Following is a new D&D 5E Monk Tradition, the Way of the Road, that is especially suitable for settings where orders of highly-trained unarmed combatants serve as guardians of highways and travelers (and which might be ideal for player characters in travel-heavy campaigns). Hermes or other deities of travel would be among those worshipped by religious members of such orders. Monks subscribing to this tradition appear in Skirmisher Publishing’s Swords of Kos Fantasy Campaign Setting, particularly on the island of Kos and along the Footsteps of Hercules pilgrimage trail on mainland Greece.

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Monastic Tradition: Way of the Road

Monks who practice the Way of the Road are consummate travelers and are often dedicated to keeping paths and highways of all sorts safe from dangers like bandits, wild beasts, and environmental hazards. Such practitioners learn techniques that can help them to withstand the rigors of travel, move in enhanced ways, and gain information about the areas through which they are journeying.

At Home on the Trail

At 3rd level, you gain advantage on saving throws to avoid suffering exhaustion from exposure to extreme cold or extreme heat (“Weather,” DMG) or making a forced march (“Movement,” DMG). If you fail such a saving throw you can spend 1 ki point to keep from acquiring a level of exhaustion from such a source.

          At this level you can also add your proficiency bonus to any Intelligence or Wisdom checks you make that do not already include it and which pertain to the characteristics of a road (e.g., an Intelligence (History) check for information about a particular bridge, an Intelligence (Nature) check about animals living along a certain stretch of trail, a Wisdom (Survival) check to follow tracks on a road).

Art of Mobility

At 6th level, you can use your ki to duplicate the effects of certain spells and apply them to yourself. As an action, you can spend 1 ki point to cast Expeditious Retreat, Feather Fall, Jump, or Longstrider; 2 ki points to cast Enhance Ability (STR, DEX, or CON only), Pass without Trace, or Spider Climb; 3 ki points to cast Water Walk; or 4 ki points to cast Freedom of Movement. Material components are not required to activate these spell-like effects; effects of concentration apply to spells with which it is usually associated.

One with the Road

At 11th level, if you are in contact with a road you can gain information about it, intersecting routes and paths, and the areas within 300 feet of them just as if you had cast the spell Commune with Nature. You cannot use this feature again until you have completed a long rest.

Standing Firm

At 17th level, whenever a creature makes a melee attack against you when you are on a road or trail you can add +2 to your armor class and, if you still have your reaction available, can use it to make a melee attack against the creature and inflict +6 damage if you hit it.