The Bakluni Monks

The D'ai Shatain and Al D'ai Shatain

It is generally agreed that the Bakluni first introduced the martial arts to the Flanaess. The Bakluni have long followed the goddess Xan Yae and her companion Zuoken. Certain monastic groups once affiliated with these priesthoods have become some of the most proficient practitioners of these arts. There are two major groups of this sort common in what was once the Baklunish Empire. They are the D'ai Shatain, the clergy dedicated to Xan Yae. and the Al D’ai Shatain, the clergy of Zuoken.

The Al D'ai Shatain practice a deadly form of weaponless combat called Da'shon, or "Falling Hail". Da'shon is a method of unarmed combat that its practitioners compare to the powerful forces of nature. Its devotees often spend years studying and exposing themselves to the elements while performing feats of immense concentration and physical prowess. The style's sudden, violent strikes contrast with its passive, flowing methods for escaping physical and magical harm. Weapons and armour are never used by its practitioners, and the Bakluni have a legend of Zuoken (before he was a god) defeating a great number of armed forces using only this style.

The Al D'ai Shatain are the most highly trained practitioners of Da'shon, as well as the most mobile. The D'ai Shatain generally do not leave Baklunish lands and have turned their training to more esoteric pursuits, stressing the "twilight empire" of Xan Yae. Both groups historically have had a history of non-intervention in the political events of the Flanaess, and rarely seen east of the Barrier Peaks except for the "D'ar es Shalim", travelling members of Zuokon’s clergy (D'ar es Shalim means roughly "Seekers" in Ancient Baklunish), seeking the location of their imprisoned god.

These monks rarely teach their secrets to outsiders, and then only to devout Baklunish followers of Xan Yae or Zuoken.

The Bakluni Monk

Bakluni Monk (priest class)

Ability Requirements: Strength 9, Dexterity 13, Wisdom 9

Prime Requisite: Wisdom

Races Allowed: Human (Bakluni)

Alignments: LN, CN, NE, NG, N

The Bakluni monk uses the Priest XP advancement table, gets 8-sided Hit Dice, and uses the Priest THAC0 and Saving Throws table. Monks are treated as priests for purposes of learning non-weapon proficiencies. In fact, the monk is a priest in most respects. The two important differences are in their combat style and lack of spell selection. Monks with 16 or above in both Wisdom and Dexterity receive a 10% experience point bonus. Monks progress in skill with level as follows:

Martial Arts

Monks are masters of unarmed combat. They gain skills in the martial arts with level per the chart above. Monks cannot wear anything heavier than normal gloves or shoes, or any kind of armour, and still receive their martial art bonuses. These martial arts mastery bonuses are in addition to any attack or damage bonuses for high Strength. These bonuses only apply if the monk is unarmoured and unarmed.

When using weapons, they do extra damage equal to the monk's level divided by 2, rounded up. This only applies to creatures with familiar anatomies.

Monk Armor Class improves by one step for every two levels (rounded down) according to the chart above - Dexterity bonuses also apply.

Due to their martial training, monks can attack opponents barehanded without suffering penalties or provoking attacks of opportunity as per Combat & Tactics. Unarmed martial arts damage is reduced by one-half per size class that the target is larger than the monk (rounded down). For example, a human monk (size M) attacking a hill giant (size H) does only one-quarter of normal damage. Note that unarmed combat damage is usually not effective against undead, vegetable, fluid, or inorganic creatures, or any creatures immune to bludgeoning attacks.

Monks making use of any strength or dexterity-enhancing magic items or magic items that imitate armour of any sort (e.g. Bracers of Defence), lose the martial arts and AC bonuses from the chart above. Such magics interfere with the complete control of mind and body required to practice the martial arts at their peak. Monks may use any magic item usable by clerics.

Monks use the cleric XP cable and gain hit dice as clerics. They may select proficiencies from the General, Rogue and Warrior lists. They are skilled in combat, having learned how to use their bodies as a means to defeat their foes. They use simple weapons that are either existing tools or can easily be made out of nearby items, such as daggers, hand axes, clubs, staves, spears, and polearms; they may also use short bows and scimitars as the Bakluni have a long history with those weapons. That being said, most Bakluni monks shun the use of weapons.

