Monks?

As an addendum to my series of posts on my Default D&D world and where various game elements fit, I want to wrap my head around the Monk class.  It is more than just a pugilist class, many of its abilities reference or are dependent on eastern style philosophy.

Despite the fact that D&D generally exists in a medieval European context, the Monk is not friar tuck, but and explicitly Asian themed class.

For a while this was fine as they had not quite elevated to a "core class" in 20th century D&D.  However, the Monk class is now firmly in the canon of D&D, so the class needs to fit holistically in the world.  They can't all be strangers from a far land, can they?

As I see it, that leaves us 2 main options.

1. This bit of Eastern Mysticism "has always" been part of our otherwise European setting, thereby leaving us to come up with some handwavey explanation for why that may be.
2. Re-contextualize the Monk class into something that fits the European milieu. 

I think both approaches could be valid.

Lets explore the first. Some event in the past of our setting gave this bit of eastern flavor.  

 It could be due to divine intervention, a deity looking to preserve a bit of culture, or prescribing this otherwise different way of fighting and thinking about natural law.  This does fit the class, since it does have trappings of philosophy and (nominally) lawful outlook.

It could be due to some diaspora from an eastern themed land.  This creates a few issues.  One, you have committed to having an eastern themed land.  Two, why just the Monk class, and not Samurai, Ninjas, etc.  the second is easy to answer.  Add those in too, maybe not as special classes, but just a flavor option.  The first is common enough in most game worlds, but does open us up to having a real world analog for every culture, and that may be more than we want.

So how about making the Monk class feel more European?  I don't think it takes too much to imagine a Friar Tuck like Monk in his robes being able to handle his own in a fight.  As he gains levels and study infusing his blows with divine might, making use of weapons derived from simple tools.  Whereas the Cleric dons armor and goes out to fight in the name of their god, a Monk protects the flock.  I see three issues,  1. the Church is already pretty full with Clerics, Paladins, maybe Druids as well.  2. While the class pays some lip service to philosophy and the divine, the class abilities just don't align with the way the Divine is handled in other classes.  3. Even if you go to the trouble to reskin all the class abilities, Players are going to either want or presume that eastern flavor anyway.

Whichever route we take it has to accomplish a few things.  Since they are no longer limited to humans, the setup we choose needs to make the role of the class fit the various races/cultures we have established.  It still needs to allow for players to play they class/flavor they want, more or less how they want.  It can't enforce too specific of a niche. A backwoods village needs a way to be a monk without explicitly learning from a monastery or guru.

Taking all of these thoughts, I think I would mix a little bit of the above and do the following:

• There are Orders of Monks who trace their teaching back ages, sometimes along specific teachings and lineages of philosophy. 
  
• Some orders may be absorbed into or an outgrowth of The Church
• They may also be individuals who have taken a personalized path to self improvement
• Some monks also travel the land offering their teachings.
• It is the result of these wandering monks that has led to the spread of the class throughout the realms.
• Monks will often reflect a certain amount of acculturation over time. Those within the church looking more like Friars, or incorporating the dress and affectations of the dominant culture (Dwarven, Hill Folk, etc.)
  
• Monks are often folks who have chosen to find their own path
• They are all marked by a certain attitude of looking inward for answers, and this often separates them from others.

So in my world The Church has a role for Monks (who will likely look like Friars), but there are also independent "monasteries" and wandering teachers and those who have taken an individual contemplative path in life.  These separations are also a good way to explain why they have such oddball weapons compared to the rest of the classes.

Not 100% satisfying, but it does meet my "default world" requirements of having a place for the class without a massive re-write of things, and allowing for the many interpretations of the class over the editions.

As an aside, if Psionics were ever core, I would like to see a mingling of Ki and Psionics.  Perhaps with the Monk being the Paladin to the Psionics' cleric.  As it stands, both classes just stick out.  But Psionics is a whole other kettle of fish.