A MADMAN needs a custom item.

[SangoProduction]

Hey dudes. One of my players is playing a madman monk - a monk archetype that is intended to make it even more M.A.D. than normal, getting stuff like Charisma bonus to Climb and what have you. As well as being insane, and using fists as a medium for inserting insanities in to the enemy.

What ideas/concepts for what to do for a medium power magic item for this type of character?

Note: made this for my DM, who said he's having a headache coming up with one for me. So I gave this link to him. I won't be responding to this thread, until he's given it out.

[Thurbane]

Well, the first thing that always comes to mind for me for any MAD character is a Belt of Magnificence (Miniatures Handbook p.42). Gives an enhancement bonus to all 6 abilities. 25,000gp for +2; 100,000gp for +4 and 200,000gp for +6.

[Alea]

Merfolk are, amusingly I think, the best race for madmen. And strongtail merfolk don’t have quite so severe a mobility problem.

[SangoProduction]

Merfolk are, amusingly I think, the best race for madmen. And strongtail merfolk don’t have quite so severe a mobility problem.

Meh. Catfolk have the same total +'s (6), but don't have a -, like the merfolk do, which I feel is probably more important than getting an extra +2 to another stat. Considering point buy was so high for monk at the table that increasing the base attribute higher than the others (so that it evened out with the other stats*) had a higher point cost than the amount I'd save from reducing the allotment in the extra +2 stat.

Also, yeah, the movement was also a factor in my decision, since they were effectively the same, given standard point buy.

*48. Yeah, insane. But monk in high power campaign (ie. someone getting to start off as a lich at first level sorta deal) + extra MADness, he decided to do it.

[Alea]

Meh. Catfolk have the same total +'s (6), but don't have a -, like the merfolk do
Are we reading the same races? I’m looking at this (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/races/other-races/uncommon-races/arg-merfolk), which says

Ability Score Racial Traits: Merfolk are graceful, hale, and beautiful. They gain +2 Dexterity, +2 Constitution, and +2 Charisma.

Catfolk, at least these ones (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/races/other-races/featured-races/arg-catfolk), have +2, +2, –2, on the other hand.


which I feel is probably more important than getting an extra +2 to another stat. Considering point buy was so high for monk at the table that increasing the base attribute higher than the others (so that it evened out with the other stats*) had a higher point cost than the amount I'd save from reducing the allotment in the extra +2 stat.

*48. Yeah, insane. But monk in high power campaign (ie. someone getting to start off as a lich at first level sorta deal) + extra MADness, he decided to do it.
You’d be correct about that if we’re using the ability scores you claim, but I’m not sure they’re accurate.

At that point buy, with the quoted merfolk modifiers, I get a 17/16/16/16/16/16 array, which for a madman is kind of equivalent to a 23/22/22/22/22/22 array.


Also, yeah, the movement was also a factor in my decision, since they were effectively the same, given standard point buy.
Well, madman doesn’t touch fast movement, so eventually that shouldn’t be too much of a drawback.



Anyway, I totally forgot to actually contribute to the question of items for madmen. An interesting idea is an item that allows a madman to selectively penalize an ability score, to allow him to avoid making the difference between his highest and lowest scores less than it otherwise would be.

[Thurbane]

Catfolk (both Miniatures Handbook and RotW versions) have +4 Dex, +2 Cha, and no negatives.

Hang on - are we talking 3.5 or PF here?

[SangoProduction]

Catfolk (both Miniatures Handbook and RotW versions) have +4 Dex, +2 Cha, and no negatives.

Hang on - are we talking 3.5 or PF here?

OK. I see the confusion here. lol. Yeah, I was talking about the 3.5 races. She was talking about the PF ones.

To be fair, it makes sense for anyone who knows of the class-template, which is from Pathfinder. I just never expected anyone to know of it. But anyway, the PF monk is basically a carbon copy of the D&D monk with a few more feats, so we imported it to 3.5.

[SangoProduction]

Anyway, I totally forgot to actually contribute to the question of items for madmen. An interesting idea is an item that allows a madman to selectively penalize an ability score, to allow him to avoid making the difference between his highest and lowest scores less than it otherwise would be.

That's cool. Would fit the class, though I think the only thing that scales like that is the remove diseases thing. Maybe if it allowed a stat to "count" as having a penalty, for the purpose of determining if a stat was the lowest or highest, that would be more generally applicable.

Thanks for the idea. I'll see if my DM wants to use that.