Way of Balance
Monks of the Way of Balance understand that seemingly opposing forces are really complementary and that the universe could not exist if not for these forces being balanced. In order to assure that the world in which they live remains balanced these monks often journey far from their monastery to combat the forces of atrocious evil and to hinder the effects of overreaching good.
Yin and Yang
Starting when you choose this tradition at 3rd level, you gain permanent markings on the palms of your hands to signify that you are a keeper of cosmological balance, these being the Mark of Yin and the Mark of Yang. By expelling your internal ki through these symbols you can affect balance in the universe around you.
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Touch of Yin - The black Mark of Yin appears on the palm of your left hand to correspond with the spiritual control of Yin over the right side of your brain. This half of the greater symbol of universal balance signifies the negative energy of the world. You can use this symbol to rip away the ki that flows through other creatures.
You can make an unarmed strike attack with this Mark as one of the extra attacks afforded to you by using your Flurry of Blows feature. This attack uses your Wisdom modifier for attack and damage rolls and uses your Martial Arts die for determining damage, dealing bludgeoning damage. All damage done by this attack subtracts the same amount from your Balance Pool
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Touch of Yang - The white Mark of Yang appears on the palm of your right hand corresponding to the control of Yang over the left side of your brain. This half of the greater symbol of universal balance exemplifies the positive energy that flows through all existence. You can bolster the vitality of another creature by releasing ki through this symbol and into their body.
You can touch this Mark to a willing creature as one of the extra attacks afforded to you by using your Flurry of Blows feature. This attack causes the targeted creature to regain hit points equal to your Martial Arts die + your Wisdom modifier. All hit points regained through use of this feature adds the same amount to your Balance Pool.
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Balance Pool - Separate from your own internal flow of ki there is an empty well of energy that was created within you when you began to follow the Way of Balance. This Balance Pool is a space within your spirit that is not for containing your own energy. Rather, it is for harboring the imbalanced ki from the world around you while you work to bring balance by displacing it elsewhere.
Your Balance Pool begins at a total of 0. By using your Touch of Yin or Touch of Yang you can increase or decrease the amount of energy stored in it to a limit equal to ± your Monk level x 5. However, if you make the mistake of leaving an imbalance in the universe then the difference will be wrought upon you. At the end of a long rest you take an amount of force damage equal to the absolute value of your Balance Pool, and your Balance Pool is set to 0, as you can no longer contain the cosmological imbalance within your soul.
Philosophies of Balance
Monks of the Way of Balance understand that it is eventually necessary to look past the immaterial interaction of Yin and Yang to more tangible examples of binary balance in order to affect cosmological balance. They also believe that it is foolish to think that any one person can facilitate balance across all opposing, complementary sets of forces.
Starting at 6th level you begin to personalize your methods of restoring balance to the cosmos. You pick one of the Systems of Duality from the selection of 6th Level Systems from the list below and gain all features associated with it. You choose another System at 11th level. You can change your selection of a System to another in the same tier whenever you gain a Monk level.
Some of your Systems of Duality effects require targets to make saving throws. You use your Ki save DC for these saving throws.
State of Perfect Balance
At 17th level you have discovered a way to transcend to a state of perfect ki control, allowing you to prodigiously exact universal balance. By bringing your palms together you form a complete taijitu, a symbol of perfect balance.
As an action, which counts as having taken the Attack action, you may enter a State of Perfect Balance. When you enter this state the following effects occur:
- Your Balance Pool total becomes 0.
- You gain a third attack when you use your Flurry of Blows feature.
- Your Touch of Yin and Touch of Yang features both gain a range of 30 feet.
This State lasts for 1 minute, or can be ended early by you as a reaction. When this State ends you may, as a reaction or as part of the same reaction used to end it early, attempt to discharge the imbalance in your Balance Pool at a creature within 30 feet of you. The target creature makes a Constitution saving throw against your Ki save DC taking the absolute value of your Balance Pool as force damage on a failed save or half as much damage on a successful save.
Systems of Duality
6th Level Systems
Dark and Light
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Dark - You may, as a bonus action, exude an aura of light negation causing all light within 5 feet. of you to decrease by one step of intensity (e.g. bright becomes dim and dim becomes darkness). You can end this effect as a bonus action.
Additionally, you have learned how to bend darkness to your whim. You can spend 2 ki points to cast Darkness, at its lowest level, with no components except to point your Mark of Yin at where you wish the area of darkness to appear.
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Light - You may, as a bonus action, cause your Mark of Yang to shed bright light in a 20 foot cone and dim light for an additional 20 feet. You can end this effect as a bonus action.
Additionally, you have gained the ability to use your inner light to pierce magical shrouds. You can spend 2 ki points to cast See Invisibility, at its lowest level, with no components except to cover your left eye with your Mark of Yang.
Night and Day
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Night - As long as you can see the night sky you can not be lost exact by magical means.
