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Alright, so I've been looking at the monk class for awhile, and have really wanted to play a monastic character lately. Unfortunately, the Pathfinder monk class only really works, mechanically, for the eastern shaolin variety of monk. With the advanced player's guide and ultimate combat, however, I think that I may have come up with a passable non-martial-art based monk build, who focuses his ability scores in mental stats rather than physical and is much more conducive to a pacifistic monk of a western tradition. My only question now is whether or not I will be useful to a party with said build, and with this I require your sage advice. I'm not aiming to have the greatest build in the world, just to be a character that will actually contribute to a party in a standard campaign. So, here goes:
My DM is likely to go for a 20-point buy score system, and im not sure if he would let me start at middle age. If he does, my statline for a human monk should be 10 12 12 14 18 14 at level 1. If he does not, it will be 10 10 10 14 18 14.
I will be taking the Ki Mystic, Sensei, and Monk of the Lotus archetypes. These three will sacrifice most of my offensive unarmed strike power, while giving me bardic performance, knowledge and skill check bonuses, the ability to let other party members reroll their actions, a larger ki pool, and a more pacifistic replacement for stunning fist as compensation. Additionally, I will take the vows of celibacy, cleanliness, fasting, and peace, as they fit with the intended western-style monastic character and further increase my ki pool. I would take poverty, but fear that such would be a headache for my DM, who would be less able to balance my character via loot drops.
So, at level 4 i will be a monk with a +7 to hit and 1d8 unarmed damage, 12 ki, 16 AC, +1 Inspire Courage, +2 to knowledge checks, +4 to skill check ki power, 28 skill points, no flurry of blows, a no-damage stunning fist that prevents moving or attacking at a higher DC, and 4d8+4 HP. Decent enough as a support/skill-monkey to not be a liability?
Here is my take (in the alias profile) on the western European friar. He's done as a cleric/bard multiclass (of Sheyln in the Golarion setting), with all his class spells and abilities fluffed as Gregorian chants.
I would avoid some of the vows you listed, due to possible unintended consequences; Celibacy goes waaaay past being Celibate (can't touch or be touched, even for things like beneficial spells... which I believe removes options like teleport and most healing from the party as far as you're concerned), and fasting prevents the consumption of potions, which could kill you.
Peace and Cleanliness seem like they would be ok choices for you though.
This is my attempt.
See if your GM will allow Nature as a class skill in exchange for something else. Most of the monks of this type worked gardens and farms around the monastery. Also, Heal, (which I know already is a class skill) as many of the items grown in the garden were of medicinal value. Extra language proficiencies could also fit the theme.
And he doesn't have to be unarmed, though it does make sense. Pretty much any tool used for farming/shepherding: staff, sling, flail, spear (spade), trident (pitchfork), scythe . . .
I also think the Bard mix would go well thematically.
I don't think you should get hung up on the Monk class, which is, as you say, based on eastern variety. Nor in fact would I worry too much about finding a religious class. Historically monks and friars were not necessarily all that well educated or even devout and miracles are only attributed to saints, whereas in Pathfinder they are ten-a-penny.
Most NPC monks would probably be Experts with a focus on craft and profession skills like SCribe, Brewer, Farmer. They migh also be clerics with Cloistered archetype, but that's reeally only for NPCS if you ask me.
In terms of making a PC I would make a monk as an ordinary character with a particular background and outlook on life. Vows of Poverty, Chastity and Obediance don't need mechanics, you can just roleplay them. I'm sure there are traits that allow access to Knowledge: Religion as a class skill if you want. For example, Friar Tuck from the Robin Hood stories is normally portrayed as overweight, a heavy drinker. He's pretty uncivilised and much better with a quarterstaff than one would expect but his heart is in the right place...and he's be fun to play. I'd make him as a Chaotic Good Fighter or Ranger with high strength and Constituion and a focus on the quarterstaff.
Another well known fictional monk (at least in Britain!) is Brother Cadfael who is a monk detective. He's middle-aged and fought as a crusader before taking holy orders. I'd stat him as a Fighter / Rogue(Detective) with above average mental stats and profession herbalist.
