Without wearing heavy armor or weilding any weapons, Monks are able to effectively combat many of the creatures in both the Crypt and the Woodlands ... although perhaps not as well as a Warrior. A Monk must be a cautious, calculating hunter, using all the skills and secrets at his disposal; he must be more than a critter-basher. Monks are also blessed by their father Cail with an uncanny affinity for nature, and even in their first circle are able to learn the art of gathering and mixing herbs. Their skills are wide and varied, often mimicking some of the ones used by other Paths. If your prosepctive student is looking to become, as I heard one new Aisling say, "a Warrior who casts spells", he is sorely mistaken. Monks will never be as powerful as Warriors, nor as blessed as Priests, nor as at ease with magic as Wizards, nor as skilled as Rogues ... but they will have some abilities in all these areas.
Monks are something of a Jack-of-all-Trades, and should keep themselves relatively balanced throughout their first and second circles. At later insights, I'm told, Constitution and Strength will serve a Monk well, so perhaps concentrating on these early on is a good idea. First, though, a Monk should raise either his Dexterity and Constitution, in order to learn Kick, or his Intelligence and Wisdom, in order to learn Herbal Lore. I've spoken to Monks that have done it one way or the other: either they learn Kick first, and use the insight gained from hunting monsters to learn Herbal Lore; or they learn Herbal Lore first, and use the insight gained from brewing potions to learn Kick.
It is also important to keep in mind that Berg in Suomi can teach a Monk his Animal Stance once his attributes are of the appropriate level. A Monk must have a minimum of 5 in every attribute to learn the Stance with another qualified teacher, or he can learn it directly from Berg if he has a minimum of 10 in each attribute.
A Monk's first-circle armor, the Dobok for the males and the Earth Bodice for the females, as well as their second-circle armor, the Culotte for the males and the Lotus Bodice for the females, can both be purchased from Hali, the Tailor of Undine. Keep in mind, though, that arms and armor are forbidden in Undine, thus these "armors" appear to be nothing more than simple garments.
A Cloth Glove is required to successfully gather herbs, and this tool can be purchased from the Fae Priestess of Suomi, Bertil. Your Student will also probably need a large supply of Wine with which to mix the herbs; it can often be purchased from taverns in Suomi, Undine, Abel, and Piet, although there have occasionally been shortages. Once your Student has a supply of potions, especially personaca deum, he may be able to find a Rogue who is willing to higgle Wine for him, in exchange for a few vials.
As stated above, the first Skill your Student should learn is either Kick or Herbal Lore. Kick can be learned from Keallach, the Fighting Trainer of Mileth; in addition to gold coins, he will want your Student to present him with a Viper's Gland and some Spider's Silk. Bertil, the Fae Priestess of Suomi, can teach your Student the art of Herbal Lore, and will require some Wine and a piece of Raw Wax in addtion to the coins she charges. Simply knowing Herbal Lore isn't enough, however: your student must know which herbs to gather, and what effects those herbs have. If you are unable to teach them this knowledge yourself, refer them to Chloe's excellent work, Herbal Lore. The Enchanted Garden is a good place to gather herbs, provided your student can avoid or combat the Mantises and other creatures that reside there. Better yet are the Lover's Glade or the open fields near the Kasmanium Mine, as both of these areas are free of monsters.
Upon raising his attributes to the requisite levels, your Student will be able to learn an Animal Stance, granting him great powers and abilities. The choice of one's totem animal is a personal one, and you should make no attempts to influence your Student's thinking; you most certainly should not encourage him to learn the stance you know, simply because you would be able to teach him. A good source for learning about Animal Stances is Randolf's Principia Monastica. Make sure you understand the advantages and disadvantages of each stance, though, so you can explain them to your student. Once your student has decided upon his totem animal, you should help to find him a teacher, if you are unable to teach him yourself. A list of those Aislings willing to teach their Stance to others, and the Stance they can teach, is maintained on the Message Board outside the Temple of Cail in Undine.
As he gains insight, your Student will be able to learn more skills from a wide variety of sources. He should speak not only to Keallach and Devlin, but to other Mundanes as well, particularly Dark Wizards and Rogue Trainers, in order to learn what knowledge is available to him. Skills and secrets of particular importance to Monks as they enter the second circle include Tailoring, Ao Puinsein, and Perish Lore, plus skills like Ambush, High Kick, Double Punch, Poison Punch, and Mist, all of which help to make your student more effective in combat.
When hunting alone, it is imperative that your Student use the hit-and-run techniques described earlier; they simply won't be able to go toe-to-toe with a monster the way a Warrior can. They can, however, make a good secondary or even primary attacker when grouped with others, provided they have access to a Priest's healing, or a good supply of hydele deum. Once they learn their Animal Stance, however, the situation changes dramatically: your Student must learn to fight in a way that best suits his style. White Bats, for instance, with their invisibility, can attack a creature from behind, then disappear from view before the monster even turns around. Draco and Scorpion masters, with their enhanced defensive capabilities, can be nearly as hard to hurt as Warriors of similar insight, and can use their special abilities to inflict more damage on their eneimies. Kelberoth Monks, with their enhanced strength, can inflict a great deal of damage, but with the draining effects of the Kelberoth Strike, it is recommended that they remain secondary attackers, and that they carry a lot of hydele deum.
While Monks can practice their skills and even hunt in solitude, it is not recommended that they do so. Mixing herbs with an Assistant greatly increases both the chances of success, and results of the brewing. Alone, your Student will be able to brew one, or possibly two potions per bottle of Wine; with an Assistant, I'm told, they can brew as many as five. Encourage them to ask others to Assist them, and to be willing to Assist others. Likewise, while a Monk can "go solo" in both the Crypt and in the Woodlands, it is not only more effective to hunt with others, it is usually a lot more fun. Most hunters, smart ones anyway, will welcome a Monk into their group, both because he will be able to "take care of himself", and because he can help take care of them.