Monk (SB)

For other uses, see Monk (disambiguation).

Monk of the Scarlet Brotherhood (priest class)

Ability Requirements:	Strength 9, Dexterity 13, Wisdom 9
Prime Requisite:	Wisdom
Races Allowed:	Human (Suel)

The Scarlet Brotherhood monk is a dedicated soldier in the war against impurity. Through study and discipline, they hone their minds and bodies until they are capable of feats impossible to normal humans, and can use themselves as weapons to preserve the virtues of their race. While they are called monks, this term does not refer to ascetic dedication to a god, but to a religious devotion toward the principles of their nation and race-fanaticism and zeal focused on their belief that they are the chosen people of Oerth, destined to rule the world. The Scarlet Brotherhood monks are all lawful evil, supporting the idea that a perfect society is one that embraces order and clearly defines the lines between races and social levels, with the Suel and monks in the top level.

Monks use the cleric XP table and gain hit dice as clerics. They may select proficiencies from the General, Rogue and Warrior lists. They are skilled in combat, having learned how to best use their bodies as a means to destroy their foes. They use simple weapons that are either existing tools or can easily be made out of nearby items, such as daggers, hand axes, clubs, staves, spears, javelins and polearms; they may also use crossbows, as the Suel have a long history with that weapon. Monks wear no armor, for it detracts from their finely honed reflexes and impedes their ability to assess their body's condition. They may use any magic item useable by Rogues, but can own no more than five magic items and may retain only the wealth necessary to support their modest needs; most monks donate excess to the Scarlet Brotherhood or use it to fund projects of interest to them, such as training a promising student or establishing a safehouse in an enemy city. Most older monks, both male and female, shave their heads when not on an outworld assignment, although his tradition has begun to fall out of practice with some of the younger monks who insist on being ready to work anywhere in the Flanaess with a moment's notice, and a shaven head makes a person stand out as a possible Brotherhood agent.

• All monks begin with the ability to do lethal damage with their hands and feet as if they were carrying weapons. This "open hand" ability begins modestly but eventually allows the monk to strike several times per round in combat and inflict wounds equal to those from the most dangerous weapons; these multiple attacks cannot be accelerated through the use of magic such as haste. Their ability to evade and to fortify their flesh against blows also gives them a bonus to their armor class, which increases by level.
• Monks can move faster than a normal human due to their training and heightened body awareness; their movement rate increases as they gain levels.
• Their keen senses allow them to perform several thief skills. Their thief skills and base scores are listed here:

Climb Walls	50%
Find (but not Remove) Traps	5%
Hear Noise	10%
Hide in Shadows	5%
Move Silently	5%

A beginning monk starts with 35 discretionary points to add to these abilities. At each level gain, the monk gains an additional 15 points to distribute among these skills.

• While they prefer open-hand attacks to weapons, monks retain their awareness of anatomy and are able to cause extra damage when they use weapons against living creatures, equal to the monk's level divided by 2, rounded up. This extra damage only applies against creatures with familiar anatomies (musculature, skeletal system, joints, etc.), so this ability cannot be used against amorphous creatures such as slimes, gaseous life forms and so forth.
• Once per day per level, a monk may attempt to stun an opponent with an open-hand attack. The monk declares the intent to stun and rolls to hit; if the attack hits, the target must roll a saving throw vs. paralyzation or be stunned (unable to attack and losing all Dexterity adjustments) for one round.
• A monk may deflect an incoming fired or hurled missile (arrow, bolt, dagger, and so on) by forsaking any other action and making a save vs. petrification.
• If a monk is attacked by an effect that requires a saving throw, a successful saving throw vs. the attack results in the monk taking no damage, even if the attack was a fireball, for example.

Monks also gain several special powers as they increase in levels because of their growing mastery over their minds and bodies.

