Monk
Monks are members of an ascetic order dedicated to the perfection of the body and soul through the discipline of the martial arts. Monks start with very little equipment, but can survive without the weighty weapons and spellbooks needed by other adventurers. They are used to seeking within for spiritual progress and thus pay no mind to the gods - at least prior to entering the Dungeon.
Starting Equipment
Some species may receive different items based on their unique restrictions.
- +0 robe
- Bread ration
Starting Skills
These are adjusted by your species' aptitudes.
- Fighting: 3
- Unarmed Combat: 4
- Dodging: 3
- Stealth: 2
Special
- Monks do not start with a god, but automatically gain ** piety when they first convert to a god.
Strategy
This is a good background for strong monstrous species, especially those with natural weapons (Trolls, Ghouls, Minotaurs, and sometimes Demonspawn), as those claws and horns fall under Unarmed Combat.
Unarmed Combat can hold its own damage-wise once the skill is at extremely high levels, especially if you have the aforementioned natural weapons to increase damage output. That it needs to be at high levels is the downside - at lower skill levels, weapons (especially branded ones) can outperform Unarmed Combat.
Note that heavy armor penalizes Unarmed Combat speed, so unless you develop other weapon skills, keep it light. If you want a heavily armored melee character, you're better off with a Fighter or one of the religious backgrounds.
If your species is not horrible with magic, consider branching into Transmutations, as that school contains several spells useful to unarmed combatants, including Beastly Appendage, Blade Hands, and the various "form" spells.
The piety boost you gain upon choosing a god is very handy if you want a god that lacks a starter background, especially Okawaru, Makhleb, and other gods who offer bonuses right at * piety.
History
Prior to 0.10, there was no piety bonus gained upon choosing a god.
