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


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I'm not sure I understand your point? This is on me. I think I'm misunderstanding the correlation between the artwork and your players forcing something on you?
Wotc put out those characters as part of the leadup to the japanese d&d release. With the question of if the monk's problematic stereotypes are fixed by the packet6 monk we still have a monk in packet six that is channeling the same questionable tropes that wotc wasn't too keen on spotlighting there so it's obviously not fixed by limiting the impact of those tropes to the GM.

@mamba wrt your post58 comment, there would almost certainly need to be some mechanical changes to fit the themes and tropes of one or the other even if those are mostly replaced equipment spell & maybe feat lists.

@Charlaquin the eyes are a not so subtle hint of the target being mocked with their efforts to avoid fitting the theme of the setting
 


It is hard to comment, because I am less intimately familiar with various Asian cultures.

Personally, I prefer those from the respective Asian cultures to design the Monk according to Asian sensibilities.

Perhaps, the Monk becomes the "Athlete", with a more multicultural base flavor. Within it, one or more subclasses can be a specific Asian cultural esthetic. (An other Athlete subclass might be a Greek Olympian.)

Perhaps, the Druid can have a subclass for a Daoist alchemist, within it.

And so on.


What's more important to you? That the "right" people design the class or that it's fun to play?
Obviously, one of the qualifications of a "right" game designer, includes being a successful game designer. South Korea, Japan, and China are wellknown for their fantasy genres and even roleplaying games. Likewise, other areas of Asia.
 
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@Charlaquin the eyes are a not so subtle hint of the target being mocked with their efforts to avoid fitting the theme of the setting
The eyes are a silly design element, they’re not intended as mockery. It’s understandable that they might come off that way to a Western audience, since we tend to be less comfortable with comedic elements in characters who aren’t strictly comic relief, but Japanese audiences are much more receptive to levity as a normal part of characters who are still meant to be “taken seriously,” for want of a better description. Look no further than the outrageous popularity of One Piece in Japan, whereas in the US it performs relatively poorly.
 

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