Related to self-discipline or inner energy, with expertise in it
Class Question
Did I de-escalate a conflict before it erupted?
Monks cultivate an internal reservoir of energy, treating body and spirit as a single honed weapon. Through rigorous ascetic discipline, they unlock physical capabilities that bypass the need for forged armor or heavy blades. Their philosophy seeks balance and harmony, using stillness of mind to defuse hostility before fists are raised.
When peaceful resolution fails, that quiet focus ignites into startling speed. A monk moves faster than incoming steel, striking with bare knuckles and projecting kinetic shockwaves across open ground. By drawing deeply on their internal power, they ascend into heightened states of physical grace, teleporting past barricades and delivering rapid blows that overwhelm adversaries before defenses form.
Core Feats
Ascension
You channel your inner energy inward, surging into heightened states of power.
Unarmored Defense. While you wear no armor and wield no shield, add your Power to your damage thresholds.
Aura of Ascension. While ascended, your power blazes around you, shedding bright light in a 10-foot radius and dim light for another 10 feet. When an enemy that can see you starts its turn within 30 feet, make a +POWER vs POWER attack against it.
Strong Hit
It is frightened of you until the start of its next turn.
Weak Hit
It holds its nerve this time, but is subject to the aura again the next time it starts its turn within range.
Miss
It steels itself and becomes immune to your aura until the end of the combat.
Ascension. You can spend 1 AP to raise your ascension level by 1, to a maximum equal to your Prowess; ascending grants the benefit of your current level and every level below it, and you remain ascended until you lower it. At the start of your turn, you can lower your ascension level by any amount, to a minimum of 0, at no cost. At the end of each of your turns while ascended, mark 1 fatigue.
Level 1
You are hastened.
Level 2
You are protected.
Level 3
You are quickened.
Level 4
You are empowered.
Level 5
Your movement is teleportation: when you move, you arrive at your destination without crossing the space between, passing any obstacle and ignoring terrain, and moving this way doesn’t trigger reactions.
Martial Artist
You’ve made a weapon of your own body, striking with hand and foot as readily as any blade, and learned to send that force across the battlefield.
Martial Arts. Your unarmed strikes are simple weapons with the agile property, dealing 1d6 physical damage and having the pinpoint mastery. You gain mastery of your unarmed strikes and know a number of techniques equal to twice your Prowess. You can have a number of them readied equal to your Prowess, and can use a learned technique only while it’s readied. Your speed increases by 10 feet. You’re proficient with your choice of brewer’s tools, weaver’s tools, or a musical instrument.
Energy Blast. Whenever you make an unarmed attack, you can instead make it as an energy blast: an agile ranged attack with the graze mastery and a range of 120’. You gain mastery of your energy blast.
Flurry of Blows. When you hit a creature with an unarmed strike or energy blast, you can spend 1 fatigue to make two additional attacks against it, then mark 1 more fatigue for each attack beyond those two, up to a total number of additional attacks equal to your Prowess. Each additional attack is an unarmed strike or an energy blast and, like the agile property’s extra attack, adds no ability score to its damage.