I'd also go along with the suggestion of a re-flavoured Bard, if that gives you what you want.
In terms of being a pacifist I don't think you need to cripple yourself in combat. There's no reason why you wouldn't fight undead or many of the monsters that roam the world, the difference would be your motivation. You would strive to protect innocents and especially the members of your own religion. You would avoid combat and use subdual damage on civilised opponents.
Do a bit of research on what constituted the vows of the many orders of monks. Remember that you're looking at a fantasy version and feel free to modify.
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Now the Monk character class, unfortunately this leads to many misunderstandings because many people initially assume a monk is someone in a monastery who has a tonsure and illuminates manuscripts and conserves knowledge. Not a "shao Lin" monk. I think the name “monk” itself is confining and misleading. The next people thing people often assume is that this monk is in a monetary with a shaved head etc… While there are many permutations and character concepts for an unarmed warrior I think the word monk can be confining. I often wish Pathfinder had changed the name of the "monk" class to "martial Artist" or something like that. Then I think the class would have a similar widening of character concepts and associations in much the same way changing the class name Thief to Rogue did.
Then the Monk name can be used to describe a non martial divine caster. people who want to make a monk who is someone in a monastery who illuminates manuscripts and conserves knowledge are now stuck with names like Cloistered Cleric, Priest, others....
Please excuse the rant
Here is a possible character class you might find useful. It is called a priest
I hope this helps
Then the Monk name can be used to describe a non martial divine caster. people who want to make a monk who is someone in a monastery who illuminates manuscripts and conserves knowledge are now stuck with names like Cloistered Cleric, Priest, others....
I hope this helps
Well, I'm actually looking for a very specific character RP-wise here. Specifically, the idea was for him to be a dominican-monk-like devotee of Erastil (or another neutral/lawful good diety, probably not erastil now that i think about it given his decentralized religion, so whichever good diety has a highly structured hierarchy in their church.) who was rejected as a potential cleric early in his life for political reasons. Not being trained as a divine caster or channeler of divine power, he nonetheless devoted his life to study of Erastil's book as well as general scholasticism, community service, and seeking to perfect himself according tot he doctrine of Erastil. Thus, he isn't a divine spellcaster, but rather gains power from his own self-discipline and meditation on divine doctrine, while being incredibly knowledgable and a source of wisdom and advice for others. Additionally, he wouldnt wear armor, believing his faith in Erastil sufficient to protect him. He's basically an old, wise ascetic who doesnt directly wield divine power, but is a fount of wisdom, is incredibly disciplined, and does what he can to embody the doctrines of his god. I felt that operating within the monk class while taking these three archetypes fit that character image the best. He may end up taking cleric levels as he progresses, if the DM chooses for the Church to offer him a "second chance", but I don't want him being a spellcaster off the bat.
I realize that the "monk" class refers specifically to the shaolin-style unarmed fighter, but I'm not actually seeing any better way to fit mechanics to my specific character image. I know that mehcanics to fit the character's existance as an RP entity aren't really neccesary, but I like them to fit as well as possible.
And Marus, the Sensei archetype gives all knowledge skills as class skills, so I think I've already got that.
Sounds like a ranger to me. Fiddle with the archetypes some, make up an unarmed ranger combat style if you really want, and take some traits for the missing knowledge skills. Your fluff will be very different, but you're just reskinning the class. Actually, the archery combat would work, since it's so important to erastil (blunted arrows?). Use the companions hunter's bond. Terrain and enemies are his natural wisdom. His limited spells are his amateur attempts (or use a non-caster archetype).
On a related note, I would urge you to be careful with vows. Make sure your character's convictions aren't forced on the party. There's a reason everyone hated paladin restrictions - they made it hard for the whole party, not just the paladin.
Might I suggest an Inquisitor instead of a Monk. You stated you did not want spell casting right off the bat but an Inquisitor has very limited casting to start with. They also have a lot of skills and most of the knowledge's as class skills.