The Monk

[mabon5127]

Jeff,

In the campaign where you play-tested the monk did you find allowing the character the benefit of adding Strength and Dexterity Attribute bonuses to their damage and AC unbalancing?

Thanks,

Morgan

[Ghul]

Hi Morgan,

In 1e, the monk was not allowed to use str or dex modifiers at all, so it is a method of character class representation that I was already familiar and comfortable with. But I did want to give the monk more of a "fighting chance" as it were, and so we have the "take the best modifier" approach with the monk: dex bonus to AC or monk's AC bonus (the class ability); str bonus to attacks or monk's damage bonus (class ability).

One of the players in my home group recently complained about this very thing, but I was quick to remind him that the monk is a cleric subclass and not a fighter subclass, and as far as martial ability goes, as they progress in levels (particularly level 7 and beyond where the monk has an effective AC 5 with NO ARMOUR on and a +3 damage bonus to all attacks) they are as deadly as any fighter, and with a host of other very useful abilities. If anything, it can be argued that a high level AS&SH monk is a bit on the more powerful end of the scales as compared to the other classes. At low level, however, survival is more difficult. But not as difficult as the 1e equivalent.

Cheers,
Jeff T.

[benoist]

Also consider the unharmed attacks of the monk as magical from 5th level on, a magical weapon that is always there, cannot be taken away, and so on, which in itself is a pretty significant advantage.

If you want to pump the monk compared to other particular PCs in your campaign, consider magical enhancements in the form of gloves, bracers, masks, ritual paintings and tattoos with various effects such as lightning strikes, extending reach, additional modifiers, the ability to strike hard surfaces, walls etc and shatter them, the ability to shape qi into a beam or projectile (kamehameha style) and so on.

[mabon5127]

Nov 17, 2012 12:27:28 GMT -6 Ghul said:

Hi Morgan,

In 1e, the monk was not allowed to use str or dex modifiers at all, so it is a method of character class representation that I was already familiar and comfortable with. But I did want to give the monk more of a "fighting chance" as it were, and so we have the "take the best modifier" approach with the monk: dex bonus to AC or monk's AC bonus (the class ability); str bonus to attacks or monk's damage bonus (class ability).

One of the players in my home group recently complained about this very thing, but I was quick to remind him that the monk is a cleric subclass and not a fighter subclass, and as far as martial ability goes, as they progress in levels (particularly level 7 and beyond where the monk has an effective AC 5 with NO ARMOUR on and a +3 damage bonus to all attacks) they are as deadly as any fighter, and with a host of other very useful abilities. If anything, it can be argued that a high level AS&SH monk is a bit on the more powerful end of the scales as compared to the other classes. At low level, however, survival is more difficult. But not as difficult as the 1e equivalent.

Cheers,
Jeff T.

I had forgotten the 1e monk. I've not played a campaign of 1e since high school and even then no one had played the monk in our group at least that I recall. Hmm. Will give this some thought.

Morgan

[mabon5127]

Nov 17, 2012 16:09:03 GMT -6 benoist said:

Also consider the unharmed attacks of the monk as magical from 5th level on, a magical weapon that is always there, cannot be taken away, and so on, which in itself is a pretty significant advantage.

If you want to pump the monk compared to other particular PCs in your campaign, consider magical enhancements in the form of gloves, bracers, masks, ritual paintings and tattoos with various effects such as lightning strikes, extending reach, additional modifiers, the ability to strike hard surfaces, walls etc and shatter them, the ability to shape qi into a beam or projectile (kamehameha style) and so on.

I do like the ideas you have presented particularly the hardened fist idea, breaking things, perhaps generating a saving throw for the item or barrier.

Morgan

[benoist]

Fleshing out some ideas:

Animal masks created by the ascetic half-bloods who touched the matter of myth and archetypes beyond the Veil of Consciousness through their endless meditations in the forests of the Savage Boreal Coast. Each of these masks is said to grant some specific abilities related to the animal or creature it depicts and the role it plays in the half-bloods' traditional dances and stories of Creation.

There are tales of Atlantean bracers which would include some strange needles piercing the arms' flesh as you wear them. By pressing the right jeweled commands, they would liquefy your bones while maintaining a plastic integrity to your body allowing you to bend your limbs at impossible angles, flatten yourself to pass through mere cracks in the walls, and more.

Or those Pictish tatoos of legend that are rumored to exist in the spaces between spaces, there where all known dimensions are bent, close to Azathoth's resting place, which cause the tatoos to seem to float out of phase with the arms of the monk, as if levitating away from the skin where they should have been etched, and strike at his foes as an extra set of arms that do not exist.

