Monks are typically thought of as those who practiced asceticism (religious or otherwise), who voluntarily separated themselves from society, and who lived by a set of vows. While many monastic orders were dedicated to peaceful lives of reflection and scholarship, others dedicated themselves to the study of the warrior’s arts, ceaselessly training in order to achieve martial perfection.

The following monastic orders come in a variety of shapes and sizes, and they can fill a number of roles in your campaign. Whether you are looking for background ties for characters in your party (as not all characters who learned their skills at a monastery will have “monk” as their character class, after all), allies for an upcoming adventure, or even antagonists that the party may have to oppose, these orders can be used however you see fit!

To use the list, either roll d100 for a random result or select appropriate ones manually.

Here are some sample results:

92. The Children of The Hydra: According to legend, if one head is cut from the hydra’s neck, then two more shall rise to take its place. The monks who bear the hydra on their heraldry are said to have been blessed with the hydra’s blood, which is deadly to any it touches, but which also allows them to heal from any wound no matter how grievous, rising to fight another day if they are not destroyed utterly. There are those who have said these legends, like the hydra itself, are mere myth, and that this order simply assigns the names and titles of the dead to replacements, making it
seem as if they are infinite when, in truth, there is a very finite number of them.

93. The Keepers of The Veil: There are dangerous secrets in the world. These secrets can infest and destroy entire civilizations if the whispers of them grow too strong, and they are allowed out into the light. The monks of this order are little more than rumors themselves, but they have been accused of burning books, destroying uncovered ruins and even killing those whom they have deemed a threat to their mission. Two can only keep a secret if one of them is dead, and whatever the Keepers of The Veil are protecting, they do so with dire purpose.

94. The Pure: Dressed in ivory and cream robes, the monks of this order focus on maintaining a pure, clean life. They eat only fresh fruits, vegetables and simple grains, they drink only water, and they spend much of their time in meditation and purification rituals. While some think of this order as soft and weak, many claim these monks’ routines, diet and meditation is what allows them to ignore disease, ingest poison without harm and in time even rise above the need to eat and drink like others do.

Released: 20th July 2024 Pages: 22

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