#brazen disciple

 (art by PhoenixLu on DeviantArt)

 The Monastery of the Unblinking Flame, one of the three Houses of Perfection in Jalmeray, seeks to emulate the element of fire in their arts to create a unique style. After all, fire can deal grievous harm, but it itself is immaterial, unable to be touched.

With this in mind, disciples of the style learn to be agile and deceptive in their maneuvers, while also striking powerfully when they get the chance. Getting into the school means outwitting an efreeti in the initiation trial, which sets a pretty high bar.

Those that succeed oftentimes become brazen disciples, learning to deceive and befuddle their foes in combat, and even emulate some of the fiery power of the efreet.

An efreet-linked monk archetype is not a bad idea, and could easily be adapted to most settings as well, I feel.

In any case, this archetype is officially available to both standard and unchained monk without any homebrewing required.

 These monks are adapt at deception, and can even lead off their strikes with a feint to open a foe up.

They also gain a different set of potential techniques that they pick up as part of their monk training, particularly those that improve their agility, ability to deceive, perform various combat maneuvers to befuddle foes, and learn the elemental efreeti fighting style.

Using raw cunning, rather than confidence, these monks are quite adept at deceiving others with their words and with disguises.

Their trickery reaches into the supernatural when they learn to channel ki into a riddle or logical paradox, temporarily befuddling the mind of the listener.

While most monks at their zenith transcend mortality and become an avatar of law, brazen disciples become decidedly more efreeti-like, becoming immune to fire but vulnerable to cold, and even able to grant minor wishes.

Interested in a monk that fights like a feint-focused combatant? This archetype has you covered. You could focus on the efreeti style for extra fire damage, go for the Unblinking Flame variant of Perfect Style to gain bonuses on the ambush and on feints, or even both, switching up depending on what you wish to do. In either case, the strategy with this archetype is to control the fight and remove your foes offensive and defensive advantages with combat maneuvers and feinting.

 We’ve seen “sneaky” monk archetypes before, but unlike others we have covered, this one feels like the deceptive element is out of a general respect as a valid fighting style, rather than being purpose-built for killing or other illicit activity. How it’s practitioners actually use it is another story.

  Stories tell of an aged master of martial arts living in seclusion, a syrinx warrior who long became disillusioned with the continued brutality of his people. Those who seek him out might be able to learn his fiery style, flickering like a flame in and out of reach.

 With the flow of time, whole worlds change. Oceans become deserts, and occasionally, the reverse. Though the monastery of the Efreeti Fist now rests beneath the waves, the style remains with those who fled the region. Still, there might be relics central to the style hidden in the ruins. Unfortunately for any explorers, it is guarded by a magical sea cucumber-like monster called an atuikakura.