- Description -

Way of the Monk adds two new skills, weapons, clothing and armor, perks, enchantments, enemies, and locations to the game to overhaul the unarmed combat system. Playing a monk-style character is now an option with the overhaul. The product of over 200 hours of work, this mod and its subsequent parts hope to add an entirely new style of gameplay. Future parts are hoped to include new factions, quests, animation, follwers, and more.

Unlike most of the previous unarmed mods, Way of the Monk does NOT REPLACE existing skills, but adds two new ones. They do not use the vanilla skill system, but instead run on a system of scripts that operate in the background as you play. Thousands of lines of script have been written to manage your skills and level them in a balanced manner.

I would add links, but for some reason it says that I do not have permission to post links...

- Features -

Current:

• Adds two new skills that run off of scripts and global variables
  
• An Unarmed skill that works either when you use an invisible "unarmed" weapon or the new fist weapons
  
• An Unarmored skill that levels when you are hit (needs to have a condition that makes it only level when not wearing armor)
  
• Adds Pillars and lesser powers that allow you to manage your stats and perks through messageboxes
  
• Adds 30 new perks to be chosen as you level (will add more in Part 2)
  
• Adds a set of craftable weapons with enchanted variants
  
• Adds a set of special pillars like the Standing Stones that give you unique powers
  
• Adds robes that were in the CK but not in the vanilla world, with enchanted version
  
• Adds spiked gauntlets
  
• New enchantments for weapons and clothing
  
• New enemy faction called the Apostates
  
• New monk follower (very basic, will be expanded on)
  
• Adds new mod-related loading screens

Planned:

• Improved follower with voice acting
  
• Joinable faction for Apostates
  
• Joinable faction for Cult of the Way
  
• More ingame books with lore and guides
  
• Skill books that raise the Monk levels
  
• Replace the messagebox system with a dialog system (probably using a summoned NPC) to improve stat management and add more options
  
• Optional scaling to raise the player's level over time while using my new skills (can't for now because there is not code in Papyrus to directly raise the level)
  
• More Unarmored perks
  
• More enchantments and special items
  
• The beginnings of a Chi system that gives you powers after finishing achievement and quests
  
• Quests and radiant quests (if Bethesda ever fixes the navmesh bug)

Known Issues/bugs:

If you can help me with any of these bugs, please post!

- The player's level is not raised by using my skills. However, there is no code in Papyrus to directly raise skills. I am going to request that SKSE add that capability.

- The Unarmored skill raises even when wearing armor. I need to add a condition to the script so that it only runs when the player is not wearing armor. Can someone help me with this? I've found that checking whether the WornHasKeyword for ArmorHeavy and ArmorLight == 0 works for perks. But I'm not sure how to do the same thing with a script.

- The messagebox system is limited and buggy. I am going to try to fix this by using a dialog system.

- The new weapons mostly use the dagger animations. I think this is cause by the models for the weapons, though. I am no modeler or animator, so I am unfamiliar with how those work. But from what I can tell, the model would have to include two of the weapons a small distance from each other in the same file. Does anyone know how that all works?

- How To Help -

- Create a front-page image that I can use on my blog and on the download pages. A sort of advertisemant, if you will. For now, I am only using a screenshot that I took.

- Create brass knuckles or other unarmed weapons that would work with the default unarmed attack animation

- Help me with my Unarmored script problem detailed above

Sounds great!

You need to have a minimum post count to post links. I'm not sure what that count is.

What was the reason behind having to use the "unarmed weapon", instead of just fighting without a weapon?

Ah. I guess that's a way of weeding out spammers and trolls. Thanks for the info.

The problem was that I needed some way to run the leveling script. The best way that I could think of was to have a perk that applied a combat hit spell. And that spell runs the scripts. But for that to happen, the player needs a weapon. I think I might have actually found a way to change that by using the SIsWeaponSkillType UnarmedDamage == 1 condition, but I need to test that. Even so, players said that they liked being able to hotkey the unarmed combat.

