Glog Class : The Mystic (a Monk-equivalent)

 I have a few problems with monks as we often see them in TTRPGs :

1. They have kind of boring abilities.
2. They're martial artists, not monks.
3. They often have a bunch of lore faffing about how much they meditate and stuff to obtain their abilities which is not reflected at the table.
4. They clearly aren't weird enough for my taste.

And this class is my attempt at making a Monk that adresses that. As noted, this comes from Meandering Banter, but Spwak's blog is here now and you should probably follow that instead.

The Mystic :

A Monk-equivalent stolen from Meandering Banter’s Pscion.

You reach ever-forward towards Enlightenment, grasping at Truths beyond your understanding. Then you use them to punch people in the face.

A : Way, Disciplines, Contemplation, +1 random Discipline of your Way.

B : Understanding, +1 random Discipline.

C : Resonance, Understanding, +1 random Discipline.

D : Mastery.

Skills (d4) : 1 - Meditation, 2 - Hallucinogens, 3 - Occultism, 4 - Prayer, and one more determined by your Way.

Stuff : A burlap robe, incense, five candles and more determined by your Way.

A - Way :

You are a Mystic, a weirdo obsessed with understanding and following the hidden Ways towards Truth and Enlightenment left for you to follow by ancient sages and great philosophers. You are particularly obsessed with one such Way, rolled or chosen at character creation. 

Every Way is made up of :

- Skills (roll one at character creation).

- Stuff (you start with it).

- Disciplines (you start with one, and may learn more).

- The details of some Mystic abilities (Contemplation, Resonance and Mastery).

A - Disciplines :

Disciplines are the strange, otherworldly applications of a Mystic's understanding. Every Discipline is made up of a Focus, a Surge and an Ordeal. 

As a Mystic, you may spend an action to roll Willpower (or equivalent) DC Average (whatever that means to you) to Focus on any Discipline you know. If you are thrown, knocked prone, etc. or if you reach 0 Grit/HP, you must roll again or lose your Focus. Other (highly distracting) circumstances can force you to roll in the same way. Unconsciousness and similar automatically break your Focus.

You can roll in the same way to switch Focus without spending an action, but if you fail you lose your Focus.

While Focused on a Discipline, you receive the benefits of its Focus component. As an action during your turn, you may end your Focus and perform the Surge of that Discipline as you let out your small piece of Truth into the world. Doing so means you’re not Focused on that Discipline anymore - you held the Truth, and you let it go.

You may not Focus on more than a single Discipline at a time.

You start with a single Discipline of your choice, and learn a random Discipline of your Way at Templates B and C. To learn an additional Discipline (including those not of your Way), find the secrets of its particular Truth through ancient scrolls or wise masters, and accomplish the appropriate Ordeal (the Ordeals provided here are meant to serve as examples : you can't simply perform them whenever and gain the associated Discipline unless you have some sort of guidance). Depending on how things shake out I may limit how many Disciplines you can learn, but I don't see a need to just yet.

B & C - Understanding :

You have spent enough time contemplating the Truths of your Way to not only grasp the common ground between all of them, but between them and other, lesser Truths. When you Surge with a Discipline of your Way you may Surge with another Discipline of your Way, not only the Discipline you were Focusing on.

At Template C, you may surge with any Discipline whenever you Surge at all.

Comments :

So this is the class chassis. I'm afraid that Disciplines are a little bit too complex and will prevent a player from just rolling and playing a Mystic in under ten minutes, but we'll see. I'm pretty proud of the Ordeals idea because it should push players to come up with some weird shit, which is appropriate. Mostly this came from me thinking about how to make magic in my games more occult-y and then smashing the Psion together with Cultist Simulator.

Ways should be relatively easy to come up with, I think. I made two (I have more actually, but these are the two I feel good about). Some of the Disciplines are ripped straight from the Psion, but some may have come from elsewhere. I'd credit them but I did those a long time ago and copy-pasted them through at least three different text editors, so I can't for the life of me find out where they came from. I'm sorry about that.

Mystical Ways :

 

Way of the Open Hand

You know where this comes from.

Meditation, Study, Practice : the three keys to victory.

