Personally, I think the lawful / chaotic restrictions are close minded. Imagine this concept, a law enforcer who goes into a rage when ever someone breaks the law. Personally I don't think law has anything to do with raging. And with the Serene variant, it makes absolutely no sense whatsoever that the Barbarian should be chaotic.
If it's your game, you should go ahead and do what you see is fit. That's the GM's job. I personally would just remove the stringent and in that particular case nonsensical restriction.
I think that would be too much when multi-classing with Monk, or Paladin for that matter.
Conceptually, gaining AC bonuses and Save bonuses linked to WIS and DEX from the ´Serene state´ is pretty much on par with the Monk´s WIS to AC, etc, so having both being compatable, and both being tied to being Lawful just doesn´t work IMHO.
I absolutely HATE the alignment restrictions. Monks should be able to be Chaotic... (at least Neutral) and Barbarians can be anything they darn well please ;)
I think that would be too much when multi-classing with Monk, or Paladin for that matter.
Conceptually, gaining AC bonuses and Save bonuses linked to WIS and DEX from the ´Serene state´ is pretty much on par with the Monk´s WIS to AC, etc, so having both being compatable, and both being tied to being Lawful just doesn´t work IMHO.
Well thats fine but dont for get martial artist dont have a restriction so i can just go martial artist barbarian and have a brutal multiclass barb/monk anyway even if i dont have an armor class thats massive.
The only class restrictions to alignment I have always felt was Paladins (always lawful), other than that I have never been a big fan of alignment restrictions for other classes. I used to argue monks being lawful is not always the case in history. There were monks in city of Kyoto that would periodically raid the city and change the government when the need suited them. There are monks like drunken monk who is not lawful in my book, different styles can work well with different alingments. Same goes for barbarians, why always chaotic?, I mean a neutral barbarian who only rages when it is neccessary is feesable I see no issues with allowing things if given good background.I absolutely HATE the alignment restrictions. Monks should be able to be Chaotic... (at least Neutral) and Barbarians can be anything they darn well please ;)
I hear what you are saying but i am raising you to cleric alingment restrictions.
I hear what you are saying but i am raising you to cleric alingment restrictions.
I will ammend my statement that Paladins and Clerics SHOULD have Alignment restrictions. Their 'personality' is tied directly with thier god....
on a second note though... do Clerics actually have a restriction? There are CE clerics all over the place... If you want to play a CN priest... there should be one you can pick, it just may not be the god you WANTED to play ;)
But monks and barbarians?? Yeah, that was just annoying.
Yes the clerics don't have a universal alingment restrictions but have alingment restrictions depending on the god they worship, specifically they must be within one step of their god's alingment.
Sorry for the necro, but I'd like to point out that the person who designed the Serene Barbarian is in favor of flipping the restriction.
Just to let you know, Joegoat, I designed the serene barbarian for Strategists & Tacticians. S&T predates the Advanced Player’s Guide, and it isn’t technically an archetype, it’s an alternate class features. The difference is basically split hairs, but if any of those split hairs matter, let me know if I can help shed some light on the mechanics.
Trogdar, CKorfmann, were I to have designed the serene barbarian as an archetype, I would have flipped the alignment restriction to any non-chaotic. My inspiration for the class was River Tam from Firefly, the idea that this meek, unassuming character can switch off her brain and switch on martial arts really appealed to me as a class concept. I think multi-classing into monk makes great thematic sense in that case.
You can find the quote at this thread: http://paizo.com/threads/rzs2ot8l?Jedi-i-mean-serene-barbarian#15
Additionally, if your DM won't let you out and you want a work around, the Aasimar race has a racial trait called Enlightened Warrior that allows you to take Monk levels as a NG or N character.
I'm in the "don't like alignment restrictions to begin with" crowd. It's one thing with divine classes that actually draw their power from spiritual belief and conviction, and entirely another to place alignment restrictions on a style of combat.
There's no reason for any Barbarian of any archetype to have an alignment restriction. It's pure bull.
Yes the clerics don't have a universal alingment restrictions but have alingment restrictions depending on the god they worship, specifically they must be within one step of their god's alingment.
And if you don't have a god, no problem.