Monk*
(Specialist Sash Player Class only)
The Master walked the line as robed monks stood before raised ½ barrels, punching their fists into the contents. The first held water, the second held sand, the third held pebbles and the last nothing but an anvil. The Master walked away satisfied as he listened to the pounding of fists.
The large tusked Orc grinned as he bore down on the small unarmed Elf girl. Raising his axe, victory glinted in his eyes. Quick as a flash the girl touched a few places on his body and, eyes widening, he found he could not move. All he could do was watch as the girl took the dagger from his belt and slid it quietly between his ribs as darkness took him.
The sound of the large gong rang out. The signal to let lose the arrows aimed at the lone figure at the other side of the courtyard. As the arrows keened and whistled through the air reaching their intended target, he moved, a blur of fabric. When all was still, he stood unharmed, each arrow embedded into his surroundings.
Whatever their discipline, monks are united in their ability to magically harness the energy that flows in their bodies. Whether channelled as a striking display of combat prowess or a subtle focus of defensive ability and speed, this energy infuses all that a monk does.
The Magic of Ki (Chee)
Monks make careful study of a magical energy that most monastic traditions call ki. This energy is an element of the magic that suffuses the multiverse—specifically, the element that flows through living bodies. Monks harness this power within themselves to create magical effects and exceed their bodies’ physical capabilities, and some of their special attacks can hinder the flow of ki in their opponents. Using this energy, monks channel uncanny speed and strength into their unarmed strikes. As they gain experience, their martial training and their mastery of ki gives them more power over their bodies and the bodies of their foes.
Training and Asceticism
Small walled cloisters dot the landscapes of the world, tiny refuges from the flow of ordinary life, where time seems to stand still. The monks who live there seek personal perfection through contemplation and rigorous training. Many entered the monastery as children, sent to live there when their parents died, when food could not be found to support them, or in return for some kindness that the monks had performed for their families.
Some monks live entirely apart from the surrounding population, secluded from anything that might impede their spiritual progress. Others are sworn to isolation, emerging only to serve as spies or assassins at the command of their leader, a noble patron, or some other mortal or divine power.
The majority of monks do not shun their neighbours, making frequent visits to nearby towns or villages and exchanging their service for food and other goods. As versatile warriors, monks often end up protecting their neighbours from monsters or tyrants.
For a monk, becoming an adventurer means leaving a structured, communal lifestyle to become a wanderer. This can be a harsh transition, and monks do not undertake it lightly. Those who leave their cloisters take their work seriously, approaching their adventures as personal tests of their physical and spiritual growth. As a rule, monks care little for material wealth and are driven by a desire to accomplish a greater mission than merely slaying monsters and plundering their treasure.
Role: A primary melee class, Monks are primarily trained in combat but unlike warriors they have been trained to use the magically harnessed energy that flows in their bodies, this can help the party in any number of situations.
Weapons:
Free: One-Handed Short
Lvl 1: Long One-Handed
Lvl 2: Small Polearm
Lvl 8: Thrown Weapons
Armour: None
Shields: None
Suggested Races: Beast (cunning), Dwarf, Elf, Human, Orc, Tiefling
Mana Bands (Ki force):
Lvl 0: Mana Band 1
Lvl 0: Mana Band 2
Lvl 1: Mana Band 3
Lvl 2: Mana Band 4
Lvl 2: Mana Band 5
Lvl 3: Mana Band 6
Lvl 5: Mana Band 7
Lvl 6: Mana Band 8
Lvl 8: Mana Band 9
Lvl 10: Mana Band 10
Ki Level Requirements to learn (use the achievement listed in the Ki ability section)
Lvl 4: Ki Level 1 Abilities
Lvl 8: Ki Level 2 Abilities
Lvl 12: Ki Level 3 Abilities
Lvl 16: Ki Level 4 Abilities
Abilities:
Lvl 3, 7, 12: Body Conditioning: +1 Armour buff. Reusable each battle.
Lvl 5: Perfect Balance: Passive effect - Cannot be Knocked down Prone
Lvl 7, 12, 16 Iron Focus: The monk has spent many hours striking trees and posts with their fore arms and shins. This has strengthened the flesh and bones. Those areas only take on armour abilities.
(Lvl7 Light armour, Lvl 12 Medium armour, Lvl 16 Heavy armour) – must be taken in order.
Lvl 9: Meditation: By going into a deep trance like state the monk can improve their Ki point regen. 1Ki/5min meditation. Must be sat in meditative trance not just resting.
Lvl 13: Purity of Body: The monk’s body is a temple and as such has become resistant to diseases. Their blood is so pure it can even fight off the taint of vampire blood. Potions and poisons will effect as normal.
