts until the start of your ally's next long rest (the spell can end early as normal). The saving throw DC for the spell equals 8 + your Wisdom modifier + your proficiency bonus. Quivering Palm: Once attuned to a Néngyuán, a monk need no longer strike a target with unarmed strike to begin the imperceptible vibrations that disrupt the Ki of its target. A monk may instead spend 3 points of Ki to start the vibrations with a successful strike from a Néngyuán to his/her opponents ribs.

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