Unarmed Styles

Opening stance (Rank d skill/white belt)

The crane style is entirely based around balance and dodges.

A monk adopting that style takes aerial postures, standing often on one leg with his arms wide open as the wings of a crane. The masters of that style also tighten their lingers to mimic the beak of a crane, aiming at the eyes of their opponents to debitate them.

Weapon adaptations: sickle, hand axe, short sword,

Dueling dice: d6 to defense and d4 to feint

You have advantage on Acrobatic checks. Moreover, you are always treated as behind a half cover when targeted by a range attack or when you are in the area of a spell, even if there is no cover before you.

ADVANCED SEQUENCES (Rank D skill/yellow belt)

As a bonus action, you can enter a defensive stance for one minute. While using the defensive stance, once per turn when you hit a target with a melee attack, you can aim at the eyes of your opponent. When you do so, the target of your attack must succeed on a dexterity saving throw or be blinded until the start of your next turn. 

This effect ends early if you are incapacitated or die. Once you’ve used this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.

BATTLE SKILL:

(Rank C skill/green belt)

By expending a martial die, you prepare yourself to make a whirlwind attack. If there's 3 or more enemies within 5 ft of you, you may attack each enemy once, to a maximum of 8 enemies.

EIGHT DIRECTIONS TECHNIQUE (Rank C skill/purple belt)

You learn to defend and strike in all directions. You gain a special reaction that you can take once during ever creature's turn, except your own turn. You can use this special reaction only to make an opportunity attack, or use your counter strike feature.

FOUR DOORS DEFENSE (Rank B skill/brown belt)

You learn to defend from all directions with flowing motions. Creatures don't gain advantage for having their allies within 5 feet of you, or from the Help action, when attacking you while you aren't incapacitated or prone.

Counter Strike. You may use your reaction to make two unarmed attacks against the attacking opponent. If you avoided all damage then these attacks are made at advantage. (These are kicks, elbows or knee strikes, you do not need to drop your weapon to perform them.)

Grandmaster Fighting Stance (Rank A skill/black belt)

When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you learn how to assume deep stances that enhance your base stability while you move on them and empower your strikes.

Assuming your fighting stance requires a bonus action, and it lasts for 1 minute, granting you the following benefits:

- While in your fighting stance, you gain a bonus to your damage rolls equal to your proficiency bonus.

. You have advantage on contested checks and saving throws to avoid being unwillingly moved or knocked prone.

• When you use a Fighting Sequence while in your Fighting Stance, you score critical rolls on a 19 or 20.

• You can use your reaction to impose disadvantage to one attack made against you. In addition, you can activate this form to allow you to take the Dodge action as a bonus action in each of your turns for 1 minute.

You can use your fighting stances a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and regain your uses when you finish a long rest.

Opening stance (Rank d skill/white belt)

The dragon style is based around focus. The focus of the mind, on a first hand, in order to stay imperturbable during the fight; but also the focus of the body, to deliver spectacular explosive blows. 

Weapon adaptations: club, mace, light hammer,

Dueling dice: d4 to attack, feint and defend

While in this stance you make wisdom saving throws with advantage. Moreover, the size of your unarmed strike die is increased by one rank (a d4 become a d6, d6 become a d8 etc.).

ADVANCED SEQUENCES (Rank D skill/yellow belt)

As a bonus action, you can enter a powerful stance for one minute.

When you hit an object or structure with an unarmed strike, you can spend 1 or more hit die to deal extra damage to it. For each hit die spent, roll two of your unarmed dice and add them to the damage dealt. 

This effect ends early if you are incapacitated or die. Once you’ve used this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.

BATTLE SKILL:

FA JIN (Rank C skill/green belt)

You learn to channel your ki into an immensely powerful strike. When you hit a creature with an unarmed strike, you can spend 1 or more martial dice to roll, and add it to the damage roll of the attack. This ignores any resistance or immunity to the attack's damage.

NO RETREAT (Rank C skill/purple belt)

You learn to attack with single-minded ferocity. After you take the Attack action you gain immunity to being frightened until the start of your next turn. When a creature provokes an attack of opportunity from you and you're not benefitting from the Dodge action, until the end of your next turn or you hit it with an attack, your attacks against that creature have advantage.

