Monk (Oblivion)

For other uses, see Monk.

"Quick and cunning with the empty hand, they are strong in spirit. They prefer to solve conflict by arrow or by fist."

―In-game description.

Monks are a premade class in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, who use the power of devotion and faith to guide both arrow and hand to strike the unaware enemy.

Stats

Specialization

• Stealth

Favored attributes

• Agility
• Willpower

Major skills

• Security
• Sneak
• Acrobatics
• Marksman
• Alteration
• Hand-to-Hand
• Athletics

Description and use

The Monk represents the ancient art of combat through fists and agility. Whereas the Monk seems like a peaceful and - truly - difficult class to play, it has the ideal advantages of being a hybrid class, specializing in melee, ranged combat and spellcasting. Most notably, they can fulfill the role of a Thief, Warrior or Archer, all in one. Leveling a Monk is somewhat difficult due to the different kinds of major skills, but if one switches the use of weapons and spells frequently, playing as a Monk can be quite entertaining.

A Monk fights either at close range with his or her fists or afar with their bows. Learning to switch between the two is what it takes to be a good Monk. On the downside, in melee Monks have no armor mastery and must rely on Alteration for protection and using fists needs a good speed to cope with, so if they manage to dodge successfully whilst hitting the opponent enough times, the target also loses Fatigue. At times, this and quick reflexes can be a key factor, since a Monk will not have much health to go along. Thanks to mastery in sneaking, Monks can also dispatch their foes from a crouching position with a well-aimed bow shot.

All in all, the Monk is a character for those who are good at dodging and like to vary their combat techniques. Paired with the Thief Birthsign, this class excels in a profession less holier-than-thou than the title of the class pertains. The Monk is not burdened by most weapons and all armor-which will leave your inventory ripe for the picking of stolen loot and merchandise. This will come in handy for side quests involving the Thieves Guild.

Khajiit make the perfect Monks, as they have a bonus to Hand-to-Hand, Athletics, and Acrobatics. It can also be proven as a viable class for other, although less gifted races, such as Nords and Dunmer, for their Strength and Speed attributes, respectively. Bosmer character's could technically also be considered, though their skills in Marksman leave much better pre-made classes to be desired.