“To learn da’shon is to be on the path to perfection, for the use of weapons is a hinderance to the ability of mankind to attain the goal; once the goal is reached, one can use such things without fear of losing sight of perfection. One must strive to achieve the pinnacle of physical and mental ability. One must pursue harmony to achieve perfection, so every issue must be considered from both sides so that a balance may be struck between the two, allowing a harmonious resolution.”

Monks wear no armour, for it detracts from their finely honed reflexes and impedes their ability to assess their body's condition. They may use any magic item useable by clerics and rogues, but can own no more than five magic items and may retain only the wealth necessary to support their modest needs; most monks donate excess to their monastery or use it to fund projects of interest to them, such as training a promising student, establishing a safe house in a foreign city, or the search for Zuoken.

All monks begin with the ability to do lethal damage with their hands and feet as if they were carrying weapons. This "open hand" ability begins modestly but eventually allows the monk to strike several times per round in combat and inflict wounds equal to those from the most dangerous weapons; these multiple attacks cannot be accelerated through the use of magic such as haste. Their ability to evade and fortify their flesh against blows also gives them a bonus to their armour class, which increases by level.

Monks can move faster than normal humans due to their training and heightened body awareness; their movement rate increases as they gain levels.

Their keen senses allow them to perform several thief skills. Their chief skills and base scores are listed here:

Find (but not Remove) Traps 5%

Hear Noise 10%

Hide in Shadows 5%

Move Silently 5%

A beginning monk starts with 30 discretionary points to add to these abilities. At each level gain, the monk gains an additional 10 point to distribute among these skills.

Once per day per level, a monk may attempt to stun an opponent with an open-hand attack. The monk declares the intent to stun and rolls to hit; if the attack hits, the target must roll a saving throw vs. paralysation or be stunned (unable to attack and losing all Dexterity adjustments) for one round.

A monk may deflect an incoming fired or hurled missile (arrow, bole, dagger, and so on) by forsaking any other action and making a save vs. petrification.

If a monk is attacked by an effect that requires a saving throw, a successful saving throw vs. the attack results in the monk taking no damage, even if the attack does not normally allow it, such as a fireball, for example.

Monks also gain several special powers as they increase in levels because of their growing mastery over their minds and bodies.

At 2nd level, a monk gains the ability to kill opponents with a successful open-hand attack. The attack must stun the target, who then must make a saving throw vs. paralysations at +4 or die.

At 3rd level, a monk can resist ESP or other thought-reading
attempts by making a save vs. death magic at +2.

A 4th-level monk gains +1 to initiative.

At 5th level, a monk becomes immune to all diseases, as well as
haste and slow spells.

At 6th level, the monk gains +2 to initiative

A 7th-level monk gains the ability to momentarily accelerate the healing process of the body, repairing 2 points of damage suffered by the monk per level once a day.

At 8th level, the monk's initiative rolls are improved by 3.

A 9th-level monk is immune to sleep and charm-type spells and effects if the monk makes a successful saving throw vs. wand; if this resistance roll fails, normal saves (if any) apply to resist the effect.

10th level, the monk's hands and feet are considered +l weapons for the purpose of striking creatures that can only be hit by magic weapons.

At 11th level, monks become immune to all poisons. This includes effects such as a ghoul's stench.

At 12th level, a monk's initiative bonus increases to 4.


At 13th level, a Bakluni monk unlocks their Psionic abilities. These are rolled randomly as per the chart in the DMG.

At 14th level, the monk always gets a saving throw vs magical attacks, even when one is not normally allowed.

A 15th level monk's hands and feet are considered +2 weapons for the purpose of striking creatures that can only be hit by magical weapons.

At 16th level, the monk is immune to the effects of heat and cold.

At 17th level, the monk is able to leave their body and project themselves into the astral plane (as per the astral spell). They may do this once per week, remaining away for any length of time, although their physical body still needs nourishment and will starve if not cared for.

At 18th level, the monk may go without sleep, food, and water for 1 day/level.

At 19th level, the monk gains the title of Grand Master and their hands and feet are considered +3 weapons for the purpose of striking creatures that can only be hit by magical weapons.