Monk Code help [Archive] - Wizards Community

Monk Code help [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
pres_man
11-06-05, 02:23 PM I have a player that is going to be playing a dwarven monk in my next campaign, starting in January. I was wondering if anyone had some suggestions as to what type of code, or what type of areas the code should cover for the monk. I've got the paladin down pat, but for monks, their lawfulness seems to just kind of fall by the wayside.

If you have any suggestions or of examples that you have used in the past, I'd appreciate this. I plan on discussing this more with the player, but the player is more of a CN type person, so I'm not sure how much they will be able to offer without some clear guidance on my part.
Verdaloth
11-06-05, 02:33 PM I can help you, Ive always played a monks. What alignment are you trying to do?
pres_man
11-06-05, 02:43 PM My guess is the character will be LN, since I'm the DM and we still have a couple of months left, I'm not complete sure if the player has decided.
Verdaloth
11-06-05, 07:30 PM Going along to lines of law, you beileve in a set of codes and morals. anything from upholding the peace if youre LG or if LE dont kill children. LN i would compare him to a judge. He doesnt care who the person is, if they do something wrong..may it b a family memeber or a dragon, they must be punished for their actions...not severly,but what is appropriate for the crime. While a LE would do eye for an eye or just flat out execution, LG would suggest something along the lines of condemnation or inprisonment and LN would b more attuned to the saying you do the crime you pay the time...or even eye for an eye. If anything else is needed let me know, ill be keepin an eye on this post.
Uberwoot
11-06-05, 09:22 PM Well, that's not the whole of it. Lawful alignments also indicate a certain degree of predictability and dedication. Lawful neutral may indicate that the character is a sort of judge, with an ingrained set of morals that he tries to force upon others, but this personality is somewhat abrasive on occasion.

I like to think of lawful neutral as sort of a path to enlightenment that does not care much for the world. You have a specific set of methods to improve yourself and must adhere rigidly to them, while remaining as detached as you can from the world. Of course, you must have new experiences in order to understand the greater picture- and what better way to have such experiences than in an adventuring party?
pres_man
11-09-05, 05:31 PM Well, I'm not sure how useful the judge thing is. I don't see this player being a person that would play as a moral authority or official of some legitmate organization.

Does anyone have any codes that they use for monks. You know things like:
-Never touch a dead body.
-Always wash your hands upon waking.
-Always fast for one week a month (water is allowed).
etc.?

Basically I'm looking for some ideas to keep my CN player from playing their LN monk as a CN monk. Something to keep them focused on the lawful part of the monk.
interpretivechaos
11-09-05, 06:32 PM A Lawful Neutral monk may or may not have set taboos. What a lawful character will have is a general reaction for situations.

For example- Lawful Neutral Monk will always when ariving in a new town first find a merchant, peddler, innkeeper, or other buisiness man and ask a set of basic questions about the town. Then he will investigate any that either promise a test of his abilities or a source of enlightenment. He will evaluate the potential of anything he finds and pursue them.

Chaotic Neutral Changeling Thief will walk into a new town- sometimes going straight to the bazar to pick up new equipment, sometimes paying, sometimes not, depending on his mood. Or he might go to the inn and listen for any gossip, sometimes to act on it and sometimes just for the joy of it. Occasionally he'll pull out his flute and play a little ditty. Othertimes he'll start talking with a passerby in the street. Sometimes he'll come in as a female noble, another time as a poor old farmer.

The lawful restriction on monks is to represent that there is no concept of fancy and wishes when pursuing enlightenment- a monk cannot continue his road if he does not structure his life and constantly move forward.

So for lawful, hit him up to be consistent, to do things methodically and in the same manner each time (Though naturally its the process not the action each time. Its common sense to not go to the nearest merchant when you see people coughing and piles of burning dead line the streets. However, he would still evaluate each step like that, making sure each step was intelligent and if nothing was the problem would do it.

Law and Chaos is not some slanted thing where Lawful Evil is closer to good then Chaotic Good. Their is only the impression of that becaus while the Chaotic member might do things differently so he is not limited to any pattern.

So the Lawful evil person might spare all children, but all adults lives are forfeit. The chaotic version of the same general level of evilness might spare his enemies one day and kill every child the next. You know what breaks you'll get with Lawful, what behaviours they do- just not so with chaotic.

