Way of Ki Flow
Monks of the Way of Ki Flow learn to manipulate the rate at which ki flows through both their bodies and those of others.
Ki Flow Modulation
Starting when you choose this tradition at 3rd level, you learn to control the rate at which ki flows in your body. You gain the following benefits.
- You take half as long to complete long and short rests as you did before gaining this feature.
- You only need half of the food and water to sustain yourself as you did before gaining this feature.
- Your remaining lifespan is doubled. At 11th level, it is doubled again. At 17th level, it is doubled again. You still grow frail with old age but at an adjusted rate proportional to your new lifespan.
- You don't suffer the effects of your current level of exhaustion, only the effects of the levels below it, if any.
Targeted Ki Burst/Bust
At 6th level, you learn to greatly (albeit temporarily) influence the rate at which ki flows, both in yourself and in others.
Ki Burst
You can spend a number of ki points up to twice your Wisdom modifier to imbue yourself (as a bonus action) or a willing creature within your melee range (as an action) with a hastened ki flow for a number of rounds equal to half the number of ki points spent. The target of the quickened ki flow gains the following benefits.
- Its Dexterity score increases by an amount equal to your monk level.
- Its speed increases by an amount equal to 5 times your monk level.
- It gains an additional action and bonus action on each of its turns and an additional reaction each round.
Ki Bust
Immediately after you make one or more melee weapon attacks on a creature, you may use your bonus action and spend 2 ki points to attempt to slow the rate of ki flow in that creature. The target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or be subject to a slowed ki rate. After a target fails the saving throw, you may spend additional ki points beyond the initial two to bring the total up to twice your Wisdom modifier. The target suffers the following effects for a number of rounds equal to half the number of ki points spent (including the initial two).
- Its Dexterity score decreases by an amount equal to your monk level, to a minimum of 1.
- Its speed decreases by an amount equal to 5 times your monk level, to a minimum of 0.
- It cannot take reactions.
- On its turn, it can use either an action or a bonus action, not both. If it takes an action, it must make a Constitution saving throw as it struggles to act despite its dampened ki flow. On a failure, the action does not take effect until its next turn, during which it must use its action to complete the previous action, lest it is wasted. It does not need to make a Constitution saving throw to complete the previous action in this way.
Sometimes, it is not obvious how a change in Dexterity will affect a creature's AC or other statistics. In ambiguous cases, it is up to the DM to determine to what extent a creature's statistics rely on its Dexterity.
Area Ki Burst/Bust
By 11th level, you have learned to extend your targeted ki manipulation into an area of effect. As an action, you may spend ki points to send out a wave of ki flow manipulation. The wave extends into a circle with a radius measuring 5 feet for every 5 ki points spent. The wave is blocked by total cover. In addition to spending ki points, you also gain one level of exhaustion.
For each creature within range, you can choose to ignore it or subject it to either your Ki Burst or Ki Bust feature as if you had spent a number of ki points equal to your Wisdom modifier.
Passive Ki Burst/Bust
By 17th level, your familiarity with altering the flow of ki has grown to such an extent that your abilities sometimes manifest effortlessly. At the beginning of each of your turns, make a Wisdom check. On a 20 or higher, you gain the effects of a Ki Burst targeted on yourself as if you had spent 1 ki point. Additionally, the first time on your turn you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack and don't use your bonus action to attempt a Ki Bust, the target must make a Constitution saving throw or be subjected to the effects of your Ki Bust for 1 round.
"Much as the river dries after the drought and surges after the monsoon, ki, too, is not bound to a static flow."
– Mumannar Ghadeefi, Sage of Skypiercer Temple