Recently, there has been much discussion about monks and their lack of recent success. Although this does not deal with balancing, I think the class would be more interesting with a few more race choices. Personally, I would suggest elf and drow. In a way, they would be more to the extremes with int and dex, but would have to sacrifice a lot of constitution and strength.
Also, I feel the roleplay aspect of it would fit well in Forsaken Lands. Elves are contemplative, respectful and wise, almost in the same manner I picture a good aligned monk. Drows, on the other hand, are inherently evil, full of malice and mischief, at times displaying hatred and rage, but also capable of emotional self-restraint, something that would fit the evil aligned monks extremely well.
Anyone else has opinions on this?
I think everyone and their mother would kill for a elf monk. I'm pretty sure that high dex would be insane for a monk to have.
WC
I'm not quite so sure about that. Whenever there was a successful monk it was a high strength one (human or undead). The lower con will make them fragile, and the experience penalty is a huge upgrade from the other two. I think they would be balanced, allowing a wider range in stats.
For example, an elf would have one point more of dexterity than a half-elf, but one point lower strength and two points lower constitution. The drow would have two points more of dexterity. I seriously doubt that would make them overpowered. The experience penalty is quite steep as well.
Personally, I would kill for an elf or drow monk merely out of the RP aspects.
Yea, well I want my Illithid Monk, personally.
I want my Slith Monk. 
if anything were to be modified on monk races, it should be take away h-elf and only allow humans.
why cant I have my Fire giant monk with fire elemental beads...
Seriously though, more races would be awesome. Possibly open them up to neutrals and let there be a nature monk. That would be awesome.
I never got why monks couldn't be Neutral in the first place. I personally think a monk could be a Bastion of Neutrality with their mindset and mantras. Live and let live types of people, Isolationists, etc. Is there a reason they can't be?
The reason was because they have to be firm in Religious beliefs. That was before there was even a Religion system. Some of these help files are absolutly ancient.
Well, what if their religion is Neutrality or Battle or Nature? I think Human Monks could be allowed to be neutral without too many problems.
The reason was because they have to be firm in Religious beliefs. That was before there was even a Religion system. Some of these help files are absolutly ancient.
i think more monk races would be great.
Neutrality has nothing to do with Religion.
Monks have ZERO to do with religion, its about self improvement of body and mind.
There are no resons for us not to have NEUTRAL clerics.
And even less for NEUTRAL monks.
Nature has Zero to do with Neutrality.
Nuetral monk would be overpowered IMHO. No protection vs Good or Evil. Ouch.
That works bouth ways. Look at berserkers.
And by the way Elf Monks would be powerhouses.
That works bouth ways. Look at berserkers.
And by the way Elf Monks would be powerhouses.
I don't think they would. Any specific reason behind your statement?
I don't think they would do very well either, a bit more dex won't really make up for the lost hp (con) and str.
The reasons clerics and monks in general can't be neutral goes back to before the current religion system was implemented in FL. Way back when, you were good, neutral, or evil. Good and evil were considered religions, whereas neutrality was looked at as a balancing force between good and evil. There wasn't a combat religion, a neutrality religion, etc. Now, it's been kept (I think) primarily for balance reasons. Neutral clerics would require some new coding to be implemented as a class, as cleric spells change based on align somewhat, and neutral monks would be somewhat overpowered, as they would not be subject to prot good/evil as current ones are. Monks ARE religious in nature, whether they follow combat and want purity of mind and body or follow some other religion and want otherwise.