Links the author could not post:

Link for the blog: http://www.tesmods.blogspot.com/

Link for the list of additions: http://tesmods.blogspot.com/2012/05/way-of-monk-part-1-list-of-additions.html

They can hotkey unarmed combat by hotkeying their current weapon

That condition function sounds like it's your ticket. I'm just worried that I will lose the unarmed combat "weapon".

Been fiddling around with this for awhile, and while I'm having some minor issues that most likely are due to some incompatability I'll have to figure out, it's very well done and brings a new fun way to play the game.

I wonder how progress on the SKSE features requested is going, if any.

I posted a request on the SKSE thread but they seem to have either not seen my post or ignored it... I will try submitting the request again.


Most of the players seemed to have been able to fic those issues by fiddling with the load orders. I am glad that you enjoy it.

Due to popular demand, I am planning on adding a Chi system to Way of the Monk. Below are the possible plans for the system that I am seeking input on. If you have any ideas or suggestions, please feel free to post them.

There are three types of systems that I am considering as becoming the one implemented for the the Chi powers. The Chi powers are (for the most part) going to be temporary buffs or powers, rather than magical super-attacks. I may add a few cool effects such as a Falcon Punch sort of power that throws the enemy back, but those will be high-level.

The current idea for the gaining of the powers is through achievements and quests. For Part 2 I will only include Radiant Quests, but for Part 3 I hope to add a questline. That will give me many more chances for unique rewards of items and powers. Completing these quests will open up training options from your mentor that will give you access to new Focus powers as well as perks, items, etc. Players will also receive achievements for accomplishing certain feats. Achievements will vary in nature, but will include such deeds such as finding all of the Pillars, defeating 100 Apostates, reaching level 100 in one or both of the skills, etc. When the player completes a quest or an achievement they will be able to choose new Focus powers. In your opinion, would it be better to have a specific power given for a specific quest, or let the accomplishments act like leveling and let the player choose their new reward? Also, do you think that they should be given the power immediately, or have to train/speak with their mentor, read a book, use a special crystal, or do something else special.

Now for the Focus Points: Focus Points (FP) will be required to use the Focus Powers. I plan on doing this so that the player is not overpowered and so that the powers themselves become much more valuable to the player. There would also be a cap for the FP so that they cannot have too many points. They would be able to increase that cap through various methods. I have ideas for three possible systems. Let me know which one sounds best to you. Feel free to suggest any changes to my ideas, as well as suggesting a system of your own.

System 1: The player gains FP through defeating enemies. This would be the hardest system to implement scripting-wise, but it seems like the most interesting to me. I might even be able to set it up so that the player gets more points if the enemy's level is higher. This would require a higher FP cap than the others, and Focus powers would consume a relatively high amount of FP in the expectation that they will be using that power to gain more FP soon.

System 2: The player gains FP through consuming Focus Crystals. Focus Crystals would be a retextured versions of the Soul Gems. They could also gain FP through casting certain Restoration Spells. In other words, and entirely consumable-item based system. This system may or may not use a FP cap at all, but each power would use a lot of FP.

System 3: The player only gains FP through quests and achievements. I honestly don't like this one very much, but I thought I'd give it to ya'll in case you have some ideas about it. There would be no FP cap and powers would use a relatively moderate amount of FP.

System 4-ish: The powers don't use FP at all, but use Magicka. I don't really like this one at all. For one, it would require the player to specialize in Magicka when leveling up. Also, the powers would not seem nearly as valuable, and I would have to greatly limit their effects to not overpower the player.

There would also be another dimensions: Focus Crystals. Focus Crystals (as stated above) would be retextured Soul Gems to give them some color and a sort of magical glow to differentiate them from the originals. There would be two types of Focus Crystals. There would be those that simply restore or temporarily buff the cap of your FP. These would be included in all three systems, but would be dramatically enhanced in the second one. There could also be unique equipped Focus Crystals that give you constant effect bonuses against certain types of enemies or situations. They would have their own lore and quests. Do you think that the unique Focus Crystals are a good idea?

These, overall are my ideas for the way the system will work. I haven't gotten too much into what the specific powers will be yet, since I haven't even decided the basics yet. Feel free to suggest actual effects, though.

So, comments? Suggestions? Ideas? Criticism? I value outside input, so feel free to give me your thoughts.