Extra arms [3.5]

[SilverLeaf167]

What is the easiest way to get additional arms for a character? I'd like to keep LA within a maximum of +2.

[NNescio]

What is the easiest way to get additional arms for a character? I'd like to keep LA within a maximum of +2.

Spare Hand, MIC, costs 12000 gp and takes up the waist slot.

[SilverLeaf167]

Isn't that just one hand? I'd like to get atleast two...

[Radar]

Girallon's Blessing (Spell Compendium) would be the simpliest way of getting an extra pair of arms. It's only a 3rd level spell, so shouldn't be hard to get a continuous effect like that.

Aside from that, there are many different grafts. Extreme example shown here (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=146.0).

[TooManySecrets]

Aberrant Limbs, DMG II, pg 157 - 158. It grants you two extra limbs and multiweapon fighting as a bonus feat for an LA of +2. It's under Unique Abilities, which is quasi-NPC only, but they mention that PCs could potentially get them and list the LA for it. So, like everything else, it's DM's judgement.

I, personally, think that +2 LA is a bit much, but there you go.

[SilverLeaf167]

Girallon's Blessing seems nice. The character is going to be level 18, so a command word item costing 27,000 gp shouldn't be a problem at all.

[Admiral Squish]

You could play a Dolgrim, which are small-sized aberrations made out of two goblins squished together. They've got four arms and a special ability that removes the off-hand penalty of a second hand. Thay're in the ECS, and have LA +2

Also, in the Dragon Compendium, there's a race called the Diopsid, which have two secondary arms which let them dual-wield two-handed weapons (including the 1.5 str bonus to damage). LA +1, but it's not really not proper four arm stuff.

[Volos]

You could play a Dolgrim, which are small-sized aberrations made out of two goblins squished together. They've got four arms and a special ability that removes the off-hand penalty of a second hand. Thay're in the ECS, and have LA +2

Also, in the Dragon Compendium, there's a race called the Diopsid, which have two secondary arms which let them dual-wield two-handed weapons (including the 1.5 str bonus to damage). LA +1, but it's not really not proper four arm stuff.

I wonder... Diopsid plus Girallon's Blessing equals wielding three two handed weapons?

[FMArthur]

While the Diopsid text describes dual-wielding two-handed weapons as the race's favoured fighting style, they take the normal, rather large penalties for doing so (-4/-4 with the TWF feat). What actually works is using their ability to wield weapons one size category larger to wield Large one-handed weapons in two hands each and taking the Oversized Two-Weapon Fighting feat, getting equivalent damage if the Medium weapon's die was d8 or larger.

Curiously, this error on their part really can't be a holdover from 3.0 unless they made it long before they released the Dragon Compendium in 2005 - it's AD&D material in the magazine they were updated from. I read their first appearance out of interest, and they were quite a bit more savage back then (leaning toward evil instead of neutral) and worshipped the Drow like all D&D writers did back then. :smallannoyed:

[Darrin]

I'm going to cut&paste a big chunk from the "dualwielding fullbades" thread:

1) Alter self or polymorph into a creature with 4 or more arms. Phylactery of Change (11200 GP, A&EG p. 135) offers all-day polymorph up to 7HD (check out the Ormyrr in MM2).

2) Girallon's blessing + permanency spells (see Savage Species p. 60). Assuming a 13th level caster, both spells would cost about 11140 GP. While the Savage Species version of girallon's blessing has a drawback where you have to make a Will save to do anything complex with your extra arms, the updated version in the Spell Compendium removes this drawback and makes them fully-functional arms. By RAW, the permanency rules on page 60 of Savage Species still applies to the Spell Compendium version.

3) 2-level Totemist dip to pick up the Girallon Arms soulmeld. Based on the fluff, it's not entirely clear if these arms are functional enough to wield weapons, but assuming your DM says they can, this is doable at low levels, although you still have to deal with the -4 TWF penalty.

4) Arms of the Naga (56000 GP, Savage Species p. 55) and/or Gloves of Man (42000 GP, Savage Species p. 57). Cheaper to buy grafts (see below), and the Arms of the Naga say they can't be used for extra attacks, but putting on the Gloves of Man may override that (check with your DM). If you have some other way to acquire a pair of tentacles/appendages/etc. (soulmeld or the Deepspawn feat from Lords of Madness), then adding Gloves of Man should allow you to attack with manufactured weapons.

5) Grafts. Check Fiend Folio, Magic of Eberron, Lords of Madness, Races of the Dragon, Serpent Kingdoms, or Libris Mortis for more details. A few require the removal of an existing arm, but most don't specify this. Restrictions/costs vary quite a bit. You'll need two... Zombie Arm (25000 GP, Libris Mortis p. 80) is one of the cheaper options, but it will cost at least 50000 GP and permanently reduces your Dex by 4 points.

6) Someone already mentioned the Aberrant Limbs unique ability thing in DMGII. There's another template in Dungeon #136, Obah-Blessed... gives two extra arms (LA +2) or four extra arms (LA +3).

[Admiral Squish]

While the Diopsid text describes dual-wielding two-handed weapons as the race's favoured fighting style, they take the normal, rather large penalties for doing so (-4/-4 with the TWF feat). What actually works is using their ability to wield weapons one size category larger to wield Large one-handed weapons in two hands each and taking the Oversized Two-Weapon Fighting feat, getting equivalent damage if the Medium weapon's die was d8 or larger.

Curiously, this error on their part really can't be a holdover from 3.0 unless they made it long before they released the Dragon Compendium in 2005 - it's AD&D material in the magazine they were updated from. I read their first appearance out of interest, and they were quite a bit more savage back then (leaning toward evil instead of neutral) and worshipped the Drow like all D&D writers did back then. :smallannoyed:

Actually, I think the base damage isn't the part we're interested in. It's the fact that the diopsid counts as wielding them two-handed. Which means 1.5x str to damage, and 2-1 power attack. It specifically points out the 1.5 str damage, but the 2-1 PA can be inferred. Even with the penalties, I think that's got to be worth something.

[FMArthur]

Actually, I think the base damage isn't the part we're interested in. It's the fact that the diopsid counts as wielding them two-handed. Which means 1.5x str to damage, and 2-1 power attack. It specifically points out the 1.5 str damage, but the 2-1 PA can be inferred. Even with the penalties, I think that's got to be worth something.

Of course it is. I love Diopsids, and this is part of the reason. I just don't want the TC to go into the game uninformed about how his own abilities work.

[Gwendol]

Why dual-wield? With extra arms you get an extra 0.5 STR bonus to damage for each extra arm you use to wield the weapon. Using the Savage Species version of the spell (which grants 2 extra pair of arms for a medium creature) that means a 3.5 STR bonus to damage.

Also, with many arms it becomes useful to cast fuse arms for time to time to gain an unnamed bonus of +4 / pair of arms to STR

[dextercorvia]

Why dual-wield? With extra arms you get an extra 0.5 STR bonus to damage for each extra arm you use to wield the weapon. Using the Savage Species version of the spell (which grants 2 extra pair of arms for a medium creature) that means a 3.5 STR bonus to damage.

Also, with many arms it becomes useful to cast fuse arms for time to time to gain an unnamed bonus of +4 / pair of arms to STR

Because dual-wielding 3 THF pairs gives 4.5*Str bonus.

[Gwendol]

Yes, but you take a penalty to hit.