Monk bonuses.

[DirtyDeity]

At level 15 (Upon gaining the Quivering Palm feat), gain the ability to see Auras with *looks*.

At level 20 (Upon gaining the Perfect Self feat), gain the ability to check the balance of a population in a certain area, through whichever command.

Just thought it fits

[The Rambling Midget]

At level 20 (Upon gaining the Perfect Self feat), gain the ability to check the balance of a population in a certain area, through whichever command.

viewtopic.php?f=15&t=180#p1580

[Yma23]

The first idea makes an amount of sense, I suppose. The second one - I'm on Mithreas's side with this - it doesn't make sense. Monks are lawful, the balence they percieve is often more about a sort of spiritual balence, rather than a natrual balence. There's no reason for them to have any expert understanding of the workings of nature.

[DirtyDeity]

O.
Well, the first part would still be great, even if moved up towards level 20.

[Katze]

you could just take some ranger or druid if you wish to rp balance and such, but choose wisely for you cannot take both.

[DirtyDeity]

I would. Sadly, being Kensai, I'm deprived of the opportunity to take levels in a class that would allow me to get the tracking ability. Or levels in a class that would allow me to grab skill foci for auras.

The latter of which makes sense, the other; not so much.

[Ecstatic]

The price of permahaste is steep indeed.

[yellowcateyes]

The price of permahaste is steep indeed.

[The Man of the Moon]

In my opinion... The one who obtains a perfect interior balance, is capable of detecting the imbalance in all that it surrounds... The wise persons say that you must know before trying to decipher the world that is around yourself.

But of course, if that balance is just a skill created for only nature bounded classes (ranger, druids) then there is nothing to do about, cause concerns aswell game mechanics and developers intentions to favour a class (to better balance them or give them a nice touch).

[Ecstatic]

Except that at no point does a monk's aim of self-perfection and self-control imply any sort of philosophical commitment to a notion of "balance", or even a sense of balance in their personal state of being. In fact, many monks are likely to reject balance in their search for self-perfection: a rigid adherence to tolerating only the most perfect aspects of themselves and diligently improving all others is actually in contradiction to the "all things in proper measure" attitude that represents a druid's commitment to balance, and where the notion of keeping populations at a happy medium comes from.

We might as well say rogues should get -balance, because they can probably walk a tightrope, and that takes pretty good balance.

[The Man of the Moon]

Except that at no point does a monk's aim of self-perfection and self-control imply any sort of philosophical commitment to a notion of "balance", or even a sense of balance in their personal state of being. In fact, many monks are likely to reject balance in their search for self-perfection: a rigid adherence to tolerating only the most perfect aspects of themselves and diligently improving all others is actually in contradiction to the "all things in proper measure" attitude that represents a druid's commitment to balance, and where the notion of keeping populations at a happy medium comes from.

We might as well say rogues should get -balance, because they can probably walk a tightrope, and that takes pretty good balance.

In the real life, that could be the reason why madness strikes the people's minds.

Only someone in perfect inner balance could really atemp to get the high level monk powers, but I guess that is just philosophy matter and this is not but a game.

Diferents points of view maybe and defo, the points of view that counts in the building/scriptting areas are those believed by the Staff. I know.

[The Rambling Midget]

I know this doesn't really help DirtyDeity, but anyone who wants to play a track/balance monk can just take three levels of Ranger and Druid. As far as I'm aware, that's as much as is required for either function, and pigeonholing your character by blocking any other sort of multiclassing is more than enough of a sacrifice to justify the benefit.

A 20 Monk/7 Druid/3 Ranger would be a very interesting build.

[DirtyDeity]

To refocus the suggestion:

Mithreas already ruled against monks and track/balance.

So... What about seeing auras on *looks*?

[The Man of the Moon]

To refocus the suggestion:

Mithreas already ruled against monks and track/balance.

So... What about seeing auras on *looks*?

Seeing auras = Detect alignement for free?

Paladins have to waste 100 exp per each detection of evil... Not to mention they can't know if someone is good or neutral.

To my opinion, this could be unbalanced in comparison with the paladin power, who alwaus was (D&D wise) allowed to detect evil.

[IndifferentPerson]

He means attunements, I'm pretty sure.

[DestroyerOTN]

Above. In other words, he suggests monks of such the level are automatically given "Spell Focus (Divination)"

[Peppermint]

Monks are about self-discipline and -- yes, awareness to a degree. But it's an awareness that comes not from any magical or supernatural sight, but from rigorous practice, self-discipline, and honing one's natural instincts.

It's worth noting that monks get a sense-based bonus to their ability to react (i.e. a wisdom bonus to AC), but do not receive any bonuses to spot or search.

Going from that, to being able to see magical auras seems like a radical leap to me.

I feel it'd make far more sense for them to be able to read their own aura, as a side effect of honing their internal focus.

[DestroyerOTN]

.. actually, that's not a bad call, Peppermint.

I, for one, believe that a plan. Remains in touch with the monastic spiritualism connection and preemptive perception. Of course, if we can't do that..

As a sidenote, I always thought out wisdom AC to be comparable descriptionwise one big perma-cast premonition. A sixthsense level of foresight. Something like...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_vbmZJBXSA&t=1m48s

[The Man of the Moon]

... As a sidenote, I always thought out wisdom AC to be comparable descriptionwise one big perma-cast premonition. A sixthsense level of foresight. Something like...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_vbmZJBXSA&t=1m48s

Give perma premonition then to Monks with level 30 and at least 30 ranks in wisdom XD (I am joking, that could defo break balance for a class that in my opinion doesn't really need anything else, sending them to the OP heavens)

[DirtyDeity]

I do not think Spot and Search have anything to do with glimpsing auras.

Relate it to IRL people who claim to see auras, whether you believe it or not. They could be half-blind and still do so.

Monks have hightened spiritual awareness, not necessarily 'keen sight'.

The 'Quivering Palm' feat, RP-wise, to me, has always been the ability to percieve anothers' 'Ki', or 'Life Energy', and thereby be able to shatter it with a focused attack. The 'Perfect Self' feat, RP-wise, is much alike in my eyes, only it lets a monk percieve his -own- 'Ki', and thereby grant him impeccable mental control.

The notion of 'seeing' someone's Ki is -very- similar to the art of 'seeing' someone's attunement, and, again, has nothing to do with physical spotting or searching.

[Thake]

From my point of view, that's something you can roleplay, because it's not class related.. literally anyone who goes for high wisdom has that spiritual awareness. I don't think monks do that better than anyone else who goes for high wisdom.

[Winter83]

Wisdom = Awareness of surroundings also.

[Thake]

Yes

[DirtyDeity]

I once again disagree. Monastic training is surrounded around perception, completely.

It doesn't revolve around faith or zealotry or any ideal. That is why Monks can go in so many different directions.

Talking as someone who just went through a week or two of relentless asking of questions and acquiring of insights, I can believe from my own impressions that monks are much more 'attuned' to the world around them, than other such classes.

It's note-worthy that other 'high wisdom' classes can all take divination foci; while monk is the only one that can't. (I know I can multiclass theoretically.)

This way or that, the suggestion is up, I personally thinks it fits, and the rest is not for me to decide.

+++ This is something I RP, and will RP, regardless of what change may come.

[b a t t l e]

Monks serve a different thematic purpose as the classes that can read auras/cast spells.