Post/Author/DateTime	Post
EddieVinci 04-27-08, 10:56 PM	To create my first level twenty character I created a Scotsman style monk-fighter and gave him a claymore (masterworked greatsword). I was wondering if anyone had other non-traditional monks biased on a non-asian theme... Just a thought for roleplaying outside the PHB.
Mad_Jack 04-28-08, 04:17 AM	I played a 10th-century Western-European warrior-monk once - He was a drunken brawler who'd found religion and joined a monastery. Not that this changed him all that much. His monastery brewed ale, like most medieval monasteries, so he still drank too much, and he still brawled, but now he kicked ass for the Lord. He looked like a fighter but dressed like a monk - a big burly guy in a brown hooded monk's robe, cheerful and smiling even in the middle of a fight. The kind of wild-eyed bearded holy man who'd meet barbarians sacking his monastery with a foot-thick holy book slammed down on their heads. He was Friar Tuck on steroids. All his self-healing and immunities were due to his piety and faith, and I chalked up his AC bonus, fast movement, and flurries/increased damage to his holy battle fervor - he was constantly "beating the faith into sinners" and "laying on hands with both fists"... :D
Stormbrand 04-28-08, 07:42 AM	A knight. Seriously. A monk/paladin with the Ascetic Knight feat. Many monk class features can be explained as part of a medieval knight's training, the rest can be dressed up as paladin abilities... Unarmed combat - Wrestling and grappling techniques were very important to knights for dealing with armour. No sword or lance was reliable against heavy armour, so they practiced pinning a foe to kill with their daggers or to break them apart with a joint lock. Extra unarmed damage is a must. Bonus Feats - Improved Grapple would be obvious. Improved Disarm & Improved Trip would all fit into the fighting style of a knight. Still Mind - Knightly discipline. Slow Fall - Any wrestler trained in breakfalls and how to land safely. Such advanced wrestlers as knights would certainly be very good at it. Skill Points - Martial classes have FAR too few skill points for the wealth of knowledge possessed by most trained soldiers. A medieval knight had to understand sufficient economics to run his estate, man-management skills for servants and staff, had to know how to behave at court (Diplomacy, Sense Motive, possibly Knowledge: religion). Professional warriors are often alert for details (Spot, Listen, Sense Motive again). This is in addition to being athletic (Climb, Jump and Balance - Balance being a very important aspect of swordsmanship). There is no way a Fighter or Paladin can accomplish this with only 2 base skill points per level, in particular when either class only has half of these as class skills. Ki Strike - Assuming this is a multiclass paladin/monk this can just be a variation of Smite Evil. Wholeness of Body = A simple self-healing blessing. Diamond Soul = a protective aura against magic. Evasion/Improved Evasion = a protective aura again. All of this works best if you are a paladin or fighter more than a monk, but the monk class does fill in the blanks very nicely.
The_Shaman 05-01-08, 08:17 PM	To create my first level twenty character I created a Scotsman style monk-fighter and gave him a claymore (masterworked greatsword). I was wondering if anyone had other non-traditional monks biased on a non-asian theme... Just a thought for roleplaying outside the PHB. I'd suggest something like Stormbrand's idea, but less a knight and more of a pilgrim - the kind of traveler who journeys to holy places and has eventually taken upon himself/herself to protect people s/he meets on the road. This may explain why your character does not use the typical knight's armor. Apart from that, you could just be a warrior who wants to master the sword without being encumbered by armor or simply can't afford it (i.e. being a peasant). Granted, I'd probably do that with a multiclassed monk/psychic warrior or a monk/Shou Disciple (reflavor as needed)/pious templar.
Terjon of the Blue Rose 05-02-08, 08:28 PM	what about a simple brawler. A spitting, fighting, cursing, dock-worker who has learned to fight with his fist, knees, teeth, etc. Some of the higher level abilities become difficult to explain so it works best in lower level games but even the higher ups work if your game is sufficiently magical. He has been hit with so many cure spells he now has learned to store a bit of magical healing in himself, he has learned to focus himself when fighting extrememly dangerous foes and so taps into his ki energy accidentally and subconsiously, etc.
The_Shaman 05-03-08, 06:55 AM	Wouldn't it work better for a fighter or a fighter-rogue, though? The medium BAB and some of the class skills/abilities don't quite work out for someone who just loves to fight ;) . Not saying it couldn't work, but it might be a bit weird... especially for a single-class monk.
Terjon of the Blue Rose 05-03-08, 07:13 AM	Fighter is the tradition thought line on this character but then where did he learn how to properly manuever in full plate? Or to weild Kukri or a Falchion with significant skill. Such an undisciplined character shouldn't even have that many feats. As for rogue many go that route but then your talking lethal mindsets not simply disabling an opponent and walking away... not too mention way too many skill points.