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Mystaran Monks

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
zombiegleemax
Dec 17, 2004 8:46:14 I have a player that would like to play a monk in the Mystara game I am starting up. Since there was the Mystic class in Original D&D, I believe that monks have a place on Mystara. However, the person also wants their character to be Asian. This is fine with me as well, but I'm not really sure which nations on Mystara might be considered "Asian-like", and would like to know just where the Mystic Order might have originated.

I don't have any of the old Gazeteers, and am working mostly from old modules and First Quest material. However, these don't seem to cover this particular question.

Anybody got anything official on Mystaran monks, or at least any good house rules regarding them?
#2
lonewolf
Dec 17, 2004 10:24:42 There are monks in Sind and I have a monk from Sind in my Campaign.

Sind lies west of Darokin, Glantri and the Athruagin clans and east of the great Desert.
It is closely connected with the RealWorld Indian culture and is covered mostly by the Champions of Mystara boxed set.
#3
zombiegleemax
Dec 17, 2004 11:01:49 It depends what you mean by monk.

If you mean an ascetic individual seeking the meaning of life, then Sind is a good place for a nation which would support such; or create a secret community - which could be almost anywhere. The most Asian might be Ethengar?

If you mean a class that plays a martial artist, you have more options. I let a player play an Atruaghin with some "martial arts" type skills, and it felt all right.

You primarily need a teacher. A Thyatian could set out to explore the world and be taken in by an old hermit somewhere in the Broken Lands ... (?)
#4
katana_one
Dec 17, 2004 11:33:45 Don't forget Ochalea is an "Asian-like" setting, too.

Sind, Ethengar and Ochalea are all good places for a "Kung-Fu Theatre" style Monk class to originate from.
#5
zombiegleemax
Dec 17, 2004 11:41:42 I was thinking about the Ethengar Khanates myself. The player is a martial artist in real life, and I think had something in mind similar to the Shao-Lin school. Where could I find more information on Ochalea, and how hard would I have to dig for it?
#6
katana_one
Dec 17, 2004 12:02:41 Ochalea can be found in the Dawn of the Emperors boxed set, but it's not too detailed there.

I'm sure you could find lots of (un)official material on the Vaults of Pandius website, or just by entering "Ochalea" into a Google search.
#7
zombiegleemax
Dec 17, 2004 13:50:26 There is also a strong martial arts tradition on the Savage Coast amongst the tortles and rakasta.
#8
agathokles
Dec 18, 2004 6:06:52
Anybody got anything official on Mystaran monks, or at least any good house rules regarding them?

Well, the Vaults of Pandius feature a few articles on Martial Arts:
http://www.mystaranet.jamm.com/vaults/html/rules.html#martialarts

Here is a list of the canon references to Martial Arts (not only unarmed) in Mystara:
Mystic Order of Saffron Glantri GAZ3
*Ten Thousand Fists of the Khan Ethengar GAZ3
*Torasta Bellayne SCS
Dervishes Ylaruam GAZ2
Fakirs Sind, Ylaruam CoM
Keis Sind CoM
Jashpurdhanas Sind CoM
Shehids Sind CoM
Svamins Sind CoM
Yogins Sind CoM
*Yellow Orkian Martial Arts Yellow Orkia GAZ10
Shadow Elves Martial Arts SE Territories GAZ14
Dominguez Fencing School Torreón SCS
Cavalcante Fencing School Vilaverde SCS
Moncorvo Fencing School Texeiras SCS
Verdegild Fencing School Eusdria SCS
Darokin Rapier Fighting Darokin GAZ11
Thyatian Gladiators Thyatis DotE
*Shar-Pei Polearm Fighting Ochalea DM237

I've added a '*' before those martial arts or groups that can be related to Chinese and Japanese MA.
Specifically, Rakasta MA should parallel RW Japanese MA, while Ochalean MA would match Chinese MA.
Yellow Orks and Ethengar are culturally related and generally Asian (specifically, Mongolian).
#9
zombiegleemax
Dec 24, 2004 13:38:46 There aren't many "asian" cultures in Mystara. As pointed out, Ochalea and the Rakasta tend to correspond to Chinese and Japanese RW cultures. There was a stab at an "M-Orient" project about 5-6 years ago, I guess, on the Mystara Mailing List (is that even still around?).

