I am writing this for use in the Midgard setting, but I should state upfront that this can be used for just about any setting. A grappling style Monk would fit in just about any setting that allows monks. I recently wrote a blog post about the weird misconceptions held about martial arts and how they shape their presentation in D&D. One of the reasons I wrote that was because I could see some specific archetypes for Monks in Midgard I wanted to make.
Jeremiah McCoy
Geek For Hire
Author: Jeremiah McCoy (page 1 of 33)
I have appeared on podcasts of my own and others since 2005. I have recently been on the Tome Show quite a bit and I have been bad about not resharing it. Here are a few recent appearances.
http://www.thetomeshow.com/e/midgard-heroes-handbook-review-part-1-tome-302/
Along with Jeff Greiner and Tracy Hurly, the usual hosts, I am also on with fellow guests Rabbit Stoddard, and Quinn Murphy. We talked about the Midgard Heroes Handbook. This wass one of the books from the Midgard kickstarter. This was the one with all the player options.
http://www.thetomeshow.com/e/dd-beyond-tome-300/
In this one I am in with the usual suspects of Jeff and Tracy. I am also on with Ishmael Alvarez and Allison Rossi. In this one we talk about D&D Beyond, the digital tool set for D&D.
http://www.thetomeshow.com/e/review-of-warlock-a-5e-patreon-by-kobold-press-tome-299/
In this one we are again working with Tracy and Jeff. I am also joining Louis Brenton, a good guy I used to appear on Appendix N with. We discussed the Warlock patreon backed Midgard 5e zine.
I also produce a show for the Tome Show feed called the Monstrous Ecologist. In that, I am reviewing real world inspirations for monsters and their iterations through the editions of D&D. I have been a bit slack of late but I will give you a preview. The next one is a first part in a discussion of Liches.
So, there is an idea out there that monks have no place in a western European inspired campaign setting. Settings like Forgotten Realms or Greyhawk owe a lot to western European history, legends, and literature for their basis, and monks are not part of those traditions, or so the argument goes. This came to mind while looking at the Midgard setting and noticing they had many character options for the range of character classes, but not for monks. I asked about this and was directed to this blog post about monk weapons characteristics, which is awesome, but was also told there was not a lot of places for monks in Midgard to be from. That feels like something I can counter. Note: I love the Midgard setting and I am not offering criticism here. I am writing this because I feel this is a common sentiment that maybe should be countered.
Here is my take on the POD version of Star Frontiers you can get from DriveThruRPG.
http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/226710/Star-Frontiers-Alpha-Dawn
My Blog
https://jeremiahmccoy.com
My Patreon
https://www.patreon.com/jeremiahmccoy
I proposed a question a while back. Are immortal PC’s a problem or are they workable? The consensus appears to be that they are workable. I decided to take a pass at setting up a framework for using it in D&D. Death is ultimately just a small challenge after all. Immortality offers a range of cool stories that make the PC’s feel special in the world, which is sort of the point.
Here is another installment of my describing a post apocalyptic fantasy setting called God Thrones. This is the ruins of Chapel Hill, which is pretty different in the world I am describing. It is a stop on on the way to the capital of Durnham. If people like these, please let me know. I will keep writing more.
I received the original white box D&D box set today as a gift from my mom. I have thoughts on the set I want to share.
When I began writing a post apocalyptic fantasy setting, I knew a radiation or toxic corruption would be a recurring theme. It is part and parcel in the genre. The Blight Elves were part of that, and so is today’s offering. There will be others. Thing is, I am not personally afraid of all things nuclear. I grew up in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. This is where the material for the first atomic weapons came from. My grandfather was scientist at the labs, and I grew up understanding that nuclear was not necessarily a bad thing. Nuclear medicine was saving lives daily and nuclear power, while not yet perfected, was easier on the environment than coal burning plants.
That said, nuclear war is the thing that kept you up at nights back in the cold war. It was terrifying to think of a war where dying in a flash was probably the “good” option. This vision of apocalyptic war shaped the genre. The irradiated mutant is a trope that comes up often. With this in mind, I wrote this little variation on orcs.
I am trying out the new live streaming capabilities on youtube. I also talked about things I have been working on lately.
My Blog
https://jeremiahmccoy.com
My Patreon
https://www.patreon.com/jeremiahmccoy
I like utility magic items. My favorite magic item, hands down, is the Immovable Rod. It practically begs you to think creatively about how to use it. The magic weapons are fine, and the powerful artifacts are great macguffins for your story, but utility style wondrous items are often great ways to relay magic without having to change a power level. It is also provides some flavor to a character and how they interact with challenges. Having a few clever toys can be as much of a statement as a Holy Avenger.
I am also fond of rogues and other thieving ne’er-do-wells. You might have figured this out in by all my posts about thieves guilds. They are very pragmatic in their approaches to problems. A thief who murders every problem doesn’t actually last long. Having useful tools to avoid that is ideal.
I decided to combine these two loves, so here are a few roguish magic items.
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