Sundering Strike (Rank B skill/brown belt)

On each of your turns, number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, you can add one Martial die to the damage of one of your melee attacks without expending it.

Fighting Stance (Rank A skill/black belt)

Assuming your fighting stance requires a bonus action, and it lasts for 1 minute, granting you the following benefits:

• While in your fighting stance, you gain a bonus to your damage rolls equal to your proficiency bonus.

• You have advantage on contested checks and saving throws to avoid being unwillingly moved or knocked prone.

• When you use a Fighting Sequence while in your Fighting Stance, you score critical rolls on a 19 or 20.

• You carve through enemies' defenses. When you assume this stance, as a bonus action on your turn, you can give yourself advantage on an attack roll. You can also deal additional 2d6 damage on attacks that have advantage, once per turn, for 1 minute.

You can use your fighting stances a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and regain your uses when you finish a long rest.

Opening Stance(Rank d skill/white belt)

The leopard style is recognizable by its numerous circular blows and its wide movements as it favors fast rotations of the body.

Weapon adaptations: dagger, mace, hand axe,

Dueling dice: d6 to feint and d4 to attack

Each time you make an attack you can choose to make a rotational kick instead. If you do so each creature within 5 feet of you must succeed a dexterity saving throw with a DC equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + vour dexterity modifier or it takes bludgeoning damage equal to your proficiency bonus. 

ADVANCED SEQUENCES (Rank D skill/yellow belt) 

As a bonus action, you can enter a furious stance for one minute. You shape your hand into the claw-like leopard fist, a special kind of unarmed strike. Once each turn when you hit with an attack, you can choose to impose the following effects:

• It must succeed on a Constitution saving throw against your martial save DC or be blinded until the end of your turn.

• Choose an ally that has your target within reach. It has advantage on its next attack against your target.

• The attack deals extra damage equal to your martial die.

This effect ends early if you are incapacitated or die. Once you’ve used this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.

BATTLE SKILL:

RETRIBUTIVE HAND (Rank C skill/green belt)

You can expend a martial die to block and strike at foes at the same time. As a reaction to being hit with a melee attack, you can reduce the damage you take by your martial die + your Strength modifier + your level.

If you reduce this damage to 0, you can make an unarmed strike against your attacker as part of that same reaction.

OPENING OF HEAVEN (Rank C skill/purple belt)

You learn to defend and strike in all directions. You gain a special reaction that you can take once during ever creature's turn, except your own turn. You can use this special reaction only to use your Retributive Hand feature.

GREATER FURY(Rank B skill/brown belt)

While using the Leopard Style, every time a creature fails a saving throw against one of your Rotational Kicks, you can choose to knock it prone or to push it 5 feet away from you.

Grandmaster fighting Stance (Rank A skill/black belt)

You learn how to assume deep stances that enhance your base stability while you move on them and empower your strikes.

Assuming your fighting stance requires a bonus action, and it lasts for 1 minute, granting you the following benefits:

• While in your fighting stance, you gain a bonus to your damage rolls equal to your proficiency bonus.

• You have advantage on contested checks and saving throws to avoid being unwillingly moved or knocked prone.

• When you use a Fighting Sequence while in your Fighting Stance, you score critical rolls on a 19 or 20.

• You learn to exploit openings to their fullest. When you have advantage on an unarmed strike and hit, before you roll damage you can cause the attack to be a critical hit. Once vou do so, you can't do so again until the start of your next turn.

You can use your fighting stances a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and regain your uses when you finish a long rest.

Opening Stance(Rank d skill/white belt)

The mantis sivle is extremely aggressive. A monk fighting style that focuses purely on his speed, striking his opponent as fast as he can in order to overwhelm him under a rain of BIows.

Weapon adaptations: rope dart, dagger, short sword,

Dueling dice: add d8 to attack stance

Once on each of your turns, if you hit a target with a melee attack, you can make one additional melee attack against that target (no action required). If that attack hits, the target takes bludgeoning damage equal to just your martial die.

