1.5 Changelog

1.5 Changelog

Here (finally) is the changelog for the 1.5 update for the Skyrim mod "Way of the Monk":

+ Improved appearance of the Pillars locations
+ Fixed the requirements for Irons Fists 3
+ Fixed issue for some NPCs where they would appear naked
+ Replaced Cultist Follower with a voiced follower
+ Added a quest to find all of the Pillars, with a reward for finding all of them. Start the quest by reading the book, "The Pillars".
+ Fist weapons are now affected by OneHanded Perks. The Claws, Talons, Punch Daggers, and Katar are affected by the sword perks; the Ulaks are affected by the War Axe perks; and the perferators and Burning Fists are affected by the Mace perks
+ Increased base damage of Steel Punch Daggers by 1
+ Created more Cultist NPCs
+ The new follower now levels with you up to level 60
+ Unarmored now does not level when you are a werewolf
+ Fixed issue where the OneHanded Unarmed Weapon was doing more damage and affected by more perks than it was supposed to.
+ The Deadly Blows perks no longer stack
+ Fixed menu issues with the Silent Movement and Padded Movement perks
+ Corrected information in the menu for the Wielder Pillar
+ Added visual effect to Whirlwind Attacks from the Wielder Pillar
+ Fixed the menu issues with acquiring the Vitality perks
+ Fixed the conditions for the Vitality perks

I apologize for the delay. I've been pretty busy and tired recently because of the new school semester. I will start work on version 1.6 soon.

Way of the Monk can be downloaded at the following locations:

Skyrim Nexus

Steam Workshop

Becoming A Master

...or at least a master file.

So, over the past version or two I have slowly been considering the possibility of changing my mod from an .esp to an .esm. Or, more understandably, from a plugin to a master file. The difference between plugin and master files are as follows.

Plugin File (.esp): The standard format for mods. They modify or add content within master files while they are loaded. Their changes are not permanent and will not actually modify the .esm file. Instead, Skyrim reads their information and makes the changes inside of the game. Every .esp has a list of master files that are required for it to run. Most of them only require the Skyrim.esm Master File. However, if one were to require Dawnguard, for instance, then it would require both Skyrim.esm and Dawnguard.esm. When you make a mod with the Creation Kit, they are the format that it saves your changes in. They can be uploaded to the Steam Workshop.

Master File (.esm): Skyrim.esm is the main master file. They are what hold all of the main files which the game uses. They have higher priority than any .esp files in the load order. You can make an .esp that modifies and .esm, but you cannot make an .esm that modifies an .esp. They are the star of the solar system and all of the little .esps orbit around them. They can only be created by using modder-made tools to convert a .esp to an .esm, and they cannot be uploaded to the Steam Workshop.

So, why the extended monologue about the difference between the two? Mainly because I am currently giving a significant amount of thought to changing my mod to an .esm. This has a number of pros and cons, but I think that the benefits outweigh the disadvantages.

Pros:

+ Modules. I would finally be able to make all of those optional modules that people have been asking for. Some people just want the overhaul without the weapons. Some want the skills to be in the vanilla perk trees. Others want quests. Some want small optionals like a Fists of Steel perk for Light armor. Others might want a Chi system. The list goes on. Making Way of the Monk a Master File mod would allow me to make those modules. You would download the master file with the whole shebang. Then, if you wanted certain aspects changed you could either download a module (.esp) for yourself, or even make your own to use.

+ Compatibility. Compatibility issues would be much easier to solve. Instead of having to change large parts of my system to work with another mod or have them do the same thing, I (or someone else) could just build an .esp that bridges the gap between the two mods and makes them compatible. It would be totally optional and the compatibility patches would be much easier to create.

+ Teamwork. If, at some point, someone else wanted to join me on the project and help me out, then a Master File would be a LOT easier to work with. Say, for instance, that someone wanted to help me build a questline for the mod. We could 1) work together on the SAME file at the SAME time using a program made by SureAI, allowing us to simultaneously build the questline together. Or 2) one of us could make an .esp plugin for the .esm that adds a questline that is totally optional. That way you could get the main mod without having to worry about all of the issues that come with quest mods.

Con:

+ No Steam Workshop. Unfortunately, the Steam Workshop does not allow modders to upload .esm Master Files. At all. And even if it did, it has a filesize limit of 100mb. While just the overhaul would not likely meet that size limit, the modules might. Especially if they included new meshes, textures, or sounds. The normal mod has already reached a size of 72 mb. Simply adding full dialog for two characters might raise the size past the 100mb limit on the Steam Workshop. If I turned Way of the Monk into a master file, then Steam users would not be able to download the latest versions from the Workshop. I would not delete the mod, so they would still be able to get whatever version existed before the change to .esm. However, to get any later versions they would *have* to use the Nexus.

Conclusions:

So, what do y'all think?

Personally, I think that it is worth the risk. As the creator, I want to grow this mod as much as I can without being limited by the Workshop's capabilities. However, I do not want to alienate players unless I have to. Please feel free to give me your input on the choice.

Skyrim Monk Let's Play #1 - Intro

I have uploaded a new video for the Way of the Monk mod to Youtube. This video describes how the mod works, and introduces my upcoming Let's Play series for it.

If you'd like to be notified when I post more videos, then feel free to subscribe to the channel.

Plans for the Chi System - Help Decide!

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.

Player Guide: Specialization

Even though the Way of the Monk's primary purpose is to provide a new playstyle, I have incorporated several ways to specialize your character.

1. Classic Monk


There is, of course, the classic fantasy-genre monk that wields no weapons, wears no armor, and heals his fellow warriors. Either the Pillar of the Healer or the Pillar of Aptitude are for you. The Pillar of the Healer's power automatically heals nearby allies by 3 points per second. Used with a follower-enhancement mod such as UFO, this will be especially useful. The Pillar of Aptitude does not give you any special powers, but instead increases the speed at which your Monk skills level. This classic character-type would use both of my new skills, as well as take advantage of the new weapons. To raise your player level and to survive for the first few levels, I would also suggest taking the time to improve your Restoration and Aleration skills.

2. Strangle 'em!


Want to sneak through the shadows and surprise your enemies with a stranglehold? With the latest patch from Bethesda, a ton of new Unarmed killcams have been added, including a number of which are specific to stealthily killing someone from behind. Just adds another level to your awesomeness. Finding the Pillar of the Shadow Monk would be my first deed. Read "the Pillars" at the Pillars of the Way for a riddle to find its location. The Pillar gives you a Backstab-like effect that multiplies your sneak-attack damage by 6 with Monk weapons. For you Unarmored assassins, it also fortifies your Sneak by 10 when you are not wearing armor. If you are going to play the part of a blade-less shadow killer, you might want to consider playing a Khajiit to get their Unarmed Damage and Sneak bonuses.

