Vestments of Karma

Huge thanks to Chris Hayes for the awesome cover art/visual design!

In the Age of Rebirth, there were many ancient monastic orders. Masters of monastic paths would push the boundaries of what they could achieve with their mind, body, and soul, and mastery of ki reached untold heights. Ladrilye Dlarraithar, a drow who sought a life on the surface and to achieve peace outside of the fate prescribed her people, joined one of these orders, and worked for complete control over her body and her footsteps in the universe. After many centuries (many of which were spent fighting off her people, who sought to kill her for defying Lolth), Ladrilye put everything she had learned into a gi. She had learned how to weave her ki into the weave of the universe (akin to magic), and thus affect the karma of herself and those around her. And so, the Vestments of Karma were born.
During the Reckoning, Ladrilye was called to fight against her people once more. Her control over karma and fate led to many victories for herself and her allies, but eventually the master drew the ire of Ix'kythael herself. The Broodmother smote her, dashing her body amongst the massive peaks of the Great Ridges. And so, the Vestments of Karma lay dormant, until new masters could claim them.

The Legend

Ladrilye Dlarraithar learned early that the world was cruel to drow. She was raised in a cutthroat society of cultists to Ix'kythael, but she always knew she could live a life on the surface. She only had to get there. She fought tooth and nail to escape the confines of her early life, literally killing and maiming, until she reached the surface of Iotura and escaped to the safety of one of the only places that would accept her: a monastery. There, she spent decades learning how to defend herself, but more importantly, how to control her mind, body, and soul. She sought balance inside, so that she could influence the outside. Over the centuries of her life, she studied under the greatest masters of the Age of Rebirth until she could impact the universe around her: until she could impact the karma of herself and those around her.
She knew that one day, something would take her life. Either through nature or combat, Ladrilye would cease to exist. And so, she created an artifact that would allow masters in the future to learn her ways. She created the Vestments of Karma. And soon after, she was right. Shortly after the creation of her Vestments, the world burned in the fires of the Reckoning and she was summoned to face her people and their allies. Though she earned countless victories for the Children of Yamma across Emaxus, she was eventually smote by Ix'kythael herself, and smashed upon the rocks of the Great Ridges.
Eventually, the Reckoning ended and the Age of Extant began, and the Vestments of Karma waited for a new master to claim them. Slowly, their power faded and their majesty diminished. But they wait to be reclaimed, to be taken up by a master (aspiring or current) of pure heart and balanced soul, and to have their power restored.

The Remnant

clothing, legendary, requires attunement by a monk
Once, the Vestments of Karma allowed its wearer to manipulate fate and tug on the threads of the universe itself. Now, it has lost almost all of its former power, but still lies dormant, waiting for its next master.

Dormant

In their dormant form, the Vestments of Karma appear as a set of well-made monk armor, extremely light and made of cloths with leather gloves. The red and gold is faded, and the orbs in the armor do not glow. The orbs floating over the shoulders don't even exist yet, manifesting when the armor has regained some of its strength.

Properties

• The wearer gains a +1 bonus to their AC while wearing the Vestments of Karma.
• Life and Death. The Vestments of Karma have a number of charges equal to half the monk level of the wearer, rounded down. When the wearer hits with a melee attack, they can choose to expend a charge and either add an additional 1d6 force damage to the attack or heal a target within 5 feet for 1d6 hit points. The wearer can only expend up to two charges per turn, and the Vestments of Karma regain all expended uses at dawn.

Awakened

Once the Vestments of Karma have been reawakened, the orbs above the shoulders manifest, but do not glow. The orbs within the armor become polished once more, but similarly lack their glow, and the cloth and leather is cleaned and looks brand new.

Properties

• The wearer gains a +2 bonus to their AC while wearing the Vestments of Karma.
• Life and Death. The Vestments of Karma have a number of charges equal to half the monk level of the wearer, rounded down. When the wearer makes a melee attack, they can choose to expend a charge and either add an additional 1d8 force damage to the attack or heal a target within 5 feet for 1d8 hit points. The wearer can only expend up to two charges per turn, and the Vestments of Karma regain all expended uses at dawn.
• Touch of Death. Once per long rest, you can use a bonus action to begin channeling the Touch of Death. For the next minute, every successful melee attack you make adds a d8 to your Touch of Death pool. Before the end of the minute, you can make a melee attack as part of your Attack action to strike a target with the Touch of Death. When you do, make an unarmed strike against the target. On a hit, you roll all the dice in your Touch of Death pool and the target must make a Constitution saving throw with a DC equal to your Ki Save DC, taking force damage equal to the rolls on a failure or half as much on a success.

Exalted

Once the Vestments of Karma have been exalted, they are restored to their original glory. The reds and golds are polished like the day they were made, and the orbs (floating or not) crackle with the symbols and energy of the force of karma.

Properties

• The wearer gains a +3 bonus to their AC while wearing the Vestments of Karma.
• Life and Death. The Vestments of Karma have a number of charges equal to half the monk level of the wearer, rounded down. When the wearer makes a melee attack, they can choose to expend a charge and either add an additional 1d10 force damage to the attack or heal a target within 5 feet for 1d10 hit points. The wearer can only expend up to two charges per turn, and the Vestments of Karma regain all expended uses at dawn.
• Touch of Death. Once per long rest, you can use a bonus action to begin channeling the Touch of Death. For the next minute, every successful melee attack you make adds a d10 to your Touch of Death pool. Before the end of the minute, you can use an action to strike a target with the Touch of Death. When you do, make an unarmed strike against the target. On a hit, you roll all the dice in your Touch of Death pool and the target must make a Constitution saving throw with a DC equal to your Ki Save DC, taking force damage equal to the rolls on a failure or half as much on a success.
• Touch of Karma. Once per long rest, the wearer can use a bonus action to mark a target within melee range with the Touch of Karma. The Touch of Karma lasts until the end of the wearer's next turn. During that time, all damage the wearer takes is treated as though the wearer has resistance to it, and the full amount is stored within the Touch of Karma. When the Touch of Karma expires, the marked creature takes the full damage within the Touch of Karma. Damage types are maintained, and resistances and immunities still apply. (Ex: the wearer uses Touch of Karma on a creature and receives 20 non-magical bludgeoning and 20 magical piercing damage; however, they only take 10 of each type of damage due to Touch of Karma's resistance. The marked creature is immune to non-magical bludgeoning, so when the Touch of Karma expires, they ignore the 20 non-magical bludgeoning damage and only take the 20 magical piercing damage.)

Item type

Armor