ADVANCED SEQUENCES (Rank D skill/yellow belt)

As a bonus action, you can enter an overwhelming stance for one minute. When you make a Dexterity check during your turn, you can add your Wisdom modifier as a bonus to that check and other Dexterity checks until the start of your next turn.

This effect ends early if you are incapacitated or die. Once you’ve used this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.

BATTLE SKILL:

Phoenix Eye Strike. (Rank C skill/green belt)

When you hit a creature with an unarmed strike, vou may spend a martial die to attempt to disrupt the natural flow of ki through the target's body. The target must roll a Constitution save against your martial save DC. On a failed save, the target is stunned until the end of your next turn. If you hit the target with multiple successful strikes on the same turn then they have disadvantage on save.

Overwhelming Strikes (Rank C skill/purple belt)

When you hit a creature with a strike, you cause the creature to reduce 1d4 from its next attack roll made until the end of its next turn and your attacks deal an extra 1d4 damage to stunned targets.

Pressure Point Strike (Rank B skill/brown belt)

You have learned to use pressure points to disrupt certain bodily functions. You have learned how to use precise strikes to disable your opponents by blocking their Ki of a living creature.

• Before you make a melee attack with an unarmed strike, you can choose to take a -5 penalty to the attack roll. If the attack hits, you add +10 to the attack's damage.

• Once per turn, if you successfully hit a target then before you make the next unarmed strike, you can choose to target a specific pressure point on the body, and causing an effect to take hold depending on which part you strike. If the part of the body you target does not exist on a certain creature or cannot be reached, the attempt fails. (Multiple body parts, effects dependent on DM's discretion):

  • Neck/Head- On a hit the creature must make a Constitution Saving Throw or suffer disadvantage on all attacks until the end of their next turn.

  • Arm- On a hit, the creature must make a Strength Saving Throw or drop 1 held item of your choice.

  • Chest- On a hit, the creature suffers disadvantage on its next saving throw.

  • Leg- On a hit, the creature must make a Strength Saving Throw or fall prone.

Grandmaster fighting Stance (Rank A skill/black belt)

Assuming your fighting stance requires a bonus action, and it lasts for 1 minute, granting you the following benefits:

• While in your fighting stance, you gain a bonus to your damage rolls equal to your proficiency bonus.

• You have advantage on contested checks and saving throws to avoid being unwillingly moved or knocked prone.

• When you use a Fighting Sequence while in your Fighting Stance, you score critical rolls on a 19 or 20.

• Arrow Punch. 

  • When an ally within half of your movement speed is attacked with a melee attack then you may use your reaction to perform an Arrow Punch at the attacker. Roll your unarmed die and subtract it from the attacker's roll. The outcome of the attack is determined with this adjustment.

  • You move in a straight line (provoking opportunity attacks) toward the attacker.

  • Then you perform an Arrow Punch. Make an attack Roll as you lunge through the air and punch the attacker in the face. Make a second attack roll as you make a knee strike to the attacker. If both strikes hit the target must make a Con save or be stunned until the end of their next turn.

You can use your fighting stances a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and regain your uses when you finish a long rest.

Opening Stance(Rank d skill/white belt)

The monkey style favors mischief and acrobatics. The goal of a monk adopting this style is to destabilize his opponent while always remaining unpredictable.

Weapon adaptations: quarter staff, spear, nunchucks, improvised weapons,

Dueling dice: d8 to feint

You gain a climbing speed equal to your walking speed and the maximum length of your long and high jumps are increased by 10 feet. Moreover, every time you would make an attack against a creature, you can replace that attack by a Distraction instead. When you do so, the next attack that targets this creature is made with advantage.

While using the Monkey Style, you gain proficiency in Improvised weapons.

ADVANCED SEQUENCES (Rank C skill/green belt)

As a bonus action, you can enter an acrobatic stance for one minute. You learn to take full advantage of an opponent's distraction and confusion. When you hit with an unarmed strike or specified weapon you had advantage on, you can choose one of the following effects.

• It has disadvantage on its next save against one of your features.

