I really like Monks conceptually, but right now the Brawler is just hands down a better discipline with a good third ability (3 combat reflexes) and an awesome fourth (+5 knockout). Additionally, the brawler is available to both common and savage.
Monks currently have Ranged Block and Meditate as their 3rd and 4th abilities and is common only.
Ranged Block is almost useful, but it can't block magic meaning 1) the most common path ranged attack gets through and 2) both ranged Disciplines can cut through it after the second level.
Meditate is the ability to not bleed to death and regenerate slower than healing & Regenerate (first path skill, 0-20 points) at 1 LP every 15 minutes. Without an ability to somehow avoid deathstrikes, its generally not as useful as having determination and a potion on hand to crawl then run away.
My first suggestion would be to drop meditation to the third ability slot and create the fourth ability as Resist Ranged, a resist skill for all ranged attacks that call damage. At fourth level, it almost as powerful as Resist Magic, but can't avoid magic roots, sleeps, fears, etc. but allows the monk some protection against all the other ranged attacks he would fear. As it is a resist, a very quick archer or grenadier could still whittle him down. Still, there are probably plenty of ways to make this discipline better. More suggestions and commentary would be welcome.
I could see Monk as a common/prestige class as historically, rulers often knew fighting arts for self defense- at least in China.
A more playable Monk
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Magic arrows contain the call ‘Vorpal’, as in ‘3 Vorpal Magic’, meaning a 3rd level Monk is immune to that attack from the front. Monks are basically immune to every ranged damage attack (to the front) except booms, which is pretty awesome.
Having Meditate means never having to go through surgery. A potion will do you little good if you’re down at –30. A level 4 Monk can’t die except by a killing blow, which is extremely awesome.
Having Meditate means never having to go through surgery. A potion will do you little good if you’re down at –30. A level 4 Monk can’t die except by a killing blow, which is extremely awesome.
Death is the threshold to immense possibility
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Excellent points
you took the words out of my mouth...
level 4 monk is one of the most powerful in the game... as a warrior with level four you can crawl in negs, if you can just get some where to hide, crawl under a table, behind a shrub, into a corner, and then pass out as a monk you slowly heal and eventually you are back up. Anyone else is dead.
Even as a non-warrior, in pitched battles opponents rarely have time for death strikes, even if you drop, as long as friends can get to you after the battle you don't have to worry about dying.
That is some pretty buff stuff. I had a monk get pummeled by a big nasty worm, going toe to toe while other people ran away... the worm wasnt interested in me at all, but I slowed it down long enough for the others to run, the thing left me to pursue them and by then they had gathered a force to fight it. I didnt die and neither did they... I would say the monk definately has his place.
level 4 monk is one of the most powerful in the game... as a warrior with level four you can crawl in negs, if you can just get some where to hide, crawl under a table, behind a shrub, into a corner, and then pass out as a monk you slowly heal and eventually you are back up. Anyone else is dead.
Even as a non-warrior, in pitched battles opponents rarely have time for death strikes, even if you drop, as long as friends can get to you after the battle you don't have to worry about dying.
That is some pretty buff stuff. I had a monk get pummeled by a big nasty worm, going toe to toe while other people ran away... the worm wasnt interested in me at all, but I slowed it down long enough for the others to run, the thing left me to pursue them and by then they had gathered a force to fight it. I didnt die and neither did they... I would say the monk definately has his place.
Master of witless lore and red herrings