Hidden atop high mountain eyries or barren windswept islands, some reclusive sects of monks train to become Storm Seekers, embodying the power of the storms that roil the sky and sea. They train their bodies to perfection and meditate to learn the secrets of the storm, in an effort to bend its awesome power against their enemies.
A monastery who follows this tradition might be led by a cloud giant, or have dealings with blue dragons. There are also murmurings of a powerful order of Storm Seekers on the Elemental Plane of Air that serve Yan-C-Bin in his evil plans.
Level 3: Power of the Storm
The storm roils within you, empowering your abilities.
Fists of Thunder: When you activate Flurry of Blows, all your unarmed strikes gain the Reach property and deal thunder damage instead of their normal damage type until the end of your turn.
Electric Retribution: When you spend a Focus Point on Patient Defense, electricity arcs off your body. Until the start of your next turn, whenever an enemy within 10 feet of you makes a melee attack against you, they take lightning damage equal to one roll of your Martial Arts die + your Wisdom modifier.
Additionally, you learn the Thaumaturgy cantrip and you gain proficiency with Whips, which count as monk weapons for you.
Level 6: Ball Lightning
When you spend a Focus Point on Step of the Wind, you become a being of pure lightning.
In addition to the normal benefits of Step of the Wind, you can move through the spaces of other creatures for the duration, and when you move through a creature on your turn, lightning arcs to it, forcing it to make a Dexterity saving throw against your Focus save DC. On a failure, it takes lightning damage equal to one roll of your Martial Arts die plus your Wisdom modifier. Each creature can only take this damage once per turn.
Additionally, you gain resistance to lightning and thunder damage.
Level 11: Stormsurge
Your abilities improve as your connection to the storm deepens.
- When you use Fists of Thunder, the first target you hit with an unarmed strike before the end of your turn is sheathed in booming energy. If the target willingly moves at least 5 feet, they take thunder damage equal to three rolls of your Martial Arts die. This effect lasts until the start of your next turn.
- Ball Lightning deals an additional die of damage, and grants you a flying speed equal to your walking speed, which lasts until the start of your next turn, at which point you fall unless you immediately activate it again.
- Electric Retribution deals an additional die of damage.
Level 17: Perfect Storm
As an action, you can become an avatar of the primordial storm. You unleash tendrils of lightning that jump to each creature of your choice within 30 feet of you. The affected creatures must make a Dexterity saving throw against your Focus save DC. On a failure, they suffer 26 (4d12) lightning damage, or half as much on a success.
When you use this and at the start of each of your turns for one minute afterwards, you activate Ball Lightning and Electric Retribution for free, and you can use Fists of Thunder without spending a Focus Point. The ability ends early if you become Incapacitated.
Once you use this feature, you cannot do so again until you finish a long rest, unless you spend 10 Focus Points to do so again.