¶ CREATING AN ADEPT
When creating an adept, ask yourself the following questions. Where did you meet your master? Why did they choose to train you? How was your relationship while you were training? Is your master still alive? Do they have enemies that might know about you? How ingrained are you with the adept community? Are you familiar with other adepts? Have you visited other masters, maybe even trained under them? Do you have any friends or rivals in other schools? Do you have any scars, whether physical or emotional, from engaging in battle with your peers?
Why have you chosen to walk the path to perfection? Have you suffered a crushing defeat due to your lack of martial prowess, or lost a loved one because you were not able to defend them? Did you witness a true master in action and hoped you could be like them? Are you the reincarnation of a legendary martial arts prodigy?
|
Level |
Proficiency Bonus |
Martial Arts |
Features |
Techniques |
Focus |
Bonus |
Maneuvers |
Maneuver |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1st |
+2 |
1d4 |
Adroit Defense, Martial Arts |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
|
2nd |
+2 |
1d4 |
Combat Maneuvers, Exertion Focus, Practiced Techniques |
1 |
— |
— |
2 |
1st |
|
3rd |
+2 |
1d4 |
Adept Archetype, Battlefield Etiquette |
1 |
1 |
— |
2 |
1st |
|
4th |
+2 |
1d4 |
Ability Score Improvement |
2 |
2 |
1 |
3 |
2nd |
|
5th |
+3 |
1d6 |
Extra Attack |
2 |
3 |
1 |
3 |
2nd |
|
6th |
+3 |
1d6 |
Tradition Feature |
3 |
4 |
2 |
4 |
2nd |
|
7th |
+3 |
1d6 |
Empty Mind |
3 |
5 |
3 |
4 |
2nd |
|
8th |
+3 |
1d6 |
Ability Score Improvement |
4 |
6 |
3 |
5 |
3rd |
|
9th |
+4 |
1d6 |
— |
4 |
7 |
4 |
5 |
3rd |
|
10th |
+4 |
1d6 |
— |
5 |
8 |
4 |
6 |
3rd |
|
11th |
+4 |
1d8 |
Tradition Feature |
5 |
9 |
5 |
6 |
3rd |
|
12th |
+4 |
1d8 |
Ability Score Improvement |
6 |
10 |
5 |
6 |
3rd |
|
13th |
+5 |
1d8 |
Acquired Knowledge |
6 |
11 |
6 |
7 |
4th |
|
14th |
+5 |
1d8 |
— |
7 |
12 |
7 |
7 |
4th |
|
15th |
+5 |
1d8 |
Great Reputation |
7 |
13 |
7 |
8 |
4th |
|
16th |
+5 |
1d10 |
Ability Score Improvement |
8 |
14 |
8 |
8 |
4th |
|
17th |
+6 |
1d10 |
Tradition Feature |
8 |
15 |
8 |
9 |
5th |
|
18th |
+6 |
1d10 |
— |
9 |
16 |
9 |
9 |
5th |
|
19th |
+6 |
1d10 |
Ability Score Improvement |
9 |
17 |
9 |
10 |
5th |
|
20th |
+6 |
1d10 |
Grandmaster |
10 |
18 |
10 |
10 |
5th |
¶ CLASS FEATURES
As an adept, you gain the following class features.
¶ HIT POINTS
Hit Dice: 1d8 per adept level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + your Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per adept level after 1st
¶ PROFICIENCIES
Armor: None
Weapons: Simple weapons, punching daggers, shortswords, throwing daggers
Tools: Choose one type of artisan’s tools or one musical instrument
Saving Throws: Strength, Dexterity
Skills: Choose two from Acrobatics, Athletics, History, Insight, Perception, Religion and Stealth
¶ EQUIPMENT
You begin the game with 30 gold which you can spend on your character’s starting weapons, armor, and adventuring gear. You can select your own gear or choose one of the following equipment packages. Also consult the Suggested Equipment section of your chosen background.
- Dungeoneer's Set (Cost 18 gold): Quarterstaff, 10 darts, dungeoneer’s pack
- Explorer’s Set (Cost 25 gold): Shortsword, 10 darts, explorer’s pack
¶ ADROIT DEFENSE
At 1st level, you learn special defensive techniques. Choose one of the following options.