3. Magical Monk


One of the uniquenesses of this mod is its Unarmored features. In the vanilla game you must rely on your spells or talent in avoiding attacks to survive blows from your opponents. But with Way of the Monk, you can use the Unarmored perks to raise your chances of survival, and the Unarmed perks to fight in close combat. The Pillar of the Elemental Monk would be the most beneficial for such a character, since it gives you a resistance to magic when unarmored and lets you deal elemental damage to enemies with your attacks. Use whatever magic skills you desire in combination with my own new skills.

4. Tough Pugilist


Perhaps you just want to be a metal-encased warrior that beats his enemies into submission with his fists rather than a warhammer? Go for it! There is no specific pillar for a heavy-armor or light-armor monk, but I might suggest using the Pillar of the Wielder that multiplies the speed of your Monk attacks by 3 once a day. Use either of the vanilla armor skills that you want. I would suggest getting the Fists of Steel perk if you are a heavily armored Dovahkin.

Way of the Monk: Part 1 - List of additions

This list is for the use of those who want to test my Way of the Monk mod, cheat ( :-P ), or just want to read about all of the additions. Each addition is categorized by type and listed with its name and description.

When I say "Monk weapons" I mean both the "Unarmed" weapon the new fist weapons.

For any item, perk, or spell simply type help "item name" 4 into the console but replace "item name" with the name while keeping the quotes. This should give you the code for the it.


Pillars:


Managing Pillars:

Pillar of the Way: Adds perks that run the leveling scripts in case the player does not have them for some reason. Also gives the player the "Unarmed" weapon.
Pillar of Progress: Lets you see a list of your stats that includes levels, leveling progress, and amount of perk points. Also lets you see what perks you already have and read descriptions of them.
Pillar of Choice: Lets you choose new perks if you meet the requirements. Also lets you check how many perk points you have.
Pillar of Rewalking: Allows you to reset your perks. It takes all of your perks away and gives you back all of the perk points that you have gained. Warning: You can only do this once.

Power Pillars:

Pillar of Aptitude: Increases the speed at which your Monk skills level by 20%.
Pillar of the Elements: You gain a spell that lets you choose whether to deal shock, fire, or cold damage. Whichever one you pick will be applied to enemies when you attack them with the Unarmed weapon or with any of the new fist weapons. You also gain a 20 bonus to Magic Resistance when Unarmored. (May decrease this amount for Update 1 for balancing)
Pillar of Dimensions: Adds a lesser power that lets you teleport randomly around the battle to avoid damage. Warning: it's a bit buggy. Every now and then you end up inside a wall. I will fix this for Part 2.
Pillar of the Healer: You automatically heal allies within ten feet by 3 points per second.
Pillar of the Seer: Gives you a lesser power that partially blinds you, but allows you to see both living and undead in the vicinity.
Pillar of the Shadows: Adds perk that multiplies sneak-attack damage by 6 for Monk weapons.
Pillar of the Whirlwind: Adds daily power that temporarily multiplies attack speed of Monk weapons by 3.

Locations:

So far I have only added locations for the Pillars. All of these locations have map markers. Not all of them can be traveled to with the console, though. I will fix that for Update 1 and post the codes.

Pillars of the Way: Can be found slightly up the hill from the Guardian Stones. Includes the Way, Progress, Choice, and Rewalking Pillars.
Guardian Stones (modified): Added the Pillar of Aptitude to the circle of Guardian Stones.
Pillar of the Elements: Atop the hill on the island in Lake Geir.
Pillar of Dimensions: Island in south-east branch of Karth River. Follow the river and you should find it.
Pillar of the Healer: Hill-crest north-east of Sleeping Tree Camp.
Pillar of the Seer: Lake Yorgrim.
Pillar of the Shadows: Near the Shadow Stone. I may find a more inventive place for it later.
Pillar of the Whirlwind: Reachwind Eyrie

Perks:

Some of these perks have multiple levels. In such cases I will give the amount of levels. I will also provide the ID. In the IDs, x stands for the level of the perk.

Attack perks: (uses Unarmed skill)
Quick Blows: 3 levels. Your Monk weapon damage increases by 10%, 20%, 30%. ID: WoMPerkAx
Bleeding Hands: 3 levels. Your Monk weapons cause bleeding damage. ID: WoMPerkGx
Vitals Shot: 3 levels. Your Monk weapons have a 10%, 20%, 30% chance of dealing critical damage. ID: WoMPerkCx
Weak Points: 1 level. Your unarmed attacks ignore 10% of armor. ID: WoMPerkAA

Unarmored perks: (uses Unarmored skill, will add more perks in future for balancing)
Soft Resistance: 3 levels. Your Armor Rating increases by 20, 40, 60  when unarmored. (Bonus does not appear in your inventory, but it does exist. Will try to fix this.) ID: WoMPerkUx
Unencumbered: 3 levels. Your speed increases by 10%, 20%, 30% when unarmored. ID: WoMPerkUSx
Softened Blows: 3 levels. Damage from enemies using Monk Weapons is reduced by 10%, 20%, 30% when unarmored. (May replace in future version to add more interesting/helpful effects). ID: WoMPerkUEx
Unarmored Stance: 1 level.  Power attacks use 10% less stamina when you are unarmored. ID: WoMPerkPA

Damage perks: (uses Unarmed skill)
Deadly Blows: 3 levels. Your Monk weapon damage increases by 25, 50, 75%. ID: WoMPerkDx
Tiring Blows: 3 levels. Your Monk attacks drain your enemy's stamina by 10, 20, 30 points. ID: WoMPerkDSx
Critical Blows: 3 levels. When power-attacking your Monk weapons deal double, triple, four-times critical damage. ID: WoMPerkDFx
Fist Stabber: 1 level. Fist weapons (not normal unarmed attacks) do 20% more damage. ID: WoMPerkDH


Items:


All of the weapons can be found in the QAS testing room. Type coc QASmoke to get there. You will see a table in front of you with wooden ladles. On the other side are the containers that hold the Way of the Monk items.


Weapons:
See tom 349's mod. All of them are added. See BloodySunday's mod to see how the weapons will look with his retexture.

Clothing:
I've added a number of monk robes that were in the CK but not in the actual game. They were created by Bethesda but never added them to the world. You can see the colors in the screenshot tab of the mod's Nexus page.

Enchantments:


Some of these are adjustments or new variants of normal enchantments. The Robe enchantments will be scaled in the future for balancing.

