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View Full Version : The Morph Ball: A potentially humerous trick



Sinfire Titan
2009-10-20, 04:25 PM
HIDEAWAY
Price: +2,000 gp
Property: Weapon
Caster Level: 5th
Aura: Faint; (DC 17) transmutation
Activation: Swift (command)

When activated, a hideaway weapon
folds up into a bundle two size categories
smaller than you, making it easy to
conceal. You gain a +2 bonus on Sleight
of Hand checks to conceal a hideaway
weapon when it’s folded up (as if it were
a dagger).
A second command word (also a swift
action) causes the weapon to unfold to its
normal shape.


Take you average Monk. Buy him an Amulet of Natural Attacks. Apply this ability to it. Activate your Morph Ball.




The only snag I see is the item "shrinks to two sizes smaller than you", which has the potential side effect of screwing you over.

Kobold-Bard
2009-10-20, 04:27 PM
Either that or you just end up with ridiculously small hands.

Pharaoh's Fist
2009-10-20, 04:27 PM
And... other parts of the body.

Lycan 01
2009-10-20, 04:28 PM
So... What does it do to the monk? Decapitate him as the amulet shrinks? Shrink him down to a much smaller size? Or trap him in a Poke-ball? :smallconfused:

Sorry, I'm not good at magic and effects in DnD, but this sounds interesting. :smallbiggrin:

Indon
2009-10-20, 04:32 PM
The only snag I see is the item "shrinks to two sizes smaller than you", which has the potential side effect of screwing you over.

Or, by making you infinitely small, it could grant infinite +AC and +to hit.

Tumble into an enemy's square, shrink as a swift action, go to town.

Sinfire Titan
2009-10-20, 04:35 PM
Either that or you just end up with ridiculously small hands.

So... What does it do to the monk? Decapitate him as the amulet shrinks? Shrink him down to a much smaller size? Or trap him in a Poke-ball? :smallconfused:

Sorry, I'm not good at magic and effects in DnD, but this sounds interesting. :smallbiggrin:

Considering his entire body could be considered an Unarmed Strike, it affects his entire body safely. Trapping him in a Pokeball is optional.


The Morph Ball in the Metroid 'verse is approximately 1 meter in diameter. A bit too big to be Tiny, but that doesn't matter.

zagan
2009-10-20, 04:36 PM
And now I have an hilarious idea of having a monk as a cohort and begining combat with that:

I choose you Monk !:smallbiggrin:

Edit: ninjaed by sinfire.

Alavar
2009-10-20, 04:36 PM
Maybe I'm missing something, but doesn't the Effect: Weapon mean it has to be enchanted onto a weapon? I thought that Amulet of Natural Attacks was an item that boosted natural damage, not a weapon in and of itself.

Sinfire Titan
2009-10-20, 04:42 PM
Maybe I'm missing something, but doesn't the Effect: Weapon mean it has to be enchanted onto a weapon? I thought that Amulet of Natural Attacks was an item that boosted natural damage, not a weapon in and of itself.

It allows you to enchant your natural weapons with special abilities. The enhancement goes on the amulet, and the amulet applies the effects to the chosen natural weapon. In this case, the chosen weapon is the Monk's Unarmed Strike (AKA his entire body).

zagan
2009-10-20, 04:45 PM
Maybe I'm missing something, but doesn't the Effect: Weapon mean it has to be enchanted onto a weapon? I thought that Amulet of Natural Attacks was an item that boosted natural damage, not a weapon in and of itself.

Some Dm allow replacing the +1 bonus (except the first) from the amulet by special property of the same value like flaming.
A necklace of natural attack could perhaps work better because unarmed strike are considered natural attack and a necklace can have any special property.

To expend on my earlier idea a Druid that give improve unarmed strike to his animal companion and give him the amulet (or necklace) with that enchantment could be really fun.

Edit; ninjaed again, I need to learn to type faster.

Foryn Gilnith
2009-10-20, 04:47 PM
No, the Amulet gives the Hideaway property to the monk's natural attacks. I.E. his unarmed strikes. So the weapons that are his unarmed strikes (i.e. his body) supposedly shrink to two sizes smaller than him. doubleplus Reduce Person.

EDIT: I'm glad I like ninjas. :)

Sinfire Titan
2009-10-20, 05:02 PM
And now I have an hilarious idea of having a monk as a cohort and begining combat with that:

I choose you Monk !:smallbiggrin:

Edit: ninjaed by sinfire.

The real problem is if the Monk takes Falling damage after being thrown like that. Ash has a pretty good arm, you know?

