Monk Thoughts

[SmootRK]

EDIT for draft inclusion:
EDIT: latest draft includes additional clarifications - almost there!

Most Info in this post removed (already included or addressed in the actual document now)

For reference, here is another thread addressing Monks (Great Way Adepts): viewtopic.php?f=19&t=286

[SmootRK]

My other thought is that the progression above can be spread out even more and some of the other special quality attacks be inserted in-between.

[Dimirag]

I'm planning on using martial artist and monks (fighter and cleric) for the martial arts I do not use damage increments. Never like it and never will... I give them chi/ki abilities. A base value and an ammount of uses. The base value is used to increase their ac and ability to hit solid objects and other powers. The monk is more mind/spirit based while the ma is combat oriented... Some ideas for abilities... hardened body, acrobatics, st bonus against mind affecting spells. Ac bonus....

[SmootRK]

I'm planning on using martial artist and monks (fighter and cleric) for the martial arts I do not use damage increments. Never like it and never will... I give them chi/ki abilities. A base value and an ammount of uses. The base value is used to increase their ac and ability to hit solid objects and other powers. The monk is more mind/spirit based while the ma is combat oriented... Some ideas for abilities... hardened body, acrobatics, st bonus against mind affecting spells. Ac bonus....

You see this goes to that conundrum about what people expect to see out of their offerings. Monks pretty much all have some mechanism for "open hand attacks" or whatever where damage gets better over time. Leave certain qualities out, and the Monk is dismissed before even giving it a fair shake consideration. Even I expect certain traits to be there, or it does not qualify as my "Monk".

But yes, I share your desire to re-think things, especial when one can think outside the box, or even toss out the old box and do something altogether different (at least in ways that still gel with the whole Old School "basic" thing, at least in my paradigm of old school). Nothing wrong with innovation, even in games modeled after old ways at their base.... might not be for everyone though.

[Dimirag]

I tend to base my classes on one existing type and modify as needed without breaking an existin rule. As fighters dont get better damage over time no other class will, at least not on a big scale. I would let the monk make a base sudbual damage die and a base lethal damage dice o smaller size but plus adding wis mod and using dex instead of str bonus. This cag work for attack rolls. Wis bonus to ac and a ki value that gives you some benefits like an armor class, enhanced sixth sense, etc

[Dimirag]

Hey smoot. I have an idea for a basic style monk:
Sub-class: Cleric.
Att req: dex and wis 9+
Hit dice: d6
Fights and saves: cleric.
Weapons: all martial.
Armor and shield: none.

Martial arts: d6 lethal damage and +2AC.
Flury of blows: at each posible attack the monk can make an extra attack while suffering an attack penalty.
Levels 1-4: -2
Levels 5-8: -1
Levels 9+: -0
Improved dual wield: monks can attack with a martial weapon in each hand. Both weapins can be up to medium sized.
Chi spells: monks cast spells as clerics:
Cure blindness, cure deceases, cure light wounds, cure serious wounds, haste, heal, hold monster, hold person, regenerate? Remove curse, resist cold, resist fire, restoration, striking, true seeing. Maybe death spell.
Ofensive spells works on one opponent and always at touch range.
Defensive/healing/utility spells works on the monk only.
They maditate instead of praying.

Another take is giving him spell-like abilities. Some continual and other with uses per level.

[SmootRK]

Hey smoot. I have an idea for a basic style monk:
Sub-class: Cleric.
Att req: dex and wis 9+
Hit dice: d6
Fights and saves: cleric.
Weapons: all martial.
Armor and shield: none.

Martial arts: d6 lethal damage and +2AC.
Flury of blows: at each posible attack the monk can make an extra attack while suffering an attack penalty.
Levels 1-4: -2
Levels 5-8: -1
Levels 9+: -0
Improved dual wield: monks can attack with a martial weapon in each hand. Both weapins can be up to medium sized.
Chi spells: monks cast spells as clerics:
Cure blindness, cure deceases, cure light wounds, cure serious wounds, haste, heal, hold monster, hold person, regenerate? Remove curse, resist cold, resist fire, restoration, striking, true seeing. Maybe death spell.
Ofensive spells works on one opponent and always at touch range.
Defensive/healing/utility spells works on the monk only.
They maditate instead of praying.

Another take is giving him spell-like abilities. Some continual and other with uses per level.

That is interesting. However, I think I am going to try to incorporate much of the 1e style mechanics (of course, efforts to simplify), so that the Monk matches up somewhat to what people sort of expect from the class. It is not going to be a 1e monk, nor match up perfectly, but aspects of that monk are going to at least be visible as inspiration.

And, trying to get certain aspects of "monk-ish" stuff to work universally across all the classes (ie as a quasi-class).

[shadowmane]

I'm kind of partial to the Stave (linked is his BFRPG stats for the class) that the author of the RPG Dwarven Glory has come up with. It is a type of fighting monk that uses a staff as his main weapon. I wonder if this can be made into a quasi-class without too much trouble.

[Joe the Rat]

Open Q-class, or for specific classes only?

As an open Q-class, I see all of the open hand and staff-fighting being core. If you are not using rune casting, the staff replaces the spell book (for magic-users) and holy symbol (for clerics) by carving the relevant runes of power into the staff. This also makes that length of ash all a requirement for spellcasting. The monk-like skills could be given to all; if so, a boost on those abilities for thief-staves might be appropriate. Sneak and Climb should only be in No or Leather armor (or appropriate penalties if you are using Thief Options)

Replacing the listed runecasting with a limited pool of x/day rune-like abilities could be handy element - puts a small touch of magic into the hands of the Thief and Fighter, and provides the Cleric and MU with a small pool of "free" abilities (having a mix of cleric and m-u spells would be a way to go)

[SmootRK]

It does look like an interesting sort of character type.