¶ AGILE DEFENSE
While you are wearing no armor and not wielding a shield, your AC equals 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Wisdom modifier.
¶ BRUTAL DEFENSE
You are proficient with light armor. While you are wearing light armor, you replace your Dexterity modifier with your Strength modifier for AC. If you know the Adept Speed practiced technique or any other that has it as a requirement, you can use them while wearing light armor.
¶ MARTIAL ARTS
At 1st level, your trail to perfection gives you mastery of combat styles that use unarmed strikes and adept weapons, which are quarterstaffs, punching daggers, shortswords, and any simple melee weapons that don’t have the two-handed or heavy property.
You gain the following benefits while you are unarmed or wielding only adept weapons and you aren’t wielding a shield:
- You can use Dexterity instead of Strength for the attack and damage rolls of your unarmed strikes and adept weapons.
- You can roll a d4 in place of the normal damage of your unarmed strike or adept weapon. This die changes as you gain adept levels, as shown in the Martial Arts column of the Adept table.
- When you use the Attack action with an unarmed strike or an adept weapon on your turn, you can make one unarmed strike as a bonus action. For example, if you take the Attack action and attack with a quarterstaff, you can also make an unarmed strike as a bonus action, assuming you haven’t already taken a bonus action this turn.
¶ COMBAT MANEUVERS
Starting at 2nd level, you gain the ability to use combat maneuvers. You gain proficiency in two combat traditions from the following list: Mirror’s Glint, Rapid Current, Razor’s Edge, Unending Wheel. You learn two maneuvers of your choice from traditions you are proficient with.
You gain an exertion pool equal to twice your proficiency bonus, regaining any spent exertion at the end of a short or long rest. You use your maneuvers by spending points from your exertion pool. The Maneuvers Known column of the Adept table shows when you learn more maneuvers from a tradition you are proficient with, while the Maneuver Degree column shows the highest degree you can select maneuvers from at a given level.
Additionally, whenever you learn a new maneuver, you can choose one of the maneuvers you know and replace it with another maneuver of the same degree from a tradition you are proficient with.
As an adept, you gain +1 to your maneuver DC.
¶ EXERTION FOCUS
At 2nd level, your training allows you to harness your mental energy into a supernatural state of focus. Some cultures refer to this energy as axé, prana, pneuma, or ki. Your access to this energy is represented by your exertion pool.
You can spend exertion points to fuel various focus features. You start knowing three such features: Flurry of Blows, Long Step, and Patient Defense. You learn more focus features as you gain levels in this class.
Some of your focus features require your target to make a saving throw to resist the feature’s effects. The saving throw DC is calculated as follows:
Focus save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier
¶ FLURRY OF BLOWS
Immediately after you take the Attack action on your turn, you can spend 1 exertion to make two unarmed strikes as a bonus action.
¶ LONG STEP
You can spend 1 exertion to take the Disengage or Dash action as a bonus action on your turn, and your jump distance is doubled for the turn.
¶ PATIENT DEFENSE
You can spend 1 exertion to take the Dodge action as a bonus action on your turn.
¶ PRACTICED TECHNIQUES
You have picked up a number of tricks in your path towards perfection. At 2nd level you gain a practiced technique of your choice. Your practiced techniques are detailed at the end of the class description. The Techniques Known column of the Adept table shows when you learn more practiced techniques. Unless otherwise noted, you can gain each technique only once.
¶ ADEPT ARCHETYPE
When you reach 3rd level, you commit yourself to an adept archetype: a specialization that defines how you train your body to perfection. Your tradition grants you features at 3rd level and again at 6th, 11th, and 17th level.
¶ FOCUS FEATURE
Focus features stem from the mastery of your internal energies. At 3rd level, and again every level after that, choose one option from the list below. Some features have requirements, such as minimum adept level or another focus feature. You must meet those requirements before you choose that focus feature.
Full list of Focus Features can be found here.
