Storm Edge Campaign Setting 11: Way of Thunder and Sumo wrestling in The Eight Isles

Welcome back to the world of STORM EDGE: THE ADVENTURES IN EIGHT ISLES! This week, we are introducing a new Monastic Tradition for The Eight Isles: Way of Thunder, which let you play as a power-based Monk that is a Sumo wrestler! In lieu of this, we’d be introducing how a Sumo match would work in D&D and what a combatant can do in a Sumo match. Read on for more!

Way of Thunder

Monks of the Way of Thunder follow the grand tradition of ritualistic sumo wrestling set force by the divine figures known for their thunderous force. Unlike other monks, they focus more on force and in subduing their opponents through various grappling techniques such as Throw and Swipe. The tradition is most common among Kijin, Ryujin and Orcs/Half Orc but as Sumo has become a national sport loved by generous populous, many in The Eight Isles pursue a level of honor and respect bestowed among the best in Sumo.

Immovable Stance

3^rd-level Way of Thunder feature

When you choose this tradition at 3rd level, you have an option of changing the AC of your Unarmored Defense to 10 + your Strength modifier + your Wisdom modifier. Additionally, because of your large presence you are considered one size larger for the purpose of grappling, and you have advantage on Strength check.

Divine Wrestler

3^rd-level Way of Thunder feature

Your training allows you to become a formidable wrestler. Starting at 3^rd level, you learn how to deal your unarmed strike damage to following combat actions:

• When you successfully Grapple a creature.
• When you successfully Shove a creature (in addition to pushing the target 5 feet away or knocking them prone).

Additionally, you learn the following new combat actions specifics to sumo wrestling:

• Once you have put the opponent in grappled condition, you may use one Attack action to Throw the opponent instead (conceivably, if you are able to make multiple attack with Attack action, you can grapple with one then Throw with the second attack). As with grapple and shove, instead of making an Attack roll, you make a Strength (Athletics) check contested by the target’s Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check (the target chooses the ability to use). If you succeed, you knock the opponent to the ground (make them prone) and deal your unarmed strike damage to them. You may spend 1 ki point to deal 1 additional die of unarmed strike damage when you do this.
• Similarly, once you have put the opponent in grappled condition, you may also use one Attack action to Swipe the opponent instead (conceivably, if you are able to make multiple attack with Attack action, you can grapple with one then Swipe with the second attack). Instead of making an Attack roll, you make a Dexterity (Acrobatics) check contested by the target’s Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check (the target chooses the ability to use). If you succeed, you knock the opponent to the ground, making them prone. You deal your unarmed strike damage to them when you do so.

Forceful Presence

6th-level Way of Thunder feature

At 6th level, you learn to exert your forceful presence in such a way that cause even fierce beasts to take a pause. You gain proficiency in the Intimidation skill. If you already had proficiency in this skill, you can add twice your ability score to ability checks made using it.
Additionally, you learn the following new combat actions

• Thunder Tackle. After moving at least 5 feet in straight line, you may tackle the opponent, knocking them to the ground, prone and grappled. To do so, you must succeed in Grappling the opponent. If you succeed grappling in this manner, you may deal your unarmed strike damage to the target. By spending 1 ki point you can gain +5 to your damage roll.
• If you do not move more than 5 feet on your turn, you may anchor yourself to the ground, readying yourself to absorb whatever oncoming damage. Until the beginning of your next turn, you can spend a ki point whenever you take damage to reduce the damage taken by 1d8.

Impervious

11th-level Way of Thunder feature

At 11th level, you learn to steel your outer body like wall of force. Whenever you take damage, you can expend a number of ki points (up to your Wisdom modifier + your Proficiency Bonus) to reduce the damage by 1d8 per ki point expended.

Thunderous Shove

17th-level Way of Thunder feature

At 17^th level, you learn how to focus all your energy to the center of your palm as you strike the opponent. When you succeed on a Shove action after moving at least 5 feet in straight line, you may spend 1 ki point to gain +5 to your unarmed strike damage roll and push the target 20 feet. Additionally, you can expand a number of ki points (up to your Wisdom modifier + your Proficiency Bonus) to deal additional 1d8 Thunder damage per ki point expended to the target as well as any creature that come in contact with the target as it is pushed away, dragging them in the booming energy created by the shove.

Sumo Wrestling in The Eight Isles

Sumo Wrestling in The Eight Isles is an ancient martial art that has its roots in mythology. It is said to originate in the ritualistic wrestling match first conducted between the Namjin, son of Susano and ruler of Obsidian Giants, and Kazuchi, Grand General of Dragons and master of storm and rain, during the last days of Orc Invasion, with Nigi-Midayus presiding as the referee. The match has lasted for a day and night and ended in the win by Kazuchi, ushering in the age of Human and Great Harmony that followed.  Since then it has become a national sport that many engage in, especially popular among the Kijin and Ryujin who’ve established monasteries in what came to be called the Way of Thunder.

Here are the rules:

Sumo is fought within 15-foot diameter circle (sometime bound by Rope of Bounds to create physical barrier so no outside influence physical or magical can affect the match) between two combatants. Whoever pushed out of the circle or had any other part of their body but their sole touch the ground loses. In ceremonial and official matches in presence of luminaries, there are process of purification and a referee present but is not necessary. You may Grapple, Shove, Throw or Swipe. Targeting the opponent’s eyes and vulnerable regions are considered illegal or cause your immediate loss. You are not officially allowed to wear anything beyond loincloth like band called mawashi, but any armor-less state closer to bare is acceptable (this is to reduce the portion of cloth that can be grappled on)

Here are what you can do in Combat mechanic terms:

Grapple

As in regular combat, when you make an Attack action in a Sumo match, you can make Grapple as a Special melee Attack. Once you succeed in grappling the opponent, you can move the grappled creature with you as in regular combat rules but that really won’t do much good in the Sumo match as you’d be dragging them first so you’d need make Throw or Shove to win (see below).

Shove

As in the regular combat, you can use the Attack action in Sumo match to make a Special melee Attack to shove a creature. However, while in regular combat rules if you win the Shove contest you either knock the target prone or push it 5 feet away from you, but in Sumo match, you can only push the target.

If you manage to shove the target out of the 15-foot diameter circle, you win Sumo match.

Throw

Once you have put the opponent in grappled condition, you may use one Attack action to Throw the opponent instead (conceivably, if you are able to make multiple attack with Attack action, you can grapple with one then throw with the second attack). As with grapple and shove, instead of making an Attack roll, you make a Strength (Athletics) check contested by the target’s Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check (the target chooses the ability to use). If you succeed, you knock the opponent to the ground (make them prone) and deal your unarmed strike damage to them (The Way of Thunder Monks knows way to add more damage to this).

If you succeed in throwing the opponent, you win Sumo match.

Swipe

Similarly, once you have put the opponent in grappled condition, you may also use one Attack action to Swipe the opponent instead (conceivably, if you are able to make multiple attack with Attack action, you can grapple with one then swipe with the second attack). Instead of making an Attack roll, you make a Dexterity (Acrobatics) check contested by the target’s Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check (the target chooses the ability to use). If you succeed, you knock the opponent to the ground and make them prone.

If you succeed in swiping the opponent, you win Sumo match.