Monk of Four Winds Monkey path-alignment?

[Chaotik]

Ok. I'm a BIG fan of the Monkey King. (Sun Wukong)and when I found out that upon reaching the upper levels (17 for tnrasformation, 20 for Immortality) you can BECOME a version/imitation of him, i loved the idea. The question i have though is this: it says in the APG that the Monkey monk can be of any alignment...but is he still restricted to LAWFUL alignments to reach that 20th level? and for that matter, after he reincarnates...is he no longer 20th level, and thus loses that ability until he adventures his way back up to 20 again?

[Matt Thomason]

While I can't answer your question, I just wanted to check you have the Dragon Empires Gazetteer - Sun Wukong is available as a deity in that book :) (Figured as a fan you might like to know, if you don't have it already!)

[septimus77]

Well if you want to look like sun wukong you could be a vanara and sun wukong could be your deity.

As for alignment, there is one monk Archetype that can be any alignment the Martial Artist but it doesn't have a ki pool, idk if that will be a problem for you. but you could multiclass with the ninja class for a ki pool.

or you could be a lawful Neutral Monk or Drunken Master and focus more on the bolded parts.

Lawful Neutral wrote:

A lawful neutral character acts as law, tradition, or a personal code directs her. Order and organization are paramount. She may believe in personal order and live by a code or standard, or she may believe in order for all and favor a strong, organized government.

Lawful neutral means you are reliable and honorable without being a zealot.

[Mojorat]

By any alignment its likely refering to lg ln or le. As anything ekse eould requireexplaining more than it does.

[septimus77]

Mojorat wrote:

By any alignment its likely refering to lg ln or le. As anything ekse eould requireexplaining more than it does.

A monk could already be LG LN or LE.

For example A hobgoblin monk would most likely be lawful evil or lawful neutral. They even have there own archtype ironskin monk

The Martail Artist can be any alignment and has no ki at all, which is one of the cool things about being a monk.

[Fomsie]

The other aspects that specify alignment all do so along the Good-Evil axis only. As the monk class must be Lawful except where a specific example is given, such as the Martial Artist, and no specific example is given here, then the character must still be Lawful. The alignment information on the animal aspects is not a "bonus" deviation from the monk restriction, but an additional requirement. For example you cannot be an Oni aspect UNLESS you are evil.

As for the reincarnation, why would he lose a level? It says it functions as the reincarnate spell.

PRD on Reincarnate wrote:

A reincarnated creature recalls the majority of its former life and form. It retains any class abilities, feats, or skill ranks it formerly possessed. Its class, base attack bonus, base save bonuses, and hit points are unchanged.

[Kazaan]

Keep in mind that the alignment restrictions only apply to taking levels as a Monk. Changing to a prohibited alignment doesn't cause you to lose any abilities, it just means you can't take Monk levels until you return to an allowed alignment. So, while the Kirin aspect restricts you to LG specifically, the Oni form only restricts you to Evil so if you drop from LE to LN, you can't take new levels of Monk but you keep the abilities of the Oni aspect. Monkey aspect is open to a Monk of any alignment so, no matter what you move to, you won't lose that ability. Additionally, there's an Aasimar Race trait, Enlightened Warrior, that expands Monk alignment restrictions to include NG and TN. A Kirin Aspect LG Monk would lose both Kirin aspect and ability to take further Monk levels if he drops to NG, but if you had Enlightened Warrior, you'd only lose the aspect but retain the ability to take Monk levels. Non-Aasimar would have to spend their social trait on Adopted in order to take Enlightened Warrior.

[Chaotik]

Fomsie wrote:

The other aspects that specify alignment all do so along the Good-Evil axis only. As the monk class must be Lawful except where a specific example is given, such as the Martial Artist, and no specific example is given here, then the character must still be Lawful. The alignment information on the animal aspects is not a "bonus" deviation from the monk restriction, but an additional requirement. For example you cannot be an Oni aspect UNLESS you are evil.

As for the reincarnation, why would he lose a level? It says it functions as the reincarnate spell.

PRD on Reincarnate wrote:

A reincarnated creature recalls the majority of its former life and form. It retains any class abilities, feats, or skill ranks it formerly possessed. Its class, base attack bonus, base save bonuses, and hit points are unchanged.

it ALSO says the subject gains two permanant negative levels. though i suppose he could go get restoration...maybe.

[Kazaan]

Negative levels don't affect what class abilities you have; they just affect what level you count as in determining their affects. So you'd keep your lvl 20 Monk ability, but you'd be treated as a lvl 18 Monk for your Unarmed Strike damage, the conditions you can apply with Stunning Fist, Monk AC, etc.