Way of the Desert Sands
The Way of the Desert Sands is a monastic tradition that originated in the scorching deserts of Scarborough. It is said that the founders of this tradition were a group of wandering ascetics who stumbled upon a powerful magical oasis deep in the desert. The oasis was guarded by powerful elemental spirits of sand, who saw the potential in these ascetics and chose to teach them the secrets of harnessing the power of the desert.
The Way of the Desert Sands is a secret tradition passed down through generations and only a select few are ever chosen to learn its ways. Its practitioners are known for their skill in using the sand to blind and disorient their opponents, gaining the upper hand in combat, as well as their ability to transform into a cloud of sand to evade their enemies.
Desert Affinity
3rd-level Way of The Desert Sands feature
You gain an affinity for the desert, learning to harness its power to bolster your abilities. You can apply one additional effect listed below when you use your ki features such as Flurry of Blows, Patient Defense, or Step of the Wind.
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Sand Fist: If both of your unarmed strikes hit the target, you focus to unleash a flurry of punches and kicks that are so precise and fast that they cause a sandstorm effect on the target, imposing disadvantage on the target's next attack roll or saving throw (only for Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution) until the end of your next turn.
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Sand Veil: You can surround yourself with a veil of swirling sand. This grants you the effects of the Warding Wind spell (no concentration) until the start of your next turn. Additionally, you can choose a number of creatures within 10 feet of you to be unaffected by one of the effects of the Warding Wind spell.
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Sand Form: You can transform yourself into a mist of sand. This grants you the effects of the Gaseous Form spell (no concentration) until the start of your next turn. While in this form, your movement speed is not limited as per the spell, but you do not gain the flying speed that is also provided by the spell Gaseous Form.
Blinding Sand
6th-level Way of The Desert Sands feature
When a creature within 5 feet of you that you can see, makes an attack roll against you, you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on the attack roll by throwing a blinding cloud of sand at the creature. This feature does not work against creatures immune to the blinded condition or those that rely on tremorsense or blindsight to attack.
You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier (a minimum of once). You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
Sand Mastery
11th-level Way of The Desert Sands feature
You have mastered the art of harnessing the power of the desert, allowing you to further enhance your abilities:
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Improved Sand Fist: When you use Sand Fist, the target takes additional damage equal to one roll of your martial arts die + wisdom modifier and must make a Constitution saving throw against your ki save DC or also become blinded until the end of their next turn. Additionally, this feature now causes the target to have disadvantage on all saving throws they make until the end of your next turn.
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Improved Sand Veil: When you use Sand Veil, a veil of swirling sand surrounds you, heavily obscuring the area within a radius of 10 feet. You gain blindsight within this radius for the duration of the effect. Additionally, you can choose a number of creatures within the radius, up to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of 1) to also gain blindsight for the duration of the effect.
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Improved Sand Form: When you use Sand Form, you gain the ability to fly at a speed equal to your walking speed for the duration of the effect.
Heart of the Desert
17th-level Way of The Desert Sands feature
As a bonus action, you can spend 3 ki points to activate Improved Sand Veil, a powerful defensive technique that surrounds you with swirling sandstorm of 15 feet. This effect requires concentration and lasts for 1 minute until you fail a concentration check, or you use an action to dismiss it. While this effect is active, you gain the benefit of half cover as the sand around you becomes rougher and tougher.
Additionally, when a creature of your choice enters the area for the first time on a turn or starts its turn there, they must make a Dexterity saving throw against your ki save DC. On a failed save, the creature takes force damage equal to four rolls of your martial arts die or half on a success. Once a creature has been damaged by this effect, they no longer take this damage until you recast Heart of the Desert or spend 2 ki points to damage them again.