If they try to take cheap shots and throw in a couple small vows then do whatever they want outside that, they aren't being lawful. Think Shugenjas- they have a couple taboos but that doesn't in itself make a character Lawful.
braindead345
11-11-05, 05:56 AM I think of LN characters as students of natural law (physics, and the other hard sciences). They might or might not take a stand on the whole "good vs evil" bit; they just believe that everything and everybody must obey set laws or face the consequences. Cultural taboos are strictly adheard to and enforced whenever possible.

People are either alive or dead. Once dead, you stay that way. Undead monsters and those resurrected are wiped out with equal zeal.

Civil law is respected for what it is worth. Most people agree that stealing and murder are unacceptible; petty ordinances (i.e. "No parking on the left side of the street on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays") are beneath contempt and ignored. Those inbetween major crimes and petty ordinances (i.e. "No speeding in construction zones") are considered and observed if there is a logical reason for the laws.

Morally repugnant issues, such as slavery, may or may not be tollerated by the character. In cultures where the practices are repulsive, the character will try to change the laws allowing it or at the very least try to change people's mind about the acceptance of the practice.
erbmjw
11-11-05, 01:17 PM If he's a monk he must have studied a way so make him write down a code that you and he have agreed upon.

It can be - code of the drunken sheep farmer monks - or code of the iron thoughts - or code of the poor brothers{sisters} of sticks - whatever the code is - his character has to live by it.

Lawful monk doesn't mean he has to obey all laws it means he has to obey the "way" he has been studying as a monk.

If he goes off the code too far, or too often - force him on a quest of attonement or force him to stop taking monk levels.

***
I wrote up a LN druid/monk school that I called the Unbroken Oak - the monks were required to take at minimum one level of druid then start studying to be monk. Or start as gelstat LN druid/monk characters.

They only had one metal weapon they were allowed, dagger, all other melle weapons must be wooden weapons.

They were required to do signifigant work with/for plants at least 4 weeks of a year.

These druid/monks should also try their best to see that while forests were being used they were not being abused by intelligent beings.

I could dig up more if you want? But it's late right now so ......

zzzz ;)

