# Way of the Penitent
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Penitent monks seek the Lord's forgiveness through mortification of the flesh. For a believer, it is through suffering that sinners repent. Guided by their faith, monks of the Penitent Way roam the lands preaching the gospel through their words... or their fists.
### Corpus Fidem
At 3rd level, when you choose this tradition, you receive the formal vestments and holy symbol of your faith. You also gain proficiency in the religion skill and Celestial language.
### Arma Christi
At 3rd level, choose one of the following orthodox weapons: mace, longsword, war pick, flail, cross, whip, Catherine wheel, choir bell, or censer with chain. You gain proficiency with the weapon, if you do not already have it, and it counts as a monk weapon for the purposes of your class. You also gain the following features:
* **Antemurale:** Once per round, as a bonus action you can inflict penitent harm upon yourself, taking two martial arts dice of damage (minimum 4). In recognition of your sacrifice, your deity grants you double that amount in temporary hit points. The temporary hit points granted by this ability cannot be stacked. You cannot use temporary hit points as the sacrifice for Antemurale.
* **Sanguis Poenitentiae:** Through suffering, sinners repent. Once per turn, when you hit a creature with a melee attack you can choose to take half of a martial arts die of damage (minimum 2), and add that amount to the damage rolls of all of your attacks until the end of your turn. This bonus damage also applies to the initial attack. (Starting at level 11, the minimum increases to 3.)
* **Cultores Sui Deus Protegit:** If any damage you inflict upon yourself would cause your hit points to fall to 0 or lower, your hit points only drop to 1 instead. Additionally, Sanguis Poenitentiae no longer requires you to sacrifice hit points to use it and the damage added to your attacks is doubled. This effect last for one minute, or until your hit points are no longer at 1. This ability may be used once before you must finish a long rest.
### Deo Volente
At 6th level, your faith envelops your body and weapon with the will of the divine, granting the following benefits.
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***Dei Gloriam*** Your attacks with orthodox weapons count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.
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***Sanguis Christi*** At 6th level, your penitence is answered by your deity with mercy and forgiveness. As an action, you can pray to your deity, healing your wounds. You regain hit points equal to three times your monk level, up to your hit point maximum. This ability may be used once before you must finish a long rest.
### Actus Contritionis
Beginning at 11th level, as an action you can expend 3 ki points to confess your sins, shrouding your body in a necrotic aura and temporarily lowering your AC by 4. When a creature deals melee damage to you while this effect is active, it must make a Constitution saving throw against your ki save DC or take 2d6 necrotic damage and be knocked prone. This can only hit each individual enemy once per round. This feature lasts for one minute or until you use it again.
### Ego Te Absolvo
Starting at 17th level, as an action you can sacrifice all of your current hit points and gain double the amount sacrificed as temporary hit points. This ability triggers Cultores Sui Deus Protegit, if it is available. This action may be used once before you must finish a long rest.
*Art by ル一キ一ドリフト (pixiv user #4489330). Watercolor effects by Jared Ondricek. Homebrew by u/junkei through use of the homebrewery.*
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##### Orthodox Weapons
| Weapons | Cost | Damage | Weight | Properties
|:----:|:---|:----:|:----:|:----:|
| Catherine Wheel | 20gp | 1d8 bludgeoning | 15 lb. | Versatile (1d10) |
| Censer with Chain | 20gp | 1d6 bludgeoning | 4 lb. | Reach
| Choir Bell | 15gp | 1d8 bludgeoning | 4 lb. | - |
| Cross | 10gp | 1d8 bludgeoning | 20 lb. | Versatile (1d10)|
## Weapons
### Catherine Wheel
*Weapon*
The Catherine wheel is a wooden wagon wheel used as a weapon of torture for public execution primarily by breaking a criminal's bones and/or bludgeoning them to death.
The wheel used as a weapon is smaller than the one used as a torture device, only measuring between two and three feet in diameter. Additionally, handles have been added to one side for martial use.
### Censer with Chain
*Weapon*
Similar to the eastern meteor hammer, the censer with chain consists of a metal orthodox censer attached to a 10-15 foot chain with a handle on the other end. The vessel and chain have been significantly strengthened for martial use.
Incence can be insurted and burned as usual.
### Choir Bell
*Weapon*
An ornate flail with a choir bell instead of the standard striking head. Used by members of the choir in times of war.
The bell is functioning, and may ring.
### Cross
*Weapon*
A wooden cross as tall and wide as the user standing up with their arms outstretched. Used in crucifixion, "a method of capital punishment in which the victim is tied or nailed to a large wooden beam and left to hang, perhaps for several days, until eventual death from exhaustion and asphyxiation." Normally several hundred pounds, it has been lightened in order to be used for melee combat.
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> ##### Acknowledgements
>*Art Credit: The weapon images are all free use stock photos. All watercolor effects are by Jared Ondricek. The image on the first page is Bloodborne fanart by ル一キ一ドリフト (pixiv user #4489330).*
>*Homebrew by u/junkei with use of the homebrewery. Inspired by Way of the Kensei, Bloodborne, Catholicism, Blasphemous, Way of the Open Hand, Matthew Mercer's Blood Hunter and other various sources.*
>*Revision ideas inspired by comments from u/LaserLlama, u/C4se4, u/C1awed, and u/SamuraiHealer*
>*Rework done with the help of @itsinch*
>*The quotation in the Cross description is from a wikipedia article on crucifixion: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crucifixion*
