Way of the Deadly Venoms (5e Subclass)
Way of the Deadly Venoms[edit]
Monk Subclass, based heavily on the 1978 film "Five Deadly Venoms"
The Poison Clan is an old school of martial arts that taught its disciples some of the deadliest known fighting styles. The Poison Clan committed crimes and atrocities across the land, and as such, kept to a life of secrecy. Students of the Clan wore masks; the master did not know the identities of their students, nor the students each other’s. Even after the original students vanished, starting new lives of their own, their deadly styles lived on.
- The Five Venoms.
Starting at 3rd level, you choose a Venom Technique from one of the Five Venoms: Centipede, Snake, Scorpion, Lizard, or Toad. You learn extra techniques at 6th, 11th, and 17th level. Once you pick a technique at one level, you cannot change it; however, you can pick a different Venom later (e.g. if you pick the 3rd level Lizard technique, you cannot change out that technique. At 6th level, you can pick the Lizard technique, or choose the Scorpion technique, the Toad, etc.). To achieve the 17th level skill of a particular Venom, however, you must stick to one Venom’s Techniques throughout 3rd, 6th, and 11th. Otherwise, you must choose the “Hybrid Venom” technique at level 17. For example, if you want the 17th level Toad technique, you must pick the Toad techniques at 3rd, 6th, and 11th level.
- Elementary Techniques.
At 3rd level, you learn the rudimentary Venom Techniques.
Centipede. You train to strike so fast, it’s like you have a hundred hands. You may forfeit your Move action to make an extra unarmed attack. In addition, you gain proficiency in the Sleight of Hand skill, if you don’t already have it.
Snake. Your movements are based on a serpent’s; you are skilled at laying low, literally. You no longer have disadvantage on attack rolls while prone. In addition, you gain proficiency in the Stealth skill, if you don’t already have it.
Scorpion. Like your namesake, you strike with lethal precision. Once per turn, when you miss with a monk weapon attack or unarmed strike, you may spend 1 ki point to reroll one of the dice. You must use the new roll. In addition, you gain proficiency in the Insight skill, if you don’t already have it.
Lizard. Your ability to scale walls and buildings is unmatched. You gain a climbing speed equal to your walking speed, and you may spend 2 ki points to cast spider climb on yourself, without requiring verbal or material components. In addition, you gain proficiency in the Acrobatics skill, if you don’t already have it.
Toad. Anyone who tries to kill you through conventional means is going to have a hard time. When you are hit by a nonmagical melee or ranged weapon attack, you can use your reaction to spend 1 ki point and gain resistance to the attack’s damage type until the end of your next turn. In addition, you gain proficiency in the Athletics skill, if you don’t already have it.
- Student of the Clan.
At 6th level, your skill makes you not only stronger in battle, but more focused as well.
Centipede. Your speed makes it hard for your opponent to close in, and even harder to escape. You have advantage on opportunity attacks. In addition, when an enemy enters your range, you can spend 1 ki point as a reaction to make an unarmed opportunity attack.
Snake. Your attacks carry with them a snake’s venom. When an enemy fails the saving throw against your Stunning Strike, you may spend an additional ki point and deal an additional 2d6 poison damage. This damage goes up to 4d6 at 11th level, and 6d6 at 17th level, if you have chosen the Snake technique at those levels.
Scorpion. A scorpion strikes only when it perceives a threat. While you are not engaged in combat, you may examine a creature for 1 minute. At the end of the minute, make a Wisdom (Insight) check against your target’s passive Charisma (Deception). You have advantage on this check if you have fought this specific creature in the last 24 hours. On a success, you choose its:
- Strength score
- Dexterity score
- Armor Class
- Current HP
You learn whether the stat chosen is higher or lower than your own. In addition, if you engage in combat with this creature within 24 hours of observing them, you score a critical on an attack roll of 19 or 20. While in combat, you can use this feature as an action, but only once per creature.
Lizard. You learn to make agile escapes when your back is literally against the wall. As a Move action, you can leap over your opponents to a space you can see. You use your long jump distance to determine how far you go, and you can choose to use Dexterity instead of Strength. You go over any hostile creatures of size Large or smaller, and they have disadvantage on opportunity attacks made against you.
Toad. You leap headstrong into a fight, knowing your survivability is unmatched. Your maximum HP goes up by 3 when you take this feature for the first time. It goes up by another 4 if you take the 11th level Toad feature, and another 5 if you take the 17th level feature. In addition, when you roll for initiative, you gain temporary hit points equal to twice your level. These disappear when you complete a short or long rest.
- Treacherous Foe.
At 11th level, you’ve practically made the style of the Venoms your own.
