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Arros Winhadren
2009-01-21, 03:34 AM
I was recently wondering how one could make a character that specializes in doing damage by falling on enemies. I've had a couple of ideas, so I thought I'd list them and see what you guys think.

1: Incarnum - crappy BAB doesn't matter too much since all I want to do is land in an enemy's square. I can invest essentia into those acrobatic boots for bonuses to Jump checks and for less falling damage myself. I'm not sure how I'd go about getting Enlarge Person for that necessary X8 weight (EP would naturally come in the shape of a tasty mushroom).

2:Barbarian - because barbarians are awesome. Also allows the ability to take Flaming Berserker, which makes Mario burst into flames when he enters a rage (Fire Flower, anyone?). Again, not sure about methods for obtaining EP.

3:Psychic Warrior - This seems like the best bet because Expansion is available at level 1. At this point I could just go into something else (like one of the two above builds).

4:Cleric with Strength domain - This one fits the least well flavor-wise because I just don't see Mario as a caster (yeah yeah, psion and incarnum don't really fit well either), but it grants Enlarge Person early.

I still haven't gotten a good way to throw fireballs though. I'm thinking going with that pyro psion would be a good idea, but it doesn't really get the Fireball ability until 4th level (or something), and comes with a host of other abilities that I would never use.

What do you think?

elliott20
2009-01-21, 04:27 AM
or you can just do it by cheese. jump ring, size increase magical items, and just let the falling object damage do the trick. (though in this case, the object in question is the character)

if you want to do mario and luigi from a more serious stand point, I would recommend psy-warrior as well. Throw in improved unarmed strike, superior unarmed strike, and you'll get your Smash Brothers Mario who can also fight a bit too.

Also in the PHB2 there is a feat called "fiery fist" and "ki blast" which allows the character to throw ki fireballs. they need a total of a BAB +8, wis 13, dex 13, improved unarmed strike, AND the use of stunning fists. If course, you can always just take one level of monk (GASP!) and get the unarmed strike and stunning fists with it. But if that seems too drastic, just expend feats.

Moonshadow
2009-01-21, 04:37 AM
Just make sure Luigi has a higher Jump skill.

Khanderas
2009-01-21, 06:21 AM
Mario, Human Expert_5 (plumbing) / Monk_x (depends on what game / how many times he beat up Bowser). Vow of poverty.

Strong and agile, but not much con (one hit kills him most of the time), slightly overweight and no longer a youth, he nonetheless wandered off from Brooklyn, ended up saving the mushroom kingdom and has been its protector since.
With all the jumping, I can see him as few things other then a monk, Vow of poverty grants bonuses to much of what he does, most notable he cannot hold on to more then 99 coins at any time (bonus being an extra life).
Mushrooms, Starman, Fireflowers and such do not count against his vow, due to them being consumed for the magic buff and not stored.

Mushroom- confers enlarge person and the ability to break blocks. Any damage that would otherwise kill him, cancels the enlarge effect with no other adverse effect.
Fireflower- At will, produce flame cl 1. Also grants the mushroom effect.

Starbuck_II
2009-01-21, 09:05 AM
I was recently wondering how one could make a character that specializes in doing damage by falling on enemies. I've had a couple of ideas, so I thought I'd list them and see what you guys think.

1: Incarnum - crappy BAB doesn't matter too much since all I want to do is land in an enemy's square. I can invest essentia into those acrobatic boots for bonuses to Jump checks and for less falling damage myself. I'm not sure how I'd go about getting Enlarge Person for that necessary X8 weight (EP would naturally come in the shape of a tasty mushroom).

2:Barbarian - because barbarians are awesome. Also allows the ability to take Flaming Berserker, which makes Mario burst into flames when he enters a rage (Fire Flower, anyone?). Again, not sure about methods for obtaining EP.

3:Psychic Warrior - This seems like the best bet because Expansion is available at level 1. At this point I could just go into something else (like one of the two above builds).

4:Cleric with Strength domain - This one fits the least well flavor-wise because I just don't see Mario as a caster (yeah yeah, psion and incarnum don't really fit well either), but it grants Enlarge Person early.

I still haven't gotten a good way to throw fireballs though. I'm thinking going with that pyro psion would be a good idea, but it doesn't really get the Fireball ability until 4th level (or something), and comes with a host of other abilities that I would never use.

What do you think?

Tome of Battle has jumping maneuvers: do more damage, the better you jump too.

Gerrtt
2009-01-21, 09:21 AM
The 1st level druid spell Produce Flame lets you hurl fireballs that do 1d6+1/level (max 5). You can throw (or touch an enemy with your flaming hand) a fireball once per level (or if you don't touch anything or throw any fireballs your hand is on fire for 1 minute per level).

Druid doesn't necessarily fit the theme, but perhaps a consumable magic item in the shape of a flower pin or something would work.

Person_Man
2009-01-21, 09:46 AM
My Luigi (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=3967038&postcount=17) build, from some time ago.

Draz74
2009-01-21, 12:50 PM
Fireball could be:


Fiery Ki Blast from PHB II, as mentioned (but this is usable only a small number of times per day)
Desert Wind strikes from ToB
a Psionic Power (doesn't actually have to be the Energy "Ball" power, works perfectly well as a re-fluff of Energy Ray, a Level 1 power)
Dip a spellcasting class (Duskblade?) and take a Fiery Blast Reserve Feat from Complete Mage


The best "jump on people" attacks are the Tiger Claw ToB maneuvers that have been mentioned, and the Battle Jump feat from Unapproachable East (used in Person_Man's linked build).