AmberVael
2009-10-20, 05:06 PM
...
This is going to get used in one of my games. Somehow. I don't know how, but it will.

PairO'Dice Lost
2009-10-20, 05:08 PM
If using the amulet is problematic for whatever reason, you could always do this with a monk/kensai.

Lycanthromancer
2009-10-20, 05:10 PM
...Psychic warriors have a power called call weaponry (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/callWeaponry.htm), which lets you summon a weapon from somewhere in space and time.

...

...

:smallwink:

Sinfire Titan
2009-10-20, 05:15 PM
...Psychic warriors have a power called call weaponry (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/callWeaponry.htm), which lets you summon a weapon from somewhere in space and time.

...

...

:smallwink:

...Oh dear god! This could get funnier.

Milskidasith
2009-10-20, 05:17 PM
*Manifests call Weaponry*

Heh, I think I want the natural damage of the monk. I can do that, right?

*one standard action later*

Ok, why is there a very very small rip in the space time continuum where the monk was supposed to be?

Zeta Kai
2009-10-20, 05:22 PM
Considering his entire body could be considered an Unarmed Strike, it affects his entire body safely. Trapping him in a Pokeball is optional.


The Morph Ball in the Metroid 'verse is approximately 1 meter in diameter. A bit too big to be Tiny, but that doesn't matter.

I've never played a Metroid game with a Morph Ball that large. The MB looks like it's no larger than 2' in diameter.

Lycanthromancer
2009-10-20, 05:24 PM
Use a red-and-white power stone of call weaponry to pull in a monk, and a spell-to-power power stone of summon instrument to pull in a very small bard?

Worira
2009-10-20, 05:28 PM
I've never played a Metroid game with a Morph Ball that large. The MB looks like it's no larger than 2' in diameter.

Samus is 6' 3" out of the suit, so that's probably throwing off your estimation.

OracleofWuffing
2009-10-20, 06:01 PM
Or, by making you infinitely small, it could grant infinite +AC and +to hit.
Hm.

I'm going to take this line of thought and run with it: Let's make that amulet a cursed amulet. It has the opposite effect of a normal Hideaway Amulet of Natural Attacks.

Well, there goes Shock Trooper. Make yourself colossal(infinity) and jump.

Edit:

...So, wait, this is how we create Particle Man and Universe Man, correct? Is there a Triangle Man build out there?

Oh, crud. I think an unarmed swordsage could still do this better. Prey on the Weak is where I'm thinking of heading, but there's plenty of maneuvers that get crazy with an infinitely-large-sized threat range.

Darrin
2009-10-20, 10:46 PM
Hmm.

Instead of Hideaway, start with a Synad monk. Add the Shielding property (MIC, +1 enhancement). As a swift action, the monk turns himself into a heavy steel shield. Add the Variable property (MIC, +1 enhancement), and you can change into any kind of shield, such as a tower shield, with a swift (mental) action (Synads can get another swift mental action 1/day). Now add the Flying property (Magic of Faerun, +1 enhancement bonus) and you gain a fly speed of 30'. Add the Sizing property (MIC) and you can resize yourself into a colossal tower shield... which should be what, about 15' wide by 30' tall? Congratulations, you're now a 15' x 30' flying carpet.

Or heck, cut out all the other stuff, and just add the Sizing property to a Necklace of Natural Weapons, and your monk can go to Colossal size for only 5600 GP. Suck on that, Mr. Wu-Jen.

Sploosh
2009-10-20, 10:52 PM
Hm.

I'm going to take this line of thought and run with it: Let's make that amulet a cursed amulet. It has the opposite effect of a normal Hideaway Amulet of Natural Attacks.

Well, there goes Shock Trooper. Make yourself colossal(infinity) and jump.

Edit:

...So, wait, this is how we create Particle Man and Universe Man, correct? Is there a Triangle Man build out there?

Oh, crud. I think an unarmed swordsage could still do this better. Prey on the Weak is where I'm thinking of heading, but there's plenty of maneuvers that get crazy with an infinitely-large-sized threat range.

Thicket of blades and oppurtunity attack the world!

deuxhero
2009-10-20, 10:52 PM
Sadly with the monk's poorly thought out class abilities, allowing a monk free colossal size might not be very broken.

Deth Muncher
2009-10-20, 10:58 PM
Edit:

...So, wait, this is how we create Particle Man and Universe Man, correct? Is there a Triangle Man build out there?

