 onk
Multi-class restrictions by Monk Order. The table below lists other known orders of monks, the deity they hold
as a patron (if any), alignment restrictions for the order, and the
character classes open to monks of that order for the purpose of
multiclassing freely. Playing an actual member of any official order requires DM approval: these are simply multi-class guidelines. Some deities have more than one associated order
of monks; these are listed sequentially. Not all monks have to be
associated with an order, but only those that are part of an order can multiclass freely. There are no known monk orders for other faiths.
|
Deity |
Order |
Alignment |
Multiclass Allowed |
Desciption |
| None, Velsharoon |
Long Death |
evil |
assassin, blackguard, fighter. |
The Long Death order worships the principle of death without caring much
which deity currently owns the portfolio. They are more than willing to share death and its
antecedent, pain, with others. Clerics of the previous god of death, Myrkul, chose to view
them as part of their god’s long-range plans. Kelemvor views them as enemies, but is at least
pleased that they do not actively promote undeath. Velsharoon wants to woo them, but has not figured out how. |
| None |
Old Order |
usually neutral, sometimes good, rarely evil
|
rogue, sorcerer, shadowdancer (monk levels must be higher than
total of all other class levels). |
Monks of the Old Order do not worship any deity, but are devoted to the philosophy espoused
by a deity who is either now dead or has never existed on the Material Plane of Toril. The monks contradict
themselves on this point, but the deity’s identity isn’t important to them, it’s the message they care about.
The Old Order never has huge monasteries, but has spread widely throughout Faerûn. |
| Arvoreen, Cyrrollalee, Sheela, Urogalan, Yondalla |
Hin Fist |
neutral or good |
fighter, rogue, paladin |
The halflings of Luiren turn their confidence into belief in the power of a
single halfling to master herself and the world. Enterprising Luiren monks sometimes establish
monasteries in the north. Although only halflings can study Hin Fist in Luiren, some Hin Fist
monasteries outside Luiren accept exceptional gnomes and dwarves. |
| Azuth |
Shining Hand |
neutral |
wizard (if monk level exceeds
wizard level) |
The Shining Hand is one of the oldest monk orders of Amn, mixing faith in Azuth
and the practice of wizardry with monastic devotions. Amn’s crackdown on the practice of wizardry
has sent some Shining Hand groups underground and sent others out into the wider world. |
| Bane |
Order of the Iron Gauntlet |
evil |
assassin, fighter |
A small sect within the Zhentarim, these
monks train in stealth and assassination. Currently they are
few in number but their leader has been recruiting widely.
|
| Deneir |
Zealots of the Written Word |
good |
cleric |
These monks accompany clerics of Deneir on quests,
assist in moneymaking efforts for the church, and are
as fond of recording information as any devout worshiper of
Deneir. |
| Grumbar |
Disciples of the Changeless Face |
neutral |
fighter |
This stoic and spartan order is obsessed
with preserving the knowledge of how things are
(from laws to traditions to manners of speech) so that change
can be detected and countered (which often involves beating into
a pulp someone who disagrees). |
| Ilmater |
Broken Ones |
good |
clerics, divine champions, divine
disciples, divine seekers, hierophants |
Of all the popular deities of Faerûn, Ilmater is the deity most
associated with an order of monks who act purely in his name. |
| Ilmater |
Disciples of St. Sollars (Monks of the
Yellow Rose) |
good |
ranger, shadowdancer, divine chapion
|
Also known as the Disciples of Saint Sollars, this solitary monastery of
Ilmater worshipers in the Earthspur Mountains of Damara is known for loyalty to its allies
and destruction to its enemies. Greatly respected on matters of truth and diplomacy, the monks
work hard to survive in their harsh remote sanctuary. The monks often travel with Ilmataran paladins,
particularly from the Order of the Golden Cup. |
| Kossuth |
Disciples of the Phoenix |
good |
cleric |
This order (and the other two orders of Kossuthan monks)
is very insular and has a rigid tradition of study and fighting
style, as well as behavioral taboos. They are the most likely to
espouse the purifying and redeeming aspects of their deity's
element. |
| Kossuth |
Brothers and Sisters of the Pure Flame |
neutral |
cleric |
These monks seek a balance between the
purifying aspect and the destructive aspect of Kossuth's flame,
and are the mediators of the three orders. Most of them learn
Ignan to better communicate with fire elementals. |
| Kossuth |
Disciples of the Salamander |
