Saturday, December 3, 2022

Monk Subclass: Way of the Gun [5e]

In my "subclass as multiclass" series (see the multiclass label), this is a monk/artificer. It's loosely based on the satirical "Dawn Marshall", about a young Chinese woman who crashes in Texas, and learns the mystical art of firearms from a wise old sheriff, returning to China as the superhero, Dawn Marshall.

Monk Subclass: Way of the Gun

Why is this a monk? Because other classes will have their own relationship with firearms, but a monk with a touch of artificer should definitely be a mixture of John Wayne and John Woo.

Gunsmith’s Tools:

Gunsmiths tools have the necessary tools to clean and service a firearm, as well as create ammunition, provided a supply of brass cartridges, powder, percussion caps, and lead for the projectile. With these supplies, 20 rounds of ammunition may be crafted on each short rest, or 100 rounds on a long rest. Each 20 rounds of ammunition requires 5gp worth of supplies and a DC 10 Intelligence check. Crafting a firearm requires 1 week of work, and a DC 20 Intelligence check.

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3 - Way of the Gun - At 3rd level, the Monk becomes proficient with firearms and gunsmith’s tools. They consider firearms to be monk weapons, and have crafted their first firearm; a revolver or a hunting rifle, per the DMG p. 268. Experts with firearms, the Monk ignores the loading and reloading property of firearms, and being within 5 feet of a hostile creature does not impose disadvantage on ranged attacks with a firearm. At the end of a short or long rest, a monk with less than 12 rounds of ammunition will have created their proficiency bonus + their wisdom bonus in ammunition, at no cost.

Way of the Gun monks also add their Wisdom bonus to their initiative, in addition to their Dexterity bonus. For 2 ki points, they may cast Magic Weapon on a firearm.

6 - The Gunfighter - The monk begins to view the weapon as an extension of their body. As such, they may use monk abilities which refer to monk and melee weapon strikes with their firearms, including abilities listed under Martial Arts, Stunning Blow, and Ki-Empowered Strikes.

For 1 Ki, the monk may now perform the Dodge action as a reaction.
For 1 ki, the monk may remove disadvantage for long-range shots (other sources of disadvantage may still apply).
For 1 ki, the monk may make an attack with a firearm as a bonus action.
For 3 ki, the monk may cast Elemental Weapons on their firearm, with the additional option to add bludgeoning or piercing damage, instead of elemental damage.

11 - Bullets Don’t Argue - While many monks prefer to manufacture their own cartridges, they may rely on their technical skill, and their ki, to create bullets where there are none. The monk learns the Repeating Shot infusion of the artificer, and can apply the infusion to up to three weapons. Additionally, the monk gains Expertise with Gunsmith’s tools.
The Monk may now spend 5 ki points to cast Elemental Weapons as if with a 5th level slot, or 7 points, to cast it as with a 7th level slot..
The Monk may also spend 1 ki after rolling initiative to roll again; they may take the better of the two rolls.

17 - The Marksman - Through intense concentration, the Monk can achieve incredible feats of marksmanship. As an action, they may make a single shot, and spend 1 or more ki points and add them as a natural bonus to both the attack and damage rolls of that shot. If at least 1 ki is spent, the attack does not have disadvantage. There is no limit to the amount of ki that may be spent this way, up to how much the monk possesses. As a natural bonus, this effectively changes the number rolled on the die; a 10 on the die, plus 10 ki points would result in a natural 20, and the shot would have an additional 10 points of damage added to it. This ki must be spent before the die is rolled, and is wasted if the shot misses.

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Original Version

3 - Way of the Gun - At 3rd level, the Monk becomes proficient with gunsmith’s tools. They become proficient in firearms, consider firearms to be monk weapons, and have crafted their first firearm.
While many monks prefer to manufacture their own cartridges, they may rely on their technical skill, and their ki, to create bullets where there are none. The monk learns the Repeating Shot infusion of the artificer, but may only have one such infusion at a time; they may change this infusion to another firearm at the end of a short or long rest, otherwise, the infusion remains on the weapon indefinitely.
Way of the Gun monks also add their Wisdom bonus to their initiative, in addition to their Dexterity bonus.

6 - Silverado - The monk begins to view the weapon as an extension of their body. As such, they may use monk abilities which refer to unarmed or melee weapon strikes with their firearms, including abilities listed under Martial Arts, the ki power Flurry of Blows, Stunning Blow, and Ki-Empowered Strikes.
For 1 Ki, the monk may now perform the Dodge action as a reaction.
For 1 ki, the monk may negate disadvantage for long-range shots (other sources of disadvantage may still apply).

11 - Flaming Bullets - At the end of a long rest, a monk may imbue their infused firearm with extra-damaging ammunition. The monk may choose acid, bludgeoning, fire, lightning, piercing, or thunder damage, and add their martial arts die in damage to their weapon, inflicting that sort of damage with each shot. The monk may, as an action, spend 2 ki in order to change the damage type.
Additionally, the monk gains Expertise with Gunsmith’s tools.
A monk may also spend 2 ki at the outset of combat to receive a 20 + bonuses as their initiative, instead of rolling the die.

17 - The Marksman - Through intense concentration, the Monk can achieve incredible feats of marksmanship. As an action, they may spend 1 or more ki points and add them as a natural bonus to both the attack and damage rolls of a single shot fired as part of that action. There is no limit to the amount of ki that may be spent this way, up to the limit of how much the monk possesses. As a natural bonus, this bonus effectively changes the number rolled on the die; a 10 on the die, plus 10 ki points would result in a natural 20, and the shot would have an additional 10 points of damage added to it. This ki must be spent before the die is rolled, and is wasted if the shot misses.

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