Lvl 15: Entropic Strike: Once per battle, can make a huge strike- calls ‘Mighty Blow’ before making strike. If struck, opponent takes 5 points of damage killing most instantly. Un-blockable. Whether blow hits or not, monk is Fatigued (cannot move, fight, heal- act at all) for 10 seconds.
Ki Abilities
Ki Lvl 1, 2, 3, 4: Stunning Strike: (Alter Effect), When a target is struck with a stunning strike, they are Dazed for the duration of the monks skill in the attack. Each Ki level denotes how many Ki points are needed for that duration. (Ki Lvl 1/10s, Lvl 2/20s, Lvl 3/30s, Lvl 4/40s,)
Ki Lvl 1: Leg Sweep: when target is struck, they are knocked down.
Ki Lvl 2: Guarded Defence: Grants the monk the ability to block all incoming melee attacks for 10 seconds. The Monk is unable to perform any other action but focus purely on defending themselves. (Ki Lvl2)
Ki Lvl 1, 2, 3, 4: Paralysing Strike: The monk is skilled in knowing where nerve clusters are in the body. Successfully striking these nerves will render their target paralysed for the duration of the monk’s skill in the attack. Each Ki level denotes how many Ki points are needed for that duration. (Ki Lvl 1/10s, Lvl 2/20s, Lvl 3/30s, Lvl 4/40s)
Ki Lvl 1, 2, 3, 4: Ki Healing: The monk with this ability knows how to focus their Ki to knit wounds and heal broken bones quickly. The amount of hp regained depends on the monk’s skill at channelling their Ki. Lvl 2+ skill can heal mortal wounds. (Ki Lvl1/1hp, Lvl2/2hp, Lvl3/3hp, Lvl4/4hp)
Ki Lvl 1: Deflect Flight Weapon: The monks reflexes are such that they can even deflect incoming arrows/daggers aimed at them. By spending a Ki point they can negate a hit from an arrow/dagger. This skill cannot be used to negate ranged attacks from behind or ranged magical attacks.
Ki Lvl 4: Spiritual Shield: (Shield), The monk’s constant meditations and practise enables them to wrap their Ki power around them like a shield. For 10 seconds is immune to all physical damage taken from weapons and spells, although weapons can still be damaged & broken. Is also immune to DAZED, knock back & PRONE effects in this time. When this effect ends the monk takes 2 damage due to massive exertion.
*Descriptions of class taken from D&D 5e player’s handbook with amendments to adapt to Darken vale.
(Specialist Sash Player Class only)
The Master walked the line as robed monks stood before raised ½ barrels, punching their fists into the contents. The first held water, the second held sand, the third held pebbles and the last nothing but an anvil. The Master walked away satisfied as he listened to the pounding of fists.
The large tusked Orc grinned as he bore down on the small unarmed Elf girl. Raising his axe, victory glinted in his eyes. Quick as a flash the girl touched a few places on his body and, eyes widening, he found he could not move. All he could do was watch as the girl took the dagger from his belt and slid it quietly between his ribs as darkness took him.
The sound of the large gong rang out. The signal to let lose the arrows aimed at the lone figure at the other side of the courtyard. As the arrows keened and whistled through the air reaching their intended target, he moved, a blur of fabric. When all was still, he stood unharmed, each arrow embedded into his surroundings.
Whatever their discipline, monks are united in their ability to magically harness the energy that flows in their bodies. Whether channelled as a striking display of combat prowess or a subtle focus of defensive ability and speed, this energy infuses all that a monk does.
The Magic of Ki (Chee)
Monks make careful study of a magical energy that most monastic traditions call ki. This energy is an element of the magic that suffuses the multiverse—specifically, the element that flows through living bodies. Monks harness this power within themselves to create magical effects and exceed their bodies’ physical capabilities, and some of their special attacks can hinder the flow of ki in their opponents. Using this energy, monks channel uncanny speed and strength into their unarmed strikes. As they gain experience, their martial training and their mastery of ki gives them more power over their bodies and the bodies of their foes.
Training and Asceticism
Small walled cloisters dot the landscapes of the world, tiny refuges from the flow of ordinary life, where time seems to stand still. The monks who live there seek personal perfection through contemplation and rigorous training. Many entered the monastery as children, sent to live there when their parents died, when food could not be found to support them, or in return for some kindness that the monks had performed for their families.
Some monks live entirely apart from the surrounding population, secluded from anything that might impede their spiritual progress. Others are sworn to isolation, emerging only to serve as spies or assassins at the command of their leader, a noble patron, or some other mortal or divine power.
The majority of monks do not shun their neighbours, making frequent visits to nearby towns or villages and exchanging their service for food and other goods. As versatile warriors, monks often end up protecting their neighbours from monsters or tyrants.
