Way of the Soft Whisper (5A)

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This is a Monk monastic tradition for 5A.

Not being reliant on armor and weapons makes it easy for a monk to conceal their abilities and appear as ordinary people. The whispers monk exploits this to become the perfect spy, infiltrator, and ultimately the power behind the throne. Eternal outsiders, like those of mixed heritage, are drawn to this monastic tradition. But their advancement is often limited by their odd appearance. Those who can fully realize the power of this martial tradition are those of common heritage that can fit in anywhere, mostly humans but also halflings and half-elves.

Greyhawk This was a specialty of the Scarlet Brotherhood, who seized power in many countries during the Greyhawk Wars using whisper monks. But this did not allow them to retain control, their whisperers were either ousted once they revealed themselves or used what power they gained for their own benefit once the Scarlet Brotherhood's oversight was disrupted.

Subclass Features

Honeyed Words

At 3rd level you can insinuate yourself to others with honeyed words. After speaking to a creature with whom you share a language for 1 minute, you can make them make a Wisdom saving throw against your ki save DC. On a failure, they are charmed by you until they take a long rest or until you or an ally attack them or cast a spell that allows a saving throw against them or one of their allies.

If the target succeeds on its saving throw, you cannot attempt to use Honeyed Words on that target until you take a long rest. Success or not, the target does not realize you were attempting to charm them.

Forgotten Fight

Starting when you choose this monastic tradition at 6th level, you learn to cause amnesia in targets you stun. A creature that fails its Wisdom save against your Stunning Strike ability also forgets the events of the last 10 minutes, recalling only vague unpleasant and tumultuous events the target afterwards will discount as a brawl or accident.

A Remove Curse or Lesser Restoration spell cast on the target restores the creature’s true memory.

Words of Terror

At 11th level, you learn to infuse innocent-seeming words with an insidious magic that can inspire terror.

If you speak to a humanoid alone for at least 1 minute, you can attempt to seed paranoia and fear into its mind. At the end of the conversation, the target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw against your ki save DC or be frightened of you or another creature of your choice. The target is frightened in this way for 1 hour. In combat, it can spend an action trying to free itself from this fear by rolling an additional saving throw at the end of each of its turns.

If the target succeeds on its saving throw, the target has no hint that you tried to frighten it, but you cannot use this ability on that target again until you finish a long rest.

Shadow Lore

At 17th level, you gain the ability to weave dark magic into your words and tap into a creature’s deepest fears.

As an action, you magically whisper a phrase that only one creature of your choice within 30 feet of you can hear. The target must make a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC. It automatically succeeds if it doesn’t share a language with you or if it can’t hear you. On a successful saving throw, your whisper sounds like unintelligible mumbling and has no effect.

If the target fails its saving throw, it is charmed by you for the next 8 hours or until you or your allies attack or damage it. It interprets the whispers as a description of its most mortifying secret.

While you gain no knowledge of this secret, the target is convinced you know it. While charmed in this way, the creature obeys your commands for fear that you will reveal its secret. It won’t risk its life for you or fight for you, unless it was already inclined to do so. It grants you favors and gifts it would offer to a close friend.

When the effect ends, the creature has no understanding of why it held you in such fear.

Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.

Designer's Notes

A monk variant of the Bard's College of Whispers. Made because it perfectly covers what the Scarlet Brotherhood is supposed to be doing.

See Also

• College of Whispers for Bards.