Monk Subclass: Way of the Gentle Fist

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Overview & Creation

While most monks will have lots of martial prowess on their hands, some of them can gain the ability to strike at very specific areas of the body to maximize damage output. These monks are practitioners of the Gentle Fist Art. This type of martial art involves damaging very specific parts of the body and cut off circulations of life energy to specific areas. These strikes, despite doing minimal external damage, can deal major internal damage. A precise strike from a practitioner can momentarily disable that part of the body, allowing for more and more follow-up strikes until the entire body is disabled.

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Class Features

Gentle Fist Art

 

Inner Sight

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At 3rd level, upon choosing this subclass, you gain a brand-new perceptive ability. Your eyes can now properly see where specific weak spots are on anybody. Using a Bonus Action, you can toggle Inner Sight, granting you the ability to crit on an 18 or higher and the ability to see how much HP, AC, or any other resource well a creature has. This effect lasts 3 rounds. Aesthetically, your character's eyes may take on a new appearance where the cornea and pupils of their eyes look white, with the pupil becoming more visible upon activation of Inner Sight. Inner Sight may be used a number of times equal to your wisdom modifier (min 1) and all uses recharge after a short rest.   Inner Sight gains the See Invisibility spell's effects at level 7 and lasts 6 rounds.

Internal Strikes

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Starting at 3rd level, all of your unarmed strikes can deal necrotic damage instead of bludgeoning (your choice). Also, once per turn, landing a necrotic unarmed strike prevents healing until the start of your next turn. 

Compound Attacks

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At 5th level, your Flurry of Blows can become a major threat on the battlefield. Whenever you decide to use Flurry of Blows, you can instead expend 4 ki points to activate Compound Attacks. For the next minute, you are limited to only using Flurry of Blows but do not need to expend any ki points for it. Additionally, every fourth landed hit or critical hit against a creature will force the creature to roll against Stunning Strike (no ki required). Compound attacks will end if you do not land an attack on a turn.

Ki Rotation and Shutdown

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When you reach 6th level, you gain the following abilities:   Ki Rotation: At 6th level, you now know how to release your ki all around you for a special defensive move. As an action or reaction to an attack, you can expend 2 ki points to begin spinning. While spinning, you can only move at 1/2 your speed. As you spin, you create a 5ft radius barrier around you that can take damage equal to your Monk Level x 10. Projectiles and effects that would pass through the barrier would instead damage the barrier, with projectiles bouncing off harmlessly. You can force any creature(s) that enter or start their turn within 5ft of you to make a strength save. On a fail, they are knocked back 15ft and prone. Creatures that try to melee attack you roll with disadvantage. You keep spinning until the start of your next turn.   Shutdown: When you land an unarmed strike and have Inner Sight toggled on, you can expend a ki point to disable one of the target's abilities for a round. To do this, you must see or know of the ability performed by the creature first. Abilities that can be disabled are:

• Ongoing effects/buffs such Mage Armor, Barksin, etc.
• The ability to concentrate on spell effects (1 minute)
• A specific damage resistance (1 minute)

Gentle Destruction

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At 11th level, your attacks can now cause major internal damage while barely leaving a mark on the outside. When you land a melee attack, you can expend 2 ki points and choose a body part of the creature. The chosen part will have differing effects. This can only be done once per turn.  

• Hamper Offense: You cause the target to make all attack rolls with disadvantage for a minute. If this is applied twice consecutively, they take a -5 penalty alongside the disadvantage.
• Bolster Damage: You roll max damage, as well as deal another D8 of damage.
• Cripple Movement: The target loses 1/2 their movement speed and makes all dexterity saves with disadvantage for a minute. If this is applied twice consecutively, they fall prone and can only move 5ft via crawling for a minute.
• Discombobulate: Deal an extra D6 of damage and functions like a successful Stunning Strike.

  Creatures can attempt a constitution save at the end of their turns to remove any lingering effects.

Master of the Gentle Fist

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At 17th level, you gain a myriad of abilities.

• When you activate Inner Sight, you will have near 360-degree vision and can't be surprised as long as you are conscious. You also gain 100ft of truesight. Inner Sight now lasts 10 minutes but requires 2 ki points to activate.
• All of your unarmed strikes can deal force damage.
• As an action, you can expend up to 4 ki points in order to unleash a rush of unarmed strikes. If you've previously hit a target with a melee attack during combat, this attack roll is done with advantage. The target will take 16 x ki points spent in force damage and must make a constitution save or be paralyzed for 1D4 rounds.