"If you meet the Buddha, kill him."
CLASS TRAITS
Role: Leader. Monks are Leaders, focusing their talents on bolstering their allies and leading them to spiritual harmony.
Power Source: Divine. Monks are divine characters and draw their power from an inner fire.
Key Abilities: Dexterity, Wisdom, Constitution
Armor Proficiencies: Light
Weapon Proficiencies: Simple melee, simple ranged.
Bonus to Defense: +2 Fortitude, +2 Reflex , +2 Will
Hit Points at 1st Level: 15 + Constitution score
Hit Points per Level Gained: 6
Healing Surges per Day: 10 + Constitution modifier
Trained Skills: Religion. From the class skills list below,
choose three more trained skills at 1st level.
Class Skills: Diplomacy (Cha), Endurance (Con), Heal
(Wis), History (Int), Insight (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), & globe skills.
Build Options: Path of the Fist, Path of the Soul
Class Features: Concentration, Kempo, Dodge Bullets
Monks are beings on the path to enlightenment through religious asceticism. The pursuit of purity can start with many different doctrines and faiths, the monastic lifestyle has appeared in many different times and places across the universe. Many monks live there life in a monastery, removed from the distracting cosmos to seek spiritual perfection among like-minded individuals. Not all monks stay in monasteries, however; some individuals decide that a cloistered life cannot reveal the truth because it has removed itself from so much.
But it is in the monastery that all monks begin, and where their secrets have been developed and perfected over eons of collected thought. There are also monasteries that pursue the perfection of body alongside mind and spirit
Class Features
Concentration
One of the first lessons a monk learns is the ability to tune out the distraction of the physical world. This is the basis upon meditation is learned, and the monk can learn to use this preternatural calm at any time and place, keeping his mind free from burden.
Dodge Bullets
Learning to to predict someone's actions allows a monk to act with preternatural speed, but really it is all a matter of observing your opponent. When someone makes a ranged attack against the Monk’s Armor Class, it is resolved against their Reflex instead.
Path
Many paths can a Monk take to enlightenment, but two drastically different tactics are illustrated by the Monk’s Path. The Way of the Fist, and the Path of the Soul.
Path of the Fist
Monks on the Path of the Fist continually discipline their bodies in the search for spiritual perfection, assuming that one cannot attain that without being balanced between mind, soul, and body. Through countless hours of practice these Monks hone their skills to a razor’s edge; what once was a means of self defense has evolved into the Path of the Fist.
Monks on the Path of the Fist count as having the High Crit weapon property on their unarmed attacks.
Path of the Soul
Monks on the Path of the Soul are just as interested in spiritual perfection as those of the Path of the Fist, but have chosen a different route. These Monks abstain from distractions that the physical world brings, and attempt to achieve enlightenment through detachment. Monks such as these are not often adventurers, but those that are often believe they cannot detach from the horrors of the world without experiencing those horrors first, so they go out to bring their peace of mind to the world in order to bring peace to themselves.
Monks on the Path of the Soul may add ½ their level to any saving throw they make.