Additionally, you have learned how to control the strongest element of the night sky. You may cast the spell Moonbeam, at its lowest level, once during the nighttime and must wait until the moon rises again to cast the spell again. This spell requires no components except to point your Mark of Yin where you wish the beam to be.
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Day - You know the exact time of day as long as you have been outside during the day in the past week.
Additionally, you have learned how to harness the power of the sun and can create a miniature version of it. You may cast the spell Flaming Sphere, at its lowest level, once during the daytime and must wait until the sun rises again before you may cast the spell again. This spell requires no components except to point your Mark of Yang where you wish the sphere to be.
Earth and Heaven
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Earth - You begin to be able to control the constant push and pull of ki between the soles of your feet and the earth beneath you. You can no longer be affected by difficult terrain as long as your feet can touch natural ground.
Additionally, as an action you can clinch your left hand and punch it into the ground to attempt to have the earth bind your enemies. You may spend a number of ki points up to a maximum equal to your Wisdom modifier to target the same number of large or smaller creatures within 45 feet of you. The targeted creature(s) must make a Dexterity saving throw against your Ki save DC. On a failure they are wrapped in tendrils of earth and the area within 10 feet of them becomes difficult terrain. On a successful save they avoid this effect but the area within 10 feet still becomes difficult terrain.
An effected creature is considered grappled by the ground. During their turn, an effected creature may, as an action, make an Strength (Athletics) check against your Ki save DC to end this effect. Otherwise, the creature remains grappled for 1 minute.
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Heaven - You have gained the ability to control the chaotic force of the air around you through precise bursts of ki. You learn the cantrip Gust and may cast it requiring no components except to point your Mark of Yang at the target location.
Additionally, you may spend 1 additional ki point after using your Step of the Wind feature to gain a flying speed equal to your walking speed until the end of your turn. If you end your turn in the air then you safely fall to the ground.
11th Level Systems
Calm and Brisk
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Calm - You have either learned how to put on a soothing demeanor or have always had one that is now bolstered by the expression of your ki. You make all checks to calm a creature at advantage.
Additionally, you can point your Mark of Yin at a creature within 15 feet that is charmed or frightened and attempt to suppress the effect that is causing the condition. You may spend 1 ki point and make a Touch of Yin attack against the saving throw DC of the effect on the target. On a success the condition, and the effect causing that condition, is suppressed for that creature for 1 minute or until the effect ends, whichever is shorter. On a failure, the effect is not suppressed but the creature gains advantage on its next saving throw against that effect.
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Brisk - You have honed your technique of focusing your ki into your legs to increase your speed, increasing your efficiency when doing so. When you use your Step of the Wind feature your speed increases by 10 feet.
Additionally, you may cast Haste, at its lowest level, on any creature other than yourself in range. When you do this, balance is forced upon the world and you come under the effect of the Slow spell for as long as you concentrate on Haste. When a Haste spell cast using this effect ends the target does not suffer the ill effects of a normal Haste spell ending. You must finish a long rest before you can cast Haste using this feature again. Casting this spell requires no components other than pointing your Mark of Yang at the target.
Water and Fire
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Water - You learn the cantrip Shape Water and can cast it as long as your left hand is free.
Additionally, you have learned to exploit the destructive capabilities of water. You can spend 3 ki points to cast the Tidal Wave spell at its lowest level. Casting this spell requires no components other than pointing you Mark of Yin at the target area. You must finish a short rest before you can cast this spell again.
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Fire - You learn the cantrip Control Flames and can cast it as long as your right hand is free.
Additionally, you have learned how to control the explosive power of an inferno. You can spend 3 ki points to cast the Fireball spell at its lowest level. Casting this spell requires no components other than pointing your Mark of Yang at the target location. You must finish a short rest before you can cast this spell again.
Death and Life
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Death - You have heightened your lethality, even your slightest touch can bring death upon another being. When you successfully use your Stunning Strike feature after hitting a creature with your Touch of Yin you can spend an additional ki point to have the stunned creature, for the duration of the stun, also lose all damage resistances that it had and all damage immunities become damage resistances.
Additionally, you may spend 1 ki point to cast Inflict Wounds at its lowest level by touching your Mark of Yin to the target. You can increase the level of the spell by spending an additional ki point for each spell level above 1st to a maximum equal to your Wisdom modifier.
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Life - You have learned how to expel your ki into the heart of another and halt the process of dying and even go so far as to reverse it. You learn the cantrip Spare the Dying and may cast it on a creature by laying your right palm on their chest.
Additionally, you may spend 3 ki points to cast the spell Revivify requiring no components except to press your Mark of Yang to the chest of the target creature. You must wait 3 days before you can cast this spell using this feature again.
Credit Where Credit is Due
- The taijitu found on the first page is in Public Domain and can be found here and was converted to SVG for Wikipedia by Gregory Maxwell.
- The artwork below this box was made by the amazing JungShan Ink and the image can be found here.
- Thank you to u/blazewynn and u/DnDNerd99 for their design help.