Monk, Way of Adaptation
A lone human treks through a mountain range in blizzard conditions. He taps his quarterstaff on the ice beneath his feet, sensing any monstrous danger that may search for him. A small band of elves traversing a sweltering desert expanse are attacked by a deadly creature. Surviving this encounter will require careful manipulation of the enemy and the elves' surroundings.
Throughout the realm lie unwelcoming environments - arid wastes and bitter highlands that leech vitality from the hardiest of adventurers. Few humanoids dare to face the challenges of these climates. Fewer still have learned the art of harmonizing with those treacherous surroundings, whether by choice or necessity.
Masters of Survival
Monks who specialize in the Way of Adaptation have approached the challenge of thriving in dangerous conditions by attuning themselves with the ley lines of ki throughout the land. Students of the Way of Adaptation do not view wild nature as an external force to be broken and overcome. Through study and meditation, adaptive monks seek to make themselves worthy of being a part of this necessary, beautiful, and terrifying system.
This ongoing search for balance affords followers of the Way of Adaptation capabilities well beyond that of the average traveler. These monks are known to be preternaturally resilient and resourceful. And when danger inevitably reveals itself, these wanderers are able to respond with both the patience as well as the fury of the lands they have come to respect.
Way of Adaptation Features
| Monk Level | Feature |
|---|---|
| 3rd | Adaptive Will, Aspect Alignment |
| 6th | Fight or Flight |
| 11th | |
| 17th | Unshakable |
Adaptive Will
When you choose this tradition at 3rd level, you have learned to thrive in difficult climates through aligning your own ki with that of the realm's ley lines. Your attunement with these environmental energies grants you the following benefits:
- You ignore nonmagical difficult terrain.
- You are considered naturally adapted to both hot and cold climates as it applies to overcoming exhaustion due to extreme heat or extreme cold.
- You gain proficiency in the Survival skill. If you are already proficient in the skill, you add double your proficiency bonus to checks you make with it.
Aspect Alignment
At 3rd level, you harmonize your ki with a unique aspect of the realm's energy, gaining a characteristic of the elements. You achieve alignment with one aspect of your choice, detailed in the "Aspects" section below. You gain an additional aspect of your choice at 6th, 11th, and 17th levels.
Aspects
The aspects are presented in alphabetical order.
Aspect of Air. You can hold your breath for a number of minutes equal to 1 + your Constitution modifier + your Wisdom modifier. When you run out of breath, you can survive a number of rounds equal to your Constitution modifier + your Wisdom modifier.
When you would normally fall unconscious due to suffocation, you can spend 1 ki point at the start of each of your turns beyond your normal limit to remain conscious. If you are unable to breathe, are out of breath, and do not spend a ki point, you drop to 0 hit points and are dying.
Aspect of Earth. You can spend 1 ki point to gain advantage on an ability check or saving throw made to resist being moved or knocked prone. For example, this feature applies to resisting the shove of an adult red dragon's wing attack or resisting the effect of a gust of wind spell.
Aspect of Fire. As a bonus action, you can spend 1 ki point to fly up to half of your total movement speed after moving at least 10 feet in a straight line. If you do not land at the end of this movement, you fall unless you have another means of staying aloft.
Aspect of Water. You can spend 1 ki point to gain advantage on an ability check or saving throw made to resist or escape being grappled or restrained. For example, this feature applies to escaping the grapple of a giant octopus or resisting the effect of an entangle spell.
Fight or Flight
At 6th level, your patience in combat allows you to assess a situation and improvise quickly in small openings.
When your Patient Defense is active and you are subjected to damage but avoid it, you may use your reaction to immediately perform one of the following measures:
Fight. You make a single unarmed strike against a target.
Flight. You move up to your total movement speed without provoking attacks of opportunity.
Alternatively, you can spend 1 ki point to perform both of these as part of your reaction.
Improved Adaptive Will
At 11th level, you have learned to further harmonize yourself with your surroundings. Through your Adaptive Will, you gain the following, additional benefits:
- You and your allies within 30 feet of you cannot be surprised.
- You are unaffected by disadvantage normally imposed on Wisdom (Perception) checks due to weather conditions, such as strong wind and heavy precipitation.
- You have resistance to one type of damage - acid, cold, fire, lightning, or thunder damage. As part of a long rest, you may choose a different type of damage to adapt your will against. You gain the new resistance and lose the previous at the end of the long rest.
Cycle Ki
At 17th level, you have mastered the manipulation of ki you spend in combat to bolster your fighting capabilities for a short time.
At the start of your turn, you may choose to cycle any ki you expend this turn. Each time you spend a ki point this turn, you gain a +1 bonus to AC, up to a maximum of +3. This bonus lasts until the start of your next turn.
The next time you strike a target with a monk weapon or an unarmed strike before the end of your turn, you can choose to end the bonus to your AC and deal additional damage equal to your Martial Arts die for each ki point you spent this turn. This additional damage is force damage.
Once you use this feature, you cannot use it again before finishing a short or long rest.
Adaptive Monk Weapons
Monks of the Way of Adaptation are as diverse as the lands of the realm. The chosen weapons of these monks are accordingly unique. Their chosen weapons often hold some significance to either their environment, their clan, or their own style.
Many of the adaptive monks learn to apply their monk weapon as a useful tool outside of combat. Furthermore, some monks of the Way of Adaptation choose to alter their monk weapons based on their experience with their surroundings. One may choose to drag his cestus through the needles of a poisonous cactus. Work with your DM to determine the alteration's effects, if any.
