Zaq
2009-10-28, 12:05 AM
So, one of my backup characters for the game I'm currently in is a heavily refluffed DFA. Refluffed how, you ask? Well, he's a warforged, and these are all awesome robot powers rather than the result of fapping to dwagons so hard you learn to breathe fire. (Basically, he's Inspector Gadget. Go go Gadget flamethrower!).
So, I was looking for interesting tricks to give him that fit with the Inspector Gadget theme, and I came across the Grafts in Magic of Eberron... specifically, the Grappling Vine, with which I immediately became entranced. It's totally a perfect Go Go Gadget Hands! The problem, of course, is that DFAs are seriously lousy grapplers. They have Wizard BAB, they usually dump Strength since they have no use for it, and none of their abilities particularly synergize with grappling.
So, I'm curious; what's the best way to increase a DFA's grapple check with the minimum amount of resources expended? Basically, if you can limit it to items, by all means do so. The Vines do have Improved Grapple, which is nice, but not nearly enough to make up for the lack of BAB and STR. We need more.
Weakening Breath can reduce an enemy's STR, which helps. I'm considering going Psiforged anyway, which would let me use a Tattoo of Grip of Iron with a Mental Tap and Capacitor (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20031225a), or perhaps just a Power Crystal (MoE) of the same. What else can I do that doesn't have too heavy of an opportunity cost? Do Slowed or Entangled enemies take penalties in a grapple?
Is my idea of using my Gadget Arms to collar evildoers just doomed from the start? By no stretch of the imagination would it be my primary combat strategy, and I'd limit it to mostly grappling humanoids, but the image is just too perfect to abandon without even trying. Any thoughts?
So, I was looking for interesting tricks to give him that fit with the Inspector Gadget theme, and I came across the Grafts in Magic of Eberron... specifically, the Grappling Vine, with which I immediately became entranced. It's totally a perfect Go Go Gadget Hands! The problem, of course, is that DFAs are seriously lousy grapplers. They have Wizard BAB, they usually dump Strength since they have no use for it, and none of their abilities particularly synergize with grappling.
So, I'm curious; what's the best way to increase a DFA's grapple check with the minimum amount of resources expended? Basically, if you can limit it to items, by all means do so. The Vines do have Improved Grapple, which is nice, but not nearly enough to make up for the lack of BAB and STR. We need more.
Weakening Breath can reduce an enemy's STR, which helps. I'm considering going Psiforged anyway, which would let me use a Tattoo of Grip of Iron with a Mental Tap and Capacitor (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20031225a), or perhaps just a Power Crystal (MoE) of the same. What else can I do that doesn't have too heavy of an opportunity cost? Do Slowed or Entangled enemies take penalties in a grapple?
Is my idea of using my Gadget Arms to collar evildoers just doomed from the start? By no stretch of the imagination would it be my primary combat strategy, and I'd limit it to mostly grappling humanoids, but the image is just too perfect to abandon without even trying. Any thoughts?