I just thought I'd let everyone know that I've finished the monk class. This class will be an offensive front-liner like the warrior or savage, with more special abilities and less defense. Let me know what you think.
I think it make sense to say that Monks can use their forearms (claws) to redirect or deflect a weapon. Of course they can't fight with their claws one-up, one-down like most two weapon fighters but if we run with the theory that Monks are battle hardened fighters who have trained all their lives in unarmed combat I think they should be allowed to block.
Now, that's not to say that they couldn?t/shouldn't have an action that gives them something like Stoneskin too.
Short boffer weapons used to represent unarmed attacks can be used to block just as normal boffer weapons can. This makes sense, because the only characters capable of using them have the Unarmed Combat skill. In an abstract sense, it reflects how the character has been trained to deal with armed combatants by deflecting their attacks, just as Jessi said.
As far as Guard effects go, here's why I'd rather not give them to monks:
- What monks lack in straight health defense, they make up for in effect resistance. Monks are naturally immune to Fumble and Ruin, which is huge in combat, and they can resist Compel effects through their self Rouse (Mushin No Shin).
- Monks can do a more than most front-liners. They have nifty special attacks and self Perceive effects. If they are less hardy than other front-liners as a result of it, I think it's a fair tradeoff.
- One of the main advantages of playing a savage is their rage-based Guard effects. If we give those to monks as well, there'd be little point in playing a savage.
Keep in mind, of course, that you can always get a Guard spell cast on you by someone else, effectively removing the disadvantage. Or you could seek out someone to give you a nifty tattoo that would do the same thing. However, I don't see monks getting Guard effects all their own unless the class proves to be underpowered in play.
Monks should have stone skin or something of the sort? Unless i am mistaken monks can't block at all. The weapons representing your hands take the damage. Monks don't have shields so how would a monk stand up to a character of the same lvl with armor and a shield or even two weapons.