Fighting Monk

Hundreds of years ago, the Templar established temples and fortresses throughout Alcirya to provide for the training and development of soldiers to serve as protectors of the land. The temples were run by various orders and the fortress provided a Templar presence to bring peace and stability to the area. As the Templar presence waned, in became incumbent upon the temples to provide protection for the surrounding areas, the protection that the Templars were no longer providing. Independently, various monasteries devised a new style of combat, mostly open handed, that, generically, became the martial arts. The monks that trained within these monastery walls, after their training was complete, took the charge of becoming a beacon of faith and protection to the surrounding lands.

These monks do not confine their war-training to the monasteries, however. They travel the wide world in order to learn the secrets of life, the world, magic and the gods. As an order, they sometimes volunteer their services to rulers in times of war, and act as elite forces against the enemy.

If a fighting-monk wants to abandon this kit, he must go through a difficult process in order to do so. He must not use any of his unarmed combat techniques for three whole experience levels' worth of time. Once he's reached that third experience level, he has forgotten his unarmed combat techniques and may resume the wearing of armor; and, if he renounced some of his spheres of influence when he became a fighting-monk, may now resume those lost spheres.

If a character forgets himself and uses unarmed combat techniques during this process, he must "start over." It will be three experience levels from his current level, from the time he made the slip, until he can resume his priest-class.

Role

In the campaign, this priest is the philosophical warrior whose principal duty is self-enlightenment. He is less concerned with the ordinary priestly duties but will still perform them; he just won't go out of his way to look for them, nor will he normally volunteer for them. Such characters are usually wanderers, which help make them appropriate for adventuring parties. They do periodically return to their monasteries, to pass on the learning they have acquired on the road, and to brush up on their fighting-skills; the rest of the time they spend out in the world.

Distinctive Appearance

None.

Special Benefits

The principal benefit of being a Fighting-Monk is that the character receives two free weapon proficiency slots which he must use to take Weapon Specialization in unarmed combat. The Fighting-Monk is the only priest who can specialize in an unarmed combat style. The Fighting Monk may specialize in more than one style, however, he may only specialize in one at first level.

As a second benefit, regardless of what it says for the priest's class, the Fighting-Monk has a Non-weapon Proficiency Group Crossover with all five Proficiency Groups (General, Priest, Rogue, Warrior, Wizard). No proficiency he takes will cost double the usual number of slots.

Martial Arts

Special Hindrances

This priest cannot wear any sort of armor. Additionally, he may have major access to no more than three spheres (one of which must be All) and minor access to two spheres. The player may choose from the accesses he currently has which ones the character loses and which he keeps.

Additionally, the priest may never own more things (weapons, treasure, money, etc.) than he can carry on his back.

Class

Priest

Attribute Requirements

Dexterity of 12

Barred Beliefs

None

Race Requirement

Any

Bonus Weapon Proficiencies

None

Required Weapon Proficiencies

See under "Special Benefits," below. Otherwise, the priest may take any weapon proficiencies which his specific priest class allows him; he may not take any the class does not allow him.

Recommended Weapon Proficiencies

None

Barred Weapon Proficiencies

None

Bonus Non-Weapon Proficiencies

Tumbling

Recommended Non-Weapon Proficiencies

Riding (Land-Based), Artistic Ability (any), Dancing, Reading/Writing, Religion

Equipment

See "Special Hindrances"

Wealth Options

The Fighting-Monk gets the usual 3d6x10 gp as starting money.

Homeland Terrain

None

Economic System

None