Way of the Transcendent Fist (5e Subclass)
Way of the Transcendent Fist[edit]
| “ | "I am the leaf on the wind, the boulder rolling down the hill, the surging tide and the blazing flame" | ” |
| —Master Zen Tsa, Human Monk/Transcendent Fist | ||
The Transcendent Fist is a powerful unarmed warrior who has trained their entire life to defeat enemies with their fists. They tap into the elements to deal devastating attacks against their foes. They can defeat even the mightiest foes with only a few prods to vital ki points throughout the body. They are ageless, being able to outlive even the elves, and are nearly immune to harm when they are unarmored. They may look ancient and decrepit, but a Transcendent Fist is at one with the universe, and can do everything and more any young person can...
Monks who spend a long lifetime perfecting their martial arts often pursue the Way of the Transcendent Fist in order to become one with the universe and gain true knowledge and insight. Few other classes are able to become a Transcendent Fist, and fewer still have the patience to attempt it, but the patience of a monk is as time-tested as the mountains, and the few monks who seek the path of the Transcendent Fist are most often rewarded with Cosmic Knowledge.
| “ | Their path is the middle road, never to stray away from the path of Order, lest they doom our world. | ” |
- Elemental Fists
At 3rd level, you achieve a high level of connection with nature trough your meditation, and can channel the power of the elements. When you use your Flurry of Blows, you can replace one of your attacks for the following effects:
- Earth. The area within 5 feet of you becomes difficult terrain to hostile creatures and you gain tremorsense. These effects last until the end of your next turn.
- Air. You can cause one creature within 30 feet of you to make a Strength check against your ki save DC, or move that creature 10 feet to any direction.
- Fire. Your attacks cause additional 1d4 fire damage, and you become immune to fire damage until the start of your next turn.
- Water. You can touch a creature and cause it to regain a number of hit points equal to your martial art die.
- Transcendent Abilities
Starting at 3rd level, you can choose one of the Cleric domains: War, Order, Life or Peace. You can use your Ki to cast the Domain spells from the chosen domain, as if you were a cleric with half your Monk level (rounded down).
To cast a domain spell, you must spend a number of ki points depending on the level of the spell: 1st-level (2 ki points), 2nd-level (3 ki points), 3rd-level (5 ki points), 4th level (6 ki points) and 5th level (7 ki points).
- Five-Palm Strike
Upon reaching the 6th level, once per turn when you hit a creature with an unarmed strike made as part of a flurry of blows, you can choose to not cause damage to, instead, force the target to make a Constitution saving throw against your Ki save DC.
On a failed save, you can roll your martial art die, and apply the correspondent effect:
- If you roll 1-2, the target is Incapacitated until the end of your next turn.
- If you roll 3-4, the target deals only half damage with weapon attacks that use Strength until the end of its next turn, and have Disadvantage on Strength checks and saves.
- If you roll 5-6, the target is Stunned until the end of your next turn.
- If you roll 7-8, the target is Unconscious until the end of your next turn.
- And if you roll 9-10, the target's hit points are reduced to 0.
- Ki Rejuvenation
Upon reaching the 11th level, when you start your turn with less than half your hit points, you gain a number of hit points in each of your turns equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of 1).
Your Ki Rejuvenation stops if you are at 0 hit points, unconscious or if you have no ki left.
- Improved Elemental Fists
At 11th level, when you use your Elemental Fist, you gain the following additional benefit for the chosen element:
- Earth. You can move up to twice your movement speed until the end of your turn.
- Air. Your first successful unarmed strike can call a lightning bolt down from the heavens. The target must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw, or take lighting damage equal to your martial arts die.
- Fire. You can ignite the target that takes fire damage from your Elemental Fists. The target takes 1d4 fire damage at the end of each turn, unless it uses an action to put out the fire.
- Water. You can cause any amount of friendly creatures within 5 feet to regain hit points equal to your martial arts die.
- Nirvana
Upon attaining the 17th level, you reach enlightenment. As long as you have 1 ki, you gain a flying speed equal to your movement speed and is able to hover.
In addition, as long as you have 1 ki, you add your Wisdom modifier on damage rolls against Demons, Aberrations and Fey, due to their chaotic nature.
Finally, when killed, you can choose to reincarnate into a new body after 7 days. Upon reincarnating in this manner, you are 1 level lower than your current level.
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