Monk

Monks were spiritual ascetics and practitioners of a mystical energy known as ki, the magical essence which flows through all living things. Monks utilized this energy to augment their own physical abilities, granting them extraordinary speed and strength. Monks could also use their own ki to alter the energy flow in other living creatures, for both defensive and offensive purposes. Monks' ability to manipulate ki was often (but not always) mediated by their own psionic ability.

Sabuti Shanardanda was a notable monk from Amn during the Era of Upheaval. Danica Maupoissant was another notable monk studying at Spirit Soaring (Edificant Library). Grandmaster Kane was an incredibly powerful monk of the order of Ilmater, one of the companions of Gareth Dragonsbane who assisted him in defeating the evil witchking Zhengyi.

Culture
Monastic traditions appear to have originally arisen in Amn and Calimshan simultaneously, though traditions from Kara-Tur and other material planes immigrated to Faerûn and may have originated earlier. Most monastic orders were devoted to the worship and internalization of the ideals of a god, though others were not and it was not required for a monk to manipulate ki, since a monk’s power most often came from within, rather than from divine sources. The gods most commonly worshiped by monks tended to be champions of virtue like Bahamut, deities of battle such as Tempus, or those who required of their followers a disciplined lifestyle. Monks of Ilmater, Shar, Yondalla (among the few halfling monks) were also common, and members of the Shining Hand were devoted to Azuth.

Monks usually lived in monasteries, which could be found throughout all of Toril, though most commonly in Amn, Calimshan, Damara, Kara-Tur, the Lake of Steam, or Silverymoon, as well as Mulhorand. Some monasteries were located in reclusive mountains; others operated in city slums. Monasteries that were located within or near towns or villages were generally on good terms with their neighbors, providing various services in exchange for food or other resources.

Wherever they were based, monks rigorously trained their bodies and minds towards perfection, enabling them to defend themselves with their bare hands or a few select weapons. Due to the discipline imposed by this training, monks were almost always of a lawful temperament. However, monasteries - and the monks that resided within - varied between good and evil. Good monasteries were servants of the people, protecting them from bandits and other threats. Evil monasteries, on the other hand, were often tyrannical bastions, ruling the surrounding lands through fear or serving despots as spies and assassins. Most monks adhered to neither extreme, however.

Most monks came to their individual monastery at an early age, either as orphans or as members of starving families. As a result of their young induction, relatively few monks felt any close connection to their previous families or friends, and instead looked to their fellow monks as their family. Other monks came from a different background, most often within cities where masters of an order set up schools to teach the fighting style and traditions of his or her order to prospective students.

Most monks were humans or half-humans such as half-elves or half-orcs. Elves also make capable monks due to their natural agility and perceptiveness. However, dwarves, in spite of their hierarchical and orderly culture, found the concept of the monk distasteful or bizarre and as a result few chose such a path. Likewise gnomish and halfling monks, with the exception of stronghearts, were not particularly common. And among the more savage humanoids such as orcs or goblinoids monks were an utterly alien tradition.

Monks who chose to become adventurers did so for a number of various reasons. Some monks left out of a desire to test their own capabilities, perhaps as a means to spiritual development. Others were forced from their monastery for violating some rule of their order. A few were sent into the world with a particular purpose by their superiors, Whatever the reason, the transition from the communal life of the monastery to one of solitary traveling was rarely easy on monks.

Abilities
Monks ability to manipulate ki gave them a wide variety of special abilities, as did some monks' skill with psionics or divine magic. Among the most basic capabilities granted by monks' control of their own ki was an enhanced awareness of their own surroundings, improving their ability to sense and avoid attacks. This ability was impeded however, by the use of armor, which is why most monks eschewed it. In addition to forgoing armor, most monks often used only their bare hands for weapons, delivering powerful blows that were enhanced through a monk's use of ki. In addition to unarmed strikes, monks were also trained in the use of all simple weapons (such as nunchaku or kamas) as well as shortswords. When fighting unarmed or using weapons such as these, monks attacked with greater agility and power than other combatants who used similar techniques. Some monks could also enhance these attacks with implements such as magic weapons or ki focuses.

As monks grew more experienced, they gained additional abilities. Experienced monks could use their ki to increase their speed while running unarmored or to deflect missile attacks. With further training they could decrease the affect of gravity on their bodies as they fell, attack more quickly, deal a paralyzing blow to enemies, overcome a creature's resistance or immunity to nonmagical injuries, or calm their minds in the heat of battle. Assuming their training continued unimpeded, monks eventually became as capable in any mental, spiritual, or physical defense as humanly possible and became able to replenish their use of ki at an incredible speed.

in addition to combat abilities, monks gained a number of other benefits from mastering their ki. Experienced monks could, for example, render themselves immune to disease or poison or use their ability to interact with the ki of other living creatures to understand any spoken language (or make themselves similarly understood). With further training, monks could learn to halt the aging process and to sustain themselves on the energy of ki, without need for food or water. The most experienced monks could even make themselves invisible or replicate the effects of the astral projection by using their ki to render themselves in insubstantial.

Monastic traditions
Though all monks shared a great deal with one another, many were divided into slightly specialized traditions that differed in the particular martial art style they focused on during training. Two of the most frequently espoused traditions are listed below.

Centered Breath monk
Frequently found in remote rural areas, monasteries that taught the Centered Breath tradition placed an emphasis upon mental perfection and acuity, calmly anticipating enemy actions and countering them with psionic energy. Centered Breath monks were soft-spoken ascetics, who preferred solitary study to combat training, honing their psionic abilities through discipline and quiet contemplation. Some Centered Breath monasteries even swore themselves to a vow of silence, allowing members to speak only for one hour a day.

Through such dedicated study Centered Breath monks acquired a number of unique abilities. Among the most basic of these was the centered flurry of blows discipline, which involved hitting an opponent rapidly in order to shift them a short distance. Additionally, Centered Breath monks - who were often less physically powerful than other monks - could use their considerable mental powers to regulate their own body, increasing their fortitude.

Stone Fist monk
While some monks emphasized the importance of mind over body, adherents of the Stone Fist tradition believed that true spiritual perfection began with the mastery of the body. Training themselves to supernatural levels of agility and strength, Stone First monks were master athletes, who often offered their services as laborers or artisans to local communities when they weren't training. Stone Fist monasteries where therefore more likely to be found in towns or villages than the remote wilderness, though exceptions did exist for those monasteries whose members sought to test themselves physically against climatic extremes, such as a desolate tundra or an active volcano.

The harsh training of the Stone Fist tradition made its adherents both more agile and more powerful than other monks. Moving swiftly across the battlefield, Stone Fist monks favored such disciplines as the stone fist flurry of blows technique, which landed a series of quick and devastating blows on enemies. Stone Fist monks' physical mastery also gave them a degree of resistance to efforts to sap their will, making up for their shortcomings in mental training.