Monk, Monastic Tradition: Way of The Stray v2.0 - Lost Archive Edition

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<div class='cover-header'>Monk, Monastic Tradition: Way of the Stray v2.0</div>

<div class='cover-footer'>Learn from the scars of history, and take on the world through the dichotomy of decisive judgment and instinctive mercy.

All art by <a href='https://twitter.com/MON_2501/media'>MON(修行)</a>

Subclass by /u/ChaosHyper2
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## Way of the Stray

#### Tradition of Study and Penance
The Stray is a figure once believed to be a great apostate who carried sins innumerable. This one stripped of name and purpose sought to atone, setting upon a journey to bring end to meaningless suffering and obtain enlightenment. As such, strays not only face the sins of the past, but wield them against the sins thereafter.

Disciples of the Stray are penitents, not for people, societies, or even gods, but for themselves, for the self that is one with all things. Seekers of the Stray's guidance vary from criminals, betrayers, former tyrants, and so forth, with the only criterion being a desire for penance. Disciples are taught to observe the world, to learn its tenets, to be at its mercy, and to be its guardian. Many disciples struggle with this apparent loss of agency, as well the punishing, minimalist lifestyle regiment they must abide by. The next step is using what was learned to mete out amendments or judgment upon sinners, be they natural, alien, or artificial. The final step is to seek liberation from sin, thought attainable through the Void beyond the light of emptiness, where the Stray awaits vigilantly.

### Ātman Extraction 
Starting at 3rd level, penitents like you find guidance and meaning in the wonders of the world, each recorded for study to an astral archive. You learn a ritual which allows you to interact with this astral archive which you can conduct as part of a rest or over 10-minutes, starting with the option to Extract once complete.

***Extract.*** You learn the tales, history, and lore surrounding a creature, object, structure, or location you touched for the ritual’s duration, where it is added as a new astral record in the astral archive. The record is comprehensive and truthful, but veiled in figurative language, requiring great effort to decipher. Alternatively, you can withdraw one astral record from the archive, causing it to appear in your hand or within 5 feet of you. Astral records are tiny objects that have an appearance of your choice (such as a book or scroll) and function like their real counterparts. Astral records can be dismissed at will without requiring an action, records are automatically dismissed if they would be damaged, modified, or destroyed.

### Arts of the Stray
At 3rd level, you learn to see the relations between the teachings from the world’s many martial traditions. Once per turn, as part of an action or attack you perform, you can enter a stance detailed at the end of the subclass, leaving any previous stances upon doing so. Many effects from stance abilities persist beyond their original stance for up to 1 minute, notarized with (persisting). When an effect calls for a saving throw, the DC is equal to your Ki save DC. Some stances have level restrictions, of which you cannot use until you reach the monk level prerequisite. You cannot benefit from this feature while wearing armor or using a shield.

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### Winds of Change
At 6th level, your training allows you to face the weathering of the world, and grasp the ability to bring change. You are immune to extreme weather, planar effects, and madness.

Additionally, you gain proficiency with either Insight or Persuasion, and may add your Wisdom modifier (min 0) to ability checks made to foster cooperation, delegate peace, or similar good faith interactions.

### Merciful Dissolution 
Starting at 11th level, you can show others the scars of history residing within your archive. You can now perform the Ātman Extraction ritual as an action.

Additionally, you gain a new use for the Ātman Extraction ritual called Recite.

***Recite (4 ki).*** You can create an illusory reconstruction of a record’s contents within a 150-foot cube centered at a point within 300 feet, lasting for up to 24 hour (can be dismissed without requiring any actions). The events that transpire from the record’s reconstruction, including audible, visual, tactile, and olfactory elements. Creatures witnessing the reconstruction for the first time become altered based on the nature of what they experienced, having one of the following effects at the DM’s discretion:
* *Enlightening.* The alignment of a creature shifts.
* *Harrowing.* The creature either seeks repentance, gains a new bond, or both.
* *Inspiring.* The creature learns an otherwise unobtainable piece of information.
* *Quieting.* The creature is cleansed of madness that may be ailing them.

