Monk Talent Tree
For the truly exemplary, martial skill transcends the battlefield. It is a lifestyle, a doctrine, a state of mind. These warrior-artists search out methods of battle beyond swords and shields, finding weapons within themselves just as capable of crippling or killing as any blade. These monks (so called since they adhere to ancient philosophies and strict martial disciplines) elevate their bodies to become weapons of war, from battle-minded ascetics to self-taught brawlers. Monks tread the path of discipline, and those with the will to endure that path discover within themselves not what they are, but what they are meant to be.
Core Talents
| Talent | CP | Prerequisites |
|---|---|---|
| Martial Arts | 5 | Unarmed Weapon Training |
| Intuitive Defence | 5 | Wisdom 13 |
| Unburdened Step | 5 | Dexterity 13 |
| Chi | 5 | Martial Arts |
| Inner Peace | 10 | Chi |
| Stillness of Mind | 10 | Inner Peace |
| Slow Fall | 10 | Unburdened Step, Chi |
| Evasion | 15 | Intuitive Defence |
| Purity of Body | 30 | Stillness of Mind |
| Tongue of the Sun and Moon | 50 | Purity of Body |
| Diamond Soul | 50 | Tongue of the Sun and Moon |
| Timeless Body | 65 | Diamond Soul |
| Empty Body | 80 | Timeless Body |
| Perfect Self | 100 | Empty Body |
Martial Arts
Cost: 5 Character Points
Prerequisite: Unarmed Weapon Training
Through your practice of martial arts, you have acquired a deep knowledge and understanding of combat styles that use [unarmed strikes](https://stormchaserroleplaying.com/stormchaserRPG/. Your [unarmed strikes](https://stormchaserroleplaying.com/stormchaserRPG/ are considered to have the light and finesse properties. Additonally, your [unarmed strikes](https://stormchaserroleplaying.com/stormchaserRPG/ may be with fists, elbows, knees and feet. This means that you may make [unarmed strikes](https://stormchaserroleplaying.com/stormchaserRPG/ with your hands full.
Intuitive Defence
Cost: 5 Character Points
Prerequisite: Wisdom 13
You may add your Wisdom modifier to your Dexterity Defense.
Unburdened Step
Cost: 5 Character Points
Prerequisite: Dexterity 13
While you are neither wearing armour, nor wielding a shield, your speed increases by 10 feet.
Chi
Cost: 5 Character Points
Prerequisite: Martial Arts
Your training allows you to harness the mystic inner energy of chi, which is another term for mana.
As long as you have at least 1 mana remaining, you gain the following benefits:
- Your unarmed strikes count as magical for the purposes of overcoming resistance and immunity to non-magical attacks and damage.
- The damage die of your [unarmed strikes](https://stormchaserroleplaying.com/stormchaserRPG/ increases by 1 step (e.g. 1 becomes 1d4, 1d4 becomes 1d6, 1d6 becomes 1d8, etc.).
Additionally, you can expend mana to fuel various chi powers. Some chi powers require you to make a chi attack roll versus your target’s defence. This is an attack roll using your unarmed proficiency and your Wisdom bonus. When you take the Chi talent, you learn one such chi power.
Inner Peace
Cost: 10 Character Points
Prerequisite: Chi
Add your Wisdom modifier to your maximum mana.
Stillness of Mind
Cost: 10 Character Points
Prerequisite: Inner Peace
On your turn, you can expend two actions to end one effect on yourself that is causing you to be charmed or frightened.
Slow Fall
Cost: 10 Character Points
Prerequisite: Unburdened Step, Chi
Your speed bonus from Unburdened Step increases to 20 feet and you gain the ability to move along vertical surfaces and across liquids on your turn without falling during your move.
You learn the Feather Fall spell. You always have this spell prepared and it does not count against your number of spells prepared.
Evasion
Cost: 15 Character Points
Prerequisite: Intuitive Defence
Your instinctive agility lets you dodge out of the way of certain area effects, such as a blue dragon’s lightning breath or a fireball spell. When you are subjected to an effect that deals only half damage on a miss, you instead take no damage on a miss and only half damage on a hit.
Purity of Body
Cost: 30 Character Points
Prerequisite: Stillness of Mind
Your mastery of the chi flowing through you makes you immune to disease and poison.
Tongue of the Sun and Moon
Cost: 50 Character Points
Prerequisite: Purity of Body
You learn to touch the chi of other minds so that you understand all spoken languages. Moreover, any creature that can understand a language can understand what you say.
Diamond Soul
Cost: 50 Character Points
Prerequisite: Tongue of the Sun and Moon
You mastery of chi grants +1d to all defenses.
Additionally, whenever you make a defence check and fail, you may spend 1 mana to reroll it and take the second result.
Timeless Body
Cost: 65 Character Points
Prerequisite: Diamond Soul
Your chi sustains you so that you suffer none of the frailty of old age.
You can’t be aged magically. However, you can still die of old age. In addition, you no longer need food or water.
Empty Body
Cost: 80 Character Points
Prerequisite: Timeless Body
You learn the Invisibility spell. You always have this spell prepared and it does not count against your number of spells prepared. You can cast this spell as a single action and, for its duration, you have resistance to all damage, except energy.
Additionally, you learn the Astral Projection spell. You always have this spell prepared and it does not count against your number of spells prepared. You can cast this spell without material components. When you do so, you cannot take any other creatures with you.
Perfect Self
Cost: 100 Character Points
Prerequisite: Empty Body
You’ve gained perfect control over your body.
Your Dexterity and Wisdom scores increase by 2. Your maximum for those scores increases by 22.
Additionally, when you roll for initiative and have no mana remaining, you regain an amount of mana equal to your Wisdom modifier.