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Post by Bouclier on Mar 27, 2007 21:21:06 GMT -5
I have a bone to pick with Chapter 3 of the Players' Handbook. My specific gripe is with the Monk class. I was reading through the class description and I saw that once a Monk advances in any level other than Monk, they can no longer take Monk levels. WTF? I know that could create problems with the characters dedication to their monastic order, but in the circumstance that I'm considering I think having a Monk multiclass makes sense.
The idea came to me for a multiclass character that is equal parts Monk and Cleric. While I understand that Clerics are already a very martial class and that Monks have some healing, albeit very limited, capabilities I think there is potential for the combination.
Imagine; a character who like countless other cliche characters grows up in the monastery/chapel/church orphanage and finds faith in X deity and pursues a life after their faith. Well say after some time, once the character has displayed a certain level of knowledge/devotion the church leaders select the character to be an enforcer or advocate for their sect and begin instructing them in martial schools.
I guess there are many suppositions associated with such a character type. One determining factor would be the deity. A character like this is relatively easy to imagine for a god like Kord in the Greyhawk setting, but no so much so as for say Pelor. Perhaps each religious sect separately trains their Monks and Clerics to avoid such a situation. Who knows?
My gripe primarily comes from the fact that D&D has no cloth-caster healers. There wouldn't really be a problem if you were mixing a cloth healer and a Monk because the jobs wouldn't overlap responsibilities and abilities.
I think I was getting on a little bit of a rant there at the end, but still, let me get your two cents on if that class combo is a complete waste or actually a viable combination. Also, I'd be interested in hearing if the Monk class is handled any differently in Forgotten Realms.
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Post by DM-Chris on Mar 31, 2007 15:38:49 GMT -5
Oh, very much so. Let me break down the major Monastic orders for ya':
Monk
Monastic orders usually originate in civilized human lands. Among humans, the earliest monastisc orders native to Faerun seem to have arisen in Amn and Calimshan simultaneously with some orders immigrating from other worlds and the eastern land of Kara-Tur. Unlike clerics and druids, monks do not necessarily have to choose a patron deity (although most do), nor do monks have to associate themselves with one of the schools listed in the Monastic Orders sidebar. If your monk character belongs to a different monsatic group, you and your DM should at least name it and place it in relation to the groups mentioned below.
Most Faerunian monks are capable of gaining levels in another class before returning to the way of the monk and gaining new levels as monks. This is an exception to the rule in the Ex-Monks sections in Chapter 3 of the Player's Handbook. The descriptions in the Monastic Orders sidebar specfiy into which classes an order's members can multiclass freely. The character may add levels of monk and any specified class without penalty. Violating these expanded limits (by multiclassing into a class not on the order's approved list) ends the monk's development as a monk, as described in the normal rules. Some orders place addtional restrictions on multiclassing, as brought out in their descriptions. If a monk violates any such restriction, she can no longer advance as monk.
Dozens of monastic orders exist in Faeruen. Most are small circles of no more than a dozen or so members, living in isolated monasteries in the wilderness. A few orders include hundreds of members and influence events across entire nations. Some of the prominent orders include:
Broken Ones (Good): Of all the popular deities of Faerun, Ilmater is the deity most associated with an order of monks who act purely in his name. The Broken Ones can freely multiclass as clerics, divine champions, arcane devotees, divine disciples, hierophants, and divine seekers of Ilmater. The Dalelands house no monasteries of great fame, but monks of Ilmater frequently travel through the Dales, sheltering in Ilmaterrs temples if they cannot find other lodging.
Dark Moon (Evil): Shar is worshiped by a powerful sect of monks who maintain open temples in lands ruled by evil overlords or hide among hills, back alleys, or the Underdark. Most of the Dark Moon monks are human, but occasionally they are joined by half-orc, shade, or drow. The monks of the Dark Moon can freely multiclass as sorcerers so long as their monk level and sorcerer level stay within two levels of each other.
Hin Fist (Neutral or Good): The halflings of Luiren turn their confidence into belief in the power of a single halfling to master herself and the world. Enterprising Luiren monks sometimes establish monasteries in the north. Although only halflings can study Hin Fist in Luiren, some Hin Fist monasteries outside Luiren accept exceptional gnomes and dwarves. Monks of the Hin Fist order can multiclass as fighters, rogues, or paladins (usually of Yondalla).
Long Death (Evil): The Long Death order worships the principle of death without caring much which deity currently owns the portfolio. They are more than willing to share death and its antecedent, pain, with others. Clerics of the previous god of death, Myrkul, chose to view them as part of their god's long-range plans. Kelemvor (the current god of the dead) views them as enemies, but is at least pleased that they do not actively promote undeath. Velsharoon (the god of necromancy and undeath) wants to woo them, but has not figured out how. Monks of the Long Death may multiclass freesly as figheters, assassins, and blackguards. This order is quite strong in Thay, though not with the sanction or cooperation of the Red Wizards.
Old Order (Neutral, Sometimes Good, Rarely Evil): Monks of the Old Order do not worship any deity, but are devoted to the philosophy espoused by a deity who is either now dead or has never existed on the Material Plane of Toril. The monks contradict themselves on this point, but the deity's identity isn't important to them, it's the message they care about. (What message? It doesn't say) The Old Order never has huge monasteries, but has spread widely throughout Faerun. Monks of the Old Order can multiclass freely as rogues, sorcerers, and shadowdancers, but must maintain more monk levels than their combined levels of other classes.
Shining Hand (Neutral): The Shining Hand is one of the oldest monk orders of Amn, mixing faith in Azuth and the practice of wizardry with monastic devotions. Amn's crackdown on the practice of wizardry has sent some Shining Hand groups underground and sent others out into the wider world. Monks of the Shining Hand can multiclass freely as wizards so long as their monk level equals or exceeds their wizard level.
Sun Soul (Good or Neutral): The allegiance of this widespread but disorganized sect varies between groups, some following Lathander, other Selune, and a few devoted to Sune. The Sun Sould order, along with the Old Order, is the most liekly to have monasteries hidden in far flung wilderness areas. Members of the Sun Soul order can gain levels in other class and still progress as a monk as long as their monk level is their highest class level.
Yellow Rose (Good, Neutral): Also known as the Disciples of Saint Sollars, this solitary monastery of Ilmater worshipers in the Earthspur Mountains of Damara is known for loyalty to its allies and destruction to its enemies. Greatly respected on matters of truth and diplomacy, the monks work hard to survive in their harsh remote sanctuary. The monks often travel with Ilmataran paladins, particuarly from the Order of the Golden Cup. They may multiclass freely as rangers and shadowdancers.
Badass eh? This is why I love the Forgotten Realms and this book. So, you can definitely multiclass as a cleric if you choose the right order, but to maintain all of your monk benefits, you'd have to restrict your armor. I think the multiclass of Monk/Cleric itself could be pretty powerful depending on how you split your levels. The crappy thing about multiclassing with any caster, is that your caster levels take a real hit compared to a "true" caster. However, I envision that a Monk/Cleric would take advantage of the healing and "buffing" magics, and be a powerful asset to his allies and a force to be reckoned with in combat. In other words, if you do your homework, it could be sick.
Mutliclassing is quite common in Faerun, and it's rare for anyone to be a pure melee. Magic is so prevalent, that you're really kind of gimping yourself if you can't cast some magic by level 10, or stumble into a prestige class that has ways of fighting enemy casters.
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Post by DFSDFS on Jul 8, 2008 1:52:36 GMT -5
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