Hey its a new poll! Do you allow monks in your campaign?

[Nareau]

Of course I allow monks

Ninjas are an integral part of any fantasy RPG.

Edit: Now that I think about it...I certainly think they "belong" in a fantasy setting more than most D&D things. How many tyrannosauruses (tyrannosauri?) and rust monsters do you see in fantasy literature?

 

[Ravellion]

I have modified them: they don't gain ki-strike, but gain some bonusses with a martial sword instead (IMHO it is strange that the sword isn't emphasised at all in the class , they are very important to many martial arts IIRC). No Monks tackling Dragons with bare hands IMC, YMMV though.

BTW, I'm going for highest abbreviation count in one post.

Rav

 

[Ravellion]

Dragonlance campaign. No monks in it.

And, thnking a little better, no way I would let my players play monks. I'll never DM an oriental campaign, and I feel they are out of place anywhere else.

The 1e DL adventures hardcover said that certain followers of Majere were monks now didn't they... wasn't Majere's avatar a 40th level monk?

Rav

(edit spelling)

 

[Dalenthas]

Missionaries coming from the oriental lands to convert people to The Way and kick but doing it.

 

[Axiomatic Unicorn]

Sorry, have to disagree.

In the european Middle-ages, monks were studious people, not warriors (unlike, for example, the late middle-ages Knights Templar or Hospitalers).

If you are trapped in generalizations, then you are going to limit your game. Can you say Flaggelant? Certainly Lawful Evil highly violent monks. Real monks were highly diverse, as opposed to the single stereo-type you seem to limit them to.

If they had divine magic at their disposition it was likely they would turn it to study and practical day-to-day affairs, not to bashing people around with "martial' arts.

I see no basis for this claim. Any more than to claim that clerics by the same reasoning should not go adventuring. The vast majority of middle ages clergy stayed FAR FAR away from combat.

The job of bashing people around in the european middle-ages was reserved for the Bellatores (those who make war), while the Oratores (those who pray) stayed within their social function of spiritual guidance.

Ah, so you do agree then that no adventuring clerics should be allowed? No?

Further, the warrior monk is a characteristic of societies where the amount of weapons of quality available was low. In the highly armed and armored european middle-ages, fighting with your bare hands would be viewed as something akin to stupidity.

And guess what, fighting bare-handed against a sword-wielding, shield-toting, fully-armored target is, at the very best situation, EXTREMELY difficult.

Well, this is a better point than your other points. But it does nothing to support the arguement that monks do not fit in a European setting.

And guess what, it is EXTREMELY difficult to get a fireball from bat guano by muttering some arcane words and waving your hands around.

Do you also now disallow arcane spellcasting and any other activity that is EXTREMELY hard in the real world?

Relaxe and enjoy it. It is called FANTASY.

 

[uv23]

Excellent replies so far. I'm quite surprised to see the poll results so in favor of including monks. Keep it civil, thanks.

 

[Psion]

I allow monks, but then martial arts have been an integral part of my campaign world since time immemorial.

Who cared what happened in Europe? My world is not Europe, some faint analogs notwithstanding.]

 

[CRGreathouse]

More than 80% unconditionally allow monks at this point!

 

[Tsyr]

My world has an asian type region, from which monks can come. Aside from that, there are only two ways... one type of dwarf (icehome) have monks, and there is one monastary (in the asian area) that recruits monks from all over... but it's for a prestige class (Champion of the Unseeing Eye), not technicly monks.

 

[wallshot]

personally...i allow monks...

MC has a European flavor, true...but its not medievil europe. Its a Fantasy setting. If U R running a campaign in darkages europe... then i can understand not allowing monks (at least martial arts monks). it boils down to how U have yor campaign set up...if its true fantasy, why cant there B those few people who find enlightenment thru physical and mental perfection, just as there are those who find solace in a higher power, or those who are as one with the 4 feet of sharpened steel they weild as an extension of themselves?