Making a bodybuilder

[djwood]

Hello dice rollers and role player's,

I come here today because it's been 4 years I haven't played any d&d (busy being a professional bodybuilder)

My friends are gonna start a new campaign soon and I wanted to join

Basically it's 3.5 and we are gonna start lvl12
-stats is 32 points distribution, I have no clue what that means

And I got 90k to spend on my guy. Every official book is acceptable.

What I wanted to do is be the BEST BODYBUILDER OF THE LAND 💪, how could we make this happen, I want to be the stereotypical bodybuilder that has potion powder that flexes when he can to intimidate or seduce. Full on! (Don't know if I want him to say bro and gains all the time, but yea!)

[Malphegor]

Since I was looking at traits today, http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/buildingCharacters/characterTraits.htm

Trait from UA- Musclebound- +1 to all strength checks, -2 to all dex checks.

Stout is tempting- +2 vs bull rush strength checks

Brawler would be good if you're more about flexing and unarmed shows of strength than ranged javelin throws or what have you.

Now, for actual levels... eh, the Goliath Barbarian substitution level-War Hulk insane strength growth combo's a bit played out. You get ridiculous strength when you rage, and you're not too shabby when not raging, but it's a bit silly. (we're talking like 30 strength easily, especially when you add items to that)

How about a giant bloodline (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/races/bloodlines.htm) which'll take a couple of your levels to give you feats relevant to being muscly, and a untyped strength bonus?

32 stats distribution means point buy I think- I've never played with point buy but basically you can assign your 32 points to your attributes as you choose rather than roll dice.

You're going to need a belt of giant's strength (reflavoured as one of those weightlifting belts!)

Maybe gauntlets of strength if that isn't the same enhancement type as the belt? I forget.

[MisterKaws]

Step 1: Be a Druid.
Step 2: Be a (Dire)Bear.
Step 3: Bite of the Werebear.


In all seriousness, though, the best way to get arbitrarily large strength is either Druid abuse or Lycanthropy.

[Telonius]

Well, first you're going to have to collect the materials. Right after a battle is usually the best time, especially since they're from a mostly healthy donor (minus a couple holes that will need stitching). Now, if you take Corpsecrafter..

::reads note::

Ah. Not that kind of bodybuilder.

Well, in that case, Half-Orc would probably be the best race in Core. If the Monster Manuals are open to you, you could get the Kord-Blooded template (at +1 Level Adjustment).

Belt of the Wide Earth (Magic Item Compendium) doubles your carrying capacity. The "Natural Heavyweight'" feat from Planar Handbook also doubles your capacity.

[AnimeTheCat]

Hello dice rollers and role player's,

I come here today because it's been 4 years I haven't played any d&d (busy being a professional bodybuilder)

My friends are gonna start a new campaign soon and I wanted to join

Basically it's 3.5 and we are gonna start lvl12
-stats is 32 points distribution, I have no clue what that means

And I got 90k to spend on my guy. Every official book is acceptable.

What I wanted to do is be the BEST BODYBUILDER OF THE LAND 💪, how could we make this happen, I want to be the stereotypical bodybuilder that has potion powder that flexes when he can to intimidate or seduce. Full on! (Don't know if I want him to say bro and gains all the time, but yea!)

I like the idea, it's a fun one. I'll spoiler (for readability) what point buy is first:

What you call 32 point distribution is the point buy system outlined in the DMG. Basically, you buy your stats, and each stat quantity has a cost associated with it. All of your stats start at 8 and are increased by your point buy first, then racial modifiers. It costs anywhere from 1 point to increse an ability score from 8 to 9, or 16 points to increase an ability score from 8 to 18. The cost goes up the higher the score is. You'll need to use page 169 of the DMG for specifics since that content isn't covered under the SRD.