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
pres_man 11-06-05, 02:23 PM	I have a player that is going to be playing a dwarven monk in my next campaign, starting in January. I was wondering if anyone had some suggestions as to what type of code, or what type of areas the code should cover for the monk. I've got the paladin down pat, but for monks, their lawfulness seems to just kind of fall by the wayside. If you have any suggestions or of examples that you have used in the past, I'd appreciate this. I plan on discussing this more with the player, but the player is more of a CN type person, so I'm not sure how much they will be able to offer without some clear guidance on my part.
Verdaloth 11-06-05, 02:33 PM	I can help you, Ive always played a monks. What alignment are you trying to do?
pres_man 11-06-05, 02:43 PM	My guess is the character will be LN, since I'm the DM and we still have a couple of months left, I'm not complete sure if the player has decided.
Verdaloth 11-06-05, 07:30 PM	Going along to lines of law, you beileve in a set of codes and morals. anything from upholding the peace if youre LG or if LE dont kill children. LN i would compare him to a judge. He doesnt care who the person is, if they do something wrong..may it b a family memeber or a dragon, they must be punished for their actions...not severly,but what is appropriate for the crime. While a LE would do eye for an eye or just flat out execution, LG would suggest something along the lines of condemnation or inprisonment and LN would b more attuned to the saying you do the crime you pay the time...or even eye for an eye. If anything else is needed let me know, ill be keepin an eye on this post.
Uberwoot 11-06-05, 09:22 PM	Well, that's not the whole of it. Lawful alignments also indicate a certain degree of predictability and dedication. Lawful neutral may indicate that the character is a sort of judge, with an ingrained set of morals that he tries to force upon others, but this personality is somewhat abrasive on occasion. I like to think of lawful neutral as sort of a path to enlightenment that does not care much for the world. You have a specific set of methods to improve yourself and must adhere rigidly to them, while remaining as detached as you can from the world. Of course, you must have new experiences in order to understand the greater picture- and what better way to have such experiences than in an adventuring party?
pres_man 11-09-05, 05:31 PM	Well, I'm not sure how useful the judge thing is. I don't see this player being a person that would play as a moral authority or official of some legitmate organization. Does anyone have any codes that they use for monks. You know things like: -Never touch a dead body. -Always wash your hands upon waking. -Always fast for one week a month (water is allowed). etc.? Basically I'm looking for some ideas to keep my CN player from playing their LN monk as a CN monk. Something to keep them focused on the lawful part of the monk.
interpretivechaos 11-09-05, 06:32 PM	A Lawful Neutral monk may or may not have set taboos. What a lawful character will have is a general reaction for situations. For example- Lawful Neutral Monk will always when ariving in a new town first find a merchant, peddler, innkeeper, or other buisiness man and ask a set of basic questions about the town. Then he will investigate any that either promise a test of his abilities or a source of enlightenment. He will evaluate the potential of anything he finds and pursue them. Chaotic Neutral Changeling Thief will walk into a new town- sometimes going straight to the bazar to pick up new equipment, sometimes paying, sometimes not, depending on his mood. Or he might go to the inn and listen for any gossip, sometimes to act on it and sometimes just for the joy of it. Occasionally he'll pull out his flute and play a little ditty. Othertimes he'll start talking with a passerby in the street. Sometimes he'll come in as a female noble, another time as a poor old farmer. The lawful restriction on monks is to represent that there is no concept of fancy and wishes when pursuing enlightenment- a monk cannot continue his road if he does not structure his life and constantly move forward. So for lawful, hit him up to be consistent, to do things methodically and in the same manner each time (Though naturally its the process not the action each time. Its common sense to not go to the nearest merchant when you see people coughing and piles of burning dead line the streets. However, he would still evaluate each step like that, making sure each step was intelligent and if nothing was the problem would do it. Law and Chaos is not some slanted thing where Lawful Evil is closer to good then Chaotic Good. Their is only the impression of that becaus while the Chaotic member might do things differently so he is not limited to any pattern. So the Lawful evil person might spare all children, but all adults lives are forfeit. The chaotic version of the same general level of evilness might spare his enemies one day and kill every child the next. You know what breaks you'll get with Lawful, what behaviours they do- just not so with chaotic. If they try to take cheap shots and throw in a couple small vows then do whatever they want outside that, they aren't being lawful. Think Shugenjas- they have a couple taboos but that doesn't in itself make a character Lawful.
braindead345 11-11-05, 05:56 AM	I think of LN characters as students of natural law (physics, and the other hard sciences). They might or might not take a stand on the whole "good vs evil" bit; they just believe that everything and everybody must obey set laws or face the consequences. Cultural taboos are strictly adheard to and enforced whenever possible. People are either alive or dead. Once dead, you stay that way. Undead monsters and those resurrected are wiped out with equal zeal. Civil law is respected for what it is worth. Most people agree that stealing and murder are unacceptible; petty ordinances (i.e. "No parking on the left side of the street on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays") are beneath contempt and ignored. Those inbetween major crimes and petty ordinances (i.e. "No speeding in construction zones") are considered and observed if there is a logical reason for the laws. Morally repugnant issues, such as slavery, may or may not be tollerated by the character. In cultures where the practices are repulsive, the character will try to change the laws allowing it or at the very least try to change people's mind about the acceptance of the practice.
erbmjw 11-11-05, 01:17 PM	If he's a monk he must have studied a way so make him write down a code that you and he have agreed upon. It can be - code of the drunken sheep farmer monks - or code of the iron thoughts - or code of the poor brothers{sisters} of sticks - whatever the code is - his character has to live by it. Lawful monk doesn't mean he has to obey all laws it means he has to obey the "way" he has been studying as a monk. If he goes off the code too far, or too often - force him on a quest of attonement or force him to stop taking monk levels. *** I wrote up a LN druid/monk school that I called the Unbroken Oak - the monks were required to take at minimum one level of druid then start studying to be monk. Or start as gelstat LN druid/monk characters. They only had one metal weapon they were allowed, dagger, all other melle weapons must be wooden weapons. They were required to do signifigant work with/for plants at least 4 weeks of a year. These druid/monks should also try their best to see that while forests were being used they were not being abused by intelligent beings. I could dig up more if you want? But it's late right now so ...... zzzz ;)