Well, I'm finishing my GM shift and looking for a new character. I thought I'd play something bizarre - a monkish style martial artist. I'm thinking a bioadept, but I really can't think of what to give him in terms of gear, skills and powers (aside from killing hands, elemental strike, improved reflexes, anyway).

Any thoughts? Obviously of the Warrior's Way.

bonedensity or bone lacing, muscle aug, three levels of martial arts for +damage. And if you want to be really messed up, there are two surge effects for extra unarmed damage. Bone Spikes adds +2 damage and Thorns adds +1

Dont have time to look it up right now, but there is also an adept power that lets you do double damage to objects, so with your insane unarmed damage you would be able to do stuff like, punch through buildings... or tanks.

Don't forget Combat Sense, it is a life saver. For the monk theme Traceless walk and wall running may also be interesting.

Smashing Blow does not work against tanks. It only works against Barriers and other static structures.

Yeah, Combat Sense is really good.

Skills are pretty easy. Unarmed Combat obviously, Athletics Group, Stealth Group or just Infiltration, Perception... plus whatever you feel the character should be trained in (i.e. First Aid, Navigation, Survival, ...).

Bye
Thanee

definitely ettiquette, when have you ever seen a monk being rude?

Etiquette doesn't work like that. Haven't you ever seen any martial arts films where the guy from the country comes to the city and gets in trouble because he doesn't understand the motivations and style of life in the big city?

If you're going for "monk", then perhaps considering this would be wise:
Why would I want to damage the holistic integrity of the body that <insert deity here> gave me?
I'd say, High Edge, High Magic, maybe SURGE, Increased Reflexes, multiple martial arts, perhaps?

We-e-ell, I was going to play him as a Buddhist (Aggravatingly zen buddhist, right down to spouting parables in situations where he should really keep his gob shut). So it might be a little TOO much attachment to the body, but it's not too bad, either.


That's terrible. +9 to DV would be unpleasant for all concerned. Although I suspect I'd find it houseruled in seconds flat. Teehee

Photographic memory, phenomenal perception skills, and offset the costs with all kinds of Obsessive/Compulsive Disorders and other mental disadvantages.

Oh, wait. You mean the other kind of Monk. Nevermind.

Drat, I was beat to it...

Fomori Troll Buddhistic Martial Artist
Yupp,If I didn't have this Char allready ,I would make one now

with an buddhistic Dance
Medicineman

Folks, keep in mind that the original ninja were monk-like mountain ascetics... hehe. In fact, the whole ninja thing evolved from monks who immigrated from the mainland, and ninja often disguised themselves as monks and lived at temples.

That is one theory. Ningas also may have been Samaurai behaving in a less than honorable way (one theory). Another is that peasants that took it upon themselves (fun, profit, loyalty to the emperor) to become ninjas. No one knows for sure who they actually were since no historical record of their history exists beyond myth, folklore and legend.

I found it's really difficult to accurately play a monk in Shadowrun. I suppose if he was not really religious (I guess that would explain why he left the monastery), he can justify beating people up. True Buddhists are always trying to avoid polluting themselves. Why is he beating the hell out of some teenager part-time security guard? What does he do then the cyberware junkie starts to rip out the bits and pieces from said teenager? Why does he want money in the first place? I was able to come up with some good excuses when we were fighting shedim, but hard to justify attacking a corp. My physical adept Shao-lin had astral sight, psychometry, healing abilities, and martial arts.

Why does everyone automatically assume a buddist monk? You could make a taoist that is currently studying the tao of destruction or the tao of pain.

Hmm I suppose he could be a satanic monk as well. Still if there is no underlying stricture, why bother with being a monk at all. He is an adept with killing hands that has a funny haircut. Noone would even notice. Now, give him a begging bowl, and a bunch of Confucian mantras, and everyone will get it.

Are you taking the Pacifist negative quality? If the answer is no, you are not playing a Buddhist.

Buddist poser?
Split personality?
Just says he's a monk to get the ladies?
All 3?

Counterstrike with the MA manuevers riposte and finishing move.

If you want to use weapons add two-weapon style and some sort of off-hand penalty remover.

Lots of ehhxcellent ideas.


Actually, the way around that was to make him.. well, Japanese. Or at least a Japanese buddhist, folklore is stuffed chock-full of noble samurai suffering in hell. Which is what I think bushido was all about (or honor, or manners, whatever) since they lived only for propriety. I've spent too much time on Wikipedia.



That's, uh, a really good idea. RESEARCH.

I suggest actually doing a bit of research.

Buddhism

Bushidō


Yes, while Bushidō was influenced by Buddhism, it is still not even remotely close.

Yes, I know they were two different things. But there are still plenty of depictions of the "noble warrior" suffering in one of the (many) Buddhist Hells for his actions in life.