I would like to switch this character to the alliance to try something new.
I really like the pandaren monk and I guess it’s also the most fitting race to play a monk.
But I’m interested in trying a new race for my monk and I’m leaning between either Human, Night Elf or Gnome.
I think it’s important that the race/class combination has some logical explanation so I’m searching how I could RP one of above races.
I was thinking about RP’ing as a Scarlet Monk in the case of a human but don’t really know if it would really fit the Monk class as I heard they are more like a “priest” kind of monk.
Gnomes are naturally curious creatures. Learning something wildly different than what they grew up in is right up our alley. Combining different, sometimes even opposing forces (monk’s affinity to nature, with the gnomish love for all things technology) is also quite fitting.
Going Gnome is never wrong anyway - but that’s not a lore-based reason. O:)
Night elves never struck me as a martial arts race so I’d say human or Gnome. Human is so versatile they can be everything and nothing and Gnomes are extremely versatile too due to their curious mindset. They also don’t have any own set religion so can easily adapt to one or view it from a scientific perspective.
The issue with the monk class is that it doesn’t fit any race naturally other than Pandaren. I always end up making an alternate ‘class’ concept for my monk. The trick is to keep it vaguely similar to the monk class so that you could realistically utilize the martial arts of the Pandaren in tandem with your concept.
For example:
Spellfist
A mage/sorcerer that attempts to utilize their knowledge of the arcane with martial arts. I think it’s reasonable enough because in a world where you can accumulate power in the form of magic, I can picture someone trying to overcome the one hurdle spellcasters often have, which is that they are weak in melee range. This type of class would attempt to fix that issue.
Also, a lot of the Monk abilities have an elemental visual design (thunder, fire, water etc.)
Runemaster Orc/Tauren
This is my favorite, because there’s actually a solid foundation to build this on. Runemaster was originally going to be a class that launched with the original game, but got replaced with the Druid class. They reconsidered bringing it in for WotlK, but DK took over and had the whole system of “runes” adapted to the class. Finally, for MoP they took the concept and blatantly made it into the Monk class.
A Runemaster is a tauren tradition where you employ runic tattoos and inscriptions to channel powerful elemental magic. They’d fight with their fists by the way. With a bit of creativity, you could make just about any race a Runemaster.
Brawler
Least interesting concept to me. Basically just someone who’s always loved hand-to-hand combat, but never had any martial arts training. They are just good at throwing punches and wrestling I guess.
Scarlet Monk
They are kind of in a league of their own, but not in terms of power, just concept. I think it’s alright and lays the ground for something that is at least more interesting than a ‘brawler’.
A brewmaster dwarf is definitely a likely thing to pop up. I had one back in the day but it went inactive and someone yoinked the namd from under my nose. Old heartbreak aside, I really do think that pandaren are the top tier thematically appropriate monks and if you want to be an alliance monk, they’re perfect for their purpose.
Horde pandaren are just bad now.
Another fun, unconventional angle is that the draenei had a monk order within the Auchenai. You fight some in their crypt dungeon in BC; shirtless kilt wearing cultists weilding a long staff. Auchenai almost universally went mad in our timeline but there might be a few left, trying to preserve their old tradition of a monastic life.
What doesn’t go well with the Monk class, rather.
6 years is more than enough to become a well equipped martial arts practitioner.
Besides, it’s a very versatile form of concept. Any warrior would undoubtedly have a fair bit of experience in melee brawling.
Don’t be afraid to explore headcanon either. It’s too boring to look for approval of others all the time. I had an idea for something that I called a spellfist, which was a highborne character that attempted to incorporate pandaren martial arts along with his knowledge of the arcane. Punching with arcane energies or moving with the aid of teleportation rather than a literal roll.
You don’t need to be a different kind of monk! It just means they would have had to have begun their training after the Mists faded in Pandaria. The alternative is the rare circumstance of meeting a travelling brewmaster prior to that - but it’s been a few years since MoP now.
Enough time has passed for most other races to have become quite skilled Pandarian monks. It’s been Zen’s opinion that due to the other races having different body types, such as shorter (or longer) legs or arms, different weights and heights, the fighting styles would obviously have to change with them slightly as well. I could imagine night elves emphasizing their kicks with those lengthy legs, whereas a tauren or draenei might be better off using their weight and size advantage with their fists.
That’s a good place for non-pandaren monks to be right now; having learnt as much as they can be taught, and now having to strike out by themselves and put those teachings to the test.
During the 3rd Legion invasion, Monks were recruited on mass to help fight against Demons. to quote myself from another thread:
If they are Order of the Broken Temple, then they can just be Monk’s, even “Ox Style Initiate” and such. Most races can become monks, and all were welcomed to fight alongside the Order, including Aegira, a Brewmaster Vrykul.
So really, you don’t have to work hard to think of who what when or how, its already in game for ya.