### Way of the Kensei (Revised) Monks of the Way of the Kensei train relentlessly with their weapons, to the point where the weapon becomes an extension of the body. Founded on a mastery of sword fighting, the tradition has expanded to include many different weapons. A kensei sees a weapon in much the same way a calligrapher or painter regards a pen or brush. Whatever the weapon, the kensei views it as a tool used to express the beauty and precision of the martial arts. That such mastery makes a kensei a peerless warrior is but a side effect of intense devotion, practice, and study. ##### Kensei Features | Monk Level | Feature | |:---:|:-----------:| | 3rd | Path of the Kensei, Martial Stance | | 6th | One With The Blade | | 11th | Master of Many Brushes | | 17th | Unerring Stroke | #### Path of the Kensei When you choose this tradition at 3rd level, your special martial arts training leads you to master the use of certain weapons. This path also includes instruction in the deft strokes of calligraphy or painting. You gain the following benefits. ***Kensei Weapons.*** Choose three types of weapons to be your kensei weapons (at least one melee weapon and at least one ranged weapon). Each of these weapons can be any simple or martial weapon that lacks the special property. If the weapon has the heavy property, it loses this property while you wield it. Weapons with the thrown property can be drawn as part of a ranged weapon attack with them, and they return to your hand following the attack. You gain proficiency with these weapons if you don't already have it. Weapons of the chosen types are monk weapons for you. Many of this tradition's features work only with your kensei weapons. When you reach 6th, 11th, and 17th level in this class, you can choose another type of weapon—either melee or ranged—to be a kensei weapon for you, following the criteria above. ***Way of the Brush.*** You gain proficiency with your choice of calligrapher's supplies or painter's supplies. #### Martial Stance When you choose this tradition at 3rd level, your martial training allows you to adopt various stances in combat. While wielding a kensei weapon, as a bonus action on your turn, you may adopt one of the following stances until the end of your next turn or until you adopt a new stance. * **Turtle Stance:** Using your kensei weapon to defend yourself, you gain +1 to AC. You may spend up to 2 ki points to increase this bonus by the number of ki points spent. * **Tiger Stance:** The first time you hit with a weapon attack on your turn, you may deal extra damage to the target equal to one roll of your Martial Arts die. You may spend up to 2 ki points to increase this damage by one additional roll of the Martial Arts die per ki point spent. \columnbreak * **Monkey Stance:** If you are wielding a melee weapon that does not already have the reach property, its range increases by 5 feet. * **Cobra Stance:** If you are wielding your weapon in one hand, when a creature misses you with a melee weapon attack, you can use your reaction to make one melee weapon attack against that creature. Spending two ki points grants advantage on the attack. * **Bull Stance:** When attempting to shove or trip a creature, you may make a weapon attack roll instead of a Strength (Athletics) check. If you are wielding your weapon with two hands, the attack roll is made with advantage. * **Locust Stance:** When making ranged weapon attacks with kensei weapons with the thrown property, you may bounce the weapon to a secondary target within 10 feet of the original, making a new attack roll at disadvantage. You can spend one ki point to make the roll without disadvantage instead. #### One With The Blade At 6th level, your weapon mastery grows, gaining the following benefits. ***Magic Kensei Weapons.*** Your attacks with your kensei weapons count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to non-magical attacks and damage. ***Artist of War:*** You cannot be disarmed of a kensei weapon you are wielding unless you are incapacitated. Additionally, effects that may inhibit your physical ability to wield your kensei weapon, such as the *heat metal* spell, do not impose disadvantage on your weapon attacks. #### Master of Many Brushes Beginning at 11th level, you further hone your skills with specific types of weapons, gaining the following benefits. ***Scorpion's Sting.*** Your melee weapon attacks with monk weapons wielded in one hand score a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20. ***Bear's Fury.*** When attacking with a melee monk weapon wielded in two hands, if the original attack roll would hit another target within 5 feet of the original target, you may deal damage to the secondary target equal to one roll of your Martial Arts die. ***Eagle's Eye.*** While wielding a ranged monk weapon, you do not suffer disadvantage on ranged attack rolls while a hostile creature is within 5 feet of you. Additionally, as a reaction to a creature entering within 30 feet of you, you may make a single ranged weapon attack against them with a monk weapon. ***Wasp's Hive.*** While wielding monk weapons with the thrown property, landing at least two ranged weapon attacks on the same target causes your subsequent thrown weapon attacks against that target to be at advantage until the end of your turn, and allows you to immediately make an additional thrown weapon attack (no action required). #### Unerring Stroke At 17th level, your mastery of weapons grants you extraordinary accuracy. If you miss with an attack roll using a monk weapon on your turn, you can reroll it. You can use this feature only once on each of your turns. \pagebreak > **Author:** /u/wavec022