Monk

Synonyms: Benedictine, Order of Saint Benedict, Franciscan, Order of Friars Minor, Dominican, Order of Preachers, Carthusians, Order of Saint Bruno, Chartreux

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Special: Archetype

Monk is an Archetype, it is a special kind of Feat. A character can only have one Archetype in total. Apart from that, Archetypes are like normal Feats and may be taken at character creation or on any level up. On your sheet, mark Monk as one of your Feats and add all Feats gained separately.

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Description

Monasteries in the middle age, are a very rare opportunity for those seeking to change their social status.

With minor exceptions, people lived and died in the same craft as their parents. Monasteries were a rare occasion for people to chose their destiny.

Most monastic orders are derived from the Order of Saint Benedict and follow a core set of rules.

All monks have to make the vows of obedience, poverty and chastity, to pray at regular intervals within the day and to spend most of their life in dedication to god and their order.

Each order is known for different reasons.

Benedictines are the most numerous monks by far. They are organised in large monasteries and are renown for their love of books and calligraphy. Most well known philosophers, alchemists and scholars were from this order.

Carthusians are also organised in monasteries, but they are known for their austerity, where members lived in their own cells and spent several hours a day in prayer and meditation. They are also famous for harsh means of self imposed repentance using flagellation and wearing painful cilices as often as necessary.

Franciscans and Dominicans are mendicant orders, known for their lifestyle of poverty, traveling, and living in urban areas for purposes of preaching, evangelization, and ministry, especially to the poor.

Dominicans are also known because most inquisitors where chosen from their ranks.

If you character is a Dominican Inquisitor, a Benedictine Alchemist, a Carthusian Abbot or a Knight Hospitaller, it is better to take those feats instead.

A Monk (benedictine) gains the Feat Knowledge.

A Monk (franciscan) gains the Feat Survival.

A Monk (dominican) gains Survival or a Feat of his choice in the list of Feats granted by the Inquisitor archetype.

A Monk (carthusians) gains the Feat Fanatic or Confession.

A Monk (other) gains the Feat Knowledge.

If his background justifies it, he also gains the ⭐ Faith Feat (regardless of his order).

Additionally, he gains one Feat of his choice in this list :

• Knowledge
• Fanatic
• Confession
• Sleepless
• Knowledge (apothecary)
• Knowledge (medicine)
• Knowledge (cryptography)
• Noble
• Photographic Memory
• Reputation
• Well Connected
• Miracle (even if the character doesn't meet the prerequisites)
• Revelation (even if the character doesn't meet the prerequisites)
• Talented
• Foreigner
• Background
• Handicap (venerable age)

Unless his background justifies it, the character cannot take the Combat, Strong or True Strike Feats.

Note that not all monks have this feat and the character may de facto be a monk from any of those orders without having it.