junk11

I don't get this 'Shaolin' thing people keep bringing up. If by Shaolin you mean, "He doesn't wear plate armor" which, yeah, he doesn't. He looks like he wears a combination of Cloth and Leather at the most. Which is quite apt for what the Class seems to be trying for. If by Shaolin you, "He doesn't use weapons, he uses his fist," then, yeah. He uses his fists. We have an example of the Monk in this setting, and a lore example of how magic can be used. This Monk in the art obviously enhances himself magically to have superhuman attributes. Though I'd note actual Shaolin Monks train with swords and other weapons as well (you can see some interesting video documentaries of it). I'd also just plain note that the Monk in P:E's art looks nothing like a Shaolin Monk. This is a picture of a Shaolin Monk: The picture of the adventurers, including the Monk, for P:E, looks nothing like the above. Well the Art we've been shown doesn't show them using Swords or Bows, and instead shows the Monk with fists sheathed in magical energy. Kind of speaks for itself what martial arts means in the context of 'this' Monk. the monk in PE art has a sword/dagger tied on his belt if you look closely

actually, some of the "old" martial arts are focus (or partially focus) on against armoured person when you lost or without your weapon in close range. how to disarm and strike joints or weakness. The martial arts we often see in movie are often for entertaining purpose..or having rules and limitations in sport events. martial art isn't about fist and kick, they do include some weapon trainings as weapon is an extension of our body. Nowaday we wear less metal on battlefield, so we developed something more useful like CQC for close combat. Because of the eastern culture, martial arts are often associated with spirtuality. This is the way to distiguish well educated martial artists and those "bandits or barbarians" in eastern culture. From the devotion of spritual trainning comes with famous shaolin monks, then linked to western monks for their devotion to god. Finally It created a "lawful" class monk in games like DnD. To distinguish from fighters, comes unarmed combat. But even DnD did not restrict monk class to use barehand, there are monk weapons... It's really just a stereotype within a stereotype.. But really, why do we complain about a person who can channel his soul/inner power to enhance his body to destory/damage partially a well armour guy when a wizard in the same world can throw fireball from afar and kill several well armed soldiers?

Who's to say their punches can't be more than just normal real-world punches? I'm sure they'll be tapping the power of souls to 'enhance' them... Look at the middle character in the painting from the kickstarter page - that seems to be a monk, no? Also, a good part of my InfinityEngine nostalgia is related to memories of my Monk char landing a well placed hit with his fist or foot against an already wounded powerful foe, causing the screen to shake and the foe to shatter into chunks of flesh. I don't care about realism - don't take that away from me! Wait...What..? Isn't monk the one who has a flaming hand raising up? o..so that isn't a monk but a wizard... can't we have a monk wearing cool leather with robe? -------------- I actually think monk is a good addon to the story with the focus on the "soul", you dont really need to separate chi and magic as different system like in DnD those are the power of souls in PE But then do we really need to link Monk into religions? we already got that covered with priest A monk can be the class trying to pursuit the harmony of soul and physicial (I know.......) not tapping too hard like wizard (so enhancement only), not using 100% power on killing only (hence different training from warrior, towards disarm, non-ethal weapons or spider-sense...?) no direct link to god like priest (no instant healing...and such...more like fasten metabolism) .... jack-of-all-trade, master of none?