### Light of Emptiness.
Starting at 17th level, the world in its entirety is laid bare before you. You gain a new use for the Ātman Extraction Ritual called Gaze.

***Gaze (5 ki).*** You can harness the Ātman you have extracted to extend your senses beyond mortal capability. For the next 10 minutes, you can perceive the entirety of that which is currently or previously associated to records within the archive (including objects, creatures, structures, locations, etc), along with knowing which record they are associated with and how. You can use an action to focus on one such target, creating an intangible and imperceptible astral sensor that allows you to see and hear as if you were in the same location, the sensor appears within 10 feet of the target and moves in tandem with it. Unfocusing requires no actions.

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### Arts of the Stray, An Ersatz Rebellion
When you enter a stance, you can choose from the following options. You start with Air's Erudition, Mountain's Momentum, and River's Reciprocity at 3rd level. You later gain access to Vital Synchronicity at 6th level, Cleansing Retribution at 11th level, and Boundless Reflection at 17th level.

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#### Air's Erudition.
Your jump distance equals your speed. You choose the rate of descent when you fall and can move horizontally 2 feet for every foot descended, expending movement when doing so.

If you take the disengage action, as part of the action or your next melee weapon attack (persisting), you can choose a creature within your reach to make a Strength saving throw. On a failed save, that creatures is pushed in a direction of your choice a distance equal to half you walking speed. If the creature was pushed into the air, they remain suspended there until the until the end of your next turn.
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#### Mountain's Momentum. 
Your movement speed is halved, however, you cannot be knocked prone or otherwise impeded (such as by difficult terrain or movement speed reduction).

When you take the dodge action, you gain a number additional of reactions equal to your Monk level divided by four (rounded up), replacing any reactions previously gained this way (persisting). These additional reactions can only be used by your other monk features or to make opportunity attacks with a monk weapon or unarmed strike.
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#### River’s Reciprocity (6th level).
While adjacent to a creature, you can move to any other space adjacent to that creature without expending movement, additionally, you can move through another creatures space without penalties.

The trigger for deflect missiles becomes "taking any damage" in this stance. Reducing the trigger's damage to 0 allows you to catch the damage as if it were a missile, it deals piercing damage or a triggering damage type (your choice) on hit. You cannot change stances using deflect missiles this way.
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#### Vital Synchronicity (6th level). 
You can switch locations with an ally by expending movement equal to the  distance between you and that ally.

When you use Quickened Healing or Focused Aim (TCE p.48), allies within 15 feet are granted the same effect on their next attack (persisting).
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#### Cleansing Retribution (11th level). 
As a reaction to when another creature inflicts harm, you can move up to half your walking speed directly toward the triggering creature or its target.

When you take the dash action, the next target you hit with a melee weapon attack must make a Constitution saving throw (persisting). On a failed save, the target's current and maximum hit points are reduced by an amount equal to the total number of hit points you are currently missing or half as much on a success. Hit points reduced in this way can only be recovered after finishing a long rest. You can use this feature once per long rest, or spend 3 ki points to use it again when you have no remaining uses.
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#### Boundless Reflection (17th level).
You can move through creatures, objects, surfaces, terrain, and structures without penalty, so long as you do not end your movement within them.

While you are under the benefits of Gaze, you can spend 2 ki points when you make an attack against a target, that same attack is made against all other targets of your choice within 30 feet of the original target. Stunning Strike and Cleansing Retribution do not apply beyond the initial target.
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<div class="clarity-notes">
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    STANCE CLARIFICATION NOTES:
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    AE: You can't jump midair unless there is another effect that allows it.
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    MM: The total number of reactions had after dodging this way should never exceed 1 + 1/4th of the monk's level at any time.
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    RR: DMG (p.246): buildings and vehicles do not count as objects. The missile created by the special deflect missiles uses the monk's martial arts die.
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    CR: The damage bonus on the attack resets based on the latest of the 3 conditions.
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    BR: The enhanced attack can be declared after you roll to attack.
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