• Your attack deals extra damage equal to one of your martial dice.

• It can't take reactions until the start of your next turn.

This effect ends early if you are incapacitated or die. Once you’ve used this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.

BATTLE SKILL:

CHEAP SHOT (Rank D skill/yellow belt)

By using a martial die, you use your athletics to gain height and smash a powerful kick. On a hit, the enemy must make a Strength saving throw [8 + (the modifier from the ability with which you make damage) + proficiency bonus]. On a fail, you add 1d4 bludgeoning damage and the enemy falls prone. If you have more than +10 on Acrobatics, the enemy rolls with disadvantage. You can't use this feature with creatures three or more seizes larger than yours.

MONKEY'S TUMBLE (Rank C skill/purple belt)

You learn to tumble and roll like a monkey.

Whenever you're knocked or fall prone, you can use your reaction to immediately stand up, walk up to 10 feet, and then make a single attack with an unarmed strike or specified weapon.

When you're targeted with an attack, you can impose disadvantage on that attack. Hit or miss, you then fall prone. Once you do so, you can't do so again until the start of your next turn.

MONKEY KING STRIKE (Rank B skill/brown belt)

Once per round when you attack with an unarmed strike or a monk weapon, you can execute a brutal uppercut. The attack deals an extra 2d10 damage. The target must then succeed on a Strength saving throw against your ki save DC or be knocked prone if it is Huge or smaller.

Grandmaster Fighting Stance (Rank A skill/black belt)

You learn how to assume deep stances that enhance your base stability while you move on them and empower your strikes.

Assuming your fighting stance requires a bonus action, and it lasts for 1 minute, granting you the following benefits:

• While in your fighting stance, you gain a bonus to your damage rolls equal to your proficiency bonus.

• You have advantage on contested checks and saving throws to avoid being unwillingly moved or knocked prone.

• When you use a Fighting Sequence while in your Fighting Stance, you score critical rolls on a 19 or 20.

• When you assume this stance, you can take the Disengage action as a bonus action after using the Monkey sequence. In addition, you can activate this form, your jump speed is tripled and your climbing speed is equal to your walking speed. The activation benefit lasts 1 minute.

You can use your fighting stances a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and regain your uses when you finish a long rest.

Opening Stance(Rank d skill/white belt)

The tiger style is aggressive and offensive. A monk adopting this fighting style generally uses a lot of grappling techniques, curling up his fingers to mimic the claws of a tiger, and using them to pull and restrain his opponent while striking him with powerful punches.

Weapon adaptations: tekko-kagi claws, nunchucks,

Dueling die: d6 to attack and d4 to defend

You make grapple and shove attacks with advantage. You also make Athletic checks to maintain a grapple with advantage and get the grappler feat if you haven’t already.

ADVANCED SEQUENCES (Rank D skill/yellow belt)

As a bonus action, you can enter an aggressive stance for one minute. When you assume this stance, your range with your melee attacks increases by 5 feet. You can activate this form so that once on each of your turns when you hit a creature with an unarmed strike, you move the target 5 feet in any direction while you move 5 feet away or towards that target, for 1 minute.

This effect ends early if you are incapacitated or die. Once you’ve used this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.

BATTLE SKILL:

JOINT LOCK (Rank C skill/green belt)

By spending a martial die on an unarmed strike you force the joints on the target's knees, elbows, shoulders, or ankles. The target must make a Strength saving throw. On a failure, the creature's limb is sprained, and using the limb causes them to take 1d4 bludgeoning damage which ignores resistance and immunity until they finish a long rest or receive magical healing. On a success, the creature is released from the grapple.

VICIOUS ATTACKER(Rank C skill/purple belt)

Every time you shove or grapple a creature, it takes 1d10 bludgeoning damage. Moreover, a creature grappled by yourself takes 1d10 bludgeoning damage at the start of each of its turn until the grapple ends.

TIGER FIST (Rank B skill/brown belt)

You learn to focus the power of your unarmed strikes to increase damage. When vou make an unarmed strike, choose one of the following options.

