How would you make a class more fit for a western style monk/nun/preist?

[Rfkannen]

I was thinking about it, and neither the cleric or the monk realy fit the more standered western monk that exists. Western monks don't realy go around in heavy armor, but neither do they go around punching people in the face. For example if I was to do a slightly more magical version of the crusades, the crusaders would be a mixture of clerics and paladins, and actual monks and preists would be???

So I was thinking, what kind of class would you use for those? if you were to homebrew a class like that, what would you want in it? Useing the suggestion in the dmg, what class would you modify?

Also I do realise the diffrence between a nun a priest and a monk. What I realy mean is the classic religius figure who isnt beating the hell out of people.

ps in case your wonder, I do have experience, as a child I went to many different churches, temples, and synagogues and I did not see anyone wearing even light armor!

[RagingBluMunky]

I wouldn't say that western clergy wouldn't be a class of their own. Just as your average soldier isn't a fighter, so your average clergy isn't a Cleric. What they are is someone with the Acolyte background. If you did want to make it into a class, I would say no mechanics changes are needed. Create a cleric who doesn't wear armor, wields a quarterstaff, and have them focus on the spellcasting aspect of the class.

That's just my two cents of course, I'm sure others have their own ideas.

[Darksidebro]

I'd say a slightly altered cleric would work.
Remove the Cleric's Proficiency with Light, Medium, and Heavy armor, as well as their proficiency with anything but Quaterstaffs, Darts, and Daggers (For Sacrifices).

In exchange for losing those, grant them a combined background of Acolyte and Sage. This'll make them the Scholary Religious types (the kind that sit around scribing books, running a vinyard, or Leading a Sermon)
Have them mostly Choose the Knowledge Domain, maybe a few that do Nature.

I think that covers all your bases.

[Eisenheim]

Archivist or cloistered cleric?

[WickerNipple]

For example if I was to do a slightly more magical version of the crusades, the crusaders would be a mixture of clerics and paladins, and actual monks and preists would be???

Lvl 0 Nobodies w/ the Acolyte background.

[RealCheese]

A religious scholar.
Weapon proficiency with wizard style weapons, no armor proficiency.
Full cleric casting, able to use a holy symbol as a focus.
Choose 3 (maybe four?) skills from Arcana, History, Insight, Investigation, Medicine, Nature, Persuasion and Religion.
Then I'd make subclasses with features similar to wizard subclasses but tied to a clerical domain instead.

Man this would be an interesting class.

[Totema]

...Why not have a western-style monk that's a martial arts expert?


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MfkHkdu5IEI

[Oscredwin]

Acolyte background Abjurer or Diviner wizard, wild Sorcerer, lore bard (cantor?)? Do you have to cast from Wisdom?

[brocadecity]

I mean, the templars and hospitalliers were technically monks. Also, if we update the notion of hospital a little (i say this because hospital used to refer to an institution similar to a homeless shelter-it would house and care for the sick, but it would also house and care for the poor, so it's always unclear to me at least how much treatment goes on in premodern hospitals), you could make a hospitalier cleric who specializes in healing and wears heavy armor (after all, it would be weird if an order devoted to the care of the sock and poor didn't have battlefield medics).

[Jeebs]

I'm pretty sure there's something in the DMG about modifying the Cleric class this way. Giving it the Monk's Unarmored Defense, and removing some of its weapon proficiencies.

[Yorrin]

Honestly if I wanted an unarmored caster of a deity I might just go with Warlock. It's not all that far off in fluff already, and it fits the bill on all the mechanics it sounds like you want. Grab the Acolyte Background, the Healer feat and enough Healer's Kits to be relevant and you're good to go.

[silveralen]

Fitting the non combatant, not adventuring clergymen who ministered to people?

NPC with some skills.

They aren't modeled super well because... they aren't the sort of people you typically play in DnD.