evil |
cleric |
Some of these monks rival a Talosian fanatic's love of destructive fire, but most see it as
a necessary tool for renewal in the world. Many of them bear
brands of magical symbols on their bodies and decorate
themselves with fiery tattoos. |
| Lathander, Selûne, Sune |
Sun Soul |
good or neutral |
any one other class (as
long as monk is the highest class level) |
The allegiance of this widespread but disorganized sect varies between groups,
some following Lathander, others Selûne, and a few devoted to Sune. The Sun Soul order,
along with the Old Order, is the most likely to have monasteries hidden in far flung wilderness areas. |
| Loviatar |
Disciples of the White Rod |
evil |
cleric |
Monks of Loviatar prefer using their bare hands to
inflict pain rather than using weapons. When forced to use
weapons, they prefer nunchaku with white-bleached leather
wrappings on the hilts. |
| Luthic |
Runeclaws |
evil |
cleric, runecaster |
Because in many orc tribes females are not allowed to touch
weapons, unarmed combat has become a means for female worshipers
of Luthic to defend themselves against raiders from other
tribes. Some female orcs that are too old for childbirth
(particularly older wives of the chief) become runeclaws to
prove they are still useful to the tribe. |
| Mystra |
Flaming Star |
LN or LG |
wizards or sorcerors so long as
their monk level is higher than their other class |
|
| Oghma |
Children of the Passive Voice
|
neutral |
none |
These monks serve as guardians to libraries
and abbeys, and sometimes are sent to find lost stores of
knowledge. |
| Shar |
Dark Moon |
evil |
sorcerer (monk and sorcerer level must
be within two levels of each other) |
Shar is worshiped by a powerful sect of monks who maintain open
temples in lands rules by evil overloards or hide among hills, back alleys, or the
Underdark. Most of the Dark Moon monks are human, but occasionally they are joined
by a half-orc, shade, or drow. |
| Tiamat |
Serpent Guards |
evil |
assassin, divine champion, fighter, rogue |
These fanatics guard temples, serve as
minions to dragons, hunt dragonslayers, and assassinate
those who pry too closely into the activities of the church.
They are active in Unther and have been known to attack
Mulhorandi soldiers. |
| Tyr |
Monks of the Blinding Truth |
LG |
|
A rather new monastic order based in Westgate. |
| Tyr |
Order of the Even-Handed |
LG, LN |
cleric, fighter, sacred fist |
|
| Yurtrus |
Brotherhood of the Scarlet Scourge |
evil |
cleric |
Monks of this strange orc order bleach their
hands white and grow their nails very long. Before combat they
dip their nails in a powder made of blood infected with the red
ache (see Disease in the DUNGEON MASTER's Guide), which lets
them infect their opponents. |
Playing a Monk by Foolish Owl
Monks seek to understand timeless and eternal
principles, the abstract ideals behind everything.
Deities are incarnations of those abstract ideals, and thus worthy of
devotion and contemplation. But it is the ideals that matter,
not their personifications. Justice matters, and Tyr matters
only as an incarnation of that infinite, eternal principle. It's
worth noting that while most monastic orders are nominally
devoted to a deity, in some cases, it's not clear whether the
identity of the deity really matters, as with the Order of the
Long Death, or whether the deity actually exists at all, as with
the Old Order.
It's also worth noting that the powers that
monks obtain seem to come, not as gifts of the gods, but from
within, from their own profound self-discipline and
preternatural identification with their ideals.
Monks seek to overcome the limitations of
their own identity, and become living incarnations of the
eternal principles they believe in. In so doing, the mortal
world of history and conflict trouble them less and less. They
come to be in the world, but not of the world. They wander,
seeking tests to refine and prove themselves. A monk fights a
dragon, not because it's a test of his courage, but because it's
a test of how his devotion to the principle of Courage. The
dragon doesn't matter much, in itself.
The most wise and powerful of monks cease to
be entirely mortal. They become "outsiders," literally dwelling
in the world, but no longer part of the world.
Monks get along well with clerics who value
the same ideals they do. But they find the absorption of clerics
in worldly, temporal matters to be distracting. Druids, monks
scarcely understand at all. Druids are entirely wrapped up in a
chaotic, transient world, and ignore the abstract ideals that
matter more than life. Druids and monks can pass each other by
without even seeing each other, so to speak.
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