Monk Subclass: Way of the Dragon Turtle

Monk Subclass: Way of the Dragon Turtle

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Hit Points

Hit Dice: d8 per Monk Subclass: Way of the Dragon Turtle level

Hit Points at first Level:

Hit Points at Higher Levels:

Proficiences

Armor:

Weapons:

Tools:

Saving Throws:

Skills:

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Overview & Creation

Way of the Dragon Turtle

Monks who favor tenacious stances and heavy strikes more than nimble evasion and rapid blows are often trained in the Way of the Dragon Turtle. Recognized for their impressive physiques and unmatched endurance; these martial artists are well known for being kind hearted and eager to help others. These monks believe that every jar of water delivered, and every tree trunk carried, is time spent training. Their fighting style involves keeping foes away from their allies, facing blows with steely resolve, and locking down their opponents with powerful grapples.

Variant: Stability over Agility

Some monks favor stability over agility. To reflect this, you can choose this variant when creating your character. When using this variant, all mentions of your character's Dexterity score or modifier in the Unarmored Defense and Deflect Missiles class features are replaced with Strength.

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Subclass Options

Turtle Stance

Beginning at 3rd level, you learn to defend yourself as a turtle would, facing blows directly with a hardened body of iron. When an attacker hits you with a melee weapon attack, you can use your reaction to reduce the damage of the attack by an amount equal to one roll of your Martial Arts die + your Strength modifier (minimum of 1). When you make an opportunity attack, you can replace the melee attack with a grapple check. Creatures other than you gain advantage on attack rolls against creatures you are grappling. If a creature you are grappling is restrained, it can only use its actions to escape.

Totem of Dragon Strength

At 3rd level you gain proficiency in the Athletics skill. If you have proficiency in this skill from another source, then your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make that uses Athletics. As an action, you can touch any blunt object larger than 1 cubic foot and smaller than yourself and imbue it with your ki. After imbuing it so, the object acquires artistic marks showing prayers to the dragon turtle. It is now your Totem of Dragon Strength and counts as a monk weapon for you for which you have proficiency. Your totem gains the weapon traits from the Totem of Dragon Strength table. Attack and damage rolls using your totem must be done with your Strength Modifier. Your totem is weightless for you, and sticks to your hand if you want it to. Your totem gains the magical attributes of one magic melee monk weapon that you are attuned to, unless it already is a magical weapon. You decide which weapon after finishing a short or long rest. You can only have a single totem at a time, and ending the link with the object is instantaneous. While holding your totem, you can't be disarmed of it, and you gain advantage on all saving throws instead of only Dexterity when you take the Dodge action.

Totem of Dragon Strength

Level Damage Properties

• 3 1d6 (bludgeoning) Versatile (1d8)
• 5 1d8 (bludgeoning) Versatile (1d10)
• 11 1d10 (bludgeoning) Versatile (1d12)
• 17 1d12 (bludgeoning) Versatile (2d6)

Snap Dragon

At 6th level, you can react with clasping strength on your foes. Once per round, when a creature misses you with a melee attack, you can make a grapple check against them. In addition, immediately after you have successfully grappled a creature, or as a bonus action on your turn, you can throw a creature you are grappling. The target must make a Strength saving throw against your ki save DC. On a failure, you can throw the creature up to 15 feet in a direction of your choice after which it takes damage equal to one roll of your Martial Arts die, it has its speed reduced to 0 until the start of its next turn, and it is knocked prone. Any extra damage the creature takes from colliding with an environmental hazard (for example a pit, trap, or weapon's rack) is doubled. On a successful save, the creature resists your attempt but remains grappled by you. You can use this feature to (try to) throw a creature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest. While you have no uses available, you can spend 1 ki point to use this feature again.

Ki of the Tidebringer

At 11th level, provided your totem is at least half your size or larger, you gain half cover while holding your Totem of Dragon Strength. As a bonus action, you can spend 1 ki point and roll a Martial Arts die. You regain a number of hit points equal to the number rolled plus your proficiency bonus. Whenever you spend any ki points, you build up energy in your body which you can unleash as a blast of steam. Until the end of your next turn, the first time you hit a creature with an unarmed strike you can choose to roll two Martial Arts dice and deal fire damage equal the amount rolled to each creature other than you within 10 feet of the target, blasting them all with boiling hot steam. You can only unleash steam this way once per round.

Defiance of The Dragon Turtle

At 17th level, you have perfected your connection with the essence of the dragon turtle, allowing its being to become truly one with yours in mind and body. As an action, you can spend 10 ki points to manifest the dragon turtle, creating a huge translucent form of a dragon turtle around you. If you do, then for 1 minute you gain the game statistics of the dragon turtle spirit (see page 42). Your game statistics aside from your mental ability scores are replaced by the statistics of the dragon turtle spirit, but you retain your alignment and personality. You assume the hit points of your new form. You can revert to your normal form at any point as a bonus action, and you automatically revert to your normal form if your hit points are reduced to 0. When you revert to your normal form, you return to the number of hit points you had before you transformed. If you revert as a result of dropping to 0 hit points, any excess damage carries over to your normal form. As long as the excess damage doesn't reduce your normal form to 0 hit points, you aren't knocked unconscious. While in your dragon turtle form, you can't wield weapons, nor can you use your other class features. If you have spells, you can't cast them while in this form, but you can maintain concentration on existing spells. If there isn't enough room for this form in a space available, then this form instead attains the maximum possible size.