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<blockquote data-quote="Redwizard007" data-source="post: 8005127" data-attributes="member: 7024098">I may have shot my argument in the foot by using Crouching Tiger as my reference point rather than something more mundane, but your responses to it have opened my eyes to something (and that is rare enough in online conversations to be noteworthy.) I always assumed that the monk was a &quot;martial artist&quot; because that is their shtick at lower levels where I have played them, but looking at their higher level abilities, and several of the subclasses, perhaps &quot;mystic warrior&quot; would be a better description of the class, and if that was the intention then an alignment restriction makes sense in older editions. Its similar in every meaningful way to the paladin. If the developers felt that adherence to something greater than ones self was the key to those classes than it makes sense to have a lawful alignment restriction. I still disagree that the discipline to learn/master any skill is a uniquely lawful trait, but when you add in the truly religious or spiritual elements of the various monastic traditions it makes significantly more sense.Side note, and I'm not old enough to have first hand knowledge of this, but as I understand it the original D&amp;D monks were based on Catholic monks, not Buddhist monks. Can anyone speak to that and/or where the class switched gears to become what it is today?</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Redwizard007, post: 8005127, member: 7024098"] I may have shot my argument in the foot by using Crouching Tiger as my reference point rather than something more mundane, but your responses to it have opened my eyes to something (and that is rare enough in online conversations to be noteworthy.) I always assumed that the monk was a "martial artist" because that is their shtick at lower levels where I have played them, but looking at their higher level abilities, and several of the subclasses, perhaps "mystic warrior" would be a better description of the class, and if that was the intention then an alignment restriction makes sense in older editions. Its similar in every meaningful way to the paladin. If the developers felt that adherence to something greater than ones self was the key to those classes than it makes sense to have a lawful alignment restriction. I still disagree that the discipline to learn/master any skill is a uniquely lawful trait, but when you add in the truly religious or spiritual elements of the various monastic traditions it makes significantly more sense. Side note, and I'm not old enough to have first hand knowledge of this, but as I understand it the original D&D monks were based on Catholic monks, not Buddhist monks. Can anyone speak to that and/or where the class switched gears to become what it is today? [/QUOTE]

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