Monk

Key Features

Spiritual Power
As monks land subsequent attacks, they build up a reserve of Spirit that they can expend in amazing maneuvers – disorienting multiple foes, knocking groups back, or leaping backwards out of melee.
Combos
Monks’ melee attacks are more potent when they’re used in careful succession; they generate additional spiritual energy, deal increased damage and produce unique effects that can enable a monk to defeat nearly any enemy.
Mantras
Disciplined monks can make the force of their spirit manifest, projecting it outward with a mantra, a long-lasting mantle of power which can heal or strengthen the projecting monk or any nearby allies.
Mobility and Speed
Monks possess peerless tactical mobility on the battlefield. Any monk is able to quickly move between or around enemies, flanking them or striking at their vitals as the situation demands, and defense-focused monks are more adept at dodging enemy attacks than any other class.

Resource: Spirit

To defeat the inhuman evils they pit themselves against, monks draw upon inner reserves of Spirit, a resource that reflects their personal mastery and training.

Spirit replenishes slowly. It is generated in two ways – by specific skills and attacks, and by the completion of combos. Monks who chain their attacks carefully can continue a near-endless barrage of Spirit-fueled strikes.

Spirit is a valuable resource, but massive expenditures of this force allow a monk to call upon potent dodges and defensive moves, as well as monster-slaying finishing strikes.

Thanks to monks’ physical perfection and martial talent, they are free to deliver as many empowered strikes as their Spirit pools will allow – without waiting for ability ‘cooldowns.’

Background

“The gods guide me. You cannot win.”

Monks of the Sahptev faith train their bodies and minds so that they may become the foremost holy warriors of the land of Ivgorod. Within the cloisters of the Patriarchs, the monks endure harsh trials both physical and spiritual, proving their devotion and attaining unmatched focus.

Daily ritualistic cleansings help monks purify their spirits and overcome the corruption that gnaws at the hearts of all men. In the pursuit of martial perfection, they also hone their legendary balance and clarity, skills that allow them to master both unarmed combat and a diverse array of weapons.

After a lifetime of preparation, anointed monks are permitted to leave their monasteries' halls to serve the decrees of the Patriarchs. The emblem on their foreheads marks them as survivors, achievers, and pillars of their society.

Monks embody the will of Ivgorod’s one thousand and one gods in every step and every strike.

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Equipment

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Monks' martial forms commonly incorporate specialized weaponry. Even monks’ naked fists are vessels of destruction, but they can be augmented with fist weapons like the katar, a punch-dagger that’s held in one or both hands and stabbed forth at the enemy. Monks are also the only heroes trained to use daibo – banded lengths of wood used to crack skulls and whirled to deflect attacks.

Armor Progression

In the beginning, monks’ armor is plain, cobbled together to protect their organs without being too restrictive. It’s better than wandering the battlefield naked.

As experienced monks gain access to better craftsmanship, money and equipment, the quality of armor available to them increases substantially, incorporating personal ornamentation and fine materials.

Yet, even such fine armor pales in comparison to the life-saving garb of heroes, carefully chosen to enhance monks’ swift fighting styles and shield them from fire, claw, and sword.