Help me make Monkey from Dexter's Laboratory

[eyebreaker7]

https://village.photos/images/user/c305cbbe-e053-4c83-8f55-e8d66ccfa88f/71b256ba-d888-4139-a96a-f50119e30816.jpg
https://village.photos/images/user/c305cbbe-e053-4c83-8f55-e8d66ccfa88f/b0c9da55-dc7a-45a5-a664-6e1f3b28759c.jpg
https://village.photos/images/user/c305cbbe-e053-4c83-8f55-e8d66ccfa88f/resized_11b8e864-7835-46c9-9bd2-6f86f08f58f8.gif


He's strong, fast, smart, can fly, has telekinesis, and that's just what I gathered from seeing him in one episode of Dexter's Laboratory. Wish I had seen more. Does he have some sort of mental resistance? In a couple pics I've seen he's meditating? Does he heal faster than normal? He can surround himself with some sort of shield that allows him to survive in space. What else does it do? I think that's how he flies too?

How can I take a monkey and turn him into this super hero? The biggest problem I see is raising his strength.
What class(es) would he be? Monk? Psion?

[noob]

https://village.photos/images/user/c305cbbe-e053-4c83-8f55-e8d66ccfa88f/71b256ba-d888-4139-a96a-f50119e30816.jpg
https://village.photos/images/user/c305cbbe-e053-4c83-8f55-e8d66ccfa88f/b0c9da55-dc7a-45a5-a664-6e1f3b28759c.jpg
https://village.photos/images/user/c305cbbe-e053-4c83-8f55-e8d66ccfa88f/resized_11b8e864-7835-46c9-9bd2-6f86f08f58f8.gif


He's strong, fast, smart, can fly, has telekinesis, and that's just what I gathered from seeing him in one episode of Dexter's Laboratory. Wish I had seen more. Does he have some sort of mental resistance? In a couple pics I've seen he's meditating? Does he heal faster than normal? He can surround himself with some sort of shield that allows him to survive in space. What else does it do? I think that's how he flies too?

How can I take a monkey and turn him into this super hero? The biggest problem I see is raising his strength.
What class(es) would he be? Monk? Psion?

Psion+ stat increasing templates.
That or make a low level psion and equip it with some items.

[Shpadoinkle]

Monkey has like 3 or 4 episodes, from what I remember off the top of my head. As far as powers go, he's pretty much just "generic flying brick," though he also exhibits a couple other abilities based on what the plot requires.

If you want something that emulates that kind of thing in D&D, I'm sure there are a number of ways to do it, but D&D's really a bad system to use for emulating superhero stuff. You probably want Mutants and Masterminds for that.

[MaxiDuRaritry]

Martial monk 1 or 2 / psion with either Carmendine Monk or Kung Fu Genius, and Tashalatora? Take buffs to make yourself strong (including a psicrystal + vigor + share pain) and choose whichever fighter feats that you think will synergize best with what you want to do (that, RAW, you can ignore the prereqs for).

Yeah, Monastic Training is pointless and useless and stupid (there's literally no reason for it to exist except to waste your build resources), but it's officially a prereq, so what can you do?

[Gruftzwerg]

Monkey wiki (https://dexterslab.fandom.com/wiki/Monkey) (includes all abilities)



I would give warlock as base a try, since it fits most superhero concepts:

monk/warlock/enlightened fist

Spiderclimb all day
Fly all day
Laser/Energy Blast all day
Eldritch Claws for empowered unarmed attacks (2x Unarmed dmg + Eldritch Blast dmg)
Warlock's Call all day for the Telepathic abilities


Items:
Psychoactive Skin: Skin of the Hero (as superhero costume)
Ring of Telekinesis
Monk's Belt
Necklace of Natural Attacks + Sizing (as extra dmg boost)

[eyebreaker7]

Martial monk 1 or 2 / psion with either Carmendine Monk or Kung Fu Genius, and Tashalatora? Take buffs to make yourself strong (including a psicrystal + vigor + share pain)
Loving those feats! I'm a bit rusty on the psichrystal + vigor + share pain though. How does that work? I think a psicrystal is a psionic item? Like a magic item but psionic instead?



Monkey wiki (https://dexterslab.fandom.com/wiki/Monkey) (includes all abilities)
AWESOME! Thank you very much!


I would give warlock as base a try, since it fits most superhero concepts:

monk/warlock/enlightened fist

Spiderclimb all day
Fly all day
Laser/Energy Blast all day
Eldritch Claws for empowered unarmed attacks (2x Unarmed dmg + Eldritch Blast dmg)
Warlock's Call all day for the Telepathic abilities


Items:
Psychoactive Skin: Skin of the Hero (as superhero costume)
Ring of Telekinesis
Monk's Belt
Necklace of Natural Attacks + Sizing (as extra dmg boost)

Will the necklace work with bracers of striking? Or is it just another case of "the better one functions"?

[Gruftzwerg]

Will the necklace work with bracers of striking? Or is it just another case of "the better one functions"?

They are differently priced. The bracers are priced as double weapons IIRC and thus more expensive than the Necklace.