Effects:
Bleed: Weapons with this enchantment deal bleeding damage.
Burning Robes: Flame cloak for 5 damage with 10% weakness to fire.
Electric Robes: Shock cloak for 5 damage with 10% weakness to shock.
Freezing Robes: Cold cloak for 5 damage with 10% weakness to cold.
Disarm: Weapons with this enchantment have a 20% chance to disarm. (will balance)
Escape: All incoming damage is reduced by 20%. (for robes)
Evade: All incoming damage is reduced by 10% (for robes)
Robes of the Way: Fortify Armor Rating by 20, fortifies unarmed damage by 10.
Stagger (Weapon): Weapons with this enchantment have a 20% chance to stagger.
Stagger (Clothing): 15% chance that weapons will stagger.

Item variants:
Bleeding Weapons: Deadric claws, Dwarven Ulak, Ebony Ulak, Elven Glaive, Elven talons, Iron Claws, Katar, Orcish Claws, Steel Punch Dagger
Stagger (weapon): Dwarven Ulak, Ebony Ulak, Glass perferators, Nord Ulak
Disarm: Dwarven Ulak, Ebony Ulak, Glass Perferator, Nordic Ulak
Absorb Health: Elven Glaive, Steel Punch Dagger
Absorb Stamina: Elven Glaive, Steel Punch Dagger
Soul Trap: Elven Glaive, Katar
Paralysis: Elven Talons, Iron Claws, Orcish Claws, Steel Punch Dagger
Burning Robes: Hood brown robes, brown robes
Electric Robes: Hooded red robes, red robes
Freezing Robes: Hooded grey robes, grey robes
Escape: Hooded green robes, green robes
Evasion: Hooded grey robes, grey robes (will change to default monk robes to add color variety)
Fortify Unarmed: Ring of Punching, Spiked Gauntlets (uses stormcloak officer model and stats)
Stagger (clothing): Ring of Staggering

NPCs:
Apostate: Melee version: Nord and Imperial; Magic version: Nord and Imperial
Apostate Apprentice: Melee version: Nord and Imperial; Magic version: Nord and Imperial
Apostate Master: Melee version: Nord and Imperial; Magic version: Nord and Imperial
Apostate Elder: Fire version: Nord and Imperial. (Will add shock and cold versions)

Way Of The Monk - Part 1 Released!

Part 1 of the Way Of The Monk Skyrim mod has been released on the Nexus! You can visit this page to download. If you enjoy it, please feel free to endorse or spread the word if you enjoy it. :-)

Unfortunately I was not able to upload the mod to the Workshop. The Workshop has a file size that my mod exceeded and would not allow me to upload it.

Way of the Monk Lore: The Pillars

In an effort to fit my mod into the game lore, I have written three books that will explain the history and organization of the Cult of the Way, a group of people that specialize in unarmed combat. This book explains the history, uses, and locations of the Pillars. The Pillars are like the Standing Stones and let you gain unique powers to aid you in combat. This book can also be used as a player guide in finding the Pillars. The locations are hidden in riddles. They are not too hard to figure out, and give you a hint as to their location.

The Pillars

A Pilgrims guide to the holy Pillars of our Way

By Gurnjad Shormirisson

Wanderer of the Way

Praise be to our Master, and to the Teachings of the Way.

Hail, Pilgrim! It is to your honor that you seek to learn of the Pillars. They are the guides along the Way, and their sites are holy to our Cult.

Let us speak first of those called the Pillars of the Way:

They are called thus because of their importance. They were the first established by our Master, and they guide us in all that we do.

By seeking the counsel of the Pillar of the Way, you begin your journey.

By seeking the counsel of the Pillar of the Progress, you may learn of your progression upon the Way. By consulting it you can understand your distance, and reflect upon all the choices you have made

By seeking the counsel of the Pillar of the Choice, you may choose how you will progress upon the Way. The powers that we gain upon our Path must be determined and decided upon by us and us alone.

By seeking the counsel of the Pillar of Rewalking, we may choose to Rewalk the Way. We are relieved of our previous choices, and may make our decisions anew. Be wise, though, because Talos gives us only one chance to Rewalk our Path.

Let us now turn our attention to the holy sites of the Pillars of Power. These Pillars are unique places of importance, where great judgement of justice was once made. The significance and power of these sites influenced the Master and the Cult to erect Pillars in honor of them. These Pillars bestow upon the Pilgrims and Wanderers a unique power to aid them in their pursuit of justice. 

Pillar of the Shadows

The Pillar of Shadows is the site of a great battle between a Wanderer and a Bandit camp that took place after nightfall. The Wanderer Hod's heart was weighed upon in compassion for the locals who had suffered under the tyranny of the bandit chief. The Orc chief forced a tax upon the village that he had taken by force. He controlled the movements of everyone in the area, keeping them from alerting nearby villages. Their village was small, as well, and could not resist his warband. The blood of many of their sons already soaked the ground from the initial battle. Hod, however, encountered one of their men as he ran from the clutches of three bandits. Hod assaulted the criminals and dashed their brains upon the rocks. Filled with gratitude, the young man told the whole tale to Hod with his dying breath. Hod traveled to the surrounding villages and raised a band of his own to match the chief's force. At nightfall he and his men crept through the shadows and attacked the invaders. All of villagers  were brutally slain by the heroes. The Orc chief himself was slain in his bed as he forced himself upon a local maiden. Justice was served.

Find ye the stone of Shadows

There you will find the Pillar of night

Pillar of the Elements

Avoid the Apostates! For once there was another cult; a cult of Apostates. They were vile and conniving in their deeds, and they turned every thought towards personal gain. Because of their evil, they tempered their powers and became masters of both magic and the Moth combat form. Eventually their masters learned to even combine the styles to form a new mode of fighting. But despite their power, their greed destroyed the new cult. When the temple heard of their apostasy, Master Shormir led a force of Wanderers and Elders to their tower and destroyed every one of their hideous followers. In memory of their downfall, and to warn future generations from following the Apostate Path, the Master established a Pillar that bestows the cult's elemental skill upon Wanderers and followers of the True Way. Justice was served.

Pillar of Dimensions

Vanquish the Dark Brotherhood! As with all men of valor, our Master has encountered assassins from that vile association. Once, upon traveling to Dragon Bridge from Riverwood, he stayed the night in a camp on the shore of the shorter branch of the River Karth. He awoke in the night with blade at his throat. But the wretched assassin was not prepared for our Master's skill. Instead of Shormir's blood upon the ground, he was surprised to find his own when our master stole the blade from his hand. But the evildoer was crafty. Through some arcane sorcery he vanished from the tent. Our Master ran into the night and discovered the man upon a rock, laughing at his own power. "You can not catch a man who is not there," he mocked. But justice is not to be derided. Our master struck the evil man down and learned his power. Now he grants the ability to all who follow him. But beware, for such power is not to be abused. The power is not reliable, and could take you to your grave within the ground. Justice was vindicated.