The toughest thing about playing an asian-style character is that most people have no idea what medieval Asian life was like. There are just fundamental differences between asian and western thought, and nowhere else would the differences be so drastic as with a monk.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 zombiegleemax Dec 17, 2004 8:46:14	I have a player that would like to play a monk in the Mystara game I am starting up. Since there was the Mystic class in Original D&D, I believe that monks have a place on Mystara. However, the person also wants their character to be Asian. This is fine with me as well, but I'm not really sure which nations on Mystara might be considered "Asian-like", and would like to know just where the Mystic Order might have originated. I don't have any of the old Gazeteers, and am working mostly from old modules and First Quest material. However, these don't seem to cover this particular question. Anybody got anything official on Mystaran monks, or at least any good house rules regarding them?
#2 lonewolf Dec 17, 2004 10:24:42	There are monks in Sind and I have a monk from Sind in my Campaign. Sind lies west of Darokin, Glantri and the Athruagin clans and east of the great Desert. It is closely connected with the RealWorld Indian culture and is covered mostly by the Champions of Mystara boxed set.
#3 zombiegleemax Dec 17, 2004 11:01:49	It depends what you mean by monk. If you mean an ascetic individual seeking the meaning of life, then Sind is a good place for a nation which would support such; or create a secret community - which could be almost anywhere. The most Asian might be Ethengar? If you mean a class that plays a martial artist, you have more options. I let a player play an Atruaghin with some "martial arts" type skills, and it felt all right. You primarily need a teacher. A Thyatian could set out to explore the world and be taken in by an old hermit somewhere in the Broken Lands ... (?)
#4 katana_one Dec 17, 2004 11:33:45	Don't forget Ochalea is an "Asian-like" setting, too. Sind, Ethengar and Ochalea are all good places for a "Kung-Fu Theatre" style Monk class to originate from.
#5 zombiegleemax Dec 17, 2004 11:41:42	I was thinking about the Ethengar Khanates myself. The player is a martial artist in real life, and I think had something in mind similar to the Shao-Lin school. Where could I find more information on Ochalea, and how hard would I have to dig for it?
#6 katana_one Dec 17, 2004 12:02:41	Ochalea can be found in the Dawn of the Emperors boxed set, but it's not too detailed there. I'm sure you could find lots of (un)official material on the Vaults of Pandius website, or just by entering "Ochalea" into a Google search.
#7 zombiegleemax Dec 17, 2004 13:50:26	There is also a strong martial arts tradition on the Savage Coast amongst the tortles and rakasta.
#8 agathokles Dec 18, 2004 6:06:52	Anybody got anything official on Mystaran monks, or at least any good house rules regarding them? Well, the Vaults of Pandius feature a few articles on Martial Arts: http://www.mystaranet.jamm.com/vaults/html/rules.html#martialarts Here is a list of the canon references to Martial Arts (not only unarmed) in Mystara: Mystic Order of Saffron Glantri GAZ3 Ten Thousand Fists of the Khan Ethengar GAZ3 Torasta Bellayne SCS Dervishes Ylaruam GAZ2 Fakirs Sind, Ylaruam CoM Keis Sind CoM Jashpurdhanas Sind CoM Shehids Sind CoM Svamins Sind CoM Yogins Sind CoM Yellow Orkian Martial Arts Yellow Orkia GAZ10 Shadow Elves Martial Arts SE Territories GAZ14 Dominguez Fencing School Torreón SCS Cavalcante Fencing School Vilaverde SCS Moncorvo Fencing School Texeiras SCS Verdegild Fencing School Eusdria SCS Darokin Rapier Fighting Darokin GAZ11 Thyatian Gladiators Thyatis DotE Shar-Pei Polearm Fighting Ochalea DM237 I've added a '*' before those martial arts or groups that can be related to Chinese and Japanese MA. Specifically, Rakasta MA should parallel RW Japanese MA, while Ochalean MA would match Chinese MA. Yellow Orks and Ethengar are culturally related and generally Asian (specifically, Mongolian).
#9 zombiegleemax Dec 24, 2004 13:38:46	There aren't many "asian" cultures in Mystara. As pointed out, Ochalea and the Rakasta tend to correspond to Chinese and Japanese RW cultures. There was a stab at an "M-Orient" project about 5-6 years ago, I guess, on the Mystara Mailing List (is that even still around?). The toughest thing about playing an asian-style character is that most people have no idea what medieval Asian life was like. There are just fundamental differences between asian and western thought, and nowhere else would the differences be so drastic as with a monk.