Way of the Ki Thief (5e Subclass)

Ki Thief

In the darkest hour of a battle with everthing on the line, one monk stands alone. Drained and on the brink of death, she transgress the ancient vow to not steal ki. With renewed energy the monk is able to turn the tide and save the day, but this has come at a terrible cost. The valliant monk has violated the law and must be exiled, but she accepts this and heads out into the world to save more lives.

After years of study in the monastery a dark-hearted monk seeks even more power than his training has given him. In a sparing match his hatred boils as a young prodigy gains the upper hand. He feels that he deserves the deep reservoir of ki this kid has been gifted and with that envy he strikes and rips the life force out of his opponent. With his opponent dead at his feet the monk realises that this is true power. A few days later one lone monk is seen heading away from the monastery that had just mysteriously burned down. With ki stolen from from his masters he begins to find his next prey.

This is an subclass for the Monk class. Some Monks forgo doctrine forbidding the stealing ki from others for their own goals. Whether they justify it for the greater good so they may fight and live longer to continue to help others or selfishly seek an endless source of power and eternal life, these monks may be seen as heretics by their peers. Work with your DM on your relationship to your monastery, Are you an outcast or does the whole monastery follow this path? and how much of an impact this transgression may have in the campaign. In order to choose this subclass you must be, or become, Chaotically aligned.

Ki Thief

At the 3rd level, whenever you take the attack action on your turn with a melee attack or unarmed strike against a creature that is not an Undead or Construct, you may use a bonus action to have them make a Constitution saving throw against your Monk save DC. On a failed save you add a ki point to your pool for each attack that hit. Your ki pool cannot exceed your maximum using this ability.

Ki Channel

At the 3rd level, you learn how to assist others by channeling your ki. To do so, spend 2 ki points and use your reaction to choose one creature other than yourself within 60 feet of you. Roll the die and add the number rolled to one ability check, attack roll, or saving throw it makes. You can wait until after the creature rolls the d20 before deciding to use this feature, but it must be before the DM says whether the roll succeeds or fails. Your Channel die depends on your level. The die starts as a d6 and becomes a d8 at 5th level, a d10 at 10th level, and a d12 at 15th level.

Ki Impair

At the 6th level, you learn how to use Ki Channel to impair others. When a creature that you can see within 60 feet of you makes an attack roll, an ability check, or a damage roll, you can spend 2 ki points and use your reaction to use Ki Impair, rolling a Channel die and subtracting the number rolled from the creature's roll. You can choose to use this feature after the creature makes its roll, but before the DM determines whether the attack roll or ability check succeeds or fails, or before the creature deals its damage. The creature is immune if it's immune to being charmed.

Fatal Strike (Based on the Quivering Palm feature, PHB p.81)

Beginning at 11th level, you gain the ability to set up lethal vibrations in someone's body. When you hit a creature with an unarmed strike, you can spend any number of ki points (X) to start these imperceptible vibrations. The vibrations are harmless unless you use your action to end them. To do so, you and the target must be on the same plane of existence. When you use this action, the creature must make a Constitution saving throw against your Monk save DC.If it fails, it takes (1*X)d10 necrotic damage, or half as much damage on a success. You can choose to end the vibrations harmlessly without using an action.

Stolen Life

At 17th level, you have stolen the life force of others so much that you now are able to use it to bolster or heal your own. When you use your Ki Thief feature to steal Ki, you can heal by a 2d8 and you may reverse your own age by an amount equal to or up to your Monk Level.

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