The Way of Ashes

Credit: Erik Hoepfner

Monks of the Way of Ashes believe that we all must return to ashes from which we came. They have mastered a technique to manipulate ki in other creatures and things to erupt from within turning them into ashes when their ki explodes. From these ashes they gain a greater knowledge and understanding of the creature or thing the ashes belonged to. Monks who follow the Way of Ashes would follow a monastery that is close to a volcano or a religious order responsible for cremation. They would belong to an environment where ashes are common.

From the Ashes

When you choose this monastic tradition at 3rd Level, you learn how to return a dead creature or non-magical item to the earth as ashes. As an action, you can choose to reduce a dead creature or non-magical item that is not being worn or carried into ashes. When you do so, you absorb the ki from the remains gaining knowledge from the ashes. You have advantage on all Religion, History, Arcana, Nature, and Insight checks relating to the creature or item. You can use this feature equal to your proficiency modifier, and regain its uses when you finish a long rest.

Ashfall

At 3rd Level, you utilize a technique that manipulates a creature's ki causing them to explode from within. When you reduce a creature to 0 hit points it explodes in a 20ft radius, any hostile creature must make a dexterity save or become blinded by an explosion of ashes until the end of your next turn. In addition, a rain of ashes covers a 30ft radius, and all creatures in the radius are affected by the Ashfall. If you have a handful of ash, you can spend 1 ki point as an action to trigger an Ashfall explosion originating from you. When creatures are affected by Ashfall you can do either of the following as a reaction:

Smoldering Fires: You can spend 1 ki point for each creature you wish to burn that has the Ashfall condition. That creature takes your martial arts die + your wisdom modifier as fire damage for each stack.
Comforting Flames: You can spend 1 ki point for each creature you wish to heal that has the Ashfall condition. That creature heals for your martial arts die + your wisdom modifier for each stack.

Either option removes the Ashfall condition. Ashfall can stack, a creature gains a stack everytime they gain the Ashfall condition. Any creature can take an action to remove the ashes from their body.

Ashes in the Wind

At 6th Level, If you are under the effects of Ashfall you can use the ashes by absorbing them to do either of the following:

Wave of Ash: As an action, you can clap your hands together to give off a concussive blast of ashes in a 15ft cone dealing 2 your martial arts die + your wisdom modifier as magical bludgeoning damage, creatures must succeed on a strength throw or be pushed back 5ft and knocked prone. They also gain the Ashfall condition.
Ash Cloud: When you use Step of the Wind, you can use both benefits of dash and disengage.

Either option removes the Ashfall condition.

Sundering Soul

At 11th level, Ashfall now sunders the soul of any hostile creature with the condition. Any hostile creature under the Ashfall condition is now poisoned and has disadvantage on constitution saves. If a creature is immune to poisoned, they still gain disadvantage on constitution saves. Stunning Stike now applies Ashfall if the target fails the constitution save, turning the target's skins to ashes.

Return to Ashes

At 17th level, As an action, you can attempt to return a creature to the earth from which they came. For 3 ki points, when you hit a creature with an unarmed attack that has the Ashfall condition they must make a constitution saving throw. On a fail, they die instantly exploding into ashes triggering Ashfall. On a success, they take 10d10 necrotic damage.