Monastic Trials

[Siannodel]

Hi, in one of my campaign there is a young monk that is going on a road trip through other monasteries to learn their philosophies and martial arts.
Each monastery will make the monk PC go through some trials, that in some cases will beed the help of his fellow PC to be solved, but since it will be a long trip i can't come up with enough ideas that are stimulating both for the mind and the muscles of the players and so i'm looking for some advices/ideas for good "Monastic trials" or "Traveling troubles" for the road trip.
We are playing a custom setting campaign, staring at low leavel (2 or 3), so i'm open to almost everything in terms of monasteries races/philosophies.

Thanks in advance and sorry for the eventual errors in my english

[Malifice]

AD&D OA Monkey adventure had the PCs travel to Monkey Island and learn Monkey fu from.. well... Monkey.

He set the PCs a bunch of trials (standing in waves, doing something with an ant hill from memory and others) and when you completed a 'trial' you learnt a maneuver.

They were only temporary, and empowered you to fight the 'Dragon' school guys (a hostile martial arts school who were secretly being powered up by some Demon who gifted the monks in his school magicked up paired hook swords or some such).

We're going back a loooooong way, but you could find that adventure online somewhere and use it for inspiration.

It used to be up on WoTC website as a free download.

[gkathellar]

I'd look up the old Shaw Bros movie Return of the Master Killer. Not only is it a great kung fu movie in general (if extremely silly), it has the kind of stuff you may be looking for in abundance all through the second act.

[The Jack]

less idealistic mode; The monks think he's trying to steal their secret arts, their political situation has them against the traveling monk. They do their best to kill the player.

[Thrawn4]

One school is very utilitarianism and favors the life of many rather than that of a Single person. During the trial they have to deliver medicine to a distant village rather than to cure a smaller but nearby village.

One school practices for the art and its aesthetics and ignores distractions like roaming bandits and people in Need. The student has to carry out his exercise even though somebody Else, even a Friend, is suffering in front of them.

One dwarf school focusses on endurance and strength. To prove one's worth you must carry heavy stones for the new building, which also is part of the training.

One school only accepts students with medical knowledge/ who have killed somebody/ are willing to battle till death/ vow allegiance to their god / discover that the Grand Master is also a pervert and promise not to tell anyone/ donate all their possessions to the poor.

[Siannodel]

Thank you very much!!!