Forums » Elder Scrolls

Imperial Monk or unique Redguard monk?

    • 19 posts
    August 31, 2014 1:47 PM EDT

    Thinking about starting a journal blog for Rasmus.

    Also thought about changing his race to Imperial! "No snakes aLive" made a good point on his master monk guide that nothing seems to be more "monk'ish" than the Voice of the Emperor racial ability. But at the same time I was also thinking about altering that class slightly for a more Redguard-approach, perhaps taking notes from Shehai Shen She Ru's Spirit swords (from Yokuda.) (http://theskyrimblog.ning.com/group/lore/forum/topics/the-redguard-part-2)

    Decisions, decisions... your thoughts?
     

    • 1217 posts
    August 31, 2014 3:07 PM EDT

    I'd try the Redguard just because it's something that hasn't been done often, leaving a lot to explore. I'm also slightly biased in favor of Redguards. If this is a combative monk, then I think the Redguard racial is perfectly fitting. They have such extreme control of their bodies that they never fail. I can certainly see how Voice of the Emperor would fit, though.

    • 19 posts
    August 31, 2014 3:12 PM EDT

    They're both good choices, as you said. I'd just be interested to see what I can do with a Redguard, especially if I can fit it into some ancient Redguard lore.

    • 44 posts
    August 31, 2014 4:13 PM EDT
    In DnD, many monks use kukris, so perhaps a redguard monk using daggers instead of the typical h2h glitches? I think a monk out of some secret desert monastery would be cool.
    • 1217 posts
    August 31, 2014 4:43 PM EDT
    Dragon Priest daggers vaguely resemble kukris, so there's that.
    • 44 posts
    August 31, 2014 5:29 PM EDT
    I would say the Nordic daggers from the Dragonborn DLC might be a better fit.
    • 44 posts
    August 31, 2014 5:30 PM EDT
    Now I'm itching to start up a redguard kukri monk
    • 19 posts
    August 31, 2014 5:48 PM EDT

    Can you clarify h2h? Sorry, <--- n00bz

    • 19 posts
    August 31, 2014 5:49 PM EDT

    Unfortunately, though on PC, I'm still running vanilla Skyrim (sin any DLCs, something I have to change when I get some extra cash.) thx for the idea though!

    • 19 posts
    August 31, 2014 5:51 PM EDT

    Though I think Kukris are a good idea, I was thinking about following (or replicating) the legend of Shehai Shen She Ru's spirit swords, perhaps interpreting the spirit swords as conjured 1h swords? 'tis an idea, I don't meddle in conjuration that much.

    • 44 posts
    August 31, 2014 5:56 PM EDT
    Hand to hand. Unarmed combat. It's only worthwhile in skyrim if you use glitches. I hate using glitches. To me it's cheating the system. Morrowind and oblivion had unarmed... I pray that they implement it again in the new title. Lord knows the fan base loves monk style gameplay... Don't know why they even did away with it.
    • 44 posts
    August 31, 2014 5:58 PM EDT
    Bound swords as spirit swords would work. It's not the same thing lore wise but it can work if you can ignore the implications of using Evil Daedra Magics.
    • 19 posts
    August 31, 2014 6:45 PM EDT

    If playing PC, there are mods that can solve that issue (SkyRe if I remember correctly.) But yeah, I don't like to glitch to be able to utilize unarmed, seems too meta, breaks the immersion. 

    • 19 posts
    August 31, 2014 6:46 PM EDT

    Aye, exactly. Gotta ignore that it kinda looks like a Daedric sword. lol But it's a last defense choice, not exactly something I'll use all the time. A monk always makes sure that he has a plan. :D

    • 1217 posts
    August 31, 2014 7:41 PM EDT

    I can't see it as so black and white. Sure, glitching into the back of a dungeon to get an artifact without doing any of the quest work is cheating the system. But the things people have done for unarmed I wouldn't call anything less than fixing the system (temporarily, because I, too, hope a fully developed Unarmed skill is in the next game). And you still have to suffer with the detriment of not being able to use that combat skill to level up. There's plenty of ways to become unreasonably powerful within the game's own mechanics. All it ever boils down to is choosing to play a balanced game.

    • 44 posts
    August 31, 2014 8:18 PM EDT
    Touché sir. Still though, I can't bring myself to use any of the unarmed glitching I've read about. Just something about it that irks me.
    • 44 posts
    August 31, 2014 8:24 PM EDT
    To add on to that.. I remember reading that the bound sword is significantly weak. Not sure how true that is, never really dabbled in that particular area of conjuration.
    • 19 posts
    August 31, 2014 8:39 PM EDT

    It is really strange because I don't use the vanilla talent tree, but SkyRe's talent tree:

    http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/9286

    But I think I remember hearing somewhere that one-handed training CAN effect your bounded sword attack skill. Nevertheless, bounded swords should be a last resort for my Monk.

