Monk

Placed across the Thurian Continent are monasteries; though mostly in the
east, Vendhya, Khitai — small, walled cloisters inhabited by monks who
pursue personal perfection through action as well as contemplation. They
train themselves to be versatile warriors skilled at fighting without weapons
or armour. The inhabitants of monasteries headed by good masters serve as
protectors of the people. Ready for battle even when barefoot and dressed in
peasant clothes, monks can travel unnoticed among the populace, catching
bandits, warlords, and corrupt nobles unawares. In contrast, the residents of
monasteries headed by evil masters rule the surrounding lands through fear,
as an evil warlord and his entourage might. Monks make ideal spies,
infiltrators, and assassins.

The individual monk is unlikely to care passionately about championing

commoners or amassing wealth. He cares primarily for the perfection of his
art and, thereby, his personal perfection. His goal is to achieve a state that is
beyond the mortal realm.

Adventures: A monk approaches an adventure as if it were a personal test.

While not prone to showing off, monks are willing to try their skills against
whatever obstacles confront them. They are not greedy for material wealth,
but they eagerly seek that which can help them perfect their art.

Characteristics: The key feature of the monk is his ability to fight unarmed and unarmoured. Thanks to his
rigorous training, he can strike as hard as if he were armed and strike faster than a warrior with a sword.

Though a monk casts no spells, he has a magic of his own. He channels a subtle energy, called ki, which allows him
to perform amazing feats. The monk’s best-known feat is his ability to stun an opponent with an unarmed strike. A
monk also has a preternatural awareness that allows him to dodge an attack even if he is not consciously aware of it.
As the monk gains experience and power, his mundane and ki oriented abilities grow, giving him more and more
power over himself and, sometimes, over others.

Religion: A monk’s training is his spiritual path. He is inner-directed and capable of a private, mystic connection
to the spiritual world, so he needs neither clerics nor gods. Certain gods, however, may appeal to monks, who may
meditate on the gods’ likenesses and attempt to emulate their deeds.

Background: A monk typically trains in a monastery. Most monks were children when they joined the
monastery, sent to live there when their parents died, when there was not enough food to support them, or in
return for some kindness that the monastery had performed for the family. Life in the monastery is so focused that
by the time a monk sets off on his own, he feels little connection to his former family or village.
In larger cities, master monks have set up monk schools to teach their arts to those who are interested and worthy.
The monks who study at these academies often see their rural cousins from the monasteries as backward.

A monk may feel a deep connection to his monastery or school, to the monk who taught him, to the lineage into
which he was trained, or to all of these. Some monks, however, have no sense of connection other than to their
own path of personal development. Monks recognize each other as a select group set apart from the rest of the
populace. They may feel kinship, but they also love to compete with each other to see whose ki is strongest.

Other Classes: Monks sometimes seem distant because they often have neither motivation nor skills in common
with members of other classes. Monks do, however, work well with the support of others, and they usually prove
themselves reliable companions.

Role: The monk functions best as an opportunistic combatant, using his speed to get into and out of combat
quickly rather than engaging in prolonged mêlée. He also makes an excellent scout, particularly if he focuses his
skill selection on stealth.
GAME RULE INFORMATION
Monks have the following game statistics.

Abilities: Wisdom powers the monk’s special offensive and

defensive capabilities. Dexterity provides the unarmoured monk
with a better defence and with bonuses to some class skills. Strength
helps a monk’s unarmed combat ability.

Hit Die: d8

Class Skills
The monk’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are
Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int),
Diplomacy (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str),
Knowledge (Arcana) (Int), Knowledge (Religion) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Perform (Cha),
Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), and Tumble (Dex).

Skill Points at 1st Level: (4 + Int modifier) × 4.

Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier.

Class Features
All of the following are class features of the monk.

Weapon and Armour Proficiency: Monks are proficient with certain basic peasant weapons and some special
weapons that are part of monk training. The weapons with which a monk is proficient are club, crossbow (light or
heavy), dagger, hand axe, javelin, kama, nunchaku, quarterstaff, sai, shuriken, siangham, and sling. Monks are not
proficient with any armour or shields—in fact, many of the monk’s special powers require unfettered movement.
When wearing armour, using a shield, or carrying a medium or heavy load, a monk loses his Wisdom bonus to his
defences, as well as his fast movement and flurry of strikes abilities.

