Way of the Kensei

Most monks treat weapons as secondary tools — useful at a distance, but ultimately inferior to the unarmed body. Monks of the Way of the Kensei disagree. They train relentlessly with chosen weapons until the blade and the body are indistinguishable: not a fighter with a sword, but a single lethal instrument. Their weapons become extensions of their ki, elevated by meditation and practice into something close to sacred.

Kensei monks are patient and precise. They approach each encounter as they approach each practice session — deliberately, without wasted motion. The brushstroke, the sword cut, and the arrow's flight are all the same thing to them: ki finding the most perfect path through the world.

Way of the Kensei Table:

Level	Subclass Features Gained
3rd	Path of the Kensei
6th	One with the Blade
11th	Sharpen the Blade
17th	Unerring Accuracy

Subclass Features

Path of the Kensei

3rd-level Way of the Kensei feature

Your special training leads you to master use of certain weapons. Choose 2 weapons to be your kensei weapons — one must be a melee weapon and one must be a ranged weapon, and neither can be a heavy or special weapon. You add 1 additional melee and 1 additional ranged kensei weapon at 6th, 11th, and 17th level.

Your kensei weapons count as monk weapons for you, and you are proficient with them.

You also gain the following abilities:

Agile Parry. If you make an unarmed strike as part of the Attack action on your turn while holding a kensei weapon, you gain a +2 bonus to your AC until the start of your next turn.

Kensei's Shot. As a bonus action on your turn, you can add \(1d4\) to the damage roll of a ranged attack you make with a kensei weapon.

Way of the Brush. You gain proficiency with calligrapher's supplies or painter's supplies (your choice).

One with the Blade

6th-level Way of the Kensei feature

You extend your ki through your kensei weapons, unlocking two capabilities:

Magic Kensei Weapons. Your attacks with your kensei weapons count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.

Deft Strike. When you hit a target with a kensei weapon, you can spend 1 ki point to deal extra damage equal to one roll of your Martial Arts die. You can use this feature only once per turn.

Sharpen the Blade

11th-level Way of the Kensei feature

You gain the ability to channel ki directly into a weapon's edge. As a bonus action, you can spend up to 3 ki points to grant one kensei weapon you hold a bonus to attack and damage rolls equal to the number of ki points spent. This bonus lasts for 1 minute.

This bonus does not stack with any existing bonus to attack and damage rolls the weapon already possesses (such as a magic weapon's innate bonus).

Unerring Accuracy

17th-level Way of the Kensei feature

Your mastery of your weapons is near-absolute. Once on each of your turns, when you miss with an attack roll using a monk weapon, you can reroll the attack roll and use the new result.