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I am planning to make a monk on my next run through BG2. Now it says that monks cannot wear armor (except for 1, that can be found quite early in the game). Now does this mean that this class cannot wear helms or gauntlets/bracers also?

Also if I am reading the class description correctly the monk can use all the rogue type weapons except for anything two-handed. I think that is extremely foolish, there are so many examples of monks using the spear, halberd, short bows and don't even get me started with the traditional monk using a staff. Please correct me if I am wrong. And yes I realize that the monk specializes in hand to hand combat, but really they are more fighter/clerics IMHO than anything else and 1 proficiency in weapons for them seems uncharacteristic of true monks as they are normally masters and grandmasters of these arts.

Thanks in advance
fishhead

Monks can not wear helmets but can wear ioun stones as well as the odd helmet you put together in Firrkrags dungeon. Monks can wear bracers.

The game doesn't want to the monk to be a "traditional" monk as much as it wants it to be a master at unarmed combat. There's little need to use any weapons for your monk besides very early in the game.

I used the blade of roses early in the game so I would have +3 weapon. The best weapon for a monk otherwise is the scarlet ninja-to that gives one extra attack. I used that a lot (pre-patch).

I played monk through the game, I didn't use any weapons at all except his hands, you don't need to use any weapons with monk, his hands are deadly weapons themselves. Even early in the game my monk easily inflicted up to 34 damage with critical hits and around 15 non critical

In case you did want to use some armor, there is one suit that a monk can wear. If you read the description for Keldorn's Armor it mentions that few others than he can wear it. Monks can wear it, if they have these stats:

15 STR
17 CON
12 INT
18 CHA

Typically, you are correct. However they were most known for their hand-to-hand fighting techniques. Even in this, the monk in d&d are underpowered, it is possible to kill an opponent without the "quivering palm, iron palm, dim-mok" or anything else it has been called. It is also possible to incapacitate an opponent without stunning them, it is (can be) fast and permanent. Keep in mind that for purposes of game balance the monk cannot be portrayed in his/her true form. I won't go into their religuos (sp?) beliefs.

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Subtle and insubstantial, the expert leaves no trace; divinely mysterious, he is inaudible. Thus he is master of his enemy's fate.
-Sun Tzu

*ahem*
Religious
*shuffles away*

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Only the insane have the will to prosper;
Only those that prosper, truly judge what is sane

I read a book about ninjas in feudal Japan and more I read it, more they reminded me of monks in BG2. Only big difference I noticed was that ninjas used short bows occasionally. They really should have named it ninja instead of monk.

What's the reference to the Ninja-to? I am guessing that there was something fixed by the patch, but don't know what (and cannot find a reference via search). I am interested in knowing what the effect was both before and after the patch.

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"If you prefer, you could say EXPERT treasure hunter!"
--Gandalf the Grey, the Hobbit

Before the patch the monk could attack the same number of attacks unarmed as well as armed. Together with scarlet ninja-to this was VERY good.

Siike:

Ninja's are highly overrated. They have been westernized in movies and books. I have been reading about feudal japan and the warring periods. Monks as far as I am concerned far outclass a ninja. Ninja's true enough were used as spies, scouts and assassins. IMHO they were nothing more than cloaked cutthroats with no powers other than hiding in shadows. They specialized in concealed and quick maneuvers. Basically get in backstab get out was their style. They had their place, but in terms of pure fighting skills the monk would destroy a ninja hands down. Actually a samurai with all his fighting prowess seems forever depicted as an easy target for ninjas, I feel this is totally misrepresented, although the representations are usually made via american based movies.

fishhead