Can you use Meditation to assist you in a power test? I am trying to find a way for a monk like character to be able to do some of the things that are often linked to ki or chi without having to resort to magic. It needs to be more available than artha without incantations. Meditation seems to be close as it is a skill and it does add time onto the action to clear the mind but as it is a skill it cannot be used to help a stat can it? (Or is it different for linked tests than it is for FoRKs and Helping dice?)
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Anything can be a linked test into anything else.
Actually, I could easily see Practical Magic or a variant thereof used for exceptional abilities. Buy it for stats too and use Meditation or a chi skill instead of Sorcery and you have a system for doing ordinary things in extraordinary ways.
We routinely used Meditation as a centering skill, with success granting +1D to the next test. In essence, a linked test that Wayfarer described.
That said! I did start development of a Chi system that was very supernatural. I drew inspiration from sources like Dragon Ball Z and a multitude of Chinese martial art flicks.
Chi is an Emotional Attribute.
Different effects had different Obstacles.
You tested Chi to achieve those effects.
You could take actions to Power Up, adding +1D for each action spent in Fight!
Failed tests Taxed Chi by Margin of Failure.
Meditation could restore Chi.
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I hadn’t thought of practical magic as I was dead set agsinst spell use for the chi effects (same reason I didn’t consider faith), but I could see how it could work.
Regarding the link tests using meditation to help with a power test, I was thinking that the obstacle should be the current power score to boost your power 1D, with extra successes giving extra dice. That way a B4 Power monk with a B4 Meditation skill still has a chance to focus his chi to break things (ice/bricks/stones/boards) and to lift/push/pull things as well.
The same principle would apply to summoning your chi through meditation to aid any stat or attribute, use the current score as the meditation obstacle for +1D with extra successes giving extra dice.
As meditation is a skill anyone could learn, you wouldn’t have to be gifted or faithful to learn to summon your chi, but only those who master their meditation could count on summoning chi.
Relying on a skill rather than faith or magic keeps it bound to physical possibilities too (no flying through the air or running up walls like a spider) and even if you have a grey shade meditation it would not allow you to focus your chi into doing grey shade damage, just the possibility of greater success in meditation.
Another option would be to adopt a spell song-like system. Maybe rooted in Chi if you make it an emotional attribute. You could set up multiple mystical skills, of course, and decide how broad you want them. Song of the Sword gives a good range of combat utility, for example. You could call it Discipline of the Iron Fist. Another skill could cover healing and purification; that’s Mastery of the Inward Path.
Set the variety of skills and their breadth to taste, give them evocative names, make LPs that give them or require training by wizened masters, and you’re ready to monk out.
Those are all really good sugestions and I’m not sure how I’ll go just yet (possibly a combination of mystical and mundane skills).
I am working on an old D&D (4E) idea of mine that was based on the sundering of the dragon god lo and thus, the creation of Bahamut and Tiamat.
The disciples of lo are a group of (heretic) monks that believe in the ancient dragon gods and the sundering of lo whose sacrfice not only saved the world from primordial destruction, but also gave birth to the platinum and chromatic dragons Bahamut and Tiamat (the embodiments of lawful good and chaotic evil). Before the sundering all of these aspects were kept within lo and he exhibited them all. Now men use Bahamut and Tiamat as examples of good and evil but few still think of them as gods.
The disciples of lo except that man is capable of both good and evil as these are the aspects of lo.
When one is accepted as a disciple (initiate) his head is shaved and he begins a long servitude to the temple of lo, his days are spent in labor, his nights are spent in silent meditation or in his studies. Those initiates who show promise and dedication are selected to become disciples.
Disciples are trained not only in the doctrine of lo, but in the defense of his temple and themselves as well as the skills necessary for their work within the temple walls (healer, farmer, carpenter, ect).
When a disciple is ready, he goes through the Sundering Ritual which tests his skill and knowledgeof lo. Most of these tests are given without his knowledge as a part of his day to day existence within the temple as he is observed and questioned by the priests and elders of lo.
The final test of the ritual is an urn that blocks the exit of the Path of Sundering. The urn is made of metal and is filled with hot coals it has a Bahamut dragon emblem on the left, and a Tiamat dragon emblem on the right. When lifted, these dragon emblems are seared into the forearms of the disciple, branding him for life. Once sundered, he is free to come and go from the temple as he likes. Most will shave their own heads to commemorate their day of sundering or in preparation for a difficult task.
All disciples of lo are keenly aware of the aspects of lo (the good and evil within their own soul) and continually do battle with their own desires, attempting balance in all things. Some choose Bahamut, seeking to serve others above themselves. While others follow Tiamat and thus serve only themselves.
I would like to just use what’s already available (RAW) as the disciple of lo would be a character concept in a BWG game (rather than a game about the disciples of lo), so a new lifepath burn is a bit over the top for this.
(Although a sub-setting lifepath based on t.v.'s “Kung Fu” would be great to have for this).
In BW core rules this is all the domain of BITs, affiliation, and reputation. Or you can mine the sohei of Blossoms are Falling for material. But no, there are no special things for warrior monks.