The Monk
Base Base Base Magic
Attack Dodge Parry Attack Fort Ref Will Flurry Unarmed Speed
Level Bonus Bonus Bonus Bonus Save Save Save of Strikes Damage Bonus Special
1 +0 +0 +0 +0 +2 +2 +0 –2/–2 1d6 +0 ft. Bonus feat, flurry of strikes,
unarmed strike, defence
bonus
2 +1 +1 +1 +0 +3 +3 +0 –1/–1 1d6 +0 ft. Bonus feat, evasion
3 +2 +2 +1 +0 +3 +3 +1 +0/+0 1d6 +10 ft. Still mind
4 +3 +3 +2 +1 +4 +4 +1 +1/+1 1d8 +10 ft. Ki strike +1, slow fall 10 ft.
5 +3 +3 +2 +1 +4 +4 +1 +2/+2 1d8 +10 ft. Purity of body
6 +4 +4 +3 +1 +5 +5 +2 +3/+3 1d8 +20 ft. Bonus feat, slow fall 15 ft.
7 +5 +5 +3 +1 +5 +5 +2 +4/+4 1d8 +20 ft. Wholeness of body
8 +6/+1 +6 +4 +2 +6 +6 +2 +5/+5/+0 1d10 +20 ft. Slow fall 20 ft.
9 +6/+1 +6 +4 +2 +6 +6 +3 +6/+6/+1 1d10 +30 ft. Improved evasion
10 +7/+2 +7 +5 +2 +7 +7 +3 +7/+7/+2 1d10 +30 ft. Ki strike +2, slow fall 25 ft.
11 +8/+3 +8 +5 +2 +7 +7 +3 +8/+8/+8/+3 1d10 +30 ft. Diamond body, greater flurry
12 +9/+4 +9 +6 +3 +8 +8 +4 +9/+9/+9/+4 2d6 +40 ft. Slow fall 30 ft., Toughness
13 +9/+4 +9 +6 +3 +8 +8 +4 +9/+9/+9/+4 2d6 +40 ft. Diamond soul
14 +10/+5 +10 +7 +3 +9 +9 +4 +10/+10/+10/+5 2d6 +40 ft. Slow fall 35 ft.
15 +11/+6/+1 +11 +7 +3 +9 +9 +5 +11/+11/+11/+6/+1 2d6 +50 ft. Quivering palm
16 +12/+7/+2 +12 +8 +4 +10 +10 +5 +12/+12/+12/+7/+2 2d8 +50 ft. Ki strike +3, slow fall 40 ft.
17 +12/+7/+2 +12 +8 +4 +10 +10 +5 +12/+12/+12/+7/+2 2d8 +50 ft. Precise body, sight of the
moon
18 +13/+8/+3 +13 +9 +4 +11 +11 +6 +13/+13/+13/+8/+3 2d8 +60 ft. Slow fall 45 ft.
19 +14/+9/+4 +14 +9 +4 +11 +11 +6 +14/+14/+14/+9/+4 2d8 +60 ft. Empty body
20 +15/+10/+5 +15 +10 +5 +12 +12 +6 +15/+15/+15/+10/+5 2d10 +60 ft. Ki strike +4, slow fall 50 ft.
Defence Bonus: A monk is highly trained at dodging strikes, and he has a sixth sense that lets him avoid even
unanticipated attacks. When unarmoured and unencumbered, the monk adds his Wisdom bonus (if any) to his
defences.

These bonuses to defence apply against touch attacks also or when the monk is flat-footed. He loses these bonuses
when he is immobilized or helpless, when he wears any armour, when he carries a shield, or when he carries a
medium or heavy load.

Flurry of Strikes: When unarmoured, a monk may strike with a flurry of strikes at the expense of accuracy.
When doing so, he may make one extra attack in a round at his highest base attack bonus, but this attack takes a –
2 penalty, as does each other attack made that round. The resulting modified base attack bonuses are shown in the
Flurry of Strikes Attack Bonus column on Table 3–10: The Monk. This penalty applies for 1 round, so it also affects
attacks of opportunity the monk might make before his next action. When a monk reaches 5th level, the penalty
lessens to –1, and at 9th level it disappears. A monk must use a full attack action to strike with a flurry of strikes.

When using flurry of strikes, a monk may attack only with unarmed strikes or with special monk weapons (kama,
nunchaku, quarterstaff, sai, shuriken, and siangham). He may attack with unarmed strikes and special monk
weapons interchangeably as desired. For example, at 6th level, the monk Ember could make one attack with his
unarmed strike at an attack bonus of +3 and one attack with a special monk weapon at an attack bonus of +3.
When using weapons as part of a flurry of strikes, a monk applies his Strength bonus (not Str bonus × 1-1/2 or ×
1/2) to his damage rolls for all successful attacks, whether he wields a weapon in one or both hands. The monk
cannot use any weapon other than a special monk weapon as part of a flurry of strikes.

In the case of the quarterstaff, each end counts as a separate weapon for the purpose of using the flurry of strikes
ability. Even though the quarterstaff requires two hands to use, a monk may still intersperse unarmed strikes with
quarterstaff strikes, assuming that he has enough attacks in his flurry of strikes routine to do so.

For example, an 8th-level monk could make two attacks with the quarterstaff (one with each end) at a +5 attack
bonus and one with an unarmed strike at a +0 attack bonus, or he could attack with one end of the quarterstaff
and one unarmed strike each at a +5 attack bonus, and with the other end of the quarterstaff at a +0 attack bonus,
or he could attack with one end of the quarterstaff and one unarmed strike at a +5 attack bonus each, and with the
other end of the quarterstaff at a +0 attack bonus. He cannot, however, wield any other weapon at the same time
that he uses a quarterstaff.