Tiger Punch. Your unarmed strike deals extra damage equal to your Strength modifier if you are using your dex modifier or vise versa.

Tiger Claw. You can pull the target up to 5 feet to a point within 5 feet of vou if it's no more than one size category larger than you.

Grandmaster Fighting Stance (Rank A skill/black belt)

You learn how to assume deep stances that enhance your base stability while you move on them and empower your strikes.

Assuming your fighting stance requires a bonus action, and it lasts for 1 minute, granting you the following benefits:

• While in your fighting stance, you gain a bonus to your damage rolls equal to your proficiency bonus.

• You have advantage on contested checks and saving throws to avoid being unwillingly moved or knocked prone.

• When you use a Fighting Sequence while in your Fighting Stance, you score critical rolls on a 18, 19 or 20.

• When you assume this stance, you can take the Dash action as a bonus action. When you activate this form, for 1 minute, the first unarmed strike you make on each of your turns immediately after you dash forces the target to make a Strength Saving throw against your Technique save DC or take 2d6 bludgeoning damage and be knocked prone.

You can use your fighting stances a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and regain your uses when you finish a long rest.

Opening Stance(Rank d skill/white belt)

Weapon adaptations: tonfa, spear, rope dart, short sword, 

Dueling die: d8 to defend

The snake style revolves around defensive postures. A monk adopting that style waits patiently for an error of its opponent, an opening in its guard Once the occasion occurs the monk strikes suddenly and violently, aiming on a vital point with an extreme precision.

When an enemy within your reach misses vou with an attack, you can use your reaction to make an opportunity attack against it. Moreover, when you take the dodge action during your turn, you can add a number of d6 equal to half your level to the damage of any opportunity attack you do before the start of your next turn.

ADVANCED SEQUENCES (Rank D skill/yellow belt)

As a bonus action, you can enter a defensive stance for one minute. When you assume this stance, you can use your action to gain resistance to slashing, piercing, or bludgeoning damage. You can activate this form to allow you to negate damage from the next source of damage you take equal to your proficiency bonus as a bonus action in each turn, for 1 minute.

This effect ends early if you are incapacitated or die. Once you’ve used this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.

BATTLE SKILL:

HIP TOSS (Rank C skill/green belt)

After spending a martial die you can move into your opponent's square and they move one square back as you throw them over your hip. They take 2d8 bludgeoning damage when they hit the ground and are prone. If you avoided all damage then they must succeed on a Constitution save or be stunned until the end of their next turn.

CUNNING DEFENSE(Rank C skill/purple belt)

While using the Snake Style, when you don't take the attack action during your turn, your reach increases by 10 feet until the start of your next turn.

IRON BODY(Rank B skill/brown belt)

You learn to absorb blows using your physical body and ki. When you're hit with a melee attack, or take bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage, and not wearing heavy armor, you can reduce the damage by your Dexterity modifier (minimum reduction of 1).

Grandmaster Fighting Stance (Rank A skill/black belt)

You learn how to assume deep stances that enhance your base stability while you move on them and empower your strikes.

Assuming your fighting stance requires a bonus action, and it lasts for 1 minute, granting you the following benefits:

• While in your fighting stance, you gain a bonus to your damage rolls equal to your proficiency bonus.

• You have advantage on contested checks and saving throws to avoid being unwillingly moved or knocked prone.

• When you use a Fighting Sequence while in your Fighting Stance, you score critical rolls on a 19 or 20.

• When you assume this stance, you don't have disadvantage on attacks while prone, and enemies don't have advantage while you are prone. You can activate this form to grant yourself disadvantage on attack rolls for 1 minute while all attacks made against you are made at disadvantage for the same duration.

You can use your fighting stances a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and regain your uses when you finish a long rest.

A hybridized style allows the user to benefit from multiple styles when they enter their fighting stance. To make one from scratch, you train as if it were a skill one higher than the highest technique you wish to incorporate into the new hybridized style. Any new skills you incorporate into it must be at one skill above its normal difficulty. But if you are learning an existing hybrid style, then you must learn the lowest skill abilities, in whatever order you or your teacher choose, until you finish before learning the next grade in skills.