Pillar of Aptitude

The Pillar of Aptitude was the first Pillar to be established by our Master, and is visited by Pilgrims  more than any other. When our Master first built the Pillars of the Way, he also built the Pillar of Aptitude to guide them upon their way and to speed their progress upon the Path. Justice can be learned.

To reach the Pillar of Aptitude, you need only to find the Guardian Stones.

Pillar of the Healer

The Pillar of the Healer is the most recently established Pillar. During the beginning of the conflict between the Empire and the Stormcloaks, a caravan of Pilgrims was caught between two opposing forces. In desperation, the Wanderer in charge of the caravan called upon his knowledge of the arcane to protect his men and heal them while the battle raged around him. Though arrows flew through the air, and lightening bolts seared ground, not one of the Pilgrims fell dead upon the ground. Finally, as the battle drew to a close, the Wanderer collapsed in fatigue. The noble man sacrificed his life's force to protect the Pilgrims, and in his great honor to the Master build this Pillar. Justice was protected.

Venture ye to the valley of the Sleeping Tree

Look ye then to the rise of the sun,

And to lights of the frozen lands.

Follow the path of their merging,

And the Healer's Pillar will be discovered.

Pillar of the Whirlwind

Honor our Master! For there is no equal of his in the art of the Way form. When he strikes an enemy, the vile wretch is vanquished. When he casts an Apostate down, they are crushed beneath his blows. No rival has he in Cultist combat. Whether with the bare fist, or with the Implements designed by his skill, all who come before his might are destroyed. Fear him in battle, and respect him in debate. For not a Dragonborn could defeat him in war. In mercy and in honor did he establish the Whirlwind Pillar. For he wisely saw that his power must be shared if his followers were to bring the light of justice into this dark world. To meet that end did he build this Pillar. Once a day, Pilgrims of this Pillar are granted his skill and power to pummel their enemies beneath many blows. Justice enlightens the world.

Behold the tower of the Dwemer!

Like a sentinel it reaches to the sky from the Reach,

And now it has another ward to guard

The Pillar which our Master bestowed.

Pillar of the Seer

Not long after the formation of the Cult of the Way, an elderly man came from Cyrodil to visit our Master at the new Temple. He was a Cultist of the Ancestor Moths, our father Cult. Though our Master had once been banished from their brethren, they saw that he had now become a great man, despite their initial dispute. Thus, he offered our Master a chance to return to the Ancestor Moths, and forsake the Way. Gently, and wisely, our Master declined. With grace, the elder accepted his decision, and left our Master with a gift. The gift was the knowledge of Seeing. For centuries the Ancestor Moth cultists have read the Elder Scrolls to decipher their meaning. But to do so leaves them blind and nearly mad. To aid in the service of Justice, the elder granted our Master and his followers the ability of prescience vision. Though the user is partially blinded for a short while, they are allowed to see the presence of all creatures in the region, whether dead or alive. Justice was honored.

The Pillar of Shadows was not established nearby,

But seek ye out the city of Wind,

Follow the waters west to the frozen lake,

and there will you gain the power of the Seer.

Way Of The Monk Release Details & Plans

Details:

Skills:

Way of the Monk includes many new features. The most important is the addition of two new skills: Unarmed and Unarmored. Unlike other mods, these skills do not replace existing skills, and do not even use the same system. Thus, these new skills will also not conflict with other Unarmed mods. 

These new skills will also level as you use them. As you fight with your bare fists or the new weapons, then your Unarmed will be raised. When you are hit while not wearing armor, your Unarmored will be raised. 

Along with these skills come three perk trees: Damage, Attacks, and Unarmored. The Damage perk tree contains perks related to increasing your damage and offensive abilities, the Attacks tree contains perks that affect how you fight, and the Unarmored tree lets you choose perks that (obviously) enhance your Unarmored usage. There are 9 perks for the Damage and Attacks perk trees, and 10 for the Unarmored perk tree, respectively. The Damage and Attacks perk trees use your Unarmed skill, while the Unarmored perk tree uses your Unarmored skill.

Yes, the Unarmored skill could use some more perks. I know. More will be added in later versions. The perks from both skills compliment each other, though, so it shouldn't feel too neglected. 

Right now, the first bit of gameplay forces you to choose the first perk from each tree before you can choose the second one. Not because there are actual restrictions, but because you get perk points before you get the chance to choose a new perk. This is because I have not yet created a perk to go between the first one and the second one. Doing so will help eliminate the stall in progress. Expect such an addition in a later patch or version.

The Skills are all managed at the Pillars of the Way, which are just up the road from the Guardian Stones. The Pillar of the Way introduces you to the mod. The Pillar of Choice allows you to choose new perks. The Pillar of Progress allows you to check your current stats. The Pillar of Rewalking allows you to reset your perks and choose new ones (can only be done once). In a future edition, these Pillars will be replaced with an NPC that lets you do all of this through dialog. For now, though, you have to manage your stats by using these Pillars.

Every five levels of either of the new Monk skills, you are given a perk point. These perk points can be used at the Pillar of Choice to gain new perks. The same perk points are used for both skills, so you can choose an Unarmored perk even if you got the point by advancing your Unarmed skill.

Unfortunately these are not the same perk points that are used in the normal leveling system. The scripting language for the Construction Kit does not have any way for me to use them. I have pinned hopes on the SKSE team, though, and hope that they will add that functionality. If they do, then I may be able to add more advanced leveling options.

Weapons and Clothing:

There is a plethora of new weapons and clothing. They all fit the customary monk-character, and can be crafted like normal items. There are new enchantments, as well, to enhance the Monk combat system. 

The new weapons are all from tom349's mod, with BloodySunday's enhanced textures. I gained their permission before using their creations. They can all be crafted, improved, and enchanted like normal weapons. While traveling throughout the world you may find them as loot, see enemies wielding them, or buy them from stores. 

The new clothing is a set of monk clothes that were actually created by Bethesda and can be found in the Creation Kit. Despite making them, however, they did not add them to the game. Luck for me! So, you get to see some new robes, while also being able to find specially-enchanted versions of them with my new effects. They have also been added to stores and leveled lists. They are craftable at the forge with linen wrap.

A note on the weapon animations: Unfortunately, the new weapons do not use the hand-to-hand animations and killcams. Why? Because the animation that Bethesda created was not designed to be used by actual weapons. Thus, when I try to add a model to weapon that uses it, the model either does not appear or appears obnoxiously between the player's feet. So, not my fault. :-( If anyone can find a way to fix this, however, I would be glad to do so.