That out of the way, I think you should play a Stalwart Battle Sorcerer. Stalwart Sorcerer is an Alternate Class Feature from Complete mage (pg 36) that reduces your highest spell level spells known by 1 (you later get this back) in eschange for giving you +2 hp/sorcerer level, Martial Weapon Proficiency, and Weapon Focus in that weapon. Battle Sorcerer hails from Unearthed Arcana (pg 56). This ACF reduces the number of spells per day you have for each level by 1 and reduces the number of spells known by 1 for each spell level. In exchange, you change your d4 HD to d8 HD, your 1/2 BAB to 3/4 BAB like a cleric, switch your Bluff skill with Intimidate, and you Gain Martial Weapon Proficiency in (another) weapon (light or on-handed only), and you gain proficiency (and the ability to cast in) light armor. At level 1, with a 10 Con, you'll have 10 HP. Not bad, and you still have your familiar so you could* get a toad (but that's kinda lame) for 13 HP out of the box. I prefer to trade away my Familiar for an Animal companion (also from Unearthed Arcana, pg 58-59) or play a dragonblooded race for a racial substitution level, but that's just me. My preference is to play a Silverbrow Human to nab the Dragonblood Sorcerer racial substitution level that gives you an additional draconic heritage feat at level 1 and start the game with 3 heritage featsCaveat to this below. It almost makes Draconic Toughness worth it. Either way, pick up Draconic Heritage (crystal, amythist, or prismatic) to pick up Diplomacy as a class skill, then at low levels I like to pick up Draconic Toughness and Draconic Presence OR Draconic Power as both are very useful at low levels.

Caveat to the above statement: I think technically you should be able to pick the Draconic Heritage feat and then take the Dragonblood Sorcerer Racial Substitution Level, but that relies on having a sorcerer level then getting the subtype then getting the racial substitution level. It's easier to just be a silverbrow human or other naturally dragonblooded race.

But this isn't low levels, this is mid levels. That actually makes all of this way easier. You don't really need to worry about survivng with a potentially fragile build, so you could probably forego the stalwart sorcerer and battle sorcerer ACFs and just play a normal high-strength sorcerer (again with Draconic heritage feats. They're really fun to play with). Ultimately, on the power scale, you're a full caster, so don't sacrifice caster levels if you can. Pick spells that are widely useful, and maybe one or two to be specifically useful. I mentioned Stalwart and Battle ACFs because you'll probably want to pick up Bull's Strength as one of your spells, though you're likely to have a magic item that gets you better than a +4 to your strength.

Another way to look at this i that your somatic components are different flexes and poses, then have a wide variety of Enchantment spells that you cast by flexing, which is you flexing to intimidate or seduce (cause fear or charm person). This would pair well with stalwart battle sorcerer as well and with draconic heritage for diplomacy and Draconic Presence.

EDIT:
I am doubling down on the idea of the enchantment focused guy... I mean think about it:
Hypnotism: *FLEX* Do I... Have your attention?
Charm Person: *FLEX* You look fantastic today. (person *blushes*)
Sleep: *FLEX* Let the glory of my muscles end your consiousness!
Daze Monster: *FLEX* YOU CAN'T HANDLE THESE MUSCLES!
Touch of Idiocy: *FLEX* *Touch* My muscles will make you lose your mind.
Heroism: *FLEX* COME FRIENDS! JOIN ME AND MY MUSCLES!
Rage: *FLEX* MUUUUUUUSSSSSCLLLLLEEEESSSSSSSS!!!!!!
Suggestion: *FLEX* Don't you want to touch?
Charm Monster: *FLEX* Nobody can resist these magnificent pecs.
Lesser Geas: *FLEX* Obey the command of my traps!
Crushing Despare: *FLEX* You wish you had biceps like this!

I mean... come on... this would be insanely fun.

[MisterKaws]

By the way, a good place to start when optimizing for carry weight is the Hulking Hurler optimization guides, since those are only limited in damage by how much they can lift.

[The Viscount]

If you want to lean into the showmanship of it, consider something like the A Game Paladin. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?445134-Weekly-Optimization-Showcase-quot-A-quot-Game-Paladin)

[SangoProduction]

I would also take some sort of ability that cures/prevents fatigue/exhaustion so that you could pump weights all day long.
Yes, it doesn't actually do anything for you, but it is a little weird for a body builder not to need to build his body.

[False God]

Step 1: Be a Druid.
Step 2: Be a (Dire)Bear.
Step 3: Bite of the Werebear.