The Way of the Open Hand is one of focus and patience. It teaches its students to embody the clear mind, the careful act, and the gentle - but unyielding - pressure. Its followers are often insufferably patient, reasonable, and slow to action.

Skill (D6) : 1 - Religion ; 2 - Calligraphy ; 3 - Farming ; 4 - Meditation ; 5 - History ; 6 - Brewing.

Stuff : A shaved head, the tools of your Skill.

A - Contemplation :

As a Mystic of the Open Hand, you may Focus on any Discipline by finding a peaceful solution when violence seemed likely, or when burdening yourself with duty so that others may be free of it. If you do so, you cannot lose Focus on it unless you decide to Surge.

C - Resonance :

After spending so much time immersed in some of the world’s Truths, you start to carry a little piece of them with you. As a Mystic of the Open Hand, you do not need to sleep or eat (but you still may if you want the benefits of doing so) and can choose to gain Stress instead of Fatigue and vice-versa.

D - Mastery :

You have fully grasped the mysteries of the Open Hand, or maybe the mysteries of the Open Hand have finally seized you. When you Surge, you may take d4 Stress so that the wind stills, fire does not burn, and all is at peace for that many rounds before other forces assert their grip and reality takes its normal course. You, and you alone, may bring violence during that time (although doing so breaks the peace).

Disciplines of the Open Hand :

1) The Still Mind

Focus : While Focusing on the Still Mind, any attempt to divine your intentions (be it magical or mundane) returns only a sense of tranquility.

Surge : Immediately shake off a mental effect affecting you.

Ordeal : Adventure for a month and a day, always accepting whatever circumstances surround you - and doing nothing to change them.

2) The Burden of Strength

Focus : While Focusing on the Burden of Strength, you can carry twice as much.

Surge : Palm-strike someone with the strength of a bull (2d6 damage and appropriate knock-back if you hit).

Ordeal : Burden yourself as much as you physically can, and adventure unarmed for a month and a day.

3) The Statute of Peace

Focus : While Focusing on the Statute of Peace, you will never be attacked unless you attack first. 

Surge : With a word, stop all violence within earshot for a single turn.

Ordeal : Adventure for a month and a day, never inflicting violence on any living thing.

4) The Purity of Body

Focus : While Focusing on the Purity of Body, you are immune to natural exposure, poison, disease and suffocation.

Surge : Shrug off one physical effect, or suppress it for d6 turns if it's extreme (vacuum, wildfire, landslide...).

Ordeal : Divest yourself of all possessions (except maybe your clothes and some food) and adventure for a month and a day, never picking up a weapon or tool.

  

5) The Tranquil Self

Focus : While Focusing on the Tranquil Self, you are completely unnafected by horror and fear, and consider whatever circumstances your are in to be restful and pleasant no matter how rough they may be.

Surge : Release all your supressed horror, fear and disgust in a single shout, forcing everyone in hearing range except you and your companions to roll Morale or flee in terror.

Ordeal : Adventure for a month and a day refusing all shelter and comfort you are offered, and never seeking any.

6) The Diamond Soul

Focus : While Focusing on the Diamond Soul, you cannot be affected by magic or any surnatural effect. 

Surge : A surnatural effect of your choice is taken onto you, making you its only target. It otherwise behaves exactly the same.

Ordeal : Invite a curse to be placed on you and adventure for a month and a day, never seeking to mitigate its effects.

 

The Way of the Red Grail 

This comes from Cultist Simulator.

Hunger, Lust, the Drowning Waters.

The Way of the Red Grail honours both the birth and the feast. It leads its students towards desire, conception, seduction, and thirst. Its followers are always up for a good time, and often pair desirability with irresistible charisma.

Skill (d6) : 1 - Cooking ; 2 - Courtship ; 3 - Fecundity ; 4 - Drugs ; 5 - Music ; 6 - Parties.

Stuff : Extravagant clothing, five doses of any drugs of your choice and the tools necessary for your Skill (with three doses of any expendable tool).

A - Contemplation :

As a Mystic of the Red Grail, you may Focus on any Discipline by indulging in a dangerous vice or commiting a taboo act for pleasure. If you do so, you cannot lose Focus on it unless you decide to Surge.

