The Monk: What changes would you like to see?

[I'm A Banana]

I never understood why fighting monks had to be relegated to Asia....

I mean, this is fantasy. My monk character grew up trained in the town guard along fighters and warriors. He was trained by an experienced guard-captain, alongside others like himself. No dragons. No rice. Just good ol' fashioned wall-beating.

The alignment restrictions I've got a different problem with.

It's not that Monks shouldn't be restricted to Lawful to show their focus (a chaotic creature is incapable of that focus, since it could exclude the variety they so value). It's that I, myself, don't like the class as an archetype, and like to consider it more a collection of powers. I'd like to see the move away from the archetype motiff.....

 

[Merlion]

I agree in a way. I'd like to see them move away from the highly specfic archtype motif, as is the case with the Monk and Paladin. I'd like to see DnD become a more and more general fantasy game...of course many are found of the specfic DnD flavour and want to preserve it. I can sympathize but DnD is already close to being a very good very general fantasy game it just needs to get a little more general to finish the proccess. Its already got good, general rules, and most of the classes are good and not to specfic...but the Monk and Paladin especialy are very locked into a couple of specfic archtypes, between the alignment restriction for both, and the oriental elements in the monk and the "paladin code" for the paladin.

 

[mmu1]

I never understood why fighting monks had to be relegated to Asia....

Because, in D&D:

Many of their special abilities are pulled straight out of kung-fu flicks.

Nunchucks and kamas are the standard Monk weapons.

Chi (or Ki) features so prominently among their abilities.

Their philosophy has a heavy Buddhist feel to it.

And because in the West, the only real fighting monks were members of knightly orders, and much closer (in their ideal) to the Paladin then the Monk.

 

[am181d]

I've been trying to come up with a Brawler or Pugilist core class for a while now. You can theoretically make one with the fighter class, but then you don't get the cool damage-die boost...

It'd be nice if they could make the Monk general enough that I could swap out a few feats to fill this purpose.

 

[Sanackranib]

monks

does remove it entirely count as a change?

 

[LoneWolf23]

I'd like to see the weapons and arms restrictions altered: Instead of the default Monk Weapon selection, let's allow them to select a number of Martial Weapon Proficiencies for their style. The Shaolin Monk themselves used Spears, Axes, Swords and Shield...

I'd also have to agree with renaming the class Martial Artist, as it would free up the Monk name to get back to what it traditionally means: cloistered religious folk. Also, Martial Artist just sounds much more international, which would do away with many of the "Keep it in Oriental Adventures" arguments.

 

[Kesh]

Gotta ditch the alignment restriction. I soooo want to play a "brawler." Just some street punk who survived by his wits and fists, and decides to go out adventuring.

He's not wise. He's not disciplined. He's not seeking inner peace.

He just wants to beat up bad guys.

I would say the new 'monk' should be based off the Martial Artist class of d20 Modern, with the mystical powers sprinkled in the same way that Rogues get their special abilities (chosen at certain levels from a list).

 

[hong]

I've already made all the changes to the monk I'm going to make.


Hong "no, still not pimping you-know-what" Ooi