mong the humans there are some who have looked inward to find the a way to defeat the Horde. They've turned to meditation to achieve a higher level of focus. These are the monks. They forego the normal tools of war, the weapons and the armor, instead trusting in themselves and their own spirit. They believe they can defeat their enemies through sheer force of will.
- Expert at Unarmed Combat
- Uses special purpose stances for bonuses in any situation
- Chants give self-buffs, or Area-of-Effect bonuses
- Many crowd control abilities
- Can only use cloth armor and can't use weapons until higher levels
- Stances and special attacks draw from the same Spirit pool
- Can only have one chant and one stance active at a time
- Has no ranged damage abilities
Class Role
The monk is a dual role character. When running solo, he's a capable damage dealer. Using quickness and special attacks, he can disable several opponents and focus his attacks on one at a time. His stances can have him either dealing much damage, or absorbing much punishment.
When in a group, his role changes to a support/crowd control class. He can either make himself impervious to attack and use chants that increase his parties effectiveness, or he can very effectively keep several targets out of the picture while the group dispatches them.
Challenges
- Choosing the right stance for the right situation
- Using his special abilities to effectively control all hostiles.
Standard Bars: Health/Spirit
Allowable Equipment: Cloth, Leather (at level 40, with training)
Allowable Weapons: Unarmed, Fist Weapons (at level 40), Thrown Weapons (at level 40, with training)
Monks don't use any weapons except their concetration and their fists. They use their intense focus and their very specific training take advantage of the weaknesses of their enemies. Monks must be aware of the battle and their situation to make the right choices.
Monks use stances to give themselves advantages in battles. These stances can be defensive, giving them bonuses to their armor rating, or even making them impervious to some types of attacks. Or, these stances can be offensive and greatly increase the damage capabilties of the monk. There will be many different stances the monk can learn. Some will be effortless, but some will require using some of monks Spirit pool.
Monks are the masters of physical manipulation. Their training has allowed them to channel their focus or 'Spirit' into disabling special attacks. These attacks rather than simply damaging the opponent, which they may do, also have different effects. They may reduce a targets defensive or offensive capabilities. They my stun, immobilize, blind, intimidate, or simply confuse the enemy. These special attacks make the monks highly effective at crowd control.
The final tool of the monk are they chants they have learned. By using the chant to gather and focus their spiritual resolve, the monk can effect the people around him. He can grant them extra confidence, resolve, or energy. This will result in his party members regaining health and mana faster, resisting damage, or just being more ferocious in their attacks. The monk can also chant for his own benefit.
Melee Class
The Monk is melee only. Not until the higher levels does he even get the ability to use ranged weapons. Even then, his melee abilities will by far be his best asset.
Great Crowd Control
The Monk's special attacks are almost completely aimed toward controlling the actions of his enemies. This allows him to melee without risk of attack, and also to help control direction of the battle.
Stats
The Monk relies on his Agility (melee attack speed, Dodge chance, Defense) and his Spirit (spirit max and regeneration). Secondarily they may wish to improve Strength for combat ability, and Stamina for health.
Stances
The first concern of a monk at all times is whether they are in the correct stance. The different stances can wildly change a monk's capabilities. They can switch from a vunerable but deadly fighter to an almost passive, but indestructable target. Depending on the effectivness of a stance, the monk may have a difficult time maintaining. Therefore some stance only come at a drain on the monks spirit reserves. Examples:Chants
- Swift Wind Stance- The monk put his focus into running. This will increase his movement speed by X% but leaves his attack and defense ratings at whatever level his limited equipment usage sets them. This is only for travelling quickly through safe areas. (No spirit drain.)
- Naked Boldness Stance- Devoting a portion of his spirit to his own defense, the monk can duplicate the affect that higher armor would have given. When this low-drain stance is active, the monk's effective armor class is increased to approximately the value of his levels comparable leather armor.
- Wild Tiger Stance- The monk goes into a frenzy of violent attacks. He ignores all defense, but his attack rate is doubled. This level of energy quickly reduces the monk's spirit reserves, but is an excellent way to quickly dispatch a distracted target.
- Hidden Veil Stance- The monk must remain motionless or the stance will be broken. However, while it's active, monk is impervious to all ranged attacks. Every attempt to shoot the monk with a ranged or thrown weapon will result in a miss. However, the monk is still vunerable to direct damage magic and melee attacks.
Monks have learned a wide variety of chants to help them focus their Spirit. By reciting their chants they can draw from immense stored pools of inner power. They then direct that power to a variety of different goals.
Battle Chants-- The monk quick gathers power to help him in the task at hand. After a brief period of concentration, the monk recieves benefits that have lasting results.Persistant Chants-- When the monk takes a purely supportive role in a group, he sometimes goes into a deep trance. When he sees a large battle will take place, he sits and becomes motionless as he performs a chant that helps his group.
- Calling Forth the Mind's Wall- This chant, although very quickly performed grants the chanter an extra defensive buff in the form of an addition X armor.
- Many Voice, Many Ways- This brief but loud chant has the effect of confusing those around, causing an area-of-effect short duration stun.
- Remembrance of the Drum- By drawing on memories of the rhythmic beating of the drum, the Monk increases the power of his successive fist attacks.
Other Chants- The monk has other chants that have many differing effects out of battle: Increased movement rates for the Monk or Group, Stealth effects, Threat levels, and much more.
- Welcoming the Sun- The monk evokes the feelings of dawn and the refreshment of a restful sleep. All the party members recieve a bonus to health and mana regeneration as long as the monk remains chanting.
- Banishment of the Old Mystic- Based on an ancient Folk Tale, this chant tells the story of when a village rejected the lies of a charlatan. The effect of the chant grants everyone in the party a buff to all of their magical resistances.
Profession Options
You can pick what you want. These might be a good fit for a Monk
- Tailoring - Monks can create Cloth armor for themselves or sell it to others.
- Herbalism and Alchemy - The Monk can create potions to augment their concentration.
- Fishing - Monks can use the quiet time for contemplation and meditation.