¶ Focus Features by Level
¶ No Level Requirement
- Battle Dance
- Battle Meditation
- Deflect Missiles
- Eye for Detail (Requirement: Insight Skill Proficiency)
- Hooked Swords Dance
- Last Dance (Requirement: Any Dance)
- Mind Over Body
- Pressure Point Secrets (Requirement: Stunning or Paralyzing Strikes)
- Weapon Skill
¶ 5th Level
- Adept Weaponry
- Distant Death Dance
- Focused Strikes
- Mirage Dance
- Powerful Blow
- Shockwave
- Stunning Strike
- Warding Dance
¶ 7th Level
¶ 9th Level
- Closed Soul
- Deflect Spells (Requirement: Deflect Missiles)
- Paralyzing Strike
¶ 11th Level
- Additional Attack
- Battering Shield
- Beyond Size
- Dual Stance (Requirement: Know at least two stance combat maneuvers)
- Share Focus
- Total Combat
- Undefeated
- Unlikely Wield
¶ 15th Level
- Magic Resistance (Requirement: Closed Soul)
- Vengeful Spirit
¶ BATTLEFIELD ETIQUETTE
Also at 3rd level, you learn the unwritten rules of the battlefield. After you have fought beside (or against) a martial artist for one encounter, you have advantage on Charisma checks against it. Any creature that has a martial arts die, proficiency with a combat tradition, or an exertion pool is considered to be a martial artist.
¶ ABILITY SCORE IMPROVEMENT
When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.
¶ BONUS EXERTION
Also at 4th level, your self-awareness and discipline allow you to draw upon deeper reserves of willpower than other warriors. Your exertion pool increases by the amount listed in the Bonus Exertion column of Table: Adept. For example, at 4th level your exertion pool increases to 5, at 5th level when your proficiency bonus increases your exertion pool becomes 7, at 6th level your exertion pool becomes 8, and so on.
¶ EXTRA ATTACK
Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.
¶ ARCHETYPE FEATURE
At 6th level you gain another archetype feature.
¶ EMPTY MIND
Starting at 7th level, you can empty your mind and easily disguise your emotions. As an action, you can spend 1 exertion to enter a meditative empty mind state. This lasts for 1 hour. While in this state, Insight checks against you have disadvantage.
In addition, you gain advantage on saving throws made against enchantment spells and resistance to psychic damage.
¶ ARCHETYPE FEATURE
At 11th level you gain another archetype feature.
¶ ACQUIRED KNOWLEDGE
Starting at 13th level, your study of different martial arts traditions and foreign cultures pays off in unexpected ways. Choose a language and a tool you are not proficient with. You become proficient with both.
¶ GREAT REPUTATION
Starting at 15th level, your reputation spreads and you become famous (or infamous) among the adept community. When you interact with martial artists, their initial attitude towards you is friendly.
¶ ARCHETYPE FEATURE
At 17th level you gain another archetype feature.
¶ GRANDMASTER
At 20th level, you finally achieve true mastery and become more than adept—you are a grandmaster. You gain the following features.
¶ DEATH BLOW
You learn how to strike with incredible force at your target’s very life force. When you hit with a melee weapon attack, you can choose to make your attack a critical hit that deals maximum damage. In addition, if the target is a creature it makes a Constitution saving throw or it is reduced to 0 hit points. You can’t use this feature again until you finish a short or long rest.
¶ PERFECTION ACHIEVED
At 20th level, you finally achieve true mastery. Any time you roll your martial arts die, you can spend 1 exertion to roll a d12 instead. If you roll a 12 on this die, you can roll another d12 and add it to the result.
¶ PRACTICED TECHNIQUES
When you gain access to a new practiced technique, choose one of the following. Some techniques have requirements, such as minimum adept level or another technique. You must meet those requirements before you choose that technique.
Full list of Practiced Techniques with descriptions can be found here.
¶ List of Practiced Techniques
- Adept Speed
- Focus Speech (Requirement: 15th level)
- Gale Walk (Requirement: Adept Speed, proficiency with Athletics)
- Hurricane Walk (Requirement: Gale Walk)
- Instant Step (Requirement: Adept Speed, 11th Level)
- Marathon Runner
- Nimble Athlete
- Power Tumble
- Religious Training
- Shadow Walk (Requirement: 11th level, proficiency with Stealth)
- Sixth Sense (Requirement: 11th level)
- Slow Fall
- Wall Walk (Requirement: Adept Speed, proficiency with Acrobatics)
- Warrior's Awareness (Requirement: Proficiency with Survival)
- Water Walk (Requirement: Adept Speed)
- Wilderness Training