D&D General Monastaries in dungeons and dragons

[Shades of Eternity]

For all their prominence in traditional history, Monasteries/Nunneries seem to be completely regulated to at best mock kung fu temples and often ignored.

The fact that these locations were wealth generators and religious sites of potential magics, how would you use them in your game?

also how have they been used in your favorite worlds?

 

[GuardianLurker]

Hmm... adventures frequently have enemy religious strongholds that must be looted/captives freed, etc. They aren't generally presented as monasteries/nunneries, but that is (practically) what they are.

I'll admit though that I haven't seen many (any?) adventures where the characters are defending the religious stronghold (and its MacGuffin) from the enemy forces.

Also, are the ruins of ancient and forgotten powers allowed to play?

 

[ezo]

For all their prominence in traditional history, Monasteries/Nunneries seem to be completely regulated to at best mock kung fu temples and often ignored.

The fact that these locations were wealth generators and religious sites of potential magics, how would you use them in your game?

also how have they been used in your favorite worlds?

Actually, I rarely use monasteries, etc. as "martial arts havens". I go more Occidental with priests and monks and have the monestaries as centers of power, politics, retirement, etc.

I recently ran an adventure where I borrowed from the Masters of the Desert Nomads bhats. It was more a less a murder mystery turned into an ancient evil hiding in plain sight and manipulating events to take power like it used to have in the region.

 

[ichabod]

If I were to use one in the western sense, it would probably be as a source of knowledge. Much ancient knowledge was saved because monks kept it and copied it.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

The main reason D&D doesn't often have medieval monasteries is it doesn't have medieval Christianity. Greco-Roman style polytheism that is the standard in most D&D settings didn't go in much for monasteries. Where monastery-analogues do exist, such as Candlekeep, they will look different, because the religion is different. The main reason for the growth in power of the monasteries was the belief that the monks' prayers for the souls of the dead could shorten their time in Purgatory. Thus encouraging the wealthy to give money and land to the monasteries in exchange for prayer. Without this belief system your monasteries would need another source of wealth.

Then there is the security issue. From the 8th to 11th centuries monasteries were easy pickings for the Vikings. In your typical monster-infested D&D settings monasteries need to be able to defend themselves. This is why shaolin monasteries practice martial arts. This would be a problem for strictly pacifist monks. In Europe, the Vikings were eventually defeated by the civil powers, allowing monasteries to thrive (but making them vulnerable if the civil authorities stop backing them).

Which brings us to printing. With the development of printing, the civil powers no longer needed the monasteries as knowledge-banks, which meant the civil powers (i.e. Henry VIII and some others) could loot them for their wealth. Printing presses are known and used in some D&D settings such as the Forgotten Realms and Eberron.

Coming to Disney+/Hulu soon: Shardlake.

 

[Demetrios1453]

The main reason D&D doesn't often have medieval monasteries is it doesn't have medieval Christianity. Greco-Roman style polytheism that is the standard in most D&D settings didn't go in much for monasteries. Where monastery-analogues do exist, such as Candlekeep, they will look different, because the religion is different. The main reason for the growth in power of the monasteries was the belief that the monks' prayers for the souls of the dead could shorten their time in Purgatory. Thus encouraging the wealthy to give money and land to the monasteries in exchange for prayer. Without this belief system your monasteries would need another source of wealth.

Then there is the security issue. From the 8th to 11th centuries monasteries were easy pickings for the Vikings. In your typical monster-infested D&D settings monasteries need to be able to defend themselves. This is why shaolin monasteries practice martial arts. This would be a problem for strictly pacifist monks. In Europe, the Vikings were eventually defeated by the civil powers, allowing monasteries to thrive (but making them vulnerable if the civil authorities stop backing them).

Which brings us to printing. With the development of printing, the civil powers no longer needed the monasteries as knowledge-banks, which meant the civil powers (i.e. Henry VIII and some others) could loot them for their wealth. Printing presses are known and used in some D&D settings such as the Forgotten Realms and Eberron.

Coming to Disney+/Hulu soon: Shardlake.

The Forgotten Realms does have some western-style monasteries, though. Candlekeep is one, for example. But they do tend to be more library first and monastery second - basically libraries with monks (in the original sense, not necessarily classed monks, of course) of the various gods of knowledge, living there basically as librarians and researchers.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

The Forgotten Realms does have some western-style monasteries, though. Candlekeep is one, for example. But they do tend to be more library first and monastery second - basically libraries with monks (in the original sense, not necessarily classed monks, of course) of the various gods of knowledge, living there basically as librarians and researchers.

Indeed, and Candlekeep is a good example of how different religion and society change the monastery. Firstly, it's "monks" do not spend their time in prayer. Instead they study, because study is an act of devotion to Oghma. Secondly, it can defend itself from both raiders and civil authorities. It has fortified walls, guards, and magical defences. They are not pacifists - thier religion doe not ask that of them. It generates wealth by charging fees to study, and selling copies of books in it's collection.

Exandria has it's cobalt soul monks, who combine martial arts with the collection and preservation of knowledge. It's a dangerous world, it's monks need to be able to defend themselves, and Ioun does not teach pacifism.

 

[Tonguez]

I use monasteries extensively, most notably as hotel-dieu run by hospitaliers (ie Clerics who provide healing and convalesence support to travellers (including adventurers) and the poor) I also have monastic orders involved in teaching and research (alchemy and cosmology) as well as normal temple worship.

Paladins imc also tend to be parts of monastic orders too (though usually as Knights-errant)

Then of course There are the various abandoned, haunted or demon corrupted monasteries including one which was once a mental asylum until the inmates overthrew the corrupt staff and opened a portal to hell.

I had an entire campaign where the PCs were part of monastic community involved in tracking down holy relics and cursed artefacts to be gathered into the Church Museum. They also eventually entered the above mentioned insane monastery to close the portal.

 

[Tonguez]

Indeed, and Candlekeep is a good example of how different religion and society change the monastery. Firstly, it's "monks" do not spend their time in prayer. Instead they study, because study is an act of devotion to Oghma. Secondly, it can defend itself from both raiders and civil authorities. It has fortified walls, guards, and magical defences. They are not pacifists - thier religion doe not ask that of them. It generates wealth by charging fees to study, and selling copies of books in it's collection.

Exandria has it's cobalt soul monks, who combine martial arts with the collection and preservation of knowledge. It's a dangerous world, it's monks need to be able to defend themselves, and Ioun does not teach pacifism.

The idea of monastery as the cloistered type cut off from society was in fact a minority of monasteries, far more were open communities were the monks engaged in teaching and healing of the poor, travellers and soldiers.

Most of Europes oldest universities started as monastic schools

 

[Paul Farquhar]

The idea of monastery as the cloistered type cut off from society was in fact a minority of monasteries, far more were open communities were the monks engaged in teaching and healing of the poor, travellers and soldiers.

Most of Europes oldest universities started as monastic schools

And you often see D&D temples run that way. For example, see the Open Hand Temple in BG3. It's not called a monastery, but it acts as like that type of institution.

Of course BG3 also features the Rosymorn Monastery, which is much more stereotypical, in that it generated wealth by pilgrims visiting a relic, and is in a remote location. And it worshiped a "good" deity. However, it was more than capable of defending itself, even in a fallen state.