- The document describes techniques from "The Gentle Art", a monastic order focused on grappling and submissions. Their techniques allow monks to neutralize stronger opponents through leverage, positioning, and pain compliance.
- As monks gain experience, they can grapple with dexterity, add wisdom to grapples, pin opponents to the ground, and transition between positions like back mount to apply chokeholds or joint locks.
- Higher level monks gain advantages like avoiding prone attacks, pulling enemies down with them, adding intelligence to grapples. The most experienced can bypass saving throws against submissions and add radiant damage.
Original Description:
A homebrewed D&D 5E Monk Subclass based (loosely) on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
- The document describes techniques from "The Gentle Art", a monastic order focused on grappling and submissions. Their techniques allow monks to neutralize stronger opponents through leverage, positioning, and pain compliance.
- As monks gain experience, they can grapple with dexterity, add wisdom to grapples, pin opponents to the ground, and transition between positions like back mount to apply chokeholds or joint locks.
- Higher level monks gain advantages like avoiding prone attacks, pulling enemies down with them, adding intelligence to grapples. The most experienced can bypass saving throws against submissions and add radiant damage.
- The document describes techniques from "The Gentle Art", a monastic order focused on grappling and submissions. Their techniques allow monks to neutralize stronger opponents through leverage, positioning, and pain compliance.
- As monks gain experience, they can grapple with dexterity, add wisdom to grapples, pin opponents to the ground, and transition between positions like back mount to apply chokeholds or joint locks.
- Higher level monks gain advantages like avoiding prone attacks, pulling enemies down with them, adding intelligence to grapples. The most experienced can bypass saving throws against submissions and add radiant damage.
Way of the Gentle Art The guard presents the Leg Lock.
Target must have a
jointed appendage at least similar to a leg to apply this Do not let the monks of this order fool you with the name of submission. Target may attempt a Dex save vs DC of their practice, for the subtlety and lack of emphasis on strikes 8+proficiency+Dex+Wis or have its appendage broken belies the devastating effectiveness and damage one can do rendering it useless. Its movement is reduced by half and its when employing their techniques. AC is reduced by whatever its Dexterity modifier may be. Those who follow The Gentle Art, seek to neutralize any Target also takes 3x current unarmed damage. inherent advantage an opponent may have due to size and strength by drawing them in close and grounding them. It is Master Techniques here, in close, and in the dirt that the monk can dominate As your experience in this craft grows, so too does your their enemy in a grappling chess match, using their wisdom intuition and ability within all realms of it. in collaboration with great dexterity to cause pain, damage Beginning at level 11, attacks are no longer made at limbs, and render unconscious any who would dare allow advantage against you any time you are prone, and as a themselves to be pulled into the monks world. reaction to an attack by an opponent adjacent to your prone form, you may attempt to pull them directly to the ground Expert Grapplers with you. As highly trained monks in the art of grappling, you're more In addition, you may now add your Intelligence modifier to adept at everything involved in that form of combat. all grappling checks. Starting at 3rd level, it takes a bonus action to initiate a You may now use your sprint to immediately go in for a grapple, and you may add your wisdom modifier to all takedown on an opponent, giving them disadvantage on their grapple checks. save against getting grounded after a successful grapple. In addition, you may grapple using your Acrobatics, instead of only your Athletics. Divine Submissions Through your time understanding and endless practice in the Get it to the Ground Gentle Art, you have come to an enlightened position, Beginning at 3rd level, once a target is successfully grappled, granting you the ability to pull upon the very energy of life you may use an action to then "Ground" them. Make another flowing around you. grappling check, and on a success, you are both now Beginning at level 17, you may expend a ki point while grappled and on the ground. applying a submission to bypass any save against their In this position, the target now has disadvantage on effects. escaping your grapple. Furthermore, while grounded, you In addition, add 3x unarmed strike damage to the may now make an unarmed strike on your opponent, but due technique, regardless of which submission is applied. This to still primarily focusing on keeping them grappled, this damage is radiant. damage is halved. Position and Submission Being able to mitigate damage taken, tying up your opponent, then taking them to the ground is only half of the equation. Now you must fight your way into a better position to further exert your will upon an enemy. Beginning at level 6 once a target is grounded, you may use a bonus action to attempt to realign your bodies into one of three positions: The back, the guard, or the mount, using another grapple check. From each of these positions, use an action to perform a submission that is presented. The Back presents the Rear Naked Choke. Target must have a neck for this submission to be applied, and blood flow to their brain (presumably in the head, atop the neck) for its additional effects to work. Once this submission is applied, target must make a Con save vs a DC of 8+proficiency+Dex+Wis or be rendered unconscious (but not dying). The mount presents the Arm Bar. Target must have a jointed upper appendage at least similar to an arm to apply this submission. Target may attempt a Str save vs a DC of Credit: Gian Galang 8+proficiency+Dex+Wis or have its appendage broken rendering it useless. Any attacks made by this creature are made with disadvantage and it takes 3x current unarmed damage.