Monk=Striker? I'm disapointed

[bganon]

Yeah, I actually would love to see a Soulknife as a Dex or Wis-based defender with a strong striker secondary role - sort of a mirror image of the Avenger, who is a striker with a strong defender secondary. Add an "empath" sort of psionic leader, who gets the Psychic Warrior stuff that the soulknife doesn't, and a Psion, and I think that rounds out the power source nicely.

Of course, there's nothing wrong with multiple strikers per power source; there's plenty of precedent for that. But I don't want a Soulknife that just feels like a Rogue/Monk with a mindblade tacked on.

 

[DracoSuave]

*cough*or soul knife as a psionic paragon path*end cough*

 

[Bumbles]

funny. But no less abstract than a warlord healing you by yelling at you. =)

Works for High School football coaches. "Walk it off son! Walk it off!"

I admit the striker is a better fit based on the monk as we've come to know him. Doesn't mean I can't still hope.

Well, if I were hoping for a monk, it'd be as a guy who makes wine, scribes letters, cleans and straightens compulsively, plays jazz on the piano, and oh yeah, solves crimes!

Somehow I think we're mostly going to get the Karate Kid though.

 

[Byronic]

How? By punching your wounds to death on an abstract level?

There's usually an explanation in fantasy about these things.

Western version: A wizard did it

Chinese/Japanese: Pressure points

 

[Ahrimon]

Works for High School football coaches. "Walk it off son! Walk it off!"
<snip>
Somehow I think we're mostly going to get the Karate Kid though.

Speaking of the Karate Kid. Mr. Miagi (sp?) was pretty good at healing wounds by slapping his hands together and doing a bit of rubbing.

 

[DreamChaser]

Healing is not the core theme of the leader...it is a side effect of the core them. The core theme of a leader, IMO, is greater focus upon the efficacy of your allies (extraverted) than on your own efficacy (intraverted).

This is why a monk cannot be a leader.

Monks, both western and eastern, are highly focused upon the self or some individualized expression of faith, discipline, or understanding. To me, the issue, is not HOW would a martial artist heal their allies. There are explanations for this. The issue is WHY would the martial artist heal their allies.

Monk in D&D has always been the paragon of perfection of self.

Honestly, I'm not convinced that there will be a psionic leader for similar reasons to above. Psionics has long been a very "self" centered system. If there is, I would imagine something like the ardent / divine mind with auras that bolster allies and inhibit enemies.

DC

PS: Again...I say HP are not physical damage (only)...warlords are not healing with a shout...they are inspiring their allies to push through their pain and exhaustion. The coach shouting at the football players is a perfect example.

 

[Ahrimon]

I don't think HP's represent physical damage as much as fatique, moral and luck. I was just ejoying the punching your wounds away meta thread.

The way I see it Psionics are not all about being focused within. It's about your power coming from within. Plenty of fiction has psionicists controlling the minds of others as well as your self.

I could easily see a more spiritual type monk say something that makes you think and with a bit of psionic coaxing or breif enlightenment you get that bonus or take that action. They do their thing and in your mind the perfect strike comes into focus. Or how to slip by those enemies comes becomes vividly clear for a second. And then you act with your increased focus/inspiration/whatever.

 

[DreamChaser]

I don't think HP's represent physical damage as much as fatique, moral and luck. I was just ejoying the punching your wounds away meta thread.

The way I see it Psionics are not all about being focused within. It's about your power coming from within. Plenty of fiction has psionicists controlling the minds of others as well as your self.

I could easily see a more spiritual type monk say something that makes you think and with a bit of psionic coaxing or breif enlightenment you get that bonus or take that action. They do their thing and in your mind the perfect strike comes into focus. Or how to slip by those enemies comes becomes vividly clear for a second. And then you act with your increased focus/inspiration/whatever.

I'm sorry if I implied that I thought all psionic powers were inwardly focused. This is not what I intended. I said that the concept of psionics is self-centered rather than other-centered. A psion controlling somone's mind is doing so by imposing her "self" upon the person. Again, not saying that psionic leader doesn't work but it is less intuitive for me (like martial controller or arcane defender).

Also, what you've described is cool. I like the idea of mental gestalt as a leader concept. I don't think it has anything whatsoever to do with any concept of monk ever, but I think it is a really nice idea.

DC

 

[Tony Vargas]

Not disapointed that it's a striker. A bit shocked that it's Psi rather than Ki, though.

I suppose on the surface that might seem a fine distinction, but the theme of the monk has always been an eastern/martial-arts one.

Not that it makes much difference to me. I dispise the presence of Ki powers in my Medieval High Fantasy/REH Sword & Sorcery gaming experience almost as much as I dispise the sci-fi feel of psionics in the same setting. But, I can see how it could be a sticking point if you're more into one than the other. Plus, there's the issue of symetry. It's nice to have each power source cover each role, and I can't imagine that some Ki classes aren't going to step heavily on the Monk's thematic toes.

 

[DracoSuave]

Not disapointed that it's a striker. A bit shocked that it's Psi rather than Ki, though.

It might partially be because they might want to divorce culturality from power source. Part of that is the explanation in Open Grave that 'Ki' is the power source of the soul, to differentiate it from an 'Asian' power source.

Beyond that, Psionics is the power of self discipline, mind over matter, expanding beyond physical boundries through the exercise of will.

Sounds like Monk-style martial arts to me.