  • August 31, 2014 9:43 PM EDT
    I say Imperial, because Redguard monks I picture as African witch doctors. Not very monk - like.
    • 19 posts
    August 31, 2014 10:26 PM EDT

    I understand your perspective. I also think the Khajiit may be another good race to fulfil that witch doctor role. Maybe even the Argonian! Nevertheless, when viewing the subject of Redguard Monks, it tends to be mixed into the mysticism, such as the witch doctors, but also connected to the culture of the Redguards and the nature of the desert. It may seem like a simple view, but I feel there are many forces in play. Wind, such as those that conjure sandstorms. Flame, represented by the blistering sun. Maybe even Earth, represented by the canyons and mesas that may litter the Alik'r desert.

    You may even go as far to state that he's an elementalist, though he does not dabble in destruction art. He is careful, like those that must travel out into the blistering sands. Swift, like the winds that caress said sands. But also deadly to those who do not plan ahead. Yet merciful, like an oasis in the desert. 

    As you see, my view of this "monk'ish" character takes much inspiration from the desert lands of Alik'r itself. I am interested in seeing it can be developed.

    But if you're interested in how the look specifically, I was thinking about a male version of this photo. :P

    • 44 posts
    August 31, 2014 10:50 PM EDT
    A lot of redguard culture is based off of middle-eastern culture. Many great monasteries and various sanctuaries were carved into our deserts. I'd imagine Hammerfell wouldn't be all that different.
    • 40 posts
    September 5, 2014 7:05 PM EDT

    I'm going through the same right now. I've been wanting to do a martial monk build and I've yet to play a Redguard. The only thing I seem to trip over with them is the dislike of magic in their culture. My ideal martial monk would be (in addition to a fighter) a healer and mystic that uses Restoration and Alteration to be kinda like the mystical "chi" life-force of East Asian monks.

    The article you link to talks about their "universal disdain for eastern forms of magic which they call Nudri-hi." so maybe its just eastern magic they don't like? Maybe his use of Alteration & Restoration is a different form of magic? I was also thinking it could be rationalized as him/her having been a warrior that turned to the ways of Mara and now wanders Skyrim protecting the weak, banishing undead, etc. Or maybe this is why he's in Skyrim altogether.

    • 19 posts
    September 5, 2014 7:34 PM EDT

    I think that would honestly be an appropriate form of rationalization. Additionally, when discussing the disdain of magic in Redguard culture, I think individuals misplace that information as, "Darn, well I can't play any sort of magic with my Reguard character." Heck, look at Skyrim and the Nord Culture itself? "Damn magic users!" Doesn't mean there aren't magic characters though, hell, you even got the College of Winterhold.

    So when I hear Redguards' have a disdain towards magic, I think, "Great, so does everyone else that isn't Mer." So keep it kinda hidden. Perhaps don't wear mage robes, don't go lobbing around a staff, don't have your spells always visible. Magic discrimination is alive and real in Skyrim, I'm sure we can utilize that to our advantage for roleplaying purposes. :)

    btw! Keep me up-to-date with your character development. Our ambitions seem to be closely tied (I, too, want that Eastern Monk-feel with focuses on Restoration and Alteration, but along-side Archery and maybe even conjuration [spirit animals].)

    • 40 posts
    September 6, 2014 5:20 PM EDT

    Sadly familiars are pretty weak in the vanilla game so I started looking for mods that lets you conjur animals or has better familiars.

    This one lets you summon a bunch of animals and seems to have good reviews:

    http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=9078&sear...

    http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/9331/?

    • 19 posts
    September 6, 2014 7:43 PM EDT

    Hey, that doesn't look that bad at all! For all my magic needs (including conjuration), I go to Apocalypse - Magic of Skyrim. A lot of interesting material, again, some unnecessary, some just perfect. Pick and choose what to study!

    http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/16225/?

    And concerning Conjuration Madness, I noticed you can summon a "Greybeard" and I chuckled thinking how outrageous that would be.

    -Dragonborn falls to one, Draugr surround him. He lifts his right hand and a powerful purple aura develops, exploding to a single silhouette. Out from the purple haze, Einarth stands with his towel and rubber ducky.- "By the nine!"