Way of the Open Hand
The Way of the Open Hand is the oldest and most widely practiced of the monastic traditions. Its techniques predate nearly every other fighting form, built on a single simple truth: a human body, trained to perfection, is the most versatile weapon in existence.
Open Hand monks pursue mastery not through accumulating esoteric power, but through relentless refinement of the fundamentals. Every strike is studied. Every stance is practiced until it becomes instinct. The goal is not power — it is presence, and the absolute control that comes with it.
Practitioners of this path are often regarded as the ideal monks — calm, capable, and deeply centered. They are teachers as much as fighters, and many spend their later years spreading the tradition to the next generation.
| Monk Level | Features |
|---|---|
| 3rd | Open Hand Technique |
| 6th | Wholeness of Body |
| 11th | Tranquility |
| 17th | Quivering Palm |
Subclass Features
Open Hand Technique
3rd-level Way of the Open Hand feature
Whenever you use your Flurry of Blows, you can impose one of the following additional effects on each hit:
- Prone. The target must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw against your ki save DC or fall prone.
- Push. The target must succeed on a Strength saving throw against your ki save DC or be pushed up to 15 feet away from you.
- No Reactions. The target cannot take reactions until the start of your next turn.
Wholeness of Body
6th-level Way of the Open Hand feature
You can use your action to restore your own vitality through focused ki. You regain hit points equal to three times your monk level. Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.
Tranquility
11th-level Way of the Open Hand feature
At the end of each long rest, you achieve a state of deep inner stillness that projects outward as an aura of sanctuary. Until the start of your next long rest, creatures that wish to target you with an attack must first succeed on a Wisdom saving throw against your ki save DC. On a failed save, they must choose a different target or lose their attack.
This effect ends immediately if you make an attack roll or cast a spell. You regain this feature at the end of each long rest.
Quivering Palm
17th-level Way of the Open Hand feature
You have mastered a technique of setting imperceptible vibrations within a creature's body with a single strike. When you hit a creature with an unarmed strike, you can spend 3 ki points to implant these vibrations. The creature must not be a construct or undead.
At any point within the next 24 hours, you can use your action to end the effect. When you do, the target must make a Constitution saving throw against your ki save DC. On a failed save, the target drops to 0 hit points. On a successful save, the target takes \(10d10\) necrotic damage.
You can only maintain one Quivering Palm at a time. If you use this feature again before triggering the first, the earlier effect harmlessly dissipates.