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Pranayana Monk (Way of Mercy 5e Monk variant)

by Marc Saindon

(Monk: Way of Mercy)

A quick one to finish all the Monk subclasses. This is the "Healing Monk", except D&D already has a Healer, and he's called Cleric (and maybe his Paladin sidekick). There is no real need for a Healing Monk. However, in Mystara's India known as Sind, there is a Caste system which puts the Clerics (Brahmins) at the top, and this rigid social system means that people are going to get excluded from Cleric healing on a regular basis. Who's going to lay hands on a leprous pariah? Thus, because of true compassion, a few see past the prejudices, renounce their Caste and become Monks. They learn to master Ki (called Prana) in a Path (Yana) to heal the multitude that the Clerics aren't helping. Also, these Monks don't have the Plague doctor animal masks. Alignment-wise, they'll tend towards Lawful Good, prioritizing Good over Law. Bitter and ego-inflated healers (see Doctor House) might lean towards Lawful Neutral, and a rare few Lawful Evil cultivate a cult of personality among the needy, but are careful to hide their darker inclinations.

While outcasts, they do enjoy a lot of popular support. They aren't aggressive fighters, but persecution has made cautious, and they do combine martial yoga with their knowledge of health to strike where it counts. And although they would be expected to be enemies of the Long Death Monks of Jaibul, they actually see these dark reflections of themselves as the other side of the same coin.


(Image: https://www.deviantart.com/0serendipity0/art/Sadhvi-Female-Indian-Monk-845025362)