Baldur's Gate : The Sword Coast Chronicles : NWN2 Persistent World

Hello all,

Posting in hopes of gathering inspiration for some general RP end goals for a monk, regardless of race or alignment. Are there any generalities? I am very new to monk RP and just looking to touch up his bio.

Post or PM is fine if you feel like it. I won't/don't metagame nor will I share it with anyone else. I won't "steal" them either Im normally pretty creative when it comes to this but i hit a creative block as the class is a bit foreign to me even after lore diving in the pubs.

Thanks, and im looking forward to hopping back IG

Generally I RP a monk as it's real life counterpart. A person looking for balance in everything. Goals of a monk are getting a better understanding of mind and body, and bringing more balance to the world through (his own) laws. These laws are ofcourse very freely interpretable. The lawful part of a monk are the rules he's been taught and what he abides by. But these laws could very well conflict with the laws of the lands (in case you're looking for an evil monk). That's what makes a monk interesting.

I once came up with the concept of a monk of the long death, who wished for a greater understanding of the moment of passing of a creature. Not as much the afterlife, but what happens to a creature when it dies. To help further his investigation in understanding this, he tends to help creatures pass (prematurely).

I think the most important part of a monk is that he holds the laws of his order high. Look up an order (because monks were often raised in monasteries, and mostly taken in at a young age, having not learned much else than the laws of such monasteries), and use it's rules as guidelines for your RP.

Should you wish for a monk without an order, then I think personal laws and balance should be high priority. But I'm not sure that's allowed according to lore.

If you want to go with more of a Shaolin style monk, you could adapt the concept to many of the story lines related to Kung Fu movies. I love Kung Fu movies, even the corny ones! You could do one of the more typical stories of: As a child the parents are murdered/A young love is killed before your PCs eyes/a family heirloom is stolen/etc. As a result, the main character (Your PC) studies at a monastery to better his combat skills so that he can hunt down and deliver justice. Only the PC finds them self or a higher purpose along the way. If good aligned, they find themselves saving others while seeking out revenge and then dedicate themselves to defending others as a new calling. If evil, then after getting their revenge they find a lust for the hunt/killing. Maybe, if they are seeking a stolen relic they find along the way there is more to the relic and it gives them something further to seek. Maybe the PC tries to unit a country/clan/family that has fallen in to dissent. You get the idea.

I practiced A Shaolin style of Kung Fu for 6 years and always thought about creating a monk to go along with that. Still might..

You could be Neutral and totally Zen. Lots of meditating and cryptic utterances. Think Yoda!

"Do, or do not. There's no try."

Well, Kai...Lawful behavior is inherent...but the Good/Neutral/Evil aspect changes the perspective quite a bit.

In general, based on NWN2/D&D, a monk is empowered by ki, and that is a Wisdom-based power. Thus a generality for Monks would be to have a relationship to: "...willpower, common sense, perception, and intuition."

I try to find an order that suits my concept, and try to uphold those ideals too.

Here's a few from the Faiths and Pantheons web enhancement, which also has some cool info on paladin orders and miscellaneous facts on dieties.

Broken Ones (Good)
Deity: Ilmater
Multiclass options: May multiclass freely as clerics, divine champions (HotU) (others listed, but not an option).
Background Info: No great monasteries, though many monks of Ilmater stay in the area of the Dalelands, staying the temples of Ilmater.

Brotherhood of the Scarlet Scourge (Evil)
Deity: Yurtrus
Multiclass options: May multiclass freely as clerics
Background Info: Monks of this strange orc order bleach their hands white and grow their nails very long. Before combat they dip their nails in a powder made of blood infected with the red ache (see Disease in the Dungeon Master's Guide), which lets them infect their opponents.

Brothers and Sisters of Pure Flame (Neutral)
Deity: Kossuth
Multiclass options: May multiclass freely as clerics
Background Info: This order (and the other two orders of Kossuthan monks) is very insular and has a rigid tradition of study and fighting style, as well as behavioral taboos. These monks seek a balance between the purifying aspect and the destructive aspect of Kossuth's flame, and are the mediators of the three orders. Most of them learn Ignan to better communicate with fire elementals.

Children of the Passive Voice (Neutral)
Deity: Oghma
Multiclass options: None. Children of the Passive Voice may not multiclass.
Background Info: These monks serve as guardians to libraries and abbys, and sometimes are sent to find lose stores of knowledge.

Dark Moon (Evil)
Deity: Shar
Multiclass options: May multiclass as sorcerers so long as their monk level and socerer level stay within two levels of each other.
Races: Human mostly, occaisionally half-orc, shade or drow.
Background Info: Maintain open temples only in lands ruled by eveil overlords. Otherwise temples are out in remote locations, back alleys or the underdark.

Disciples of the Changeless Face (Neutral)
Deity: Grumbar
Multiclass options: May multiclass freely as fighters
Background Info: This stoic and spartan order is obsessed with preserving the knowledge of how things are (from laws to traditions to manners of speech) so that change can be detected and countered (which often involves beating into a pulp someone who disagrees).