Perks and Enchantments:

ALL of the new perks have been created by me. A number of them have entirely new effects that were scripted and design by myself, as well. The enchantments are the same way, though some of the weapons that you find will be enchanted with default enchantments. In total, there are 45-50 new perks, and around ten new enchantments that have been created entirely by me. That number of perks includes all of the different levels of perks, as well as those that are added for Pillars and items. Some of these perks give you powers and abilities that are entirely new to the game, built from scratch to enhance this mod. Others are unique twists of already-existing perks. Either way, they will all add unique aspects to your playing experience.

NPCs:

(Part 1)

To compliment the addition of all these new features, an enemy faction called the Apostates has been created. The Apostates are a group of Monks that use their power for personal gain. They are usually not organized into groups, but instead mix with the bandits and lowlifes of Skyrim. There are melee versions and magic versions. The melee versions focus on using the new weapons and close-combat perks that are added to the game, while the magic versions mix magic with unarmed. Both versions wear the new clothing and use the new items, providing an excellent way of finding the new weapons and clothing. 

They are also leveled so that you will not encounter ones that are two easy or difficult. There are the basic "Apostates" that are level 1, the "Apostate Apprentices" that are level 10, the "Apostate Masters that are level 20, and the "Apostate Elders" that are level 40. The Apostate Elders are the most powerful and will only be encountered at high high levels. Bring all that you've got, though, because they are powerful!

In addition to using the new items, they also take advantage of the Monk perks. Don't be surprised if they use some of the same tactics that you do! 

(Part 2 and 3)

Read the Plans for information on new NPCs and factions that I hope to add.

Plans:

My plans are somewhat tenuous, but are outlined below. Some of the features that I want to add may prove either impossible or too difficult. For now, though, they are what I desire to give you. 

Also, new enchantments, perks, and items will be added as I think of them or am supplied with new material, so they are not included in the list. Assume that I will add them whenever I get the chance.

Part 1: (current)

• New Unarmed and Unarmored skills
• New melee weapons
• New monk robes
• New perks
• New enchantments
• New enemies

Part 2:

• Monk follower(s)
• Joinable Apostate and Cult of the Way factions
• Radiant quests for both factions
• A mentor that lets you manage your stats, tells you the backstory, and can train you
• New scaling options to balance my leveling system with Bethesda's default system (may be impossible)
• New combat animations (I will contact the owner of the Marital Arts mod)

Part 3:

• Bases for the new factions
• Faction questlines (possibly hundreds of hours of work)
• More backstory in books
• Unique NPCs with quests

I can not specify exact dates, unfortunately. They will simply be released as they are completed. Part 3 will likely take the most amount of time, if I am even able to complete it. Hopefully, since summer is coming up, I will have a ton of time to mod. Real life gets in the way, though, so I can not know for sure what will happen.

Way of the Monk beta-testing begins now!

Beta-testing has begun!

The beta version of  Way of the Monk has been completed and is ready for testing. Please read the rules and advice below to learn how you may become a beta-tester, how to report bugs, and what is new in the mod. Please read the whole post before applying to become a beta-tester. It is fairly long, I know, but you need to know this information before testing the game for me.

Since this is a beta version, there will most likely be bugs. Please be patient with me as I work to fix them. 

Applying:

To apply to become a beta-tester, simply contact Woverdude and request beta-testing privileges. I will e-mail you the .zip folder that contains the .esp plugin file and the .bsa archive. Export those into your Data folder and you should be able to load the mod. I had some trouble getting the .bsa created, so if you have trouble with the models and scripts, then e-mail me and I will recreate the .bsa.

How to report bugs/make suggestions:

I have created the two forms for reporting bugs or making suggestions. I will send them to you in my e-mail. Fill them out when you find a bug or want to make a suggestion and your input will be added to a database.

Please keep your suggestions related to the content that I have already added, rather than suggestion a new kind of content. For instance, instead of suggestion several new perks, you can suggest a way to improve current perks. If you want to suggest new ideas, please post on the WIP thread.

What to test for:

Primarily what I need to know is whether the new items, enchantments, leveling system, and perks work.

You can either choose to test each item and perk individually, or you can run a playthrough as a Monk and see how it all fits together. Either way works and helps me out. :-)

What is in the Mod:

First, there are a ton of new items, all of which are craftable. These new items can be found in stores, crafted, looted from enemies, or found in dungeons.

There are around 10-15 new fist-weapons, and many enchanted variations of each of those. A few of the new weapons are not found in the game as loot, but will be used in later versions to create unique items for quests or bosses. The weapons can be crafted and improved normally. The animations are a bit wonky, but that is not my fault. Bethesda designed their handtohand animation strangely, so when weapons use it they do become invisible on the right hand. Their issue, not mine...

There are also new enchantments with new effects. These enchantments can be found on the new weapons and clothing.

There are also a new set of robes. These are monk robes that I found in the Creation Kit, but were not used in the vanilla game. Which was quite lucky for me. You can find them or craft them. They use 1 linen wrap to craft and are in the Misc. category.

New enemies. There is a new enemy faction called "The Apostates". They are a breakoff of the Cult of the Way that will be expanded on in later versions. They can be found in encounters and use the new fist weapons. They have a unique combat style, as well, that mixes magic and unarmed combat. They are very lightly armored (if at all), but are very quick. There are different types and levels of these new enemies.

New Unarmed and Unarmored skills. The Unarmed skill is raised by using any of the new weapons or by fighting without a weapon equipped. The Unarmored skill is raised by taking hits while not wearing armor. These skills do NOT replace existing skills, but are instead entirely new and operate through a series of scripts that run in the background. They also include new perks.

Perks. The perks can be gained as you level your Monk skills. You choose and manage your perks at the new Pillars.

Pillars. The Pillars are like the Standing Stones, in the way that they give you new abilities. There are two types of Pillars. There are the Pillars of the Way that allow you to manage your stats, and there are the Pillars found around Skyrim that give you unique powers. The Pillars of the Way are where you manage your stats and are probably the first place that you want to go. Here is a screenshot of their location:

They are just up the hill from the Guardian Stones, marked by a stone archway. Between the Pillars will be three books that explain some of the lore and provide you beta testers with the locations of all of the Pillars.

All of the new items can all be found in the QASmoke testing room. To get there type coc QASmoke into the console and press enter. When the game is finished loading, you will see a table in front of you. The containers with them are on the other side of the table and all have the prefix "WoM".

Legality/Use-restrictions:

Skyrim and all of its component are owned by Bethesda. All of the Way of the Monk work is reserved be used by me and those that I give permission to. Do not send the beta version to anyone without my permission. Do not upload the files to any website. Do not claim the files to be your own. Doing any such things will result in the loss of your beta-testing privileges and you will be reported for piracy to any website that you have illegally uploaded the files to.