For a monk, becoming an adventurer means leaving a structured, communal lifestyle to become a wanderer. This can be a harsh transition, and monks do not undertake it lightly. Those who leave their cloisters take their work seriously, approaching their adventures as personal tests of their physical and spiritual growth. As a rule, monks care little for material wealth and are driven by a desire to accomplish a greater mission than merely slaying monsters and plundering their treasure.
Role: A primary melee class, Monks are primarily trained in combat but unlike warriors they have been trained to use the magically harnessed energy that flows in their bodies, this can help the party in any number of situations.
Weapons:
Free: One-Handed Short
Lvl 1: Long One-Handed
Lvl 2: Small Polearm
Lvl 8: Thrown Weapons
Armour: None
Shields: None
Suggested Races: Beast (cunning), Dwarf, Elf, Human, Orc, Tiefling
Mana Bands (Ki force):
Lvl 0: Mana Band 1
Lvl 0: Mana Band 2
Lvl 1: Mana Band 3
Lvl 2: Mana Band 4
Lvl 2: Mana Band 5
Lvl 3: Mana Band 6
Lvl 5: Mana Band 7
Lvl 6: Mana Band 8
Lvl 8: Mana Band 9
Lvl 10: Mana Band 10
Ki Level Requirements to learn (use the achievement listed in the Ki ability section)
Lvl 4: Ki Level 1 Abilities
Lvl 8: Ki Level 2 Abilities
Lvl 12: Ki Level 3 Abilities
Lvl 16: Ki Level 4 Abilities
Abilities:
Lvl 3, 7, 12: Body Conditioning: +1 Armour buff. Reusable each battle.
Lvl 5: Perfect Balance: Passive effect - Cannot be Knocked down Prone
Lvl 7, 12, 16 Iron Focus: The monk has spent many hours striking trees and posts with their fore arms and shins. This has strengthened the flesh and bones. Those areas only take on armour abilities.
(Lvl7 Light armour, Lvl 12 Medium armour, Lvl 16 Heavy armour) – must be taken in order.
Lvl 9: Meditation: By going into a deep trance like state the monk can improve their Ki point regen. 1Ki/5min meditation. Must be sat in meditative trance not just resting.
Lvl 13: Purity of Body: The monk’s body is a temple and as such has become resistant to diseases. Their blood is so pure it can even fight off the taint of vampire blood. Potions and poisons will effect as normal.
Lvl 15: Entropic Strike: Once per battle, can make a huge strike- calls ‘Mighty Blow’ before making strike. If struck, opponent takes 5 points of damage killing most instantly. Un-blockable. Whether blow hits or not, monk is Fatigued (cannot move, fight, heal- act at all) for 10 seconds.
Ki Abilities
Ki Lvl 1, 2, 3, 4: Stunning Strike: (Alter Effect), When a target is struck with a stunning strike, they are Dazed for the duration of the monks skill in the attack. Each Ki level denotes how many Ki points are needed for that duration. (Ki Lvl 1/10s, Lvl 2/20s, Lvl 3/30s, Lvl 4/40s,)
Ki Lvl 1: Leg Sweep: when target is struck, they are knocked down.
Ki Lvl 2: Guarded Defence: Grants the monk the ability to block all incoming melee attacks for 10 seconds. The Monk is unable to perform any other action but focus purely on defending themselves. (Ki Lvl2)
Ki Lvl 1, 2, 3, 4: Paralysing Strike: The monk is skilled in knowing where nerve clusters are in the body. Successfully striking these nerves will render their target paralysed for the duration of the monk’s skill in the attack. Each Ki level denotes how many Ki points are needed for that duration. (Ki Lvl 1/10s, Lvl 2/20s, Lvl 3/30s, Lvl 4/40s)
Ki Lvl 1, 2, 3, 4: Ki Healing: The monk with this ability knows how to focus their Ki to knit wounds and heal broken bones quickly. The amount of hp regained depends on the monk’s skill at channelling their Ki. Lvl 2+ skill can heal mortal wounds. (Ki Lvl1/1hp, Lvl2/2hp, Lvl3/3hp, Lvl4/4hp)
Ki Lvl 1: Deflect Flight Weapon: The monks reflexes are such that they can even deflect incoming arrows/daggers aimed at them. By spending a Ki point they can negate a hit from an arrow/dagger. This skill cannot be used to negate ranged attacks from behind or ranged magical attacks.
Ki Lvl 4: Spiritual Shield: (Shield), The monk’s constant meditations and practise enables them to wrap their Ki power around them like a shield. For 10 seconds is immune to all physical damage taken from weapons and spells, although weapons can still be damaged & broken. Is also immune to DAZED, knock back & PRONE effects in this time. When this effect ends the monk takes 2 damage due to massive exertion.
*Descriptions of class taken from D&D 5e player’s handbook with amendments to adapt to Darken vale.