The Necklace affects a single Natural Weapon type. Monk's Unarmed Strike may count as Natural Weapon for the purpose of effects. Thus you can designate "Unarmed Strike" as you Natural Attack for the Necklace. You pay normal prices for enhancements. This option is only available if you have the monk's unarmed strike (or equivalent, e.g. Swordsage or some PRC).

edit: btw, I'm also a big fan of Dexter, Monkey and The Justice Friends. See my Iron Chef entry: The Infraggable double agent (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24889086&postcount=117). A homage to the Infaggable Crunk

[eyebreaker7]

"Eldritch Claws" ??? I don't see that anywhere.


I've only seen a couple episodes of Dexter's Laboratory and even then it was just bits and pieces unfortunately. Should have spent more time with my nephew watching it while he was. lol.

[Gruftzwerg]

"Eldritch Claws" ??? I don't see that anywhere.


I've only seen a couple episodes of Dexter's Laboratory and even then it was just bits and pieces unfortunately. Should have spent more time with my nephew watching it while he was. lol.

Eldritch Claws is a feat from Dragon. It gives your warlock claws as a free action. The damage of the claws is "Unarmed Strike + Eldritch Blast".

Than there is a feat called "Beast Strike". This lets you add your claw damage ontop of your unarmed strike damage = 2x unarmed dmg + Eldritch Blast damage. (see my clawlock build for a more detailed dmg optimization).

____
side note:
I watched all episodes when I was a teenager and even rewatched them a few years ago. Even as adult (soon 40) they are just great.
There is an official channel (here a video from it (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OO51ullrZDQ)), but I have the impression that the episodes are a lil cut sadly.

[eyebreaker7]

They are differently priced. The bracers are priced as double weapons IIRC and thus more expensive than the Necklace.

The Necklace affects a single Natural Weapon type. Monk's Unarmed Strike may count as Natural Weapon for the purpose of effects. Thus you can designate "Unarmed Strike" as you Natural Attack for the Necklace. You pay normal prices for enhancements. This option is only available if you have the monk's unarmed strike (or equivalent, e.g. Swordsage or some PRC).



Will the necklace work together with bracers of striking? Or is it just another case of "the better one functions"?

I'm liking this guy a lot. I wanna play a monkey. Lol.

[Gruftzwerg]

Will the necklace work together with bracers of striking? Or is it just another case of "the better one functions"?

I'm liking this guy a lot. I wanna play a monkey. Lol.

Basic stacking rules apply. The better one functions or better said they'll overlap. The +X enhancements won't stack, but the special weapon enhancements do.

[eyebreaker7]

Necklace of Natural Attacks + Sizing (as extra dmg boost)

I don't see "Sizing" in the DMG. What source is it from?

[Gruftzwerg]

I don't see "Sizing" in the DMG. What source is it from?

Complete Adventurer.

Note that unarmed strikes have the special rule to always count as light weapon despite their size (relative to your size). This means, you can size up your unarmed strikes up to colossal size (-2 to hit for each step). With Beast Strike and maxing monk's unarmed strike ability, you get a better trade off than with a full optimized 2h Power Attack build.

[noob]

Complete Adventurer.

Note that unarmed strikes have the special rule to always count as light weapon despite their size (relative to your size). This means, you can size up your unarmed strikes up to colossal size (-2 to hit for each step). With Beast Strike and maxing monk's unarmed strike ability, you get a better trade off than with a full optimized 2h Power Attack build.

Fully optimised 2h power attack builds are kind of weird because the number of multipliers available for power attack and for the strength modifier is enormous so you get enough damage to kill most gods in one hit early then have to do stuff more useful than getting more damage.
However the number of fully optimised 2h power attack builds is really low because "fully optimised" assumes massive amounts of cheese and by that point you can use hand based cheese as well and use a 100000 handed sword to deal enough damage from your str modifier to spend all the other build resources in making sure you can hit and have as many immunities and mobility as possible.
You can also deal thousands of damage with unarmed strikes so it is roughly the same kind of situation: you spend some resources increasing damage then you have to spend resources to improve everything else.

[MaxiDuRaritry]

Loving those feats! I'm a bit rusty on the psicrystal + vigor + share pain though. How does that work? I think a psicrystal is a psionic item? Like a magic item but psionic instead?You gain a psicrystal (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/monsters/psicrystal.htm) via the Psicrystal Affinity feat. Although, unfortunately, you can only take one if you've got levels in psion or wilder (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/classes/psion.htm#psicrystals), as otherwise, they have 0 HD and immediately die (which is stupid, but them's the rules).

But the vigor + share pain combo works as such: you share vigor with your psicrystal so you both gain 5 temp hp per pp you spend on manifesting it. You then do the same with the share pain power, so each of you takes half of the damage the other is subjected to, splitting it between you (pretty much as though you've both been the target of the shield other spell). Your psicrystal has a hardness of 8, so any damage it takes has the 8 taken off the top, regardless of whether it's the original target or it takes the damage due to taking half of the damage that targeted you. Since you're both under the effects of vigor, though, any damage you both take is subtracted from the temp hp you've got. This effectively doubles the amount of temp hp vigor gives you, since any damage you take is halved.