Have fun!

Though my post seems pretty serious, I want you to have as much fun as you can with my mod. Go thou therefore, and have fun! :-) Though you may not pirate the files, feel free to make videos, or write posts/reviews about my mod as long as you mention that the mod is still in beta and give a link to this blog. Have fun!

Feel free to e-mail me with any questions!

Way of the Monk: Lore - The Apostates

In an effort to fit my mod into the game lore, I have written three books that will explain the history and organization of the Cult, a group of people who specialize in unarmed combat. This book is about the Apostates: men who left the Cult and now use their powers for personal gain.

The Apostates

By Gurnjad Shormirisson

Wanderer of the Way

Apostates are foul men of greed. They were once men of the Way: Initiates, Wanderers, and Elders. But they abandoned justice for power!

There are some of us who, once they learned what power the Way teaches us, saw how they could abuse that privilage for personal gain. Such are the Apostates. They did not depart all at once, but each as they saw opportunity to please their own greed. Occasionally they do find leadership and form a new Cult. More often than not, however, they become outcasts. Their hearts are so vile and corrupted that not even the baser members of society accept them into their Guilds. In addition, who would, when they wield such power as we do? 

Avoid the Apostates, you Initiates! Apply justice to them, you Wanderers! Scorn them with wisdom, you Elders! Shun them, you Pilgrims! Avoid the Apostate, and your Path will be safe and without corruption. But if you stray upon their Way, then you will veer from the Path, and your heart will be corrupted.

Way of the Monk: Mod Diary #3

Work has been a bit slow recently because of end-of-semester school, but I have been able to put in a fair amount of modding hours on the weekends. Last weekend I added a whole ton of new craftable weapons, as well as some enchantments.

You can take a look at the Screenshots page for pics of my progress.

Weapons:


The new weapons are from tom349's mod Fist Weapons. I was given permission from him to use his models, as well as from BloodySunday's to use his retexture of tom249's mod.

They are all lore-friendly, craftable, and enchantable. The animations and killcams on them are a bit weird, but that is not my fault. For some reason, any weapon that uses the default Hand-To-Hand attack animation neither appears on the right hand when it is equipped, or is on the body when sheathed. This is not my fault, but the Creation Kit's. The way they designed the animation, it's not built to have models that use it. I am going to try my best to find a way to get the weapons to use the default animation, but I may not be successful. If you think you can help, feel free to contact me.

Robes:


As you can probably tell from the screenshot, there will also be some new robes. There was actually an entire set of hooded and non-hooded monk robes in the Creation Kit that were never used in the game. Fortunately for me, this means that they wont conflict with current items and will be new to players. Since they were all monk robes, they will also fit well with my mod.

Perks:


There were two perks which were not working properly. One of them suddenly decided to start working, though. I could not find any reason why it was not working in the first place, and since it is working now, I won't complain. The other one is still not working, but it should be fixable with some more coding.

Nearly done!


I'm mostly done! I just need to finish adding enchantments, fix that one perk, add some new characters, and write some backstory before sending the first version off to beta testers. Compared to the total amount of work that I have done, what is left is not very much. I have yet to decide whether I will add a follower for the first version. I'm not entirely sure how to do that, so I don't want to begin working on something that will extend the release too far. It may still be a few weeks because of beta testing and my own busy life, but it the first version should be complete soon.

By the way, if you want to beta test Way of the Monk for me, contact Woverdude and you will be added to the list. I ask only that you not distribute the files before I release the mod, and that you promote the release when you get the chance.

I will post more information on the release soon, including a detailed brief of all the new features and a plan for the release and second version.

WIP Screenshots!

A new Screenshots page has been added to the navbar at the top. Pre-Alpha Way of the Monk content screenshots and teasers are on it, and new pictures will be added as I complete the mod. Check out the page regularly for new screenshots of the WIP mods of our modders!

Way of the Monk Update: 4-4-12

First off, let me state that I've been taking a bit of a break from modding. I have two tests that I must take tomorrow and have been preparing for them. I have, however, managed to accomplish quite a bit since me last update.

Pillars:

The script that manages all of the power-giving Pillars has been completed, the Pillars are planned and organized, and several of them have been added to the game. You can find the script for them here. It's based off of the powerShrineScript from the vanilla game that manages the Standing Stones.

I've written a list of all of the Pillars that I plan on adding to the first edition. Some of them are proving to be troublesome to code and figure out, but I am confident that I can complete them with enough work. The Pillar that I've added and am currently working on is the Pillar of the Elements.

Here's a screenshot:

I'm having some trouble getting the effect to be applied. I've found that for some strange reason, all weapons that use the HandToHand attack animation have trouble with perk effects and are not considered Weapons of the normal sort. I'm not sure what's going on, but it has somewhat crippled my perk and item designing. I hope to find a workaround or fix soon, though.

Items:


I've gained permission from tom348 at the Nexus Forums to use his mod Fist Weapons, as well as Bloodsunday's permission to use his retextures of tom349's weapons. I'm not sure that I'll use all of the models in my mod, but a good number of them will be going into the game. I'm having some trouble with the weapons being mysteriously invisible when equipped in the right hand, but other than that it's all going well.

Unarmored Skill:


I have also added in a separate Unarmored skill in addition to the Unarmed skill. Along with this skill are a number of Unarmored perks and enchantments that will be added. The perks will be chosen independently from each other and will level with use.

Plans:


The next few weeks are going to be pretty hectic and busy for me. I have two tests tomorrow, am moving in a week, and have finals later this month. So, I wont be able to do nearly as much modding. :-( I will, however, be writing tutorials. Also, keep watch, because I'm soon going to announce a great new opportunity/project for all of you modders and players. I will post the news soon. :-)

Way of the Monk: Unarmed Overhaul, Mod Diary #2

Mod Diary #2

Pillars:

So, after tens of hours of studying Papyrus, posting questions on forums, and writing nearly one thousand lines of codes with around one hundred properties, I have finally completed the scripts for all of the Pillars that manage your stats in the mod. Not only that, but they all work! One of them is a tiny bit glitchy, but I aim to fix that soon. These Pillars of the Way will be used to manage and check your perks, stats, and skill inside the mod. For ease, you will also be able to use Balls of the Way (misc. items with the model of an Attunement Sphere) that have the same functions. These Pillars were vital for the work on the other mod to allow for proper testing and smooth use. They have also been added to the world and given a map marker for fast-traveling. Along with the completion of the Pillars, I have also completed every perk that the player can gain from leveling. 

There are some other Pillars that the player can find around the map (similar to the Standing Stones) that have not been completed, but they are next on my list. 

