The practitioners of this morbid Way pursue a physical mysticism focused on mastering their own mortality. As their studies deepen, these mystics draw on ever increasing necrotic energies. Their mortal vessels wither away with time, as they increasingly take on attributes of the grave. The most dedicated eventually achieve apothanatosis, becoming truly Undead.
Such utter absorption toward this extreme goal selects for highly self-centered individuals with an uncommon ego. While some most decidedly are malevolent, others are driven by a personal obsession with no intent to harm others. Most are somewhere in between.
You dwell upon mortality, people's fear of it, and your own determination to overcome it.
Mortal Musings. Choose Insight or Intimidation. If you are already proficient with the chosen skill, you gain Expertise with it. Otherwise, you gain proficiency with the chosen skill.
Not Finished Yet. You have Advantage on Death Saves.
Your transformation into undeath has begun, as your vital organs harden and atrophy.
Vestigial Vitals. When you suffer a Critical Hit, you can use your Reaction and spend 1 Focus Point to turn that attack into a normal hit. Any effects triggered by a Critical Hit are canceled.
Siphoning Strike. Once on each of your turns when you hit a creature with an Unarmed Strike, you can spend 1 Focus Point to deal extra Necrotic damage equal to one roll of your Martial Arts die plus your Wisdom modifier. You immediately gain Temporary Hit Points equal to the extra Necrotic damage dealt. You cannot gain Temporary Hit Points in this way from hitting Constructs or Undead.
Your transformation continues. The fluids within you have dried up, and you subsist on necrotic energies.
Dusty Veins. You gain Immunity to Poison damage and the Poisoned condition, and your Hit Point maximum can't be reduced.
Will to Exist. When you would be reduced to 0 Hit Points, you can spend 1 or more of your remaining Focus Points (no action required) to instead have a number of Hit Points equal to your Proficiency Bonus multiplied by the number of Focus Points spent. Once you have used this feature, you must finish a Short or Long Rest before you can use it again.
Your transformation has progressed to the very edge between life and death.
Almost Undead. You no longer age, and you can't be aged magically. You no longer need to breathe, eat, or sleep, and magic can't put you to sleep. You gain Resistance to Necrotic damage and Immunity to the Exhaustion condition.
Dreadful Glare. As a Magic action, you can spend 1 Focus Point to project an aura of terrifying necrotic energy. Each creature of your choice within 30 feet of you that can see you must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw against your Monk save DC or have the Frightened condition until the end of your next turn.
You have finally completed your journey, transforming yourself entirely into a state of undeath. Your creature type is now Undead in addition to Humanoid, and you gain the following features:
Paralyzing Touch. When you hit a creature with an Unarmed Strike, you can spend 3 Focus Points to force the target to make a Constitution saving throw against your Monk save DC. On a failed save, the creature takes Cold damage equal to three rolls of your Martial Arts die plus your Wisdom modifier, and has the Paralyzed condition until the start of your next turn. On a successful save, the target takes half as much damage and is not Paralyzed.
Phylactery. Over the course of 24 hours, you can perform an esoteric ritual to bind your soul to an object worth at least 1,000 gp that you are carrying. The object gains an AC of 20 and 50 Hit Points. You can have only one phylactery at a time.
If you die while your phylactery is on the same plane of existence, your soul retreats to it. After 1d10 days, if your phylactery hasn't been destroyed, a new body identical to your original one manifests in an unoccupied space within 5 feet of it. You awaken within it, returning to life with all your Hit Points as if you finished a Long Rest, and without any wounds, poisons, curses, or conditions that were affecting your previous body, and with any damaged or missing organs and limbs replaced. However, you reform unclothed and with none of your equipment.