Oh, crud. I think an unarmed swordsage could still do this better. Prey on the Weak is where I'm thinking of heading, but there's plenty of maneuvers that get crazy with an infinitely-large-sized threat range.

Triangle Man must win.

Also, random They Might Be Giants references for the win.

Magnor Criol
2009-10-21, 12:04 AM
Either that or you just end up with ridiculously small hands.

Tiny hands, you say? (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xu_bE7g2wqM)

DragoonWraith
2009-10-21, 12:47 AM
And now I have an hilarious idea of having a monk as a cohort and begining combat with that:

I choose you Monk !:smallbiggrin:
Wow, and I thought it was bad when we figured out that a Malconvoker could summon a Monk. Now the Monk is a Pokemon? Hahahaha.

Lycanthromancer
2009-10-21, 12:49 AM
Wow, and I thought it was bad when we figured out that a Malconvoker could summon a Monk. Now the Monk is a Pokemon? Hahahaha.
Worst. Pokémon. Ever.

Must be a grass-type Pokémon. 'Cuz that's what you'd have to be smoking to want one around.

Ravens_cry
2009-10-21, 01:01 AM
Worst. Pokémon. Ever.

Must be a grass-type Pokémon. 'Cuz that's what you'd have to be smoking to want one around.
No, No, it's a water type. Because they run.

Lycanthromancer
2009-10-21, 01:10 AM
No, No, it's a water type. Because they run.
Sure it's not a diarrhea type? Because at least water makes you feel clean afterward.

Fishy
2009-10-21, 01:10 AM
Hmm.

Instead of Hideaway, start with a Synad monk. Add the Shielding property (MIC, +1 enhancement). As a swift action, the monk turns himself into a heavy steel shield. Add the Variable property (MIC, +1 enhancement), and you can change into any kind of shield, such as a tower shield, with a swift (mental) action (Synads can get another swift mental action 1/day). Now add the Flying property (Magic of Faerun, +1 enhancement bonus) and you gain a fly speed of 30'. Add the Sizing property (MIC) and you can resize yourself into a colossal tower shield... which should be what, about 15' wide by 30' tall? Congratulations, you're now a 15' x 30' flying carpet.

Or heck, cut out all the other stuff, and just add the Sizing property to a Necklace of Natural Weapons, and your monk can go to Colossal size for only 5600 GP. Suck on that, Mr. Wu-Jen.

Can a +1 Morphing Warforged Monk/Kensai turn into a sword?

Lycanthromancer
2009-10-21, 01:27 AM
Can a +1 Morphing Warforged Monk/Kensai turn into a sword?
What about a red and blue 18-wheeler?

Khanderas
2009-10-21, 01:38 AM
<snip> Or trap him in a Poke-ball? :smallconfused:

Sorry, I'm not good at magic and effects in DnD, but this sounds interesting. :smallbiggrin:
Sounds like a great trap/cursed item.
Bonus if the amulet is found on a bridge, or a netted floor or something and t he resulting ball slips though the cracks and into a small opening, way too small for companions to follow. Then rest in a secret chamber for the BBEG to cast remove curse on while one PC is surrounded by hordes of minions and stripped of his items.

Prime32
2009-10-21, 03:21 AM
Can a +1 Morphing Warforged Monk/Kensai turn into a sword?...I now know how to stat the R-Gun. Thank you. :smallbiggrin:

ShadowFighter15
2009-10-21, 06:13 AM
...I now know how to stat the R-Gun. Thank you. :smallbiggrin:

Now how to stat up three combining warforged (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5IBlMjYpXQ)?

Prime32
2009-10-21, 08:20 AM
Now how to stat up three combining warforged (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5IBlMjYpXQ)?Already done (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=5811.0).

Some mechs require highly complex builds, but RyuKoOh/KoRyuOh is just a druid. Yes, both of them.

Sinfire Titan
2009-10-21, 08:56 AM
I've never played a Metroid game with a Morph Ball that large. The MB looks like it's no larger than 2' in diameter.

The Prime research data entries say 1 meter, as does the SSBM trophy data.

Prime32
2009-10-21, 09:02 AM
The Prime research data entries say 1 meter, as does the SSBM trophy data.Yeah, Samus's suit is bigger than it looks.

Fishy
2009-10-21, 12:21 PM
Samus is a big girl. She's like 6'3" outside of the suit, right?

AstralFire
2009-10-21, 12:25 PM
Worst. Pokémon. Ever.

Must be a grass-type Pokémon. 'Cuz that's what you'd have to be smoking to want one around.

