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Post by minion on Nov 27, 2010 4:14:05 GMT -5
if you need to know something about the Forgotten Realms, or D&D in general, go ahead and ask it here. i'll do my best to track down an answer for you. i'm very familiar with 3.0/3.5 D&D, and have a pretty good library of 3.0/3.5 'Realms-specific and general D&D material. for things older, not printed as a game supplement, or that are specifically not part of 3.0/3.5 cannon (i.e. existed in an earlier version of the game, or in fiction based on one), i'll be checking Wiki and other on-line resources.
similar to DM Q&A, please refrain from complicating this thread with anything other than a specific question or a suggestion to me on where to look for an answer when i come up short. in any case, i will delete anything from this that does not involve a specific question or my answer (with credit given where it's due).
note: this is not for things pertaining specifically to the Pirate Isles persistent world, or questions of, pertaining to, or relating to DM's or players in it. DM Q&A, other threads, and/or PM's are more appropriate for those questions.
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Post by 828stingstingneo on Dec 22, 2010 9:55:05 GMT -5
Old Order (Neutral, Some Good, Rarely Evil): Monks of the Old Order do not worship any deity, but are devoted to the philosophy espoused by a deity who is either now dead or has never existed on the Material Plane of Toril. The monks contradict themselves at this point, but the deity's identity is not important to them, it's the message they care about. The Old Order never has huge monasteries, but has spread widely throughout Faerun. Is there more information out there about the philosophy these monks follow? Since that is the focus of their order, I'd like to know more before deciding whether to play one. |
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Post by Admin on Dec 22, 2010 13:15:44 GMT -5
As far as I ever found , there was very little info on the Old Order. Shi was one. So I just winged it and played him as a monk who thought as more people found enlightenment the sooner the "The Ones that Time forgot" would return and absorb and correct the senseless crying, bickering and drama of the usual FR deities.
Minion the resident FR lore guru might know more. But as far as I can tell most monk orders are pretty vague.
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Post by minion on Dec 24, 2010 3:36:03 GMT -5
Minion the resident FR lore guru might know more. But as far as I can tell most monk orders are pretty vague. *pushes up his glasses and cracks open book and web-pages* after a search that revealed a whole lot of nothing, likely the same nothing you two have already seen, i would agree that it is absurdly vague, and probably intentionally so. *takes off glasses and relaxes in his big cushy chair* (alright... so i don't wear glasses and this chair isn't exactly a lazy boy... i suspect you get the picture.) now for my take on it. given that they are allowed to multiclass in Shadowdancer, Sorcerer, and Rogue, all classes that are pretty intensely personal in nature (as in they are typically self-directed, self-taught, and/or at least not generally dependent on an exterior source of power or general insight, even if they may require tutelage on specific things such as individual Skills), and the fact that the order doesn't seem to have much in the way of a hierarchy or established centers of temporal/political power, the idea here is that they are a loose association of like-minded individuals who seek self-enlightenment and care more about the means than the end, feeling that the end will reveal itself in time so long as the philosophy is followed. it seems to be the quintessential (or perhaps even stereotypical) eastern monk after leaving (or being forced out of) his/her monastery or sifu's tutelage, as often seen in martial-arts flicks. as such, you can't go wrong with using real-world eastern monastic traditions and eastern philosophies like the Tao, Confucianism, and things of that vein, so long as you make certain to eliminate/change any reference to real-world personalities and events that would have no meaning in FR. making up something similar would also be perfectly acceptable. *climbs off the cathedra* |
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Post by minion on Dec 27, 2010 3:31:36 GMT -5
having heard some of Stingy's research on Confucianism and Taoism, i would suggest that the Old Order is probably much more in line with Taoism. the focus on self and the general view that the best society is the one that doesn't require any official, external governance is in many ways at odds with the Confucian view of a need for hierarchy and obedience.
i'll point out that no one is going to get too anal about the specifics of how an "ordered" or "unordered" monk is played, but this might be a good resource for anyone thinking about this order in particular.
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