In all seriousness, though, the best way to get arbitrarily large strength is either Druid abuse or Lycanthropy.

It's definitely a b-rate variant but the Shapeshifter druid gives STUPID bonuses to strength and the duration on the "forms" it provides is unlimited.

I made a Weretiger Druid and basically stacked this, starting with a base 30 str was fun and then Bite of the Weretiger brought me up to a 42, and then 16th level Shapeshift brought me up to a 58 and my DM ruled I also got the bonuses for increasing size (to gargantuan) so that was another +16 to a whopping 72. I would have gained another +4 from being a Werebear and +4 from using Bite of the Werebear respectively, but I prefer cats.

Still, being nearly twice as strong as the average dragon was hilarious.

[Vizzerdrix]

I'm sure someone will be along soon to post a muscle wizard build.

[Ravens_cry]

Just make a Strength based character and say they workout mostly to sculpt their physique rather than to directly increase their strength alone. Boom, you made a bodybuilder.

[bean illus]

Lots of options for a bodybuilder character. The real question is, of course, what do you want? Mostly it comes down to role choices.
Do you want a high strength with secondary charisma? Or Cha > Str?

Level 12+ is where dnd 'might' get boring without spells, but spells are complicated, so it's ok to not be a primary caster.

Bard might be fun. It's charisma based, secondary caster (charmer), light armor (for flexing), and FLEXING ON THE BATTLE FIELD IS A CLASS ABILITY. Throw in 1 level of Marshal?

But a Strength and Healing cleric has potential, too

[Elves]

What you want is totally a War Hulk and/or Hulking Hurler. Both are prestige classes, they often get combined, search them and you can find them online. Here's an old thread on these classes (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?166459-(3-5)What-is-it-that-makes-the-Hulking-Hurler-War-Hulk-so-powerful), you can find more by searching. For example, War Hulk Handbook (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?281863-War-Hulk-Handbook).

Both classes require that you're at least size large, so you typically choose the goliath race, half-giants who are medium but count as large for qualifying for things.

[Zaq]

EDIT:
I am doubling down on the idea of the enchantment focused guy... I mean think about it:
Hypnotism: *FLEX* Do I... Have your attention?
Charm Person: *FLEX* You look fantastic today. (person *blushes*)
Sleep: *FLEX* Let the glory of my muscles end your consiousness!
Daze Monster: *FLEX* YOU CAN'T HANDLE THESE MUSCLES!
Touch of Idiocy: *FLEX* *Touch* My muscles will make you lose your mind.
Heroism: *FLEX* COME FRIENDS! JOIN ME AND MY MUSCLES!
Rage: *FLEX* MUUUUUUUSSSSSCLLLLLEEEESSSSSSSS!!!!!!
Suggestion: *FLEX* Don't you want to touch?
Charm Monster: *FLEX* Nobody can resist these magnificent pecs.
Lesser Geas: *FLEX* Obey the command of my traps!
Crushing Despare: *FLEX* You wish you had biceps like this!

I mean... come on... this would be insanely fun.

I, for, one, would be entirely down with this. I've long said that if I were to make a 4e sorcerer (using CHA/STR as stats) I'd play them as Brenda from Muscle March. This is basically that, only about 8% more serious.

If you're willing to work a little harder on getting the dragonblood subtype (if you still care about the dragonblood subtype, that is), aeshkrau illumian (found in Races of Destiny) can use STR instead of the normal stat for bonus spells, if that's your thing...

[ZamielVanWeber]

I, for, one, would be entirely down with this. I've long said that if I were to make a 4e sorcerer (using CHA/STR as stats) I'd play them as Brenda from Muscle March. This is basically that, only about 8% more serious.

If you're willing to work a little harder on getting the dragonblood subtype (if you still care about the dragonblood subtype, that is), aeshkrau illumian (found in Races of Destiny) can use STR instead of the normal stat for bonus spells, if that's your thing...

Normally I am leery of this feat, but the 3rd party feat Lost Traditions from Bastards and Bloodlines would be perfect to switch casting to Str ust because that list of hilarious concepts.

[Vizzerdrix]

Normally I am leery of this feat, but the 3rd party feat Lost Traditions from Bastards and Bloodlines would be perfect to switch casting to Str ust because that list of hilarious concepts.

