D&D (2024) Asians Represent: "Has WotC Fixed the D&D Monk?"

[mellored]

They also said they liked focus points...

 

[Sacrosanct]

I honestly don’t know how you could do a martial arts class and not have something around chi/ki. I’ve practiced Tae Kwon Do and Aikido, and ki is so integral with the latter. Heck, it’s in the name lol. I would say 2/3 of my time practicing aikido is around ki, one point, and kiatsu.

 

[Azzy]

What's more important to you? That the "right" people design the class or that it's fun to play?

That's a false dichotomy.

 

[Charlaquin]

What's more important to you? That the "right" people design the class or that it's fun to play?

That’s a false dichotomy. The class can both be designed by people who have the appropriate cultural context to do so sensitively (or even just with consultation from such people) and be fun to play. Indeed, I think not only are both desirable, but they should both be required, of any class.

 

[TerraDave]

....

I was kind of surprised that the Asian Represent folks seemed to be open to keeping the "Ki" or "Chi" type terminology...

I am not surprised. You don't represent by removing representation. But they should get it right.

 

[Dire Bare]

If you're looking at it through the lens of Wuxia then you're interested in fantasy not reality.

Fantasy is based in reality. Wuxia martial artists use real-life weapons, they exist in a world very much like our own . . . of course they can do things real-life martial artists cannot do and often face foes that don't exist in the real world . . . although even those amazing feats and supernatural foes begin in reality and are . . . exaggerated by fantasy and myth.

What's more important to you? That the "right" people design the class or that it's fun to play?

I'll take both please! No reason why we can't have folks with expert martial and cultural knowledge design a balanced and fun class.

 

[MGibster]

Fantasy is based in reality. Wuxia martial artists use real-life weapons, they exist in a world very much like our own . . . of course they can do things real-life martial artists cannot do and often face foes that don't exist in the real world . . . although even those amazing feats and supernatural foes begin in reality and are . . . exaggerated by fantasy and myth.

I will do my best not to get hung up on real then.

I'll take both please! No reason why we can't have folks with expert martial and cultural knowledge design a balanced and fun class.

I kind of suspected the answer would be both.

 

[Horwath]

Because having even a tiny iota of understanding of martial arts find its way into the game can be cool and fun unlike the places where D&D nerds try to force verisimilitude.

if really is the key here, than any understanding of martial arts would be:
Do not bring a fist into a sword fight!

Monk needs to lean heavily into mysticism or the class has no sense.

 

[Charlaquin]

Or, how about this for a novel idea? We could all agree to stop pretending realism matters at all in our cool fantasy game!

 

[Horwath]

Or, how about this for a novel idea? We could all agree to stop pretending realism matters at all in our cool fantasy game!

That should be the goal always.
Take some kind of idea/inspiration from real world and try to make it work mechanically in the game.