• At 2nd level, a monk gains the ability to kill opponents with a successful open hand attack. The attack must stun the target, who then must make a saving throw vs. paralyzation at +4 or die.
• At 3rd level, a monk can resist ESP or other thought-reading attempts by making a save vs. death magic at +2.
• A 4th-level monk is able to safely fall up to 20' as long as she is within l' of a wall. This ability assumes the monk can make periodic contact with the wall to slow the fall. A tree or similar solid object counts as a wall for this purpose.
• At 5th level, a monk becomes immune to all diseases, as well as haste and slow spells.
• At 6th level, the distance a monk can fall without harm increases to 30' as long as he is within 4' of a wall.
• A 7th-level monk gains the ability to momentarily accelerate the healing process of the body, repairing 2 points of damage suffered by the monk per level once a day.
• An 8th-level monk may fall up to 50' safely if within 6' of a wall. Called Master of Dragons, the monk's initiative rolls are improved by 1.
• A 9th-level monk is unaffected by charm-type spells and effects if she makes a successful saving throw vs. wand; if this resistance roll fails, normal saves (if any) apply to resist the effect. Monks of 9th level are called Masters of the North Wind.
• At 10th level, the monk's hands and feet are considered +1 weapons for the purposes of striking creatures that can only be hit by magic weapons. A monk of this rank is called Master of the East Wind.
• At 11th level, monks become immune to all poisons and assume the title Master of the South Wind.
• At 12th level, a monk's initiative bonus increases to 2. Monks of this rank are called Master of the West Wind.
• A 13th-level monk achieves the title Master of Winter and gains the ability to make an attack called the "quivering palm," which creates disharmonic vibrations in a target creature's body and may cause death if the monk so wishes. Use of the quivering palm is as follows:
  • It may be attempted once per week, and must be announced before making an "open hand" attack.
  • It only affects man-sized or smaller creatures that can be affected by the monk's stun attack, and only if the monk is of higher level (or hit dice) than the target creature.
  • If the attack hits, it causes normal damage. The monk may slay the target with the vibrations at any time within the time limit of one day per level of the monk; the target gets a save vs. death magic to avoid the effect.
• A monk of 14th level gains the title Master of Autumn and always gets a saving throw vs. magical attacks, even when none is normally allowed.
• A 15th level monk is called Master of Summer and gains a limited precognitive ability; there is a 90% chance that a premonition of death or serious harm warns the monk 1-4 turns before the event occurs.
• A 16th-level monk is called Master of Spring and his hands and feet are considered +2 weapons for the purposes of striking creatures that can only be hit by magical weapons;
• A 17th-level monk is able to leave her body and project herself into the astral plane (as an astral spell); she may do this once per week, remaining away for any length of time, although the physical body still needs nourishment and will starve if not cared for. The monk that attains this rank is called Grand Master of Flowers.

The Scarlet Brotherhood enforces a strict hierarchy within its ranks of monks. Only the most skilled monks may achieve the highest levels, the weaker ones being prevented from rising by trials of ritual combat. There are only three monks of 13th level (Master of Winter), and only one of each level above that. Until 8 years ago there were fewer monks of higher levels (three Masters of Dragons and one Master of each level above that), but Korenth Zan chose to relax this restriction, seeing the need for a greater number of powerful monks in the coming years.

When a monk reaches level 13 or higher, she must issue a challenge within one month to a monk of the same level, assuming that there is no open position at that level. If the challenged monk refuses to abdicate his rank, the two choose a time and place for their duel. The monks may fight with any weapons or special abilities available to them. Victory conditions for the battle are determined beforehand, with most battles being to unconsciousness or a certain number of hits. Cruel or vengeful defending monks of rank often insist on battle to the death.

The loser in the struggle - assuming he survives — drops to the lowest number of experience points necessary for his previous experience level and cannot challenge again for one year. The winner gains or retains the title of that level and all its associated abilities.

A monk is not required to challenge if she is not interested in the title or abilities of the new level. However, the monk is unable to gain experience points unless she involves herself in the challenge process.

Table C13: Monk of the Scarlet Brotherhood

LVL	HD (1d8)	Abilities	Move	Unarmed Attacks	Unarmed Damage	AC Bonus
1	1	Base skills	12	1	1d4	+1
2	2	Killing attack	12	1	1d4	+2
3	3	Resistance to ESP	12	1	1d6	+2
4	4	Fall up to 20' safely	15	3/2	1d6	+3
5	5	Immune to disease, haste and slow	15	3/2	1d6	+3
6	6	Fall up to 30' safely	15	3/2	1d6+1	+4
7	7	Self heal 2 hp/level	18	2	1d6+1	+4
8	8	Fall up to 50' safely, +1 initiative	18	2	1d6+1	+5
9	9	Resistance to charm effects	18	2	1d8	+5
10	9+2	Open hand is +1 magical weapon	21	5/2	1d8	+6
11	9+4	Immune to poison	21	5/2	1d8	+6
12	9+6	+2 to initiative rolls	21	5/2	1d8+1	+7
13	9+8	Quivering Palm	24	3	1d8+1	+7
14	9+10	Always gets a saving throw	24	3	1d8+1	+8
15	9+12	Premonition of death or harm	24	3	1d10	+8
16	9+14		27	7/2	1d10	+9
17	9+16	Open hand is +2 magical weapon	27	7/2	1d10	+9
18	9+18		27	7/2	1d12	+10
19	9+20	Astral projection (monk only)	30	4	1d12	+10
20	9+22		30	4	1d12	+10