Way of the Iron Claw

The manticora served Vangal during the Divine War as fierce warriors and their monks were no different.

After the fighting ended, other races began traveling to Leoni looking to learn the way. Monks within the Manticora Confederacy adapted their ways to be able to teach others not gifted by their creator with natural claws, forming the Order of the Iron Claw.

At this time, no schools exist outside of areas traditionally occupied by manticora. While the main temple exists just outside the city of Leoni, many experts in the Way of the Iron Claw live a nomadic lifestyle in the Blood Steeps, the Haggard Hills, and the Perforated Plains. An important part of joining and progressing in the order involves finding these experts and learning from them. One cannot truly advance in the Way if they cannot survive the trek through the inhospitable lands called home by many manticora.

The focus on slashing strikes against one’s opponent marks a fundamental difference between the Way of the Iron Claw and other monastic traditions. Many unfamiliar with the complexities see only the damage wrought by the clawed attacks and see the order’s techniques as bestial. In truth, practitioners of the Way of the Iron Claw blend traditional martial arts styles with clawed strikes in training.

Claw Gauntlet Mastery

When joining the Order of the Iron Claw at level 3, Iron Claws take claw gauntlets as their monk weapon as a naturally occurring part of their training. If you do not already have it, characters gain proficiency in the weapon and gain proficiency bonus to climbing rolls per the monk table.

Pounce

Starting at 3rd level, you can attack from an unconventional angle. You drop to all fours then leap up slashing at your opponent. If the strike succeeds, the monk can spend a ki point to make the target make a DC 10+ the monk’s proficiency bonus Strength save. On a failed save, they fall prone.

The monk can use Furry of Blows without spending ki to activate it on a prone target.

Movement of the Wild

Starting at 6th level, you can move on all fours at an increased rate. After spending two ki points, you can move through difficult terrain with no movement penalty for up to an hour. When traveling through normal terrain, you can use this to travel at a Fast Pace with a reduced -4 passive Wisdom (Perception) penalty. The monk can grant this ability to other party members by spending 1 ki point for every 2 additional characters covered. Each added ki point spent allows you to increase the duration for one hour or reduce the penalty by one.

Natural Grace

Starting at 11th level, you have honed your defensive combat skills. By spending 1 ki point, you can activate one of the following effects. Once activated, each effect last until the end of combat.

Opponents find your claws make grappling you quite difficult. Attempts to grapple you are at disadvantage.

Even if they succeed you may make an Escape roll as a bonus action.

Your training prepares you against attempts to hinder your abilities. Add your wisdom proficiency bonus to any saving throw to prevent a movement hindering condition or effect.

By honing your body, you can negate some of the effects of magical damage. You can choose 1 source of magical damage and gain resistance from it for the duration of combat. The monk can spend additional ki to gain resistance to additional magic types.

Defensive abilities come to you naturally at this point. Once per turn you can Dash, Disengage, or Dodge as a bonus action.

Nine Lives

Starting at 17th level, you have become skilled enough in the Way to stave off death. As a reflexive action, you can spend three ki points to nullify any damage roll bringing your hit points to zero.

Additional use increases the cost by three. After the third use, all uses are exhausted until after a long rest.