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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Krieg" data-source="post: 2108025" data-attributes="member: 5282">Fusangite, the problem as I see it is a matter of perception. As I mentioned in my initial post the PHB IMO makes a huge mistake in the terminology used to describe the monk. The PHB monk as described unfortunately comes loaded with preconceptions that can be difficult to get past.  Whether you want to admit it or not a master pankrationist in the heroic age could be modeled with the monk, as could the lightly armoured, shield leaping, spear catching Fianna of Celtic mythology or a specialist (and crowd favorite) gladiator. The "Pyrrhic Dance" described by Greek historian seems to imply at least some of the enhanced movement abilities associated with the monk.The fact that western martial tradition is (at least on the surface) primarily weapons based does nothing to lessen the monks potential use. Multiclassing easily covers the problem. Instead of a 10th level monk pankrationist you have a 5th/5th Fighter/Monk who while not as accomplished a swordsman as his fellows is still capable of holding his own in a phalanx. This also helps dimish the higher level monkish abilities that give some more problems with suspension of disbelief.Instead of thinking of the monk as a pseudo-shao lin priest slumming with the barbarians...look at the class as a package of abilities that can help model some of the western mythological abilities that the fighter fails to duplicate.If we are really going to eliminate the monk because of historical accuracy...then virtually all of the other classes would quickly follow it into oblivion.</blockquote>

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