Monks and Find Traps

Xavioria

Okay so either I'm slow and don't realize they already can disarm traps, but what is the point of them being able to find traps if they can't disarm them?

Just like Bards get Pickpocket (for various and obvious uses) and Rangers get stealth (for scouting... I suppose) I think that Monks should have the ability to disarm the traps as well. That way a thief is no longer actually needed for anything. I'm sure there are people that are annoyed that they HAVE to have a thief in the party (although I'm sure a large number of people don't care either way) and having Monks get the ability to Disarm the traps as well as find them, then I think this could be a great substitute. (picking locks is easy as fighters can just bash and mages can use knock)

Xavioria

SORRY for double post, but I just thought of something else. If a thief doesn't have to put points into one thing, the thief in question COULD allocate those points into something else if they so desired!

Sallparadise

Clearly you have never played the Assassin class if you speak so badly about thieves.
x7 Backstab multiplier,not to mention all the other benefits you pick up in TOB

Xavioria

I don't mean to speak so harshly about thieves whatsoever. If that's what you thought, then I do apologeize for putting that persona out there. I was just starting a thread for those who either don't want to use a theif for whatever reason, OR if they happen to HAVE an assassin, which only recieves 15 points to allocate per level (if I'm remembering correctly) and would be amazing for the ASSASSIN in question to have more points in stealth and set trap if there is also a bard and a MONK who can disarm traps.

And frankly, I have played an Assassin before, I distinctly remember an NPC (whose name escapes me atm) who was available in the darkest day and I really did like that class.

On another note, what you said implies that people SHOULD or HAVE TO use an assassin every time they play through the game, which is just absurd.

Sallparadise

1.First off, nothing in my statement implies that people should use assassins everytime. It does imply that people should use thieves every time though.
2. I don't even know what the darkest day is.
3. The point spread really doesn't hurt. Most assassins put them in hide in shadows, move silently and find traps and then usually Imonen or Jan holds you over on lock picking (I frankly find traps, see illusions and pick pocket as appetizers and nothing really solid).
4. I've always found it silly as a whole that Monks even have the detect trap function. Seemed useless and pointless for a monk to possess.
5. I'm just against continued merging of classes in D&D and Baldurs Gate as a whole. I like the nice seperate classes and diversified specialities and not a hodgepodge of quasi multiclasses.

moody_mage

Sallparadise said:

3. The point spread really doesn't hurt. Most assassins put them in hide in shadows, move silently and find traps and then usually Imonen or Jan holds you over on lock picking (I frankly find traps, see illusions and pick pocket as appetizers and nothing really solid).

See Illusion is sadly underused. Many many defensive mage spells are Illusion based, this skill allows to you bypass a significant number of them if sufficient points are invested.

Shin

How about giving every class the ability to take down stoneskin and protection from magical weapons as well, so you don't have to include a mage unless you want to.

Tanthalas

I agree that the Find Traps ability of Monks is pretty useless. You can't get around many traps (especially if its a chest) so the only thing Find Traps on a Monk does if give you the opportunity to send someone with high HP to trigger the traps. The Find Traps divine spell is equally as useless.

Though I'd rather remove the Find Traps ability from the Monk than allow them to disarm traps.

Xavioria

My main point was to talk about a thief alternative. Granted, spreading out a class isn't always the best option, but monks DO retain the ability to detect traps (they are spiritual people and detecting danger ahead kind of like a 6th sense does make senses to me) and the only reason I talked about the monk having it, is because A) They already have the find trap feature, I figure, why not just add the remove trap part of it, because finding traps is basically useless by itself. and From the research I've done, it says that Monks had disarm/remove trap AS WELL AS open locks (although I would love to know exactly which versions that is). So I figured that that would be a good candidate for that.

Although I suppose that either way, everyone would be forced to take someone along, which is only fair, because that's part of what this game is for. It's just interesting that they can detect traps and not disarm them.

Scooter

Personally while I agree with you that the Monk find traps ability is pretty useless, I disagree that we should be encouraging people who simply don't want to play with a thief. One of the beauties of baldur's gate and D&D in general is that each class is unique and important in its own way. If you intent to play with the full 6 man party you almost always need at least 1 warrior, 1 priest, 1 mage and 1 thief. Sure you don't HAVE to have every one of those if you're a smart gamer, especially if you're playing solo, but the way it is each party member is important in their own right, which I, personally, like.