Monk Weapons: Glaive
Another monk weapon monks aren’t naturally proficient in, but I think it’s important. Not all monks are D&D characters after all. The basic polearm concept of “sword on a stick” is ubiquitous in cultures with metal bladed weapons. The bill, voulge, the Thai ngao, and swordstaff are examples, but let’s look to East Asia as we so often do with the monk.
The guandao, or yanyuedao( 偃月刀 ) is one of the iconic weapons of Chinese martial arts. Resembling a heavy curved dao sword on a heavy halberd shaft, the weapon was supposedly created by the general of the Three Kingdoms Period, Guan Yu. A man whose size, prowess, skill and honor made him a God of War, his weapon was called the Green Dragon Crescent Blade and said to weigh 40 pounds. At least, in the famous Romance of the Three Kingdoms it does. A real yanyuedao does not weigh anything like that much, but the weapon is one of the heaviest of the traditional weapons and wielding one in a single hand like Guan Yu makes you a mighty warrior indeed. A yanyuedao user, like any two handed weapon fighter, is a strongman, able to break shields and cleave through foes. He may also be a horseman:like Guan Yu, users of this weapon can ride down their foes. These aren’t traditional monk roles, but a multiclass, alternate archetype/subclass, or a less D&D based Chinese warrior can use this weapon to great effect. If you are looking for less “general” and more “temple warrior” flavor, the yanyuedao is also practiced at Shaolin. It is a weapon for a fierce monk who is not afraid to slaughter, a weapon better suited for leading the charge into battle than for tournaments or self-defense. Shaolin notwithstanding it suits a secular character a bit more than it does a priestly one.
The naginata, 薙刀, resembles nothing more than a katana on a stick. This weapon rose to prominence in the wars that ended the Heian period for much the same reason most polearms do - a rise in cavalry tactics demands answers. The naginata is used by samurai and by ashigaru footsoldiers but it is most associated with two groups: onna-bugeisha, women warriors, and sohei, warrior monks. For warrior women, samurai wives and the like, they need to contend with big armored men as potential enemies, and a polearm helps to even the odds and negate the disadvantage of superior reach and upper body strength (the same way it does against cavalry, or against anything really. Polearms rule.) It was (most appropriately) also a famous weapon of the warrior monks, used by such figures as Musashibou Benkei, the famous Heian period warrior monk who swore a vow to collect the swords of foes crossing his bridge (and got a 999 sword streak.) This weapon has a a strong enough association with monks to make me wonder why it wasn’t included as a default. Sohei are the devoted warriors of a temple, and often fight in massed battles to defend from attacking samurai, engage in rebellions, or to fight other temples. A monk armed with one of these is absolutely willing to kill over scripture.