Centipede. Your speed makes you dangerous when fighting bands of enemies. When you reduce an enemy to 0 hit points with a melee or unarmed attack, you can spend 1 ki point. If you do, you can move up to 15 ft and use Flurry of Blows against another hostile creature, even if you have already used Flurry of Blows this turn.
Snake. You’ve mastered the art of the slither. Hostile creatures within 5 ft of you no longer have advantage on attack rolls against you while you are prone. In addition, getting up from prone only costs 5 ft of movement, rather than half of your movement speed.
Scorpion. Even more lethal than the attacks your opponent expects are the ones they don’t. When a hostile creature makes a melee attack against you and misses, you may use your reaction and spend 2 ki points to make one melee weapon attack or unarmed strike against them. If the creature uses a ranged attack, and you have access to a monk weapon with the “thrown” property, you may also make this reaction, provided the creature is within range. When you do so, any hit counts as a critical.
Lizard. You’ve become more skilled in avoiding your enemies’ attacks. Your jump distance is doubled. In addition, once per round, when you are subject to a Dexterity saving throw, you can spend 2 ki points and add your Wisdom modifier.
Toad. You have a fortitude that opponents just can’t seem to get around. When you fail a Strength or Constitution saving throw, you can spend 1 ki point and reroll. You must use the new roll. Also, as an action, you can spend 4 ki points to gain resistance to nonmagical bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage for 8 hours or until you complete a long rest.
- Master of the Poison Clan.
At 17th level, your pursuit of power has come to fruition. You are a master in the Poison Style you have chosen, or a jack-of-all-trades, combining different techniques to create your own Hybrid style.
Centipede. A master of the Centipede style has the ability to strike their opponent down in a matter of seconds. You may now only forfeit 25 ft of movement to make an additional melee attack, rather than your entire Move action, and it does not have to be an unarmed strike. Also, when you make an opportunity attack against an opponent who is leaving your reach, their speed is reduced to 0, whether you hit them or not.
In addition, when you make an ability check using the Sleight of Hand skill, you can add double your proficiency bonus.
Snake. A master of the Snake style knows that staying low to the ground is more advantageous to them than to their opponent. Once per turn, while you are prone and within 5 ft of a hostile creature you can attempt to bring them to the ground. Make a melee attack; on a hit, you can spend 1 ki point to make a contested Dexterity (Acrobatics) check against your opponent’s Dexterity (Acrobatics) or Strength (Athletics) check. Creatures size Large have advantage on this check; any creatures greater than size Large are unaffected. On a success, you knock your opponent prone. While prone, your opponents have disadvantage on saving throws against your Stunning Strike.
In addition, when you make an ability check using the Stealth skill, you can add double your proficiency bonus.
Scorpion. A master of the Scorpion style has unmatched precision and knows exactly where to hit to put their opponent down. You now always score a critical when you roll a 19 or 20 on an attack die, provided you are using a monk weapon or unarmed strike. If you have examined a hostile creature using the 6th level Scorpion skill, you instead score a critical on an 18-20 against that creature. Also, you can attempt a Stunning Strike using a ranged weapon attack if you are using a dart or dagger.
In addition, when you make an ability check using the Insight skill, you can add double your proficiency bonus.
Lizard. A master of the Lizard style is well-renowned for their vertical mobility and uses it to their advantage. You are now permanently under the effects of the spider climb and jump spells, and you can spend 2 ki points to cast either spell on other creatures. While you are perpendicular to an opponent, such as on a wall or tree, or while you are upside down, such as on a ceiling, melee attacks against you have disadvantage. You also do not take any falling damage from falls no greater than 200 ft.
In addition, when you make an ability check using the Acrobatics skill, you can add double your proficiency bonus.
Toad. A master of the Toad style doesn’t need armor; they ARE the armor. You have full immunity to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage that is nonmagical, and resistance if it is magical. Whenever you take damage of any other type, you can use your reaction and spend 1 ki point to gain resistance to that type of damage until the start of your next turn. Even armor has weak spots, however. If you are hit by a critical attack, you take the normal critical damage, even if you would normally be immune or resistant.
In addition, when you make an ability check using the Athletics skill, you can add double your proficiency bonus.
Hybrid Venom. A master of none, but a student of many. You have learned the basics of the Five Venoms and can use all that you know to your advantage. At the end of a long rest, choose one Venom technique at 3rd level and one at 6th level. You gain access to those techniques until you complete another long rest. You cannot use this to gain access to a 17th level technique (for example, if you chose Lizard at 11th level, you can’t use Hybrid Venom to choose Lizard for 3rd and 6th and have access to the 17th level Lizard technique). You lose the proficiencies provided by the 3rd level techniques when you switch them out unless you already have the proficiency from another source.
You can also spend 1 ki point as a reaction to add a d8 to any ability check using Acrobatics, Athletics, Insight, Sleight of Hand, or Stealth.
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