MONK - The Way Of Rope

Rope Monks devote their focus and energy to master the technique of rope bondage, the intricate and artistic patterns one can use with hemp or silk rope to restrain a body. Usually the bondage serves to only restrain, but as the Rope Monk gets more and more adept in their skill, they can focus their Ki to increase the effects of their bondage, with sometimes damaging results.

Ropecraft

Starting when you choose this tradition at 3rd level, you gain the ability to fashion regular hemp or silk rope into a tool of restraint and beauty. Your rope becomes a part of you, used in combat with as much ease as any of your monk weapons. Every Rope Monk has their own personal method for treating their rope to make it into a tool for bondage. Monks can spend 1 long rest & 1gp of materials per 25’ of rope to finish it for their use. The treatment of rope is very meditative and relaxing, and as such the Monk will gain all benefits of a long rest while treating their rope. Rope Monks can carry without weight penalty a number of lengths of treated rope equal to your Proficiency bonus.

Each 25’ piece of rope you have can be used to restrain 1 Small or Medium creature. At higher levels you will need 2 25’ pieces of rope to restrain a Large creature. You cannot restrain a Gigantic creature. You cannot restrain a creature that does not have a skeletal or exoskeletal structure. You must have one empty hand while attacking with your rope to facilitate any bondage effects.

Body Awareness

Rope Monks have an intimate knowledge of anatomy through their study of ways to bind a body in both painful and pleasant ways. Starting at 3rd level you gain proficiency in the Medicine skill.

Bondage

Rope Monks are skilled in the art and science of restraint. In combat, you can choose to have any successful Flurry of Blows attack on a creature of your size or smaller force that creature to make a save against bondage. The bondage DC for this save is calculated as follows:

8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom or Dexterity modifier ( your choice )

If that save is failed, the target is Bound in your rope. They are considered subject to the Restrained condition and must make a DEX save vs the same DC to avoid falling over and becoming Prone. They can make a Strength save against bondage at the end of their next turn to try and break free of the rope. A successful save removes the Restrained condition, but uses up an Action. If the target is prone when making a successful save, the standard movement penalties for standing from Prone would apply. If at any point the target’s save against bondage is successful by more than 5 points, the rope used to bind them is destroyed.

Additionally, while in bondage, a creature has disadvantage on any checks against Intimidation by you or one of your allies.

As you increase in level, you gain certain ki abilities that can alter the effect of your bondage.

Quick Hands

Rope Monks are skilled at catching a target off-guard and taking them down. Starting at 3rd level, when you starts the bondage process, you can spend 1 Ki point to give your target Disadvantage on their first saving throw against bondage.

Rope Riposte

With a length of rope in their hands, a Rope Monk can turn an enemy’s misstep to their advantage. Starting at 6th level, when any melee attack against you by a creature of equal or smaller size misses, you can spend 1 ki point to force a bondage save as a bonus action. You must be holding rope before the attack misses to use this ability.

Iron Hemp

The Rope Monk learns to channel their ki to increase the strength of their treated hemp rope beyond normal limits. At 6th level, as a bonus action after a target fails their save against bondage, you can spend 2 additional ki points to have your rope cause 2d6 Bludgeoning damage after any failed escape attempt. If the escape roll succeeds by more than 5, the Iron Rope will not be destroyed, but will revert back to regular hemp.

Jagged Silk

As much as ki can be used to increase the strength of hemp rope, it can also be focused to give silk rope a vicious cutting edge. Starting at 6th level, as a bonus action after a target fails their save against bondage, you can spend 2 additional ki points to have your treated silk rope cause Slashing damage equal to your Martial Arts damage every round the target is in bondage. This ability reduces the strength of the rope slightly, giving the bound target Advantage on Strength saves to escape the bondage.

Hobbling Rope

The Rope Monk can place knots against key pressure points on a bound body, resulting in temporary nerve damage. At 6th level, as a bonus action after a target fails their save against bondage, you can spend 3 additional ki points to temporarily slow the target of your bondage. While the target is bound, and for a number of rounds equal to your proficiency bonus after escaping bondage, the target’s speed is halved and it takes a -2 penalty to AC and Dexterity saving throws. For the duration of the hobbling effect the target can take no reactions or any bonus actions. The target can make a Constitution saving throw at the end of its every turn to remove this effect.

Massive Restraint

As the Monk’s skill increases, so does their ability to bind larger and larger creatures. Starting at 11th level you can spend an additional 2 ki to attempt to put a Large creature into bondage. This requires at least 2 25’ lengths of rope, and can be used in conjunction with Quick Hands and any other bondage-affecting ki abilities. Any rope used in restraining a Large creature that is not Iron Hemp will be destroyed when the creature breaks free of the bondage.