It's a grass type because it's good at not dying and nothing else, yet they're popular with newbies.

Indon
2009-10-21, 12:46 PM
Nah, the Monk is poison-type.

Looks powerful, but incredibly weak in application due to its' weaknesses against the most powerful pokemon types (such as Psychic).

In later design iterations, when powerful types like that were in fact made much weaker, the type became relatively balanced again, but by that time half the players have lost track of the franchise and are only vaguely interested in the fixes.

AstralFire
2009-10-21, 12:50 PM
Nah, the Monk is poison-type.

Looks powerful, but incredibly weak in application due to its' weaknesses against the most powerful pokemon types (such as Psychic).

In later design iterations, when powerful types like that were in fact made much weaker, the type became relatively balanced again, but by that time half the players have lost track of the franchise and are only vaguely interested in the fixes.

You must be playing a different game than me.

Poison... looks powerful?

And it's still not balanced - it's mediocre defensively, as only one of the four types it resists is a common attacking type (Fighting), both of its weaknesses are common (Psychic, Ground), and it has five types that it is poor against offensively, three of which are extremely common, with its only super-effective (Grass) commonly carrying a resistance against it (Poison itself).

Grass is worse on paper, but the high exclusivity of Leech Seed as well as the typing of Giga Drain helps immensely. Poison's best move, Toxic, doesn't benefit from STAB and is almost as commonly learnable as Earthquake. Finally, there are very few poison types with good stat arrangements.

Weezing's good, but not as good as he was a generation ago, and he really is a case of 'good in spite of the type', not 'good because of it'.

Indon
2009-10-21, 01:01 PM
You must be playing a different game than me.

Or you just haven't contemplated how prevalent Poison is as a type in the first generation.

Both types which would be strong against Psychic are 100% also Poison types, for instance ("The Monk is an anti-caster class!"). Many grass types are poison types, including one of the starters.

Plus, Nidoking is poison-type. <3 my Nidoking, but it just couldn't keep up.

AstralFire
2009-10-21, 01:10 PM
Or you just haven't contemplated how prevalent Poison is as a type in the first generation.

Both types which would be strong against Psychic are 100% also Poison types, for instance ("The Monk is an anti-caster class!"). Many grass types are poison types, including one of the starters.

Plus, Nidoking is poison-type. <3 my Nidoking, but it just couldn't keep up.

There was only one type strong against Psychic in generation 1 - Bug - which was mostly but not entirely Poison. It also had only two or three low-powered moves of that type. Ghost was supposed to be strong against Psychic, but with only one move of its type they never even noticed that it didn't work out that way in the code.

That's more of an argument for Bug to be typed as a Monk, as long as you're sticking to Generation I. I'll have to take Nidoking being 'powerful looking' at your word. :P

Also, on your 'half the players have lost interest' note, I think the latest generation is currently the best selling.

Sinfire Titan
2009-10-21, 01:12 PM
Or you just haven't contemplated how prevalent Poison is as a type in the first generation.

Both types which would be strong against Psychic are 100% also Poison types, for instance ("The Monk is an anti-caster class!"). Many grass types are poison types, including one of the starters.

Plus, Nidoking is poison-type. <3 my Nidoking, but it just couldn't keep up.

The whole Ghost thing was a major error in the programming. Original, Ghost was to be completely immune to Psychic and Psychic was to be vulnerable. The error occurred, and thus Ghost was given a *4 weakness and completely ineffective against Psychic. Also, Ghost sucked originally too (3 attacks, one of which did no damage, one which did little damage, and one that couldn't receive STAB).

Bug types are weak anyway. They were intentionally weak. The best 2 bug types in the original? Scyther and Pinsir. One is now Overused Tier, the other has fallen by the wayside. And no one in their right mind fielded Bugs. They used Jolteon.

Poison has been a weak type from the beginning. Sludge Bomb helped, and Gen 3 made it decent. But Gen 4 and the proliferation of the Steel type immunity makes Poison weak. People don't play Poison types as their main focus. Wheezing isn't good because its a Poison type, it's good because it has decent stats, a good move pool, and immunity to a commonly used type.




Also, on your 'half the players have lost interest' note, I think the latest generation is currently the best selling.


ALso the fact that every Gen has sold wonderfully proves that the series has been going strong for its entire life time. R/S/E and FR/LG were among the best sellers for GBA games, and D/P both got great sales (and Pt hit top 10 for DS games). HG/SS has a little competition in the form of Scribblenaughts [sic], but is expected to sell well upon the American/European releases.