Enchantments and Focus Crystals:

They have not all been added yet, but I have decided upon them all and know for the most part how I am going to add them to the game. There is still some uncertainty on how to make Gauntlets that are both a piece of Armor and a Weapon, but I think I may have found a way to create them by mimicing the way shields work in the game.

Tutorials:

Along with all of this tedious scripting, I have learned a great deal about Papyrus and the CK. In the next few days I will post tutorials on making message box sequences, new skills, and (once I figure it out) weapons that are also categorized as armor.

Screenshots:

Pillar of Rewalking (allows you to reset your perks):

Archway to lead the player to the Pillars of the Way:

Pillars of the Way:

Way of the Monk WIP Discussion

WIP Thread on Nexus Forums

I have started a WIP (Work in Progress) thread on the Nexus forums. More details about the progress and components of the mod has been included in this thread, along with some of the issues that I am currently facing. Feel free to come join the discussion!

Way of the Monk: Unarmed Overhaul, Mod Diary #1

Mod Diary #1

If you haven't heard about my new mod project Way of the Monk: Unarmed Overhaul, check it out, because that's what I'm going to be talking about. :-)

So, one thing I decided about making this mod was that I was going to use the opportunity to help other modders improve their mod. As I make the mod I am going to be writing a Mod Diary of what, how, and why I add or take away features from my mod. I hope that you enjoy my diary and learn from it as much as I had to learn to write it. :-D

Please keep in mind that this all takes a lot more time than it seems from reading it. For those of you trying to decide whether to get into modding, realize that it will take up a huge amount of your time. While it only takes a few minutes to write a paragraph about a step in the process, that step could have taken hours or even days to complete. Consider this both a warning to new modders, and a request to please understand why I take days to do what may it may appear should take minutes or hours. :-)

Note: This is going to be a pretty long and detailed post. Just giving you fair warning...

First steps:

The first step in any process is always the inception of the project, and the planning. I started having an idea that I wanted to make a new Unarmed mod over several weeks. During those weeks I saw that, while my Unarmed Warfare mod did improve the Unarmed gameplay, it was extremely buggy and felt too much like a workaround. So, I decided to build a new mod from scratch, following a different concept and process from the first one. 

Scripts:

One of the main desires I had was to have a scaling system for Unarmed damage, as well as having a "skill" and perks for Unarmed combat. Now, the CK does not allow the creation of new Actor Values, which is the class of object that skills are. So, that meant I was going to write a script that ran in the background as the user plays the game. Here is the basic concept of the script:

There are three main variables that the leveling-system/skill runs off of:

1. Use

2. Mod

3. Level

Use is the progress towards the next skill. Mod is the amount of XP that is gained each time the player makes a successful Unarmed attack. Level is the level of the skill. These three variables are stored as global variables.

(The entire script can be found here. The font might not be acceptable to the CK, though.) The equation :

when the player makes a hit

then Use = Use + Mod

if Use >= 100

then Use = Use -100

        Level = Level + 1

        Mod = Mod - .01

endif

So, every time you hit an enemy, your Use (level progress) increases by Mod. When this has occured enough times so that Use equal to or greater than 100, then your level increases by one. When your level increases, Mod goes down by .01 so that the speed of leveling decreases over time.

Practical application:

At Unarmed level one: It will take 100 hits to advance to level 2

At Unarmed level ten: it will take approximately 110 hits to advance to level 11

At Unarmed level 50: It will take approximately 200 hits to advance to level 51

And so on...

Now, the number of hits would get unmanageably high at higher levels, but only if you did not have any perks or items that sped up the process. If you are playing an Unarmed character, though, I expect that you would, since they are available.

The Unarmed Damage scaling is rather simple. It is multiplied by (1 + Level/20). Thus: At level 20, you would do twice Unarmed Damage, at level 40 you would do 3 times, etc. To get the script, click here.

Now this all might sound relatively simple. But it took me a lot of time to plan, balance, and translate into Papyrus syntax. I started out knowing very little about Papyrus. I still do not know a lot, but I have certainly improved my knowledge.

Perks:

Overall, I want to have 20+ new perks/enchantments. That may sound kind of bold, and maybe a bit imbalanced, but the whole goal is to build an entirely new combat style within the game. To do that, I'm going to have to add a lot of new options. As far as perks go, you will be able to choose a new perk every 5 levels. There will be both an "Unarmed" and an "Unarmored" branch that crossover on occasion. 

There will also be a number of more significant perks that you get from special Pillars. Across the landscape of Skyrim there will be a number of Pillars that are similar to the Standing Stones. You will only be able to have one active at a time, but each one can significantly change your gameplay. So far, I have ideas for several pillars, which you can read about here. Each pillar will have a perk that modifies Unarmed gameplay and a perk that modifies Unarmored gameplay.

So far I've only copied the perks from my Unarmed Warfare mod, but I will work on adding new ones as soon as I have them planned out.

Managing your stats:


Now, you might be wondering how you will be able to manage your stats. Across the road from the Guardian Stones will be a set of Pillars that perform that function. One pillar will add the perks start the scaling scripts, and will allow you to view your level, level progress, and amount of perk points.

Another Pillar will allow you to choose new Perks, and a third will let you reset your perks. If you're worried about managing your stats on the go, don't fret! You'll also get several Balls that let you do the same thing as the Pillars. Between the Pillars will be a table with a book on it that shows a tree of perks and explains the mod and its concept.

Making this and the perks functional is what I am currently working on.

Enchantments:

I will create a series of new enchantments that can be used for Unarmed combat. They can be added to any piece of armor, jewelry, or clothing. Now, I know the objection that the player will be losing an Equip Slot by doing that. Since you won't be using any weapons, you won't be able to enchant them. I am going to work around that by making new items called Focus Crystals. They will be equipable and enchantable. In the world they will look like crystals, but when you equip them they will not appear on your body.

The work on Enchantments will begin once I have finished all of the perks, scripts, and managing work.

Items:


Along with the new perks and enchantments will come Items to implement them. There will be a number of new gloves, clothing, and Focus crystals that you can find or purchase. They will not use new textures or models, but will have unique enchantments.

Items will be added once I have created the Enchantments for them.

Enemies:

Don't be surprised if you encounter enemies with the same abilities as you! I am going to create a new Combat Style for enemies that focuses entirely on Unarmed combat. I will also create varieties of the standard enemies that are Unarmored and fight with their hands. These enemies will provide a way of finding new items, as well as providing an interesting challenge and aspect to the game. Around the

The enemies will be added once all other work is completed.

Feedback is appreciated!


What I need the most is feedback. I can only come up with so many ideas for perks and enchantments. Please share with me your ideas!

