Dungeons and Dragons Online offers eye-catching look at Monks
by Rubi Bayer 
Nov 12th 2009 at 12:00PM
Filed under: Fantasy, Galleries, Screenshots, Dungeons and Dragons Online, Free-to-play
The DDO site gives a brief summary of what monks are about: "Monks use an energy called ki to perform amazing techniques in battle. Usually fighting without weapons and armor, they can assist allies or destroy enemies but take longer to master than the other melee classes." The site continues with an extensive overview of the monk's skills, strengths, and weaknesses, as well as a look at the three paths a monk can choose to follow. The path of shadow offers a more aggressive fighting style, heavier on the damage side than the healing side. The path of light, of course, offers the opposite: more party benefits and less damage over time. And finally, the two-headed heron follows the path of light and benefits its allies, but also delivers damage to enemies as a dual-wielder of monk weapons.
Check out the official site for more information on the monk, and check out our gallery for a more visual look at the class.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
LaughingTarget said on 12:43PM 11-12-2009
I refuse to have anything to do with monks in D&D. They're just too out of place in a game designed around Western high fantasy. Ki, monastic orders of hand to hand combattants just doesn't work in the setting. They're also a cheese class, way too dominant in the game.
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THAC0 said on 3:59PM 11-12-2009
Its hard to call the world of Eberron Western high fantasy. Greyhawk or Dragonlance yes; this world... not so much the same.
LaughingTarget said on 4:33PM 11-12-2009
I don't see it. Everything is pretty much your stock Western European fantasy mash-up, then you have monks. They just feel so out of place.
Marco said on 6:08PM 11-12-2009
Eberron has magic trains, airships a banking system interconnected with magic portals, psionics and intelligent+emotional constructs running around all over the place. Western Europe during medieval times + wizards it ain't.
K1LLSWITCH said on 3:58PM 11-13-2009
I agree. Monks really have nothing to do with D&D. As was said, the world(s) of Dungeons and Dragons are set in a medieval European theme. And by adding a Monk the first thing that comes to mind is the anime stylings of Dragonball Z, or the exaggerated cinematics of Crouching Tiger, hidden Dragon, or The Matrix. The Monk is obviously a throw-in to appeal to a certain type of player, and as for me and alot of fans of the table-top game, it would of been better if the class was killed off out-right because it separates so much from itself to the core theme of the game.
Neurotic said on 4:43PM 11-12-2009
Weellll, I tend to agree here, but I think it's less the setting and more the whole concept of anything oriental being in D&D. Even though they had that whole Oriental Adventures setting, it does seem kind of odd.
Having said that, I've played a monk in EQ2 for years, and have no problems accepting them in the Norrathian world. But then, I've been D&Ding for nearly 30 years, so the prejudice is a bit more ingrained there I think. :D
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Sarr said on 7:06PM 11-14-2009
Sorry people, buy you've strayed very far from the D&D roots if you think so. In second edition there were specific eastern influenced campaing settings and modules.
D&D Online simply offers no novelty here. It's all part of D&D since almost the beginning. You can even find a monk in some older cRPGs, from Eye of The Beholder era.
Even second edition Forgotten Realms has official modules for eastern kingdoms. Not to mention 3rd Edition.
I do not say I love it, but it adds some variety. There's nothing wrong in this, that was even our medieval reality - we had knights and inqusition, they've had samurai warriors, ninja, etc. Funny, but that's how it was back then. Only traveling to see this variety was much more diffiucult, and hostility prevented any contact further.
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