Quintessential Monk

[Crothian]

My latest review is up ( http://www.enworld.org/d20reviews.asp?sub=yes&where=active&reviewer=Crothian&product=moo1 ). I also wanted to talk a little more about this book, as I found it really good. I almost gave it a five, it was a really hard to give it a four. A 4.6 would be about right for this product.

I haven't seen Beyond Monks (I think that's Gargoyle's monk pdf), so barring that (because all I've heard is great things about it and I know Gargoyle is one heck of a good writer), I think this truely is the Quintessential Monk book. The options in this book are amazing. One of the ways I can tell a good book is becasue reading it makes me want to use it. I want to make a monk character, or DM a campaign that features Monks in some way.

Patrick Younts, the Author, really did a good job on this. I hope to see more of his work and who knows, he might be the next Mike Mearls.

So, I encourage people to post comments and questions on this book. The purpose here is basically a book discussion. With so many d20 titles out I feel that this type of thing will help people get a better feel for certain books.

 

[Arcane Runes Press]

Crothian;

Thanks for the insightful review.

It touched upon some interesting points, much of which I will be looking to address with the Quint. Sorcerer.

Your discussion of the Character Concepts chapter was especially welcome, as it touched upon one of the few areas of the book that, looking back, I wish I could have built upon. I'm referring to the Demi-human entries. While I think the approach I took (simply suggesting appropriate archetypes) was valid, I wish that I had provided one or two specific non-human concepts. I think it would have strengthened the section.

Also, I would like to put in a vote for Beyond Monks being a very good book. I think that it, in combination with the Quint. Monk, Oriental Adventures and AEG's Rokugan stuff, would make for a showstopper of an "eastern" themed campaign.

Also, 1 thing to edit if you can. In your review, you refer to grappling as "grabbling", a couple of times.

Patrick Y.

 

[Crothian]

I hate when I miss obvious errors like that, thanks for pointing that out.

The way you did the non-human character concepts was okay, it's just when I first opened the book and saw them I expected concepts for the specific races. And I just thought that was a really cool idea, and then I read it and it isn't what you did.

One of the things I think would have been interesting is the different races take on the Monk. One of the biggest problems I see people still having in associating Monk with Human. And not just what a certain race as a monk would be like, but also their reactions to them.

 

[Astragoth]

well that's a sweet review.... I've always wanted to play a monk but always found it too challenging/weak at low lvls. I guess this book is a must have for me.


I'm off to the book store.

Cya!

 

[Crothian]

That's good to hear, I really do encourage people to get this book. One down, thousands to go.

 

[kibbitz]

Heh, coming from a background involving martial arts, martial arts movies, comics and novels, I'm kinda worried that I'll start being nit-picky when I get the book. "Bleh, this is nothing new, done before in <insert-comic-1> and <insert-comic-2> and <insert-comic-3>". I know I irritate a lot of bookstore owners that way

But seriously, I really, really wonder which sources Patrick Younts uses. From your review, at least, it sounds pretty true to movie/novel concepts...

 

[Crothian]

Well, I think he does know some martial arts, at least that 's what I figure from the Designer Notes in the back. But you are right, most of it has been done before. Even in the new martial art movies I'm seeing stuff that was in older movies, there is only so much you can do with martial arts. At the very least I suggest scanning through the book at the store.

 

[kibbitz]

Well, I think he does know some martial arts, at least that 's what I figure from the Designer Notes in the back. But you are right, most of it has been done before. Even in the new martial art movies I'm seeing stuff that was in older movies, there is only so much you can do with martial arts. At the very least I suggest scanning through the book at the store.

Heh, that's easy, it's probably a different take on a particular series or movie, at least if you're talking about HK movies/series. I don't think that's a bad thing, really, since all techniques can be broken down to a basic form, with variants tacked on to make it different Kinda like most Wizard attack spells being "same old, same old"

But yea, I'll probably go and check out the book sometime. Wish they had a proper wuxia setting for D&D tho', heh.

 

[Arcane Runes Press]

Heh, coming from a background involving martial arts, martial arts movies, comics and novels, I'm kinda worried that I'll start being nit-picky when I get the book. "Bleh, this is nothing new, done before in <insert-comic-1> and <insert-comic-2> and <insert-comic-3>". I know I irritate a lot of bookstore owners that way

But seriously, I really, really wonder which sources Patrick Younts uses. From your review, at least, it sounds pretty true to movie/novel concepts...

Well;

I study/teach Lohan Chuan and Li family fist (one of the innumerable Northern temple styles) from the 33rd(?) generation inheritor of the system.

I've also spent (some would say wasted) thousands of dollars on imported HK movies, anime and martial arts books.

Oh yeah....

I also shook Jackie Chan's hand and spoke to his bodyguard for a bit (Ken Lo, high kicking villain of Drunken Master II).

With the Quint. Monk, I tried to bring in a lot of concepts that will be familiar to those who are fans of the martial arts, but haven't been introduced to d20 yet. Also, I worked to integrate some "western" unarmed fighting concepts into the mix, as they get short shrift in almost all rpgs.

So, you're going to find stuff from anime, HK film, and martial arts history and legend in there. I think that, in writing the book, my own familiarity with the source material and hands-on training were a definite advantage in translating source material to usable d20 rules - since the concepts were familiar to me, I didn't agonize over whether my interpretation was right, or if it would be laughed at by those "in the know" (instead I got to agonize over whether the rules were balanced)

At to direct sources?

I pulled bits and pieces from MA encyclopedias, I hit the library and the net, and I picked my teacher's brain and combed through some of his (obscure) texts.

I also reviewed my film collection, and my collection of HK tv series, and a few relevant anime.

All in all, you couldn't ask for more fun research material. (unless you have the good fortune to write the "Quintessential Lingerie Model" of course.

Patrick Y.

 

[kibbitz]

Well;

I study/teach Lohan Chuan and Li family fist (one of the innumerable Northern temple styles) from the 33rd(?) generation inheritor of the system.

I've also spent (some would say wasted) thousands of dollars on imported HK movies, anime and martial arts books.

Oh yeah....

I also shook Jackie Chan's hand and spoke to his bodyguard for a bit (Ken Lo, high kicking villain of Drunken Master II).

With the Quint. Monk, I tried to bring in a lot of concepts that will be familiar to those who are fans of the martial arts, but haven't been introduced to d20 yet. Also, I worked to integrate some "western" unarmed fighting concepts into the mix, as they get short shrift in almost all rpgs.

So, you're going to find stuff from anime, HK film, and martial arts history and legend in there. I think that, in writing the book, my own familiarity with the source material and hands-on training were a definite advantage in translating source material to usable d20 rules - since the concepts were familiar to me, I didn't agonize over whether my interpretation was right, or if it would be laughed at by those "in the know" (instead I got to agonize over whether the rules were balanced)

At to direct sources?

I pulled bits and pieces from MA encyclopedias, I hit the library and the net, and I picked my teacher's brain and combed through some of his (obscure) texts.

I also reviewed my film collection, and my collection of HK tv series, and a few relevant anime.

All in all, you couldn't ask for more fun research material. (unless you have the good fortune to write the "Quintessential Lingerie Model" of course.

Patrick Y.

Just for that, consider another copy sold