Or the living Black Heart of N'kai that appears to be a black gem the size of a golf ball which, if you hold it in your hand, eats its way into your skin, sets itself in your palm permanently, and can canalize your pulse to release your qi and shape it as the living matter of the abyss, slowly tainting your hands, and later arms, with the stuff of darkness corrupting your living being the more you use it...

[Ghul]

Great stuff, Benoist. You make me want to bust out some graph paper and start drawing some maps and jotting some notes.

[benoist]

It's all Morgan's doing! I want to write too, now. I'm going to use this stuff in my game. *grins*

[mabon5127]

Nov 17, 2012 19:14:10 GMT -6 benoist said:

It's all Morgan's doing! I want to write too, now. I'm going to use this stuff in my game. *grins*

Oh no you are not giving me credit! But I am going to steal these items for my hapless players!

Morgan

[Cthulhu Colin]

Nov 17, 2012 19:00:52 GMT -6 benoist said:

Animal masks created by the ascetic half-bloods who touched the matter of myth and archetypes beyond the Veil of Consciousness through their endless meditations in the forests of the Savage Boreal Coast. Each of these masks is said to grant some specific abilities related to the animal or creature it depicts and the role it plays in the half-bloods' traditional dances and stories of Creation.

[benoist]

Yes, Colin! Awesome. I got a few pics too. I'll post them later along with a few ideas.

[benoist]

Nov 17, 2012 19:52:09 GMT -6 mabon5127 said:

Nov 17, 2012 19:14:10 GMT -6 benoist said:

It's all Morgan's doing! I want to write too, now. I'm going to use this stuff in my game. *grins*

Oh no you are not giving me credit! But I am going to steal these items for my hapless players!

Morgan

;D

You be my guest, mister!

[benoist]

This is an Octopus Mask carved by David Knox of the Kwakwaka'wakw Nation here in BC which I have used in the context of my mega-dungeon (see on that page Bandit Level Key part 2, area 33, in particular). Wearing this particular mask grants the use of ESP, Forget and Suggestion once a day. Other octopus masks could grant water-breathing, some greater movement underwater, or even see their tentacles animate to grab foes on command.

Just an example of an animal mask with associated abilities that could be useful for a monk.

In the dances and stories shared by the First Nations of British Columbia there is also a wide range of "transformation masks". These masks are used to represent some mythological creatures or beings able to change shape, to transform themselves from one state to another. Some of them are actually animated, and quite complex in their designs, such as this Haida mask from the 19th century I have animated here for you:



Or this other mask which originates from either the Heiltsuk or Nuxalk Nations of British Columbia:



Transformation masks might grant shapechanging abilities to their wearers, or combine different attributes from different animals associated with the mask which would grant a mix of magical abilities to their wearers.

[mabon5127]

I think its amazing the level of imagination the ancient folk had in the creation of their artwork. You could look at one of these great masks and create an adventure around it if not a campaign.

Morgan

[Ghul]

Great pictures, fellows. I spent about four years writing a novel that takes place on a fictional island of the coast of the Queen Charlotte Islands (or Haida Gwaii, more appropriately), so I developed a great respect and admiration for Pacific NW, BC coastal, and SE Alaska tribes and their arts. This is in part why I included the "Half-Blood" Picts of the Savage Boreal Coast; a fascination with the Tlingit, but of course also as a sort of homage to REH and the way he handled the Picts. In truth, the Half-Bloods are closer to REH's conception of the Picts, while the Picts of New Pictland are more closely created to resemble the Picts of history (albeit with a more diabolical history; or at least those who crossed the boreas). Great work, gentlemen, and as always, thanks to Ben for challenging our assumptions and thinking "outside the box" as it were.

[benoist]

I thought about that and I'm not sure the half-bloods would call themselves that, in fact. In my campaign I thought about them having a word to designate themselves regardless of Clan. While working on the mega-dungeon, before the idea of using it with AS&SH came up to me, I had translated the native culture around here and called it the Nu'ana, (or Nu'axhna), which would translate roughly to "Us, people", "the people", "the Folk". I liked it because it sounded like a word that could really exist around here (in BC) on one hand (though it's totally fictional, my invention), and had this slightly European, Celt sound to it (like the Tuatha de Danaan).

Now I already have the El'Kut in my campaign, which are a Clan of half-blood Picts. The Clan in the valley hosting the mega-dungeon has another name, obviously.