Monk (character Class) - Dungeons & Dragons

The monk is a character class in the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game which is typically portrayed as a master of martial arts. It is loosely based on the stereotype of Shaolin Buddhist warrior monks. The Dungeons & Dragons monk specializes in unarmed combat, with no use of armor and only special "monk weapons", such as kama or nunchaku. The monk class, as with other classes of the Dungeons & Dragons game, utilizes a spiritual element, Ki, that augments their fighting through the use of special abilities gained with experience. These powers and abilities are not traditional magic spells as would be gained from other similar character classes such as clerics and rangers (which also rely heavily on the wisdom attribute). Attacks by an unarmed monk are soon treated the same as a strike from a weapon with magical enhancements.

Monks gain increased speed, attacks per round, high saving throws against special attacks, and immunities unique to the class as experience grows. Monks become increasingly difficult to hit because of their dexterity and armor class bonuses. Monks can gain high spell resistances, making them dangerous to mages, but, in some circumstances, can be overwhelmed when attacked by many enemies at once.