Keeping both vigor and share pain up at all times can get costly in terms of pp spent, so I like buying a fistful of +1 manifester (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/items/weapons.htm#manifesterWeapon) arrows for fairly cheap. Each arrow costs 1/50 the amount that a +1 manifester melee weapon would cost, but each one also gives you +5 power points per day. So use those to keep share pain up, as well as a cheap source of 25 temp hp for both you and your psicrystal (so essentially 50 temp hp, due to share pain halving the damage you take).

[Gruftzwerg]

Full optimised 2h power attack builds are kind of weird because the number of multipliers available for power attack and for the strength modifier is enormous so you get enough damage to kill most gods in one hit early then have to do stuff more useful than getting more damage.
However the number of fully optimised 2h power attack builds is really low because "fully optimised" assumes massive amounts of cheese and by that point you can use hand based cheese as well and use a 100000 handed sword to deal enough damage from your str modifier to spend all the other build resources in making sure you can hit and have as many immunities and mobility as possible.
You can also deal thousands of damage with unarmed strikes so it is roughly the same kind of situation: you spend some resources increasing damage then you have to spend resources to improve everything else.

IIRC a optimized Power Attack manages a 1:5 ratio after the first round (1:4 in the first round):
2h + Leap Attack + Frenzied Berserker + Combat Brute (kicks in when PA was used the last round)

medium sized 20th lvl monk unarmed strike: 2 (d10) = 2x ~5.5 = ~11
>> colossal size (-8 to hit): 12 (d8) = 12x ~4.5 = ~54
>> colossal beast strike: Eldritch Blast + 24 (d8) = Eldritch Blast + ~108

(108 -11) / 8 = ~12.125
The Beast Strike combo has an average ratio of "1 : 12.125" for each point of hitting penalty.

And if we compare charge multipliers, unless you go for lances, Unarmed Strike is the sole other weapon with a special item to increase the entire (!) charge damage multiplier (Sandals of the Tiger leap).


Both combos can achieve enough damage. While Power Attack has the Shock Trooper option (to trade the penalty onto your AC instead of your attack bonus), the Beast strike combo gets more average damage back in return of each point invested. Both have their up and down sides. And nothing stops you from using both options ;)
I just wanted to point out the extreme ratio here, that can be achieved. (Use with caution!)

[eyebreaker7]

Psicrystal Granted Abilities
The psicrystal described here has the special abilities of self-propulsion, alertness, improved evasion, share powers, telepathic link, sighted, and personality (If its master chooses not to activate the self-propulsion ability, the psicrystal reverts to a speed of 0 feet and has no Strength score and no Dexterity score.)


Does the share powers mean it shares the rest of the "granted abilities"? Or something else?

it also says "Skills: A psicrystal (with its self-propulsion ability activated) uses its Dexterity modifier instead of its Strength modifier on Climb checks. It has a +8 racial bonus on Climb checks and can always choose to take 10, even if rushed or threatened."

Why does a flying object need a climb check? From the picture shown and the wording in the entry I just assumed it works kinda like an ioun stone?

And that arrow/manifestor deal is some expensive stuff. How many arrows/bolts, sling stones do you get for the +16,000? The standard 50, or less?

[MaxiDuRaritry]

Psicrystal Granted Abilities
The psicrystal described here has the special abilities of self-propulsion, alertness, improved evasion, share powers, telepathic link, sighted, and personality (If its master chooses not to activate the self-propulsion ability, the psicrystal reverts to a speed of 0 feet and has no Strength score and no Dexterity score.)

Does the share powers mean it shares the rest of the "granted abilities"? Or something else?No; if you reread it, you see that the psion (or wilder) can share his power manifestations with the psicrystal in a couple of different ways. Either s/he can push the manifestation so it affects both of them at once (in which case, the psicrystal must remain within 5', else the power stops working on it) or s/he can use self-only powers at a range of Touch on it (in which case, the psicrystal can move off and do whatever, while still being affected by the power in question).


it also says "Skills: A psicrystal (with its self-propulsion ability activated) uses its Dexterity modifier instead of its Strength modifier on Climb checks. It has a +8 racial bonus on Climb checks and can always choose to take 10, even if rushed or threatened."

Why does a flying object need a climb check? From the picture shown and the wording in the entry I just assumed it works kinda like an ioun stone?Psicrystals are creatures, not objects. I even linked to the monster entry. Flight only comes online at level 9, so anything before that requires regular overland movement (via self-propulsion) or climbing (via the same). In addition, the master has to activate the flight manually, so if it's not already activated, the psicrystal has to use its self-propulsion to move.

I don't like that a psicrystal is a sitting duck if left on its own for any amount of time; it puts it at risk, which means you've wasted your feat if you're not very careful. It also completely negates a lot of potential strategies for recon and such.


And that arrow/manifestor deal is some expensive stuff. How many arrows/bolts, sling stones do you get for the +16,000? The standard 50, or less?You get 50. Note that you can craft individual arrows at 1/50 the price, which, while still a little expensive at level 1, isn't bad at any time after, with or without crafting cost reduction in play.

You probably should read up on psicrystals using the links I left above. They're not anything like what you're apparently assuming they are.