D&D 4E Should 4e martial artists have "monk" flavor?

[Gort]

Where's the option for "I don't think there should be a class that specialises in unarmed combat at all, because it really doesn't fit western medieval fantasy at all"? Even in the East anyone who fought unarmed got trounced - Boxer Rebellion, the British expedition to Tibet. The most powerful monks out there were probably the warrior monks of Japan, and they fought the same way everyone else did.

I really think that unarmed combat should just be a sub-optimal choice in most situations. The rogue could probably make it work alright, if that's what you're after.

 

[Lord Zack]

I think that "unarmed fighter" is not a good concept for a class. If you want a martial artist, have you're character, what ever class he is take unarmed combat options. I think the Monk doesn't need to be a class. What is a Monk doing adventuring any ways? If you want to be a mystic martial artist then multiclass or just have a cleric or paladin who uses unarmed combat.

 

[Jedi_Solo]

I'm also a vote for the Talent Tree option.

Have it so that one can easily make a Brewser that fight with his fists and doesn't care about his Inner Calm and also a martial artist that has all of the 3.X mental abilities.

It could be all the same class (maybe even the Fighter class) just with different feat/talent chains.

 

[~Johnny~]

Where's the option for "I don't think there should be a class that specialises in unarmed combat at all, because it really doesn't fit western medieval fantasy at all"? Even in the East anyone who fought unarmed got trounced - Boxer Rebellion, the British expedition to Tibet.

Good point! I just did some research, and it turns out that the same reasoning applies to everyone in history who fought wars using magic. Apparently the stuff wasn't as great as fantasy novels make it out to be!

 

[Steely Dan]

Have it so that one can easily make a Brewser

A class that specializes in brewing…?

 

[Nahat Anoj]

I think monks should have a mystical and spiritual component. They should be ascetics who have developed kewl powerz as a result of cloistered life and intense meditation/prayer/devotion. For me, this covers not only kung fu monks but also Christian "monks" like Friar Tuck. I'd make them divine strikers.

 

[Gloombunny]

Where's the option for "I don't think there should be a class that specialises in unarmed combat at all, because it really doesn't fit western medieval fantasy at all"?

Armored mace-wielding priests, sorcerers who aren't evil, and tall but poncy elves are all worse fits for western medieval fantasy than a fistfighter.

 

[ArmoredSaint]

Armored mace-wielding priests, sorcerers who aren't evil, and tall but poncy elves are all worse fits for western medieval fantasy than a fistfighter.

How do armored mace-wielding priests not fit into Western fantasy? Western history and fantasy are full of examples of warlike bishops, etc.

 

[Fallen Seraph]

I personally would like to first see a completely Martial-powered neutral-setting unarmed-combatant.

Perhaps in future books there could be a specific monk class, or perhaps a paragon path that is of the monk (you gain ki-powers from the monk-paragon, while gaining the ordinary fighting techniques from the base-class).

 

[Gloombunny]

How do armored mace-wielding priests not fit into Western fantasy? Western history and fantasy are full of examples of warlike bishops, etc.

I dunno about full, but yeah. The mace thing is just D&D, except it's not really part of D&D anymore, so... dunno where I was going with that one.

I should have said armored, spellcasting priests. ^_^