Keep in mind that I won't be adding new animations (at least for the first version). So, please don't ask me to create an entirely new, awesome ninja attack. :-)

If you have any questions about the technicalities of how I am adding certain features, feel free to ask. I will answer them to the best of my abilities.

For the next Diary I am only going to share what is new since the last update. This one is only really long because I wanted to let people know my plans for the mod.

Way of the Monk: Unarmed Overhaul

Way of the Monk: Unarmed Overhaul

I am currently working on a new Unarmed mod. My Unarmed Warfare mod was mostly a workaround and was pretty buggy, as you probably found out if you played it. The one I'm creating will add a skill. It won't be visible in the levelup screen, but will scale your unarmed damage and add many new perks that you can get. It will run in the background, but will notify you when you level up. As you level up you can gain perks by visiting various 'pillars' (kind of like the Standing Stones), reading books, or gaining items. I will also add a number of new gloves that add unique effects for your unarmed. In addition to Unarmed-related perks, I am also going to add a series of Unarmored (not wearing armor) perks.

As it relates to differences with my Unarmed Warfare mod, there will be no 'Unarmed Weapon' that you have to use to raise your OneHanded; you will merely use your fists. If you want an 'enchantemt', there will be a number of new unarmed-related affects that you can add to your gloves or other armor.

The mod will be called Way of the Monk (in reference to the classic Monk-class in standard rpg's), and will be built entirely from scratch to avoid bugs. Unlike in my Unarmed Warfare mod, I am also going to take care to make sure that it has as little conflicts as possible, by not changing a great deal of content, only adding new content.

If you can think of any enchantments or perks related to Unarmed or Unarmored, please share them. I can only think of so many by myself, but the more input I get, the more that I can add to the mod. :-)

Details:

The Skill: The skill will consist of a series of scripts that scale the damage and keep track of a "level". The scaling and leveling will work approximately the same way that the normal skills do, but will work in the background. You will be notified whenever you levelup, and you will be able to choose a new perk immediately, or delay choosing a new perk until later. 

Perks: You will be given a spell that lets you choose new perks (it will use the same perk points that the other skill use), check your level and leveling progress, and reset your perks if want to (I will limit the amount of times that you can reset them). These perks will be basic perks that give you bonuses and neat features as you level up. To get the best perks, however, you are going to have to travel around Skyrim and find a series of Pillars. Each pillar will have a unique, powerful perk, and will work like Standing Stones in the way that you can only have one active at a time. There will be perks related both to Unarmed and Unarmored that you can choose from.

Enchantments: I will add a number of new enchantments to the game. These enchantments will have effects that change the way your Unarmed combat works, the amount of damage you do, add magical damage when you hit an enemy, etc. You won't be able to enchant your fists, but you can enchant gloves, other armor, rings, circlets, and other wearable items. And that brings me to items:

Items: Along with these enchantments will come items that have have them. Because I don't want to add conflicts with other mods, I will simply add these items to leveled lists to be found as loot. I may leave one or two of them around particularly hard-to-get-to Pillars, as well. For the most part, these items will use vanilla models and textures, but will have new enchantments. I am not a 3d artwork guy, so I don't have the ability to make new models. If someone wants to volunteer some, I'd be happy to add them to the mod. 

Enemies: Just as you are going to start using Unarmed attacks, so might your enemies. So don't be surprised if you run into a character with some of the same abilities and items as you!

Animations? I am not an animator, so I won't be able to add new animations. I may try to find some way to  make the right and left hand attacks somewhat different (to let you have your own playing style), but other than that I cannot add new anims. If anyone wants to make some for me, I would GREATLY appreciate it! :-D

Schedule:

Since the work on Skyrim Books is not totally complete, it may be a while before the first version of Way of the Monk is complete. I've got Spring Break this week, though, so I'm going to be doing a lot of work on my mods. Hopefully I can get a fair amount of work done on WoM (Way of the Monk).

Tutorials:

As I work on WoM, I will write tutorials on various aspects of what I do in the mod. I may even write a sort of Modding Diary that details the whole process that I took to make the mod. If I do, then I hope you will enjoy them and learn from them. :-)

Bethesda Releases New Kill Cams

Today Bethesda posted a new video on their channel and blog that reveals tons of entirely new kill cams, including magic and ranged combat cams! Check out their blog post here: http://www.bethblog.com/2012/03/15/new-features-highlight-1-5-update/

What this means for Unarmed Warfare:

Some of the kill cams that Bethesda is releasing are unarmed kill cams! Which means you will finally have more than the two standard ones! I plan on redoing my Unarmed Warfare mod from scratch (once I have the time), and building it in a more efficient, less buggy, and more useful manner. As a part of this, I will make sure that these new kill cams are added to the mod. They should be added by default, but if not than I will make sure and manually add them to the game.

Are you excited about these new kill cams? Post in the comments below what your favorite one was!

News Update: 3-10-12

News Update:

3-10-12

Skyrim Books:

New team member:

We are lucky to have been joined by John Allan, a writer and level-builder. He is building the bookstore for us, along with a printing press that will allow you to make copies of books if you have the proper materials. His contact info will be added to the Contact soon. Welcome to the team, John! :-)

New authors/books:

Due to a few threads that John posted around the Elder scrolls forums, we have gathered quite a number of new stories and authors. They are quality stories that will fit into the Skyrim world well, and will excite you as you explore the wonderful world that Bethesda has created. Once we receive as many as we want for the first edition of Skyrim Publishing, then we will publish a list of the stories for your perusal.

SP Bookstore:

The development of the Skyrim Publishing bookstore is in progress. The structure has been made, and the printing press designed. Screenshots will be posted soon.

Voice Acting:

I am in the process of writing the lines for the bookstore owner. With the help of Giskard and the Engineering Guild, I hope to find a good Voice Actor for the character.

Timeline:

In order to aid you by letting you know our plans and when they should be completed, a timeline has been created. The ultimate goal of this schedule is to finish the entirety of the first edition by the end of the month. I expect that we will actually finish quite a bit before then, but since we are real people with busy lives, stuff occasionally gets in the way. This schedule is subject to change.

1. March 17th: All books for 1st edition will be written, gathered, and added to the game.
2. March 24th: Voice acting is totally complete and added to the game.
3. March 31st: Bookstore, NPC's, will be complete, and the first edition of Skyrim Books will be released.

Unarmed Warfare:

While I have not actually completed any more development, I have finally found a way to create an Unarmed skill! It will not show up in the image of the 'heavens' along with the other skills, but will rather be upgraded through a system of 'milestones'. These milestones could be in the form of quests, achievements, reading books, or more. This would allow me to totally get rid of the 'Unarmed Weapon', and not have to make any edits to the perk trees at all. I'm looking forward to making the next version!