The monks of Candlekeep.

SamuelVarg

The monks who live in Candlekeep are not the sort of fist fighting monks that we know from BG2 (and now BGEE) and that rule supreme.

I would say that they are more scholars, wise men and mages.

What do you say?

elminster

I think its safe to say they are scholars. If they were fist fighting monks they'd actually attack back.

Jarrakul

Agreed. The Forgotten Realms are an odd place, a giant collection of different cultures and mythology stuck together with little regard for one another, or even for being terribly true to the original source of each. Candlekeep takes its vague notion of monks from European monks, who basically read, wrote, and transcribed manuscripts all day (when they weren't brewing beer, anyway). The monk class takes its vague notion of monks from eastern traditions, which would occasionally teach martial arts along with spirituality. The two share nothing but asceticism and a name.

SionIV

They are scholars. Candlekeep looks down on fighting and prefer books and knowledge instead. It would have been interesting if they had been real monks, like the ones in Black Raven Monastery and the severed hand (Icewind dale 2).

God

That's one jolly good idea for a monk kit. If Charname was virtually raised by the scholars of Candlekeep, why wouldn't he train as one? Let's get rid of all that martial arts stuff, throw in a large Lore bonus, some Identify castings per level and the ability to scribe minor spell scrolls (similarly to thief HLA), plus a handful of other features and voilà, we have a kit that is perfectly viable, interesting and appropriate roleplay-wise.

Mortianna

Here's a vivid description of the austere structure and culture of Candlekeep written by Ed Greenwood: "An Introduction to Candlekeep". He goes into considerable details describing the monks toward the end. It's a great read if you have the time.

As others have mentioned on this thread, the "monk" title seems to be more of an indication of their ascetic lifestyle than specifically belonging to the monk class. There are wizard-monks (e.g., Ulraunt), priest-monks (Tethtoril), and some are martially-trained as well, so I don't think the true monk class could be ruled out (although I doubt they're the majority).

smeagolheart

Arcane Scholar of Candlekeep is an arcane (mage) prestige kit for NwN2.

So if you downported it to BG2, it could be a mage or sorceror kit instead of a monk kit.

Description:
Arcane Scholars seek to raise the study of magic to the level of an academic discipline. Their interest is not in researching new spells or finding more specialized uses for their craft, but in understanding the fundamental processes of magic and the inner workings of the Weave, which is the fabric that underlies all magic.

The first Arcane Scholars emerged from the dusty libraries of Candlekeep, where they pored through the writings of a thousand long-dead mages, seeking the unifying principles that underlie all magic. But even the archives of Candlekeep have their limits, and not all practitioners of magic have the means or desire to record their experiences with the Art. So Arcane Scholars dispersed into the wider world, observing and recording all the various expressions of magic they could find. Their tradition has gradually spread, and some mages who have never set foot in Candlekeep have adopted their disciplined and systematic approach to magic.

By gaining a deeper understanding of magic, and by discerning its underlying principles, arcane scholars become specialists in metamagic. Their spells are more powerful, last longer and can be cast more quickly than those of their peers. Arcane Scholars have also become especially adept at explaining the workings of magic to ordinary folk. Those who travel with Arcane Scholars gain the benefit of their considerable knowledge and are better able to avoid hostile magic.

Arcane Scholars do not limit themselves to studying particular sorts of arcane magic. To truly understand the Art, they believe that one must understand all its expressions. Thus all arcane casters are equally welcome to join their fellowship. Indeed, the insights of sorcerers and bards are particularly prized by Arcane Scholars, as such casters rarely have the patience to discuss the deeper workings of magic.

from
http://nwn2.wikia.com/wiki/Arcane_Scholar_of_Candlekeep

deltago

It is second edition D&D (candlekeep monks) vs third addition D&D (flying ninja monks). Baldur's gate is based off of AD&D rules and only has some minor 3.0 stuff (class kits, HLAs) thrown in due to 3.0 making its debut right around the time SoA was released.