When a monk reaches 11th level, his flurry of strikes ability improves. In addition to the standard single extra
attack he gets from flurry of strikes, he gets a second extra attack at his full base attack bonus.

Empty Hand/Unarmed Strike: Monks are highly trained in fighting unarmed, giving them considerable
advantages when doing so. At 1st level, a monk gains Improved Unarmed Strike as a bonus feat. A monk’s attacks
may be with either fist interchangeably or even from elbows, knees, and feet. This means that a monk may even
make unarmed strikes with his hands full. There is no such thing as an off-hand attack for a monk striking
unarmed. A monk may thus apply his full Strength bonus on damage rolls for all his unarmed strikes.

Usually a monk’s unarmed strikes deal lethal damage, but he can choose to deal non-lethal damage instead with
no penalty on his attack roll. He has the same choice to deal lethal or non-lethal damage while grappling.

Bonus Feat: At 1st level, a monk may select either Improved Grapple or Stunning Fist as a bonus feat. At 2nd
level, he may select either Combat Reflexes or Deflect Arrows as a bonus feat. At 6th level, he may select either
Improved Disarm or Improved Trip as a bonus feat. A monk need not have any of the prerequisites normally
required for these feats to select them.
Evasion: A monk of 2nd level or higher can avoid even magical and unusual attacks with great agility. If he
makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save
(such as a red dragon’s fiery breath or a fireball), he instead takes no damage. Evasion can be used only if a monk
is wearing light armour or no armour. A helpless monk (such as one who is unconscious or paralysed) does not
gain the benefit of evasion.

Fast Movement: At 3rd level, a monk gains an enhancement bonus to his speed, as shown on Table 3–10. A
monk in armour (even light armour) or carrying a medium or heavy load loses this extra speed.
Still Mind: A monk of 3rd level or higher gains a +2 bonus on saving throws against spells and effects from the
sorcery style of Hypnotism, since his meditation and training improve his resistance to mind-affecting attacks.

Ki Strike: At 4th level, a monk’s unarmed attacks are empowered with

ki. His unarmed attacks do an extra +1 damage. At 10th level, his
unarmed attacks bonus rises to +2. At 16th level, his unarmed attacks
are granted a +3 bonus. At 20th level, his unarmed attacks are granted a
+4 bonus.

Slow Fall: At 4th level or higher, a monk within arm’s reach of a wall
can use it to slow his descent. When first using this ability, he takes
damage as if the fall were 20 feet shorter than it actually is. The monk’s
ability to slow his fall (that is, to reduce the effective distance of the fall
when next to a wall) improves with his monk level until at 20th level he
reaches his maximum endurance.

Purity of Body: At 5th level, a monk gains control over his body’s
immune system. He gains immunity to all diseases except for
supernatural and magical diseases.

Wholeness of Body: At 7th level or higher, a monk can heal his own wounds quicker. He can heal a number of
hit points of damage equal to twice his normal heal rate when rest or performing any form of healing skill.

Improved Evasion: At 9th level, a monk’s evasion ability improves. He still takes no damage on a successful
Reflex saving throw against attacks such as from a burning torch use as a weapon or a flame burst, but henceforth
he takes only half damage on a failed save. A helpless monk (such as one who is unconscious or paralysed) does
not gain the benefit of improved evasion.

Diamond Body: At 11th level, a monk is in such firm control of his own metabolism that he gains immunity to
poisons of all kinds.

Toughness: At 12th level the monk gains the Toughness feat, if he previously has this feat, he gain Greater
Fortitude or Lighting Reflexes.

Diamond Soul: At 13th level, a monk gains a +4 bonus versus any spell or spell-like effect.

Quivering Palm: Starting at 15th level, a monk can set up vibrations within the body of another creature that
can thereafter be fatal if the monk so desires. He can use this quivering palm attack once a week, and he must
announce his intent before making his attack roll. Constructs, oozes, plants, undead, incorporeal creatures, and
creatures immune to critical hits cannot be affected. Otherwise, if the monk strikes successfully and the target
takes damage from the strike, the quivering palm attack succeeds. Thereafter the monk can try to slay the victim at
any later time, as long as the attempt is made within a number of days equal to his monk level. To make such an
attempt, the monk merely wills the target to die (a free action), and unless the target makes a Fortitude saving
throw (DC 10 + 1/2 the monk’s level + the monk’s Wis modifier), it dies. If the saving throw is successful, the
target is no longer in danger from that particular quivering palm attack, but it may still be affected by another one
at a later time.

Precise Body: Upon attaining 17th level, a monk gain a +10 bonus to Balance, Climb, Jump and Tumble roll. He
also can take 10, even when threatened or in danger.

Sight of the Moon: A monk of 17th level gains the Eyes of the Cat feat, if he previously has this, he gains
darkvision 30 feet.

Slowing the Mind: At 19th level, a monk can take twice as many actions as he normally could, for example he
can pull 4 levers, but can only perform one full round of attacks as normal (treated as two actions), but can still
move normally afterwards, and for example: pull a lever.