Way of the Astral Self

Some monks forge a connection to their ki so profound that the boundary between spirit and body dissolves entirely. Monks of the Way of the Astral Self learn to project their inner ki outward as a luminous spectral form — ethereal arms, an otherworldly visage, and eventually a full astral shell that envelops the body in radiant energy. To those who witness it, the effect is both wondrous and deeply unsettling.

These monks often describe the experience as becoming two selves at once: the physical body moving through the world, and the spirit body blazing just beyond the skin. Mastery of this path culminates in the awakened astral self — a state where monk and spirit merge completely, channeling devastating force from beyond the material plane.

Way of the Astral Self Table:

Level	Subclass Features Gained
3rd	Arms of the Astral Self
6th	Visage of the Astral Self
11th	Body of the Astral Self
17th	Awakened Astral Self

Subclass Features

Arms of the Astral Self

3rd-level Way of the Astral Self feature

Your mastery of ki allows you to manifest spectral arms from your shoulders. As a bonus action, you can spend 1 ki point to summon your astral arms. The arms last for 10 minutes, until you are incapacitated, or until you dismiss them (no action required).

While your astral arms are active, you gain the following benefits:

• Your astral arms deal damage equal to your Martial Arts die as force damage, and you use your Wisdom modifier — instead of Strength or Dexterity — for the attack and damage rolls.
• Your astral arms have a reach of 5 feet. When you hit with them, you deal bonus force damage equal to one roll of your Martial Arts die.
• Your astral arms count as unarmed strikes.
• When you would use Flurry of Blows, you can instead use your astral arms to make two unarmed strikes as a bonus action without spending any additional ki.

Visage of the Astral Self

6th-level Way of the Astral Self feature

You can project your ki outward as a spectral mask. As a bonus action, you can spend 1 ki point to summon your astral visage, which covers your face in shimmering spirit-light. The visage lasts for 10 minutes, until you are incapacitated, or until you dismiss it (no action required).

While your astral visage is active, you gain the following benefits:

• You gain darkvision out to a range of 120 feet. If you already have darkvision, its range increases by 60 feet.
• You have advantage on Wisdom (Insight) and Charisma (Intimidation) checks.
• You have advantage on saving throws against being blinded or deafened.
• You can speak and understand all languages.

Body of the Astral Self

11th-level Way of the Astral Self feature

When both your astral arms and astral visage are active simultaneously, the rest of your astral self manifests as a luminous shell enveloping your body. While your astral body is active, you gain the following additional benefits:

• Deflect Energy. When you take damage, you can use your reaction to reduce the damage by \(1d10\) + your Wisdom modifier.
• Mystical Retaliation. When a creature within 5 feet of you hits you with an unarmed strike, it takes force damage equal to one roll of your Martial Arts die + your Wisdom modifier.

Awakened Astral Self

17th-level Way of the Astral Self feature

Your connection to your astral self reaches its apex. As a bonus action, you can spend 5 ki points to summon your astral arms, astral visage, and astral body simultaneously, manifesting your complete astral form.

While in your complete astral form, you gain the following additional benefits in addition to all benefits from your astral arms, visage, and body:

• When you take the Attack action, you can make one additional attack with your astral arms.
• All attacks you make deal bonus force damage equal to two rolls of your Martial Arts die.