C - Resonance :

After spending so much time immersed in some of the world’s Truths, you start to carry a little piece of them with you. As a Mystic of the Red Grail, you can always find a place to eat and sleep if strangers are around, and can throw incredible parties (or soirées, orgies, etc.) that'll attract :

1. d6 party animals (or courtiers, hedonists...) that'll follow you through anything as long as it looks like a good time.
2. One specific person you really want to be there.

D - Mastery :

You have fully grasped the mysteries of the Red Grail, or maybe the mysteries of the Red Grail have finally seized you. When you Surge, you may take d4 Stress to make veryone present immediately run off to pursue what they've always wanted to do but never dared to before over the course of that many hours.

Disciplines of the Red Grail :

1) The Never Ending Feast

Focus : While Focusing on the Never Ending Feast, there is always more of whatever you are partaking of at hand.

Surge : Ritually feed someone a piece of your flesh for 1D6 damage to heal them for twice the number rolled. This takes a few minutes - the dying rarely make for great guests.

Ordeal : Hold a feast for seven days and nights, to which you will invite and entertain either seven hundred and seventy seven guests of no import, seventy seven notable guests, or the seven Guests of the Feast - who will surely bring their own.

2) The Shameful Want

Focus : While Focusing on the Shameful Want, you automatically learn what someone wants most right now if they truthfully answer answer three of your questions in a single conversation. 

Surge : Make someone in sight desperately pursue what they want most right now for d6 hours. When the fugue ends, they'll know that they have been the victim of something otherworldly - take care not to draw their attention.

Ordeal : For seven days and seven nights, do only what you wish whenever you wish it, without heed of risk or consequence. You may use carousing tables, or play it out.

3) The Unslakable Thirst

Focus : While Focusing on the Unslakable Thirst you may hold one dose of any liquid, drug or food, receiving its effects continuously until you either swallow it or spit it out, as if you took another dose whenever the effects of the first would have ran out. Be careful : ‘too much of a good thing…’

Surge : Everyone present is immediately affected by whatever you just consumed, or are holding with the Unslakable Thirst.

Ordeal : Drink a source dry. The source can be literal or metaphorical - but you must drink of it, and nothing must remain.

4) The Blinding Desire

Focus : While Focused on the Blinding Desire, you are always the most noticeable person in the room.

Surge : Look a creature in the eyes to make it desperately pursue you (whatever it means to it) for the next d6 hours.

Ordeal : Find someone posessed of a great, terrible want. Push them to destroy themselves in pursuit of it.

5) The Terrible Appetite

Focus : While Focusing on the Terrible Appetite, you are immune to any adverse effects of what you eat. 

Surge : For the next d6 minutes, you can eat anything. Your teeth bite through bone, iron and stone alike. 

Ordeal : Eat the forbidden (like a person). Escape the consequences. Get an innocent soul to join you in the feast.

6) The Torment of Birth

Focus : While Focusing on the Torment of Birth, any part of your body you lose can be animated and made to obey you.

Surge : Eat a creature whole : over the next week, you will shed it anew, newborn and malleable.

Ordeal : Part with your own flesh and mold it into a new, living thing. The traditional ways to do so are not acceptable.

  

More Comments

And this is the rest of the class. Contemplation is a mean to make sure you don't lose Focus and encourage appropriate behavior, Resonance is for the miscellaneous powers and flavor, and Mastery is a way to make something cool happen whenever you surge.

I don't actually have more comments, I just thought it would be better to state the above rather than let people just infer it themselves. 

Overall I'm pretty happy with the class. You can inject it with whatever flavor is appropriate for your game without having to lecture your players about lore, and the Ordeals and quests for ancient scrolls or master Mystics should provide some gameable contents. I feel like I did a good job of making monks more weird and less boring/vanilla, while still giving them a good reason to go out and adventure (gotta find those ancient scrolls and complete Ordeals to reach enlightenment).

I'll probably post some more Ways at some point, hopefully from different franchises & stories to showcase the versatility, but we'll see.

I tried coming up with made up koans or bullshit one-sentence philosophy for every Discipline, but they were cringy and bad so I stopped.