Monk, Way of Adaption

A lone human treks through a mountain range in blizzard conditions. He taps his quarterstaff on the ice beneath his feet, sensing any monstrous danger that may search for him. A small band of elves traversing a sweltering desert expanse are attacked by a deadly creature. Surviving this encounter will require careful manipulation of the enemy and the elves' surroundings.

Throughout the realm lie unwelcoming environments - arid wastes and bitter highlands that leech vitality from the hardiest of adventurers. Few humanoids dare to face the challenges of these climates. Fewer still have learned the art of harmonizing with those treacherous surroundings, whether by choice or necessity.

Masters of Survival

Monks who specialize in the Way of Adaption have perfected this artform. These monks have learned to balance themselves with their environment, carefully manipulate their available resources, and create and sieze opportunities to survive in otherwise impossible scenarios.

Way of Adaption Features

Monk Level Feature 3rd Adaptive Will, Fight or Flight 6th Ki Break 11th Improved Adaptive Will 17th Exploit Openings

Adaptive Will

When you choose this tradition at 3rd level, you learn to attune yourself to harsh climates. This attunement improves your survivability and allows you to draw ki from the land.

While you are in extreme heat or extreme cold, you can choose to spend an hour meditating, adjusting your mind and body to harmonize with your surroundings. The time you spend adapting to an environment qualifies as a short rest.

At the end of the hour, you gain the following benefits:

You have resistance to either fire or cold damage, determined by the environment.

You gain 1 additional ki point each time you rest, including this one.

You retain these benefits as long as you remain in your adapted environment. You lose these benefits at the start of a short or long rest taken outside of your adapted environment.

Adapting Weapons Many monks of the Way of Adaption choose to alter their monk weapons based on their experience with their surroundings. One may choose to barb her whip with the sharp talons of a slain beast, while another may drag his cestus through the needles of a poisonous cactus. Work with your DM to determine the alteration's effects, if any.

Fight or Flight

At 3rd level, you are adept at spotting both offensive and defensive opportunities through your patient fighting style.

Whenever your Patient Defense is active and a creature misses you with a melee attack, you may use your reaction to immediately perform one of the following measures:

Fight. You make a single weapon attack against the creature. The attack must be made with an unarmed strike or a monk weapon.

Disable. The attacker must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or be blinded until the end of your next turn.

Flee. You move up to half of your movement speed without provoking attacks of opportunity.

Ki Break

At 6th level, you have learned to manipulate your enemies' ki to reduce their defensive capabilities.

Whenever you hit another creature with a melee weapon attack, you may spend 2 ki points to attempt to infiltrate and sabotage the target's ki. The target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or it takes a -2 penalty to its AC and loses all innate resistances. Immunities are unaffected. This effect lasts for 1 minute.

If the target dies while its ki is broken, you regain 2 ki points. You do not regain ki points if the target is undead or a construct.

Once you use this feature, you cannot use it again before finishing a short or long rest.

Improved Adaptive Will

At 11th level, you have trained your body to prepare for any circumstance.

You may now choose to adapt your will through meditation in any environment. The benefits of using Adaptive Will become the following:

You have resistance to both fire and cold damage, regardless of the environment.

You gain 2 additional ki points each time you rest, including this one.

You and your allies within 30 feet of you cannot be surprised while you are conscious.

You lose these benefits at the start of a long rest taken without using Adaptive Will since your last long rest.

Exploit Openings

At 17th level, you have learned to make use of openings in combat to devastating effect.

If you have advantage on attack rolls against a target, you can spend 3 ki points to attempt to ruin the target. Any hits you score with monk weapons against the target before the end of your turn become critical hits.

Once you use this feature, you cannot use it again before finishing a long rest.