Wizard idea

[Dragonus45]

I had a thought involving a wizard with severe movie schizophrenia, as in multiple well defined personalities. If the extra voices had levels in wizard and the feats silent cast and still cast with eschew materials could they cast spells. If they could would they all act on the initiative of the body? I think there would be lots of concentration issues involved but other than that it seems to work. Could a fighter with said wizard personalities have them counter spell while he attacked. The idea is for an end game villain in a campaign I'm starting so I'll probably use him regardless of the legality, but i wanted a second opinion on it.

[Talic]

For ease of use, go with psion. They have a split mind power that allows them to do exactly that.

[Dragonus45]

I had that idea already but my players and i have all agreed to do nothing involving them( they fear new things). Besides the idea would lose its flavor if it was psions.

[The Glyphstone]

I think he's saying to just use the psionic mechanics, as they're basically prebuilt for what you want (specifically, it's the Telepathy power called Schism). Dress it up in whatever flavor you want, but it saves you the trouble of having to homebrew new rules. You don't even have to make the character a psion of any sort, just give him a constant effect identical to how Schism works, and boom! you've got your schizo BBEG.

[Talic]

Then make the mechanic identical.

Each split personality is allowed 1 partial action each round, which must be mental only. For movie style MPD, the splits wouldn't be able to do anything while the main was in control... However, if there were 3 split personalities and the main personality, if split personality 1 were in control, then 2 and 3 could fire off abilities. If the main gets under control, they all have to stop (the primary personality generally does not know of fragment personalities, though the fragments can know of each other and of the main personality).

Assign a role to each personality you create. Roles such as:

The Protector: The main personality is weak. He can't take care of himself. So when times get tough, I come out and everything around me should be afraid. I'm aggressive, violent, and generally believe that force solves problems... provided you use enough.

The Schemer: You know all the things the main personality wants, but never does? All those hidden urges? Well, I do what he won't. When I come out, expect a specific vice to surface with me, something considered shameful... and expect me to take it when I can. I'm not as violent as that psycho that fancies himself a protector, but I am wily, and use tricks.


Basically, for movie MPD, stress/specific catalysts should bring one out, and the BBEG should get measurably tougher.

For example, If the protector is a Barbarian, the schemer is an illusionist, and another personality is a transmuter, don't be suprised if a polymorph drops down on the bbeg when the protector comes out.

[Dragonus45]

hmm, all good ideas ill have to tinker with it a bit but i think i have my villain now. Thanks for the help.

[Valentyne]

Well, in the mental health profession would be Dissociative Personality Disorder...multiple personality disorder has fallen out of favor.

And regardless of the person, at least a few of the personalities tend to fall into some major archetypes....

The Dominate Personality is the one active the most often....

The Core Personality is the original personality, often hidden or stunted in childhood.

There is often an overseer type personality - this one is often the only personality that is aware of the others. Typically the other personalities become "inactive" when one of them is active. The overseer archetype is always awake and observing what the others are doing. Thus, for psychologist it is the one contacted first to help integrate the others into a cohesive whole....

Personalities arise out of the need to function in a certain narrowly defined set of circumstances. And as often as not...the more personalities one has the greater the likelihood of a new personality evolving during a time of stress.

In nearly every case they start due to early sexual abuse and two or more extremely divergent expectations. Good stuff for a background story. If you want a good example of this disorder being used in D&D there is an older trilogy of Dark Sun books that has a main character with different personalities.

[Talic]

I think he's going for more of a Movie feel and less of a Clinical feel.

[Valentyne]

*sigh* good point. I do tend to ramble off once I start anything. Probably a result of my OCD tendencies...see there I go again....

But I DO think movies that keep up an appearance of being connected to the real world are just better movies than those that don't...see? doing it again...

must stop posting writting....

[Myou]

Oooh, great idea for a villain, and great factual information, Valentyne, very helpful. :3

I'm so stealing this idea. xD

[Xuincherguixe]

It's refreshing at least that the OP acknowledges that what is in the movies is not what the real life condition is.

Though, I find the idea of Dissociative Identity Disorder more interesting. Maybe some other time.