Prime requisite: CON
Requirements: Dex 9
Hit Dice: d6, +2 hp/level after 9
Maximum level: 14
Save/attack/cleave progression: As fighter
XP to level 2: 2,450
The warrior monk is a combatant who specializes in unarmed or lightly armed combat. They train to fight with only a few weapons, learning to use the dagger, sword, spear, staff, and pole arm. Like fighters, they increase their damage rolls by +1 at 1st level and an additional +1 at 3rd, 6th, 9th, and 12th level. They may fight wielding a weapon two-handed or with a weapon in each hand, as desired. Monks can wear leather armor or lighter without affecting their abilities.
Unlike most other characters, the monk is trained to be lethal without weapons, and gains the Unarmed Fighting proficiency at first level. They also gain their first Martial Arts Maneuver. At each subsequent level, they gain an additional Martial Arts Maneuver. Each maneuver gained must be a level no higher than half the character’s level, rounded up. At first level, a monk must choose a focus (hard or soft martial arts) and a primary attack (arms, legs, or mind). This selection is their primary martial art, and no other martial art may have an ability selected if the same level ability of their primary martial art has not already been selected. In addition, they may take the Level 5 ability from their primary martial art only.
At ninth level, a monk can build a dojo, attracting 2d6 first level monks who wish to learn from the master. If desired, rolls 1d10 for each student. On a 1-5, they have the same primary focus as the master, while on a 6, 7, 8, 9, or 10, they have one of the five other styles as their primary focus.
At tenth level, a monk gains enlightenment on how to live in harmony with the energy of the universe, and gains the Divine Health ability.
Proficiency list: Acrobatics, Armor Training, Alertness, Beast Friendship, Climbing, Combat Reflexes, Command, Contortionism, Diplomacy, Divine Blessing, Eavesdropping, Endurance, Fighting Style, Healing, Intimidation, Language, Leadership, Loremastery, Manual of Arms, Martial Training, Military Strategy, Naturalism, Performance, Riding, Running, Skirmishing, Swashbuckling, Weapon Focus.
Martial Arts:
Martial Arts are an organized system of combat. While many focus on weapons (including most European styles of martial art), many include strikes without weapons or with improvised weapons. These are especially common among peasants who are not permitted to possess true weapons, and have to make do with farming implements.
A monk is the only character who can use these martial arts, as they take a lifetime of dedication to grasp. Some of them have names similar or identical to existing proficiencies, but are not the same as the proficiency (i.e. Blindfighting). A monk must have a primary martial art, selected from the six possibilities (a 2x3 matrix of hard/soft and arms/legs/mind). Their first martial art ability must be the level 1 ability from their primary martial art, their primary martial art must always be the highest level (or tied for highest level), and they can not take a level 5 ability from any martial art other than their primary martial art. Note that if the monk chooses to do so, they could spend their first six levels getting all six level 1 abilities; they do not HAVE to select the highest level ability possible, nor do they have to select all the abilities from an art in order. As long as none of their martial art abilities are from a level that exceeds half their character level (rounded up) and their highest level ability comes from their primary martial art, they may select freely from any list.
These are borrowed and adapted from Oriental Adventures, with adaptation to both the number of abilities and their rules of acquisition.
Hard Arms: Striking
Level 1: Iron Fist – through exercises, the character has toughened their hands and strengthened their arms to the point where a punch from this character inflicts 1d6 lethal damage and can cleave.
Level 2: Weapon Catch – the character gains the Disarm maneuver and reduces its attack roll penalty by 2 points.
Level 3: Crushing Blow – the character can inflict damage on stone or wood with their bare hands as if they were magical strikes.
Level 4: Weapon Breaker – the character gains the Sunder maneuver and reduces all attack throw penalties for Sunder by 2 points.
Level 5: Eagle Claw – once per minute, the character may replace their normal attack with an Eagle Claw attack that inflicts 3d10 damage but cannot cleave
Soft Arms: Push and Throw
Level 1: Push – the character gains the Force Back maneuver and reduces its attack roll penalty by 2 points.
Level 2: Instant Stand – the character does not have to sacrifice movement to stand up after being knocked prone by any effect (however, they still cannot stand up until their action).
Level 3: Hurl – the character may make an attack throw at a -2 penalty. If it succeeds, the character picks up an opponent and throws them in a direction of their choice 2d4 feet. This attack inflicts double normal damage (Brawling if the character does not have a means to inflict lethal unarmed damage), and the target is prone where they landed.
