Page 132 - D&D - Player's Handbook

Monks of Ilmater often travel as wanderers, begging record their deaths. If such unfortunates seek release
for alms, seeking enlightenment, and relieving the suf- from pain through death, the monks provide it. They
fering of others. They tend to follow the Way of the Open view death as a gift that they bestow on those who are
Hand, as described in the Monastic Tradition class fea- ready for it. Their means of determining readiness vary
ture in the Player's Handbook. from one sect (or even one monk) to another.
The monks suffer no moral qualms about these deeds,
.THE SUN SOULS for death is the most natural thing in the world, from
The Sun Soul monks follow a monastic tradition that their perspective, and to expire in service to its principle
they believe has its roots in the ancient empire of Neth- is one of the most profoundly holy experiences a living
eril. In their philosophy, living things harbor a fragment being can hope to enjoy. It is for this reason that the
of the sun's mystic essence within them. Just as the body monks themselves do not fear death.
has a shadow, so too does the spirit have a light. That Most of the order's members are either scholars who
light is called the sun soul. Brothers and sisters of the share mutual fascination with death and dying or clergy
Order of the Sun Soul train to tap into the "spiritual who worship one of the deities concerned with death.
light within" and manifest it as supernatural feats of Some of the monks consider themselves to be nothing
prowess and endurance. Members of this order follow less than visionaries whose work will pave the way for
the Way of the Sun Soul, which is described in the "Mo- a better future for all FaerQn. When death is truly un-
nastic Traditions" section below. derstood, it can be harnessed and used as a tool for the
To get in touch with their internal light, Sun Soul betterment of all, or so they rationalize to themselves.
monks follow a strict code of ascetic conduct called the Monks of this tradition follow the Way of the Long
Precepts of Incandescence. It emphasizes three pillars: Death, which is described in the "Monastic Traditions"
section below.
Seek physical perfection. To open the way for the
sun soul to manifest, one should strive to make the THE YIELDING WAY
body beautiful. Fitness, cleanliness, and well-honed
The monastic order of Eldath is the Disciples of the
physicality create a clearer window through which the
Yielding Way, sometimes known as the Brothers and
light can shine.
Sisters of the Open Palm. These monks guard sacred
Seek spiritual virtue. Recognize the light in others, not
sites where many priests dwell, and they travel the coun-
just the darkness. Grant and take each new chance to
tryside gathering information for isolated groves and
be virtuous.
Shine light into darkness. Share the soul's light with fastnesses. They don't ever seek to provoke violence,
the world. Light up dark places with your presence but are quite deadly when defending themselves, their
charges, and their holy sites.
and banish shadow.
Due to the precepts' similarity to the teachings of MONASTIC TRADITIONS
some faiths, the Order of the Sun Soul has long had
associations with temples and the faithful of three par- Monks in the Forgotten Realms have the following
ticular deities: Sune, SelQne, and Lathander. The dictate Monastic Tradition options, in addition to those in the
to seek physical perfection and recognize hidden virtue Player's Handbook.
has similarity to Sune's teachings about physical and
spiritual beauty. Followers of SelQne recognize their WAY OF THE LONG DEATH
goddess's exhortation to battle darkness and seek vir- Monks of the Way of the Long Death are obsessed with
tue. And of course, Lathander's association with the sun the meaning and mechanics of dying. They capture
links to the Sun Soul philosophy, but more critically for creatures and prepare elaborate experiments to capture,
worshipers of Lathander, they see the idea of granting record, and understand the moments of their demise.
and taking new chances as similar to Lathander's em- They then use this knowledge to guide their understand-
phasis on new beginnings. ing of martial arts, yielding a deadly fighting style.
LONG DEATH MONKS TOUCH OF DEATH
Starting when you choose this tradition at 3rd level,
Followers of the Way of the Long Death worship the
principle of death more so than any deity of death. your study of death allows you to extract vitality from an-
other creature as it nears its demise. When you reduce
These monks seek the secrets of life by studying death
a creature within 5 feet of you to 0 hit points, you gain
itself. It is the condition of being dead that concerns
temporary hit points equal to your Wisdom modifier +
them most, and not what lies beyond; the afterlife holds
little interest for them. Their monasteries are full of your monk level (minimum of 1 temporary hit point).
decaying, dying, and dead animal and plant specimens,
HOUR OF REAPING
which they study with detached interest. They frequently
At 6th level, you gain the ability to unsettle or terrify
purchase rare specimens from adventurers and mer-
those around you as an action, for your soul has been
chants that they can't obtain easily themselves. But such
touched by the shadow of death. When you take this ac-
studies are only part of the monks' daily life: They seek
tion, each creature within 30 feet of you that can see you
to understand death as it pertains especially to intelli-
must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or be fright-
gent living beings, and to this end they eagerly welcome
ened of you until the end of your next turn.
the diseased and the dying so that they might watch and
CHAPTER 4 I CLASSES