Warrior Monk: Difference between revisions
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{{trope}}
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This character is often a member of a [[Church Militant]], be it a martial-minded sect within a larger religion or the divine army of a powerful theocracy. Other Warrior Monks have more diverse backgrounds, and could hail from actual monasteries, master-apprentice relationships, or could even be self-taught. Warrior Monks may be shining examples of a religion's ideals, or in some situations may end up ''fighting'' a [[Church Militant]] if the latter has become a [[Corrupt Church]]. Others may ignore religious politics altogether, doing more for their faith by acting as an example.
This character type has two regional variants: The Western form of Warrior Monk often turns out as a particularly devout [[Knight in Shining Armor]], a heavily-armed and -armored crusader combining martial prowess with unmatched devotion to the ideals of the church (if not necessarily [[Corrupt Church|the church itself]]). Expect such warriors to be referred to as [[
The Eastern variant is usually the stereotypical kung-fu Shaolin monk, because for some reason every Eastern religion includes [[Everybody Was Kung-Fu Fighting|martial arts]] as part of its teachings. This seemingly-harmless, lightly-armed traveler unexpectedly displays incredible ass-kicking abilities at the sign of trouble, then gives some [[Koan|words of wisdom]] to any survivors. Due to the differences between Western and Eastern religions, these Warrior Monks tend to be more contemplative mystics than dogmatic, crusading zealots, but are no less devout than their foreign counterparts. When it comes to an Eastern-style Warrior Monk's powers, all bets are off: they can be wielders of a [[Simple Staff]], melee masters of [[Ki Attacks]], or walking avatars of [[Elemental Powers|elemental destruction]].
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* Joscelin Verreuil from the ''[[Kushiel Dart]]'' series belongs to an order called the Cassiline Brotherhood. Cassiline Brothers train for 10 years to beclome elite bodyguards who serve the royal family. All members swear allegiance to the Precepts of Cassiel which include celibacy.
* In some of the [[Robin Hood]] stories/ballads, Friar Tuck is an accomplished swordsman and archer, and when he isn't he can usually hold his own with his fists or a staff.
* In the ''[[Emberverse]]'', the Monks of Mt. Angel become this after the Change. Notable in that it is not only a conscious shift from a more traditional monk to
* ''[[The Acts of Caine]]''
** The Monastics are warriors, diplomats and assassins with high-end [[Master of Your Domain|somatocommand skills]]. The 'religion' part seems almost tacked on.
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== [[Tabletop Games]] ==
* The Immaculate Order in ''[[Exalted]]'' is mostly of the Eastern type,
== [[Video Games]] ==
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* ''[[Might and Magic]]'' 7 has a monk class that is a combination of the Shaolin and Western style of monk, with magic for good measure.
* ''[[Dungeon Keeper]] 2'' features monks that are look like the traditional plump, brown-robed European friars, but [[All Monks Know Kung Fu|possess the hand-to-hand fighting skills of Shaolin monks]]. As did the prequel's, though they focused more on healing and spellcasting (''everybody'' in the prequel did more spellcasting).
* The Monk class in ''[[Ragnarok Online]]'' is a cross of East and
* Sulik from ''[[Fallout]]'' 2 is a somewhat strange warrior who is guided by the spirits, if the Chosen One is a Good Karma character he can join his party. He gives spirtual advice for each location in the game.
* ''[[Majesty]]'' features Monks trained at the temple of Dauros, the God of Law, who are a mashup of both varieties; they specialise in hand-to-hand combat that apparently draws from Kung-Fu, but their aesthetic is decidedly Catholic, including something very like Gregorian chanting being audible from the temple when at least one monk is resting there.
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