Level 4: Distant Push – the character may use Push on a target as a ranged attack, with a range in feet of character level/double character level/triple character level.
Level 5: Great Throw – the character may make an attack roll at a -4 penalty. If it succeeds, the character picks up and throws their target 1 foot per level, inflicting triple damage (as per Hurl) and knocking the opponent prone. If the attack roll fails, the character is knocked prone where they are standing.
Hard Legs: Kicks
Level 1: Roundhouse Kick – the character may reduce their initiative by 2 points to make a roundhouse kick attack, which uses a normal attack throw and deals 1d8 damage on a successful hit. The character cannot cleave in a round in which they use this attack.
Level 2: Flying Kick – the character must have 5’ of open space between them and the target to use this attack. They leap high in the air and strike in mid-air, causing 3d6 damage to the target. Regardless of the result of the attack, they land adjacent to the target. If the attack misses, the character is prone.
Level 3: Mule Kick – the character lashes out with a swift kick behind them. This attack is at a -2 penalty and only inflicts 1d6 damage, but the target does not get any Dex or shield AC against this attack.
Level 4: Circular Sweep – the character may make a Knock Down attack against all adjacent enemies, selecting one and then proceeding clockwise or counter-clockwise. If any target succeeds on their saving throw, the attack ends with that target (if a target is missed, proceed to the next target).
Level 5: Split Flying Kick – the character must have 5’ of open space between them and a target to use this attack. They leap high in the air and strike two targets adjacent to each other, rolling two attack throws and causing 3d6 to each on a hit. Regardless of the result of the attack, they land adjacent to both targets (if possible) or the closer target (if it is not possible to land adjacent to both). If both targets are missed, the character is prone.
Soft Legs: Movement
Level 1: Feint – the character sacrifices their attack this round to gain a +2 bonus to their next attack throw against a designated target.
Level 2: Prone Fighting – the character, if knocked prone, suffers no penalty to attack throws. Opponents do not gain a bonus to attack throws against this character while prone, and thieves cannot backstab this character unless they could if the character was not prone.
Level 3: Missile Deflection – the character can dodge non-magical missile attacks (including magic arrows or bolts) they are aware of with a successful saving throw against paralysis.
Level 4: Slowproof – this character cannot be affect by slow.
Level 5: Speed – once per day, the character can act as if under the effect of a haste spell for 5 rounds. Once this duration expires, they move as though carrying their maximum encumbrance for the next turn. There is no aging effect for using this power.
Hard Mind: Locks, Nerve Strikes, and Physical Training
Level 1: Choke Hold – when Wrestling, the character can automatically inflict 1d4 subdual damage per round while maintaining a hold.
Level 2: Pain Touch – when successfully striking an opponent with an unarmed strike, the character may choose to deal no damage. Instead, the target must make a saving throw against paralysis, and if they fail, suffer a -2 to attack rolls and AC for 2d3 rounds.
Level 3: Immobilizing Lock – the character can maintain a Wrestling hold on a target while fighting another target. However, Choke Hold cannot be used while Immobilizing Lock is in use.
Level 4: Ironskin – the character gains +2 AC. This is not cumulative with Flow Like Water, but is cumulative with Swashbuckling or Bladedancing.
Level 5: Distant Nerve Strike – The character can inflict one of three effects at a range in feet of character level/double character level/triple character level on a successful ranged attack throw:
Pain: as per Pain Touch, with no save
Daze: the target gets a save vs. paralysis at -2. If they fail, for 1d3 rounds, they act as though under the effect of a slow spell.
Paralyze: the target gets a save vs. paralysis. If they fail, they can take no action for 1d6 rounds.
Soft Mind: Awareness
Level 1: All Around Sight – the character is constantly aware of everything around them, and only suffers flanking penalties or backstab damage if the attacker is invisible.
Level 2: Sticky Touch – the character, upon making a successful attack throw with an unarmed attack, can choose to deal no damage and instead maintain contact with their target. So long as they maintain contact, the character gets +2 on attack throws and +2 AC against the target. They can still use their other hand or their feet to attack.
Level 3: Mental Resistance – the character gets +2 on all saving throws against mental effects (including illusions, fear effects, charm spells, and any other effect that targets the mind).
Level 4: Flow Like Water – the character gains +2 AC. This is not cumulative with Ironskin, but is cumulative with Swashbuckling or Bladedancing.
Level 5: Blind Fighting – the character suffers no penalty for fighting in darkness, when blinded, or against invisible opponents. If the character also has All Around Sight, they only suffer flanking penalties or backstab damage if the attacker is both invisible and silenced.