Disciples of the Phoenix (Good)
Deity: Kossuth
multiclass options: May multiclass freely as clerics
Background Info: This order (and the other two orders of Kossuthan monks) is very insular and has a rigid tradition of study and fighting style, as well as behavioral taboos. They are the most likely to espouse the purifying and redeeming aspects of their deity's element.

Disciples of Saint Sollars (Good)
Deity: Ilmater
See Yellow Rose entry.

Disciples of the Salamander (Evil)
Deity: Kossuth
Multiclass options: My multiclass freely as clerics
Background Info: This order (and the other two orders of Kossuthan monks) is very insular and has a rigid tradition of study and fighting style, as well as behavioral taboos. Some of these monks rival a Talosian fanatic's love of destructive fire, but most see it as a necessary tool for renewal in the world. Many of them bear brands of magical symbols on their bodies and decorate themselves with fiery tattoos.

Disciples of the White Rod (Evil)
Deity: Loviatar
Multiclass options: May multiclass freely as clerics
Background Info: Monks of Loviatar prefer using their bare hands to inflict pain rather than using weapons. When forced to use weapons, they prefer nunchaku with white-bleached leather wrappings on the hilts.

Hin Fist (Neutral or Good)
Deities: Arvoreen, Cyrrollalee, Sheela Peryroyl, Urogalan, Yondalla (non-exclusive)
Multiclass options: May multiclass freely as fighters, rogues and paladins (paladins of Yondalla only)
Races: Halfling, occasionally gnomes or dwarves study with Hin Fist.
Background Info: Lurien, a country inhabited almost entirely by halflings, is where the majority of monasteries are for the Hin Fist, though there are a few elsewhere as well.

Long Death (Evil):
Deity: None. Worship priciple of Death regardless of deity with Deat portfolio.
Multiclass options: May multiclass freely as fighters, assassins, and blackguards
Background Info: Strong order in Thay, not sanctioned by Red Wizards. Clerics of Kelemvor should hate this order, Velsharoon, wishes to use them somehow, and clerics of Myrkul see them as part of the previous lord of the dead's plans.

Old Order (Neutral, Sometimes Good, Rarely Evil)
Deity: None. They follow a deity who is long dead or never existed here.
Multiclass options: May multiclass as rogues, sorcerers, and shadowdancers, but must maintain more monk levels than the combination of the other classes.
Background Info: Never have huge monasteries but this order has spread widely throughout Faerun.

Order of the Iron Gauntlet (Evil)
Deity: Bane
Multiclass options: May multiclass freely as assassins, fighters
Background Info: A small sect within the Zhentarim, these monks train in stealth and assassination. Currently they are few in number but their leader has been recruiting widely.

Runeclaws (Evil)
Deity: Luthic
Multiclass options: May multiclass freely as clerics (another listed but not an option).
Background Info: Because in many orc tribes females are not allowed to touch weapons, unarmed combat has become a means for female worshipers of Luthic to defend themselves against raiders from other tribes. Some female orcs that are too old for childbirth (particularly older wives of the chief) become runeclaws to prove they are still useful to the tribe.

Serpent Guards (Evil)
Deity: Tiamat
Multiclass options: May multiclass freely as assassins, fighters, rogues (another listed but not an option).
Background Info: These fanatics guard temples, serve as minions to dragons, hunt dragonslayers, and assassinate those who pry to closely into the activities of the church. They are active in Unther and have been known to attack Mulhorandi soldiers.

Shining Hand (Good or Neutral)
Deity: Azuth
Multiclass options: May multiclass as wizards as long as their monk level equals or exceeds their wizard level.
Background Info: Oldest order in Amn, though with magic use being cracked down upon, the Shining Hand has gone underground.

Sun Soul (Good or Neutral)
Deity: Lathander, Selune, or Sune
Multiclass options: May mutliclass as one other class as long as their monk level remains the highest level
Background Info: Most likely to have monasteries in outlying wilderness areas.

Yellow Rose (Good or Neutral)
Deity: Ilmater
Multiclass options: Multiclass freely as rangers, shadowdancers
Background Info: Also known as Disciples of Saint Sollars. Monastery fround in the Earthspur Mountains of Damara. Order known for loyalty, and destruction of enemies. Respected for Truth and Diplomacy, they also travel with Paladins of the Order of the Golden Cup, or other Ilmaterian Paladins.

Zealots of the Written Word (Good)
Deity: Deneir
Multiclass Options: Multiclass freely as clerics
Background Info: These monks accompany clerics of Deneir on quests, assist in moneymaking efforts for the church, and are as fond of recording information as any devout worshiper of Deneir.

I RP my monks (unless they have some odd PRC's) as being very detached from worldly things. In some of the older D&D versions monks actually changed to the outsider type once they hit a certain level. I always played my monks as focused inward, rather than outward, caring little for what goes on around them and more for their own personal journey. Not really overtly selfish just...outside of the concerns of most other player races. Monty, for example is focused almost exclusively on the perfection of his craft which is wine making. He is focused on this to the exclusion of almost all other things at this point. My monks are all wisdom based as well. Were I to make a monk that was more physically and less mentally gifted I would certainly RP it differently. As always YMMV

-Finn