Way Of The Ascendant Dragon (5A)

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This is a Monk monastic tradition for 5A.

The fundamental teaching of this tradition holds that by emulating dragons, a monk becomes a more integrated part of the world and its magic. By altering their spirit to resonate with draconic might, monks who follow this tradition augment their prowess in battle, bolster their allies, and can even soar through the air on draconic wings. But all this power is in service of a greater goal: achieving a spiritual unity with the essence of the Material Plane.

Greyhawk: This tradition was highly honored in the old Dragon Empire that preceded the Celestial Empire. It is still common today, but today it is often in opposition to the central regime, or used by one of several competing factions.

Source: Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

Dragon Origin

As a follower of this Monastic Tradition, you decide how you unlocked the power of dragons through your ki. The Ascendant Dragon Origin table offers some possibilities.

Ascendant Dragon Origin (1d6)

1. You honed your abilities by observing a dragon and aligning your ki with their world altering power.
2. A dragon personally took an active role in shaping your inner energy.
3. You studied at a monastery that traces its teachings back centuries or more to a single dragon’s instruction.
4. You spent long stretches meditating in the region of influence of an ancient dragon’s lair, absorbing its ambient magic.
5. You found a scroll written in Draconic that contained inspiring new techniques.
6. After a dream that featured a five-handed dragonborn you awoke with altered ki, reflecting the breaths of dragons.

Subclass Abilities

Draconic Disciple

At 3rd level, you can channel draconic power to magnify your presence and imbue your unarmed strikes with the essence of a dragon’s breath. You gain the following benefits:

Draconic Presence. If you fail a Charisma (Intimidation) or Charisma (Persuasion) check, you can use your reaction to reroll the check, as you tap into the mighty presence of dragons. Once this feature turns a failure into a success, you can’t use it again until you finish a long or short rest.

Draconic Strike. When you damage a target with an unarmed strike, you can change the damage type to acid, cold, fire, lightning, or poison. Once on each of your turns when you hit a creature with a draconic strike, you can deal an extra martial arts die of damage of the same type to that target.

Tongue of Dragons. You learn to speak, read, and write Draconic. If you already speak Draconic you learn or one other language of your choice.

Breath of the Dragon

At 3rd level you can channel destructive waves of energy, like those created by the dragons you emulate. When you take the Attack action on your turn, you can replace one of the attacks with an exhalation of draconic energy in either a 20-foot cone or a 30-foot line that is 5 feet wide (your choice). Choose a damage type: acid, cold, fire, lightning, or poison. Each creature in that area must make a Dexterity saving throw against your ki save DC, taking damage of the chosen type equal to three two rolls of your Martial Arts die on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

At 11th level, the damage of this feature increases to four three rolls of your Martial Arts die.

You can use this feature 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 2 ki points to use this feature again.

Wings Unfurled

At 6th level when you use your Step of the Wind, you can unfurl spectral draconic wings from your back that vanish after one minute. at the end of your turn. While the wings exist, you have a flying speed equal to your walking speed. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Aspect of the Wyrm

At 11th level the power of your draconic spirit now radiates from you, warding your allies or inspiring fear in your enemies. As a bonus action, you can create an aura of draconic power that radiates 30 feet 10 feet from you for 1 minute. For the duration, you gain one of the following effects: of your choice:

Frightful Presence. When you create this aura, and as a bonus action on subsequent turns, you can choose a creature within the aura. The target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw against your ki save DC or become frightened of you for 1 minute. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a successful save.

Resistance. Choose a damage type when you activate this aura: acid, cold, fire, lightning, or poison. You and your allies within the aura have resistance to that damage.

Once you create this aura, you can’t create it again until you finish a long rest, unless you expend 3 ki points to create it again.

Ascendant Aspect

At 17th level, your draconic spirit reaches its peak. You gain the following benefits:

Augment Breath. When you use your Breath of the Dragon, you can spend 1 ki point to augment its shape and power. The exhalation of draconic energy becomes either a 60-foot cone or a 90-foot line that is 5 feet wide (your choice), and each creature in that area takes damage equal to five four rolls of your Martial Arts die on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

Blindsight. You gain blindsight out to 100 feet. 10 feet. Within that range, you can effectively see anything that isn’t behind total cover, even if you’re blinded or in darkness. Moreover, you can see an invisible creature within that range, unless the creature successfully hides from you.

Explosive Fury. When you activate your Aspect of the Wyrm, draconic fury explodes from you. Choose any number of creatures you can see in your aura. Each of those creatures must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw against your ki save DC or take 6d10 3d10 acid, cold, fire, lightning, or poison damage (your choice). This has to be the same type of damage as the resistance granted by Aspect of the Wyrm.

Editor's Notes

A bit sad to have to power up a monk archetype published after the Peace monk. :(