10 March 2023

OSR Class - Gygaxian Monk

While I have presented the Holmes-style Monk that I use in Crown & Valor, I think there is room for the traditional 1e-style monk as well. In order to differentiate it from the former kind, I call this one the Ascetic, the Hermit, the Dervish or the Shaolin, depending on their culture. The mechanics are the same. 

Ascetics are hermits, dervishes, and monks who trade civilization for the wastelands and lock themselves away from others in the Realm of Men. Rather than a monastic life, an ascetic leads a solitary life, where he prays, fasts, studies and fights evil spirits and the restless dead with his bare hands.

         Having traded away worldliness for holiness has its benefits. The ascetic is empowered by God with the abilities necessary to live such a lonesome and militant life.

          Ascetics never retain wealth, being limited to that which they can lift off the ground while at full health. They may never own more than six magic items.

                Their godly life demands that they are always Lawful. If an ascetic loses his Lawful alignment for any reason, he loses all granted powers until he regains it.

          Solitary creatures, Ascetics will never take on more than a single Retainer regardless of their CHA score, and will never marry.

The Ascetic’s Class Abilities:

Arms and Armor: An ascetic never wears armor nor uses a shield, although he may wear a helmet. He may use the following weapons: the staff, club, crossbow, dagger, hatchet, spear and pole arm. 

Attack and Save: Ascetics attack and save as Clerics of the same level.

 

Armor of Michael: Ascetics gain a natural +1 to their AC at first level and then +1 per level.

 

Touch of Jacob: Ascetics may strike any target with their bare hands and feet for 1d6 +STR modifier damage (minimum 1.) They may use these bare attacks or any weapon they hold to deal damage to any target, including intangible targets such as ghosts and gaseous-form vampires.

 

Special Immunity: Ascetics have the same immunities to touch attacks as Elves do.

 

Metabolic Mastery: Normally, a figure will begin to die after three weeks without food, three days without water, and three minutes without air. Ascetics can bear an additional time period before beginning to die at first level and then one more at each odd level (5 at level 3, 4 at level 5, 5 and level 7 and so forth.) In the case of food and water, they are unaffected until these extra periods have expired.

 

Keen Senses: Ascetics hear noise on 1-2 on d6 like demi-men do, instead of the normal 1 on d6.

 

Silent Step: Ascetics hide and sneak at an additional +1 range (up to 1-4 on d6) while wearing no armor.

Spell-Like Abilities:  The following abilities are granted by their steadfast loyalty to God. They are automatic but are suppressed by any ability which suppresses magic, and are subject to Dispel Magic counterspelling.

  • At second level, he can reveal a trap in an area as the Guided Foot spell, once per day.
  • At third level, he can command a lock to open, as a Knock spell, once per day.
  • At fourth level, he may Save vs. Spell against any spell or spell-like ability that only targets them. This is in addition to any save afforded otherwise.
  • At fifth level, the ascetic can see in the dark like a demi-man.
  • At sixth level, the ascetic can turn ethereal for one Turn per day.
  • At seventh level, the ascetic gains immunity to poison and gains an additional bonus Save against Poison-class attacks.

Strongholds: Ascetics do not establish abbeys like a cleric does, nor castles, nor towers. Rather, an ascetic will create a small fortification large enough only for him and a few others, in which to lock himself away from the world. At 9th level and higher, like-minded acolytes will build their own encampments nearby (within the same hex) but will not be subjects of the ascetic.

 

Forge Lore: starting at level 9, ascetics can create wands, staves, wands and rings using the same rules as Magic-Users do. They may not create other kinds of magic items.




 

 


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