Ah. Muscle wizard. I knew someone would be along to mention it. I had forgotten the book and feat to pull it off, myself.

[AnimeTheCat]

I, for, one, would be entirely down with this. I've long said that if I were to make a 4e sorcerer (using CHA/STR as stats) I'd play them as Brenda from Muscle March. This is basically that, only about 8% more serious.

If you're willing to work a little harder on getting the dragonblood subtype (if you still care about the dragonblood subtype, that is), aeshkrau illumian (found in Races of Destiny) can use STR instead of the normal stat for bonus spells, if that's your thing...

I've thankfully already gotten to play around with a Flex Sorcerer. I luckily had a DM that was super easy going and wanted to make the players happy, but stongly encouraged more thematic characters than optimized ones. "Leave the power and difficulty to me, play something you think will be fun" were his words I think, so I played a muscle sorcerer (info below) and it was loads of fun. That DM has houseruled to give Sorcerers Heritage or metamagic feats at the levels wizard gets item creation or metamagic feats, so the build would be different now, but still. Solid build with only two minor rules infractions.

I used Stalwart Battle Sorcerer with Draconic Heritage feats to replicate ALEX LOUISE ARMSTRONG from Fullmetal alchemist. Two Weapon Fighting, Heritage Feats, and two enchanted spiked gauntlets mixed with magic. By far one of my favorite characters. Ended up being level 7 at then end of that game and having the following spells:
1: (4 spells) Enlarge Person (spell-like ability*), Charm Person, Fist of Stone, Hail of Stone
2: (2 spells) Shatter, Earthen Grasp
3: (1 spell) Haste
*I took the level 4 dragonblood sorcerer substitution level to get enlarge person as a spell-like ability so I could do it as a standard action rather than a 1-round casting time, and also so I could do it every combat.

I was playing an exalted good character so I had a crapton of feats. Armstrong is a good guy and the DM made an exception or two for me specifically so I could make the image I had in my head work. One notable exception was letting me have two simple weapons instead of just one (the two spiked gauntlets) and then later he granted them a blessing from my deity wich made them enchanted, but stated they were a gift from my deity and thusly didn't violate my vow. Feats were as follows:
Human. Sacred Vow
1st lvl. Vow of Poverty
Sorcerer. Draconic Heritage (Amethyst)
Exalted 1. Nymph's Kiss
Exalted 2. Nimbus of Light
3rd lvl. Draconic Presence
Exalted 4. Vow of Obedience
6th lvl. Two Weapon Fighting
Exalted 6. Holy Radiance

I also had a DM super willing to work with all of us on getting something we really really wanted. I really really wanted the Saint template. I got it at 7th level, and it was DOPE! I still have the character sheet and for a LA+2 template that template does some serious work. We had rolled stats and I rolled quite well (17/16/16/15/13/11) so I was actually able to have a good score in everything important to me (charisma>Strength>Dexterity>Constitution). At the end of the game I had (s/d/c/i/w/c) 20/15/18/11/15/20 as my stat spread (started with 17/15/16/11/13/16 - +1 Str @4, +2 Str @7, +2 Con/Wis from Saint, +4 Cha from Saint). If we ever keep going, I'm definitely picking more strength and charisma at every chance I get because my AC is plenty good (+6 Exalted, +1 Deflection, +2 Dex, +2 Wis) and I've got plenty of resistances and immunities now (thanks to the template). I'm not saying he's impossible to kill, because he can very much die (he did at one point - hence why I got the template. DM did it great, didn't even warn me in advance, didn't tell me, I just organically fell in to his plan.)

This isn't an indication that the build is good (because in reality, it's not) but it was so much fun just playing something so thematically cool in my mind.

[Malphegor]

on muscle wizards, I'm not sure if anyone's mentioned them yet, but one of the less broken power sigils that illumians can get turns all your bonus spells to be based off your strength.

Maybe mixed with levels Rage Mage so you get super high caster level with minimal wizard levels?

I guess the problem with rage on a bodybuilder though is that it quickly starts looking like a bad stereotype joke about steroid use and roid rage.