D&D (2024) Help Me Hate Monks (Less Than I Currently Do)

[Chaltab]

I don't understand why monks are problematic when most D&D settings are effectively global, if not interplanetary or interdimensional. Like in Forgotten Realms it's possible to get on a space ship and fly to another planet, or open a portal to Hell and go shopping in the literal City of Dis.

Why are Asian people the thing that throws off the 'quasi-medieval vibe'?

 

[Lakesidefantasy]

Cause when you tell your players you're excited to run an adventure about knights in shining armor with dragons and wizards and elves---and then Ben shows up with a ninja. Thanks Ben. I guess you're just payin' me back for showing up with a knight in shining armor to your Legend of the Five Rings campaign.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

knights in shining armor

This is what throws my suspension of disbelief. The guy who turns up wearing sports equipment.

As for monks, the name is the issue. Lots of people practice martial arts, always have done, all over the world. The vast majority of them do not belong to a religious order.

 

[DrJawaPhD]

Why are Asian people the thing that throws off the 'quasi-medieval vibe'?

Thank you for saying the quiet part out loud.

Cause when you tell your players you're excited to run an adventure about knights in shining armor with dragons and wizards and elves---and then Ben shows up with a ninja. Thanks Ben.

I'm not clear whether you're being sarcastic or serious, but it's quite jarring on a website like this that preaches diversity and inclusion that someone could argue that medieval Asian culture doesn't belong in an adventure about knights in shining armor with dragons and wizards and elves. Apologies though if you were just joking and I missed the humor

 

[Lakesidefantasy]

What about the second part?

Oh, I think I see what might be going on here. You considered Chaltab's question to be rhetorical and only a fool would engage with it because it's a trap.

I was honestly trying to engage with that question and you took the opportunity to pounce and imply that I am a racist. I take great offense to that implication and I would ask that you please not do that again.

Perhaps you could try and engage with the question instead of simply slinging mud.

 

[fuindordm]

For members of the monastic Ordo Ventricula Sanctus, more popularly known as The Fat Boys, weight is a sign of one’s holiness. To most observers, these odd monks are gourmands, consumed by their desire to devour as much food as possible in an effort to expand their minds as well as the physical limits of their girdles. In reality, there is more to their eating than pleasure, though there is pleasure in it. Members of the Ordo believe that to consume a creature is to become one with it. These gastronomers seek out the most exotic of foods to become attuned to creation. And before you ask, no, they do not eat sapient creatures.

That's a fun idea. As a player, the first question I might ask is "does it actually work?" Do these Fat Boys (and girls?) get superpowers from eating exotic foods? Or is it just a philosophical order?

From a gamist point of view, there's a lot to be said for making a class whose powers are open-ended. This is what attracts me to the wizard class--the thrill of discovering a learning a new spell that is part of the class. There is no reason that other classes shouldn't be able to discover and learn abilities that are not already baked into the standard progression.

My suggestion : write a monk class where all the ki abilities are part of a menu that the player can choose from as they level up, similar to warlock invocations. And give some of these the requirement that the PC find and consume an appropriate magical beast.

 

[DrJawaPhD]

I was honestly trying to engage with that question and you took the opportunity to pounce and imply that I am a racist. I take great offense to that implication and I would ask that you please not do that again.

I directly said that I might be misunderstanding what you meant and that I apologize if I misunderstood - that is hardly pouncing and calling you racist.

I'm not sure what you mean by "the second part" or "engaging with the question", so I'll go ahead and bow out rather than risk further misunderstandings.

 

[Horwath]

you can do with monk characters what I did when I played them in 5E.

1st: throw all that dated "oriental mysticism" right out the window.

2nd: flavor your new warrior any way you like.

I played High elf monk from Evereska that was a royal bodyguard as a background, so he had to be always prepared for defending his ward. Hence, unarmed attack/defense training.
Add Elven mental training to that and you have "ki" powers

I also convinced DM to use racial given longsword weapon as a "monk" weapon.
Did it before Tasha made it cool, hehe.


Just use your own idea on where your training/powers come.

and while it can be cool to play Kwai Chang Caine or Bruce Lee or Liu Kang some times, all monks should not be that trope.

 

[Mecheon]

Cause when you tell your players you're excited to run an adventure about knights in shining armor with dragons and wizards and elves---and then Ben shows up with a ninja. Thanks Ben. I guess you're just payin' me back for showing up with a knight in shining armor to your Legend of the Five Rings campaign.

The ninja is hardly the most unrealistic part of that given ninjas and knights existed at the same time. Frankly the actual issue you have is the lack of guns. Going around the world with a weird party is basically half of a D&D campaign and a ninja teaming up with a Chinese swordswoman, a random staff wielder and a pirate against an alchemist, a golem and a demonically possessed knight is basically the plot of Soul Calibur, just throw in a barbarian, a lizardman, a swordswoman, a samurai and... Whatever the heck Voldo is

Anywho on monastic orders I haven't done any specifically but had some rough ideas on 'em. You need the down on their luck group with powerful techniques that needs to be changed up by a new member, powerful group gone corrupt due to power and influence, older group stuck in their wars and the Sketchy Group with the fun poison techniques that's less monastry and more politcal family

 

[TerraDave]

it's quite jarring on a website like this that preaches diversity and inclusion that someone could argue that medieval Asian culture doesn't belong in an adventure about knights in shining armor with dragons and wizards and elves. Apologies though if you were just joking and I missed the humor

I don't think there is an obligation to include anything in one's fantasy adventures that one does not wish to include.