Altogether, I'd say the easiest way to make these two would be as Unarmed Swordsages. Stone Dragon maneuvers and stances could represent mushroom-growth abilities, although adding in some items (e.g. Belt of Growth) wouldn't hurt either. Death from Above, Swooping Dragon Strike, etc., are your great Jump-based maneuvers. And the fireballs, like I said, are pure Desert Wind.

Psychic Warrior can definitely work, too, though.

Arros Winhadren
2009-01-21, 07:38 PM
My idea was to do damage by falling on enemies - not by attacking, but by literally doing falling damage. I suppose a leaping charge might fit, but really I'm just looking for jumping on top of things until they die. What's Unapproachable East? I've never heard of that one.

As for Tome of Battle, suffice to say that I would not touch it with a ten-foot pole.

Eldariel
2009-01-21, 07:56 PM
Unapproachable East is a 3.5 Forgotten Realms campaign accessory with all manners of wonderful classes and such, along with the obligatory "far east Realms"-fluff. Some of the best crunch they've published; too bad they had to make it unnecessarily campaign settings specific.

And like it or not, Tome of Battle is generally the easiest way of realizing concepts like this. Anyways, for jumping, you could make a character with unarmed attacks and simply make them by jumping on top of the opponent. Since you can make unarmed attacks with any part of the body, doing them with your legs on top of your opponent should work just fine.

Again, best with ToB (Tiger Claw has a ton of things that work for this and Desert Wind handles the fireballs), but without it, I suppose you could make some Monk-based (eww) monster. Monk with Fiery Ki Blast or Monk/Psychic Warrior with Tashalatora (probably mechanically the most sound option) would work pretty well. Just max out Jump, jump on top of things, stomp them (use Leap Attack and so on to multiply your Jump Powah) and pick Psionic Powers that allow you to shoot fireballs (and to fly if going by the latter Marios).


There's no real class combined to the falling damage, but as long as you have some sort of damage reduction, anything that can get high enough would work, I'd reckon (DR so you don't end up breaking yourself; Mario was never hurt by his jumps!). So just focus on jumping. Again, ToB rears its ugly head (lots of ways to boost Jumping there), but e.g. Exemplar [CAdv] would also help and anything that increases your speed raises your jump distance.

Arros Winhadren
2009-01-23, 04:57 AM
I see, good stuff. Since this is one of those characters where you shouldn't have to worry too much about optimization, how about going Monk/Barbarian/PsyWar? Lots and lots of spaghetti speed and enlarge at early enough levels to make the character work.

Eldariel
2009-01-23, 05:12 AM
Ardent or Psy War, but yea... Ardent would probably be more loyal to the origins as you can limit the powers you learn very easily. Also better when multiclassed. Something like Barbarian 2/Monk 2/Ardent 16 (or Psy War) with Tashalatora; Ardent would get higher level manifesting thanks to Practiced Manifester so it might be easier to work all the different Mario suites into that.

jcsw
2009-01-23, 07:44 AM
IIRC, warforged with adamantine body weighs a 1000 pounds or so, you have armor check penalties though, making it hard to jump.

Also, you'd look like a robot.

newbDM
2009-01-23, 11:04 PM
Anyone got a link to that recent Jumpomancer thread?

Eldariel
2009-01-23, 11:23 PM
I don't know, which thread you're talking about but the original Jumplomancer-thread is here (http://forums.gleemax.com/archive/index.php/t-943738.html).

TempusCCK
2009-01-24, 01:32 AM
Combine falling damage with unarmed strike with Improved/Superior Unarmed Strike. you're still falling, and you're also making a kicking attack at the enemy. Best way to do it.

Also, Mario/Luigi oftentimes stop cannonballs with the bottom of their feet, so get some adamantium soled boots...

Also, flaming returning Shuriken, good idea courtesy of Person-Man.

JMobius
2009-01-24, 01:51 AM
Oh, god...

The best GM I've ever played with once sicced Mario and Luigi on me in a Star Wars game, after my jedi accidentally fell in love with Princess Peach. There was this absolutely terrifying sequence, involving our ship being boarded, and the Mario theme being played over the intercomm as we got our asses handed to us...

The whole thing was played surprisingly straight, and was quite scary. I still can't listen to that song without chills going up my spine...

Draz74
2009-01-24, 06:05 AM
Oh, god...

The best GM I've ever played with once sicced Mario and Luigi on me in a Star Wars game, after my jedi accidentally fell in love with Princess Peach. There was this absolutely terrifying sequence, involving our ship being boarded, and the Mario theme being played over the intercomm as we got our asses handed to us...

The whole thing was played surprisingly straight, and was quite scary. I still can't listen to that song without chills going up my spine...

That has to be one of the top 10 roleplaying game stories I've ever read. And I've read a lot.

BobVosh
2009-01-24, 06:17 AM
That has to be one of the top 10 roleplaying game stories I've ever read. And I've read a lot.

Only because it was played straight. I can't even imagine that.

Arros Winhadren
2009-01-24, 07:04 AM
Flaming returning shuriken won't work, since ammunition always breaks.

And that Star Wars game sounds epic. What edition was it?

Human Paragon 3
2009-01-24, 09:50 AM
Hey. I just remembered the Goliath substitution levels for Barbarian (races of stone). Mountain Rage makes you increase your size to large every time you rage. Could be just the thing you're looking for! no psionics necessary.

TempusCCK
2009-01-24, 01:43 PM
Use a flaming returning Boomerang then. Boomerangs are badass.