Way of The Flowing Hand

Inspiration: Tai Chi / Open Palm Style

The Way of the Flowing Hand channels the internal philosophy of redirection mastery of traditional open-hand martial arts. Practitioners harness their breath, presence, and movement to manipulate enemies like water carving stone, gently but unrelentingly. Every strike is a conversation. Every block, a return to stillness.

(3rd Level)

Gentle Redirection

When you take the Way of the Flowing Hand, you learn to bend incoming force to your advantage:

• Push/Pull Counter: When a creature misses you with a melee attack, you may spend 1 Focus Point to force them to make a Strength saving throw (DC = 8 + Prof + Wis mod). On a failure, choose one:
• You push them 10 feet away.
• You pull them 5 feet closer and may make a single unarmed strike as a reaction.
• Flowing Step: When you use Patient Defense or Dash on your turn, you may move through hostile creatures’ spaces as if they were difficult terrain. This movement doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks.

(6th Level)

Cloud and Current

Your control over internal force allows you to deflect harm or shift momentum.

• Deflect Emotion: You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed, frightened, or enraged (such as barbarian rage or similar effects).
• Current of Motion: When a creature misses you with a melee attack, you may immediately move 5 feet without provoking opportunity attacks.

(10th Level)

Stillness Breeds Storm

You can store and release power through practiced breathing and presence.

• Harmony Reservoir: If you take the Dodge action on your turn, gain 1 Harmony Charge (max = Wisdom modifier). On your next turn, you may expend all Harmony Charges to deal additional damage equal to the number of charges spent × your Martial Arts die to one unarmed strike or attack from a martial weapon.
• Recenter: At the start of each of your turns, if you haven’t moved since your last turn, regain 1 Focus Point (usable once per short rest).

(14th Level)

Wave That Breaks the Mountain

Your internal mastery allows you to end conflicts with a single shift in flow.

Stilling Palm: Once per long rest, as an action, you may touch a creature and spend 3 Focus Points to unleash a full-body surge of harmonized force. The target must make a Constitution saving throw (DC = 8 + Prof + Wis mod). On a failure:

• They are stunned until the end of your next turn.
• You may choose to knock them prone or push them 30 feet away.
• If the target is a construct, elemental, or undead, they have disadvantage on this save.

While in combat, if you haven't made an attack during your last turn and have taken the Dodge action, your AC increases by +2 and you have resistance to bludgeoning damage until the start of your next turn.