Way of the Pain Master (5e Subclass)
Way of the Pain Master[edit]
Monastic Tradition
Monks who are trained under the teachings of this tradition are called Tormentors, and master the ability to inflict pain upon their enemies. Upon being accepted as a disciple of this tradition, a monk must endure great physical abuse trough the hands of their cruel masters. They are viciously tortured, almost to the point of death and insanity, so they can understand the true nature of pain and learn to numb themselves from it, detaching from their physical feelings. Then, they must inflict pain, by fighting fellow acolytes in gruesome fights, by torturing those designed by their masters and by studying in depth the inner workings of living creature's bodies, learning about the points of pain in the nerves, and how to disrupt the flow of ki to torment living creatures.
Tormentors are employed by tyrants and evil aligned powerful beings, who act as patrons of these clans, in exchange for the services of their disciples. They are used to extract information from business competitors of powerful businessman and spies from enemy realms, used to extract confessions from criminals and rebels, and to simply punish those who are unlucky enough to cross paths with those willing to pay for such nefarious services.
- Torturer
Starting at 3rd level, you are skilled in the art of inflicting pain upon your victims. You gain proficiency with the Torture Tools, and add twice your proficiency bonus in checks made with it.
In addition, you can carefully torture a creature trough grappling, using torture implements or weapons. You have the following torture options:
- Grappling. You can use your Dexterity, instead of Strength, for your grapple checks. In addition, whenever you have a creature grappled, you can use your reaction to twist his limbs, causing damage equal to your martial arts die. You can make a Charisma (Intimidation) check against a creature that take this damage without reduction.
- You also can use your Dexterity modifier, instead of Charisma, for your Charisma (Intimidation) checks against grappled opponents.
- Torture Implements. When you have a restrained or otherwise helpless target that is unconscious, you can use your proficiency with Torture Tools to torture your opponents. You can choose to intimidate the target with the threat of torture, by making a Charisma (Torture Tools) contested by the target's Wisdom or Constitution saving throw (his choice). On a success, the target must answer a single question.
- Alternatively, as an action, you can choose to inflict any amount of damage, up to a maximum equal to twice your proficiency bonus + your Dexterity modifier. If the amount inflicted is equal or higher the target's Constitution or Wisdom score (whichever is lower), you can make a Dexterity (Torture Tools) check, contested by the target's Constitution or Wisdom saving throw (whichever is higher). On a success, the target must reveal any question of your choice.
- Torturer Weapons. You gain proficiency with whips. In addition, blowgun needles are considered melee weapons and monk weapons for you. You can also use these weapons as torture tools, but adding only your proficiency bonus (instead of twice your proficiency).
- Pain Master
Also at 3rd level, you gain the ability to both endure and inflict pain, by controlling both your body and your flow of ki. You gain the following benefits:
- Pain Tolerance. You have advantage on saving throws against the frightened condition, resistance to psychic damage and advantage against any effects that have pain in their description.
- Touch of Pain. Whenever you damage a creature with an unarmed strike, whip, needle or grappling, you can send a wave of pain trough your arms by spending 1 ki point. The target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw, or fall prone, becoming incapacitated and unable to stand up until the end of your next turn. This only works on living creatures.
- Masochism
At 6th level, you learn not only how to endure pain, but how to enjoy it. Whenever you take damage, record the damage taken. For each 5 points of damage taken, you regain 1 ki point.
In addition, as long as you have at least 1 ki point, having 0 hit points doesn’t knock you unconscious. You still must make death saving throws, and you suffer the normal effects of taking damage while at 0 hit points.
- Sadism
Starting at 11th level, you can inflict true pain with your strikes. Once per turn when you hit a creature with an unarmed strike, needle or whip, you can use your Touch of Pain without spending ki points.
In addition, whenever you use your Flurry of Blows, you can use your Stunning Strike without using additional ki. If you do so, you can't use Stunning Strike again on this turn.
- Wave of Pain
At 17th level, you become a true master of pain. You generate an aura of pain in a 10-foot radius. Whenever a creature of your choice enter this aura for the first time or start its turn there, you can use your reaction to cause psychic damage equal to your martial arts die and force it to make a saving throw against your Touch of Pain.
In addition, you can spend 9 ki points to cast Power Word Pain. Once you do so, you can't do it again until you finish a long rest, and the aura becomes inactive until you complete a long rest.
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