Thread by @TheSpoonyOne

The appeal of the Monk class is also its primary downside: they're the total package when it comes to ass-kicking. You can't disarm a Monk... at least, not without making a huge mess.

That means they don't have much interest in magic swag, or even money in general.

And it's not like you're ever likely to find magic Monk gear outside of their homeland. That means the Monk can stay away from any potential arguments in splitting up the loot. From an upgrade perspective, they're no-maintenance.

The downside is that you never really get to play with the magic loot. This really sucks, especially if you're going Monk in one of the videogames; treasure and magic weapons or armor will be everywhere, and you'll have no interest at all in it.

Now, monks *can* use weapons-- and in fact, I think in newer editions, any ki-stuff a Monk can do with his bare hands, they can also do with certified Monk weapons. And a savvy DM/PC can introduce "magic" weapons from an inheritance or legacy, something that grows with the PC.

The biggest hitch to playing a Monk BACK IN THE DAY was that after you reached name level (9th level), you could only advance in level by kicking the ass of a higher-level Monk in single kombat.

Same deal with Druids. Weird folk, druids.