Creating a fat charactor [Archive] - Wizards Community

Creating a fat charactor [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
JackSnape
11-29-06, 10:52 PM I'm considering creating a fat charactor. A nocromancer most likely, but a wiz, soc or warlock. Anyway, just out of curiousity how would you handle the ability stats?

My thinking is, high str, average con and low dex, but I think a case could be made for low str too.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Whisper_Swiftblade
11-29-06, 11:02 PM I don't know what would change, but you might be interested to know that there was a build someone made useing a verry fat clearic that can do 20d6 at first level by jumping at opponents.
Krugg
11-29-06, 11:03 PM Well, you could easily just do the character as fat without any ability score changes. I'm a pretty big guy, but I don't think I have any bonuses on STR or anything (if anything, maybe a penalty to DEX).

Alternatively, there are two options. Check out the Flaws section of Unearthed Arcana, which gives guidelines for creating flaws, and you could create one for fat characters. Maybe you and the DM could get together and put together one that gives a -2 or more to DEX and maybe half the amount of rounds the character could run before taking penalties.

Or, if you're going the really evil route (which could be possible if you decide on a necromancer), you could, with DM approval, look at the feat in Book of Vile Darkness that's called Willing Deformity (Obese) or something like that. I'm not sure on specifics though, since I don't own the book.
trapspringer
11-29-06, 11:07 PM There is a trait for this already in UA, and as mentioned by the above poster you could create it as a flaw by reworking the flavor text of an existing one.
Krugg
11-29-06, 11:16 PM Oops, I guess I overlooked that...

I thought that I'd seen something in UA about overweight characters, but I missed it the first time through.
The Half-Orc Wizard
11-29-06, 11:29 PM A heavy character would have a high constitution, I think. The fat would cushion blows better (i.e. for hit points), and he would be more resistant to alcohol and other poison (i.e. better fortitude saves). His dex would be affected negatively.

I would treat it as +2 con, -2 dex.
quenya
11-29-06, 11:33 PM A fat character would probably have average CON, extra mass would maybe increase the "toughness" aspect of CON this but the health aspect would get penalized. I think that DEX would also remain average, I have seen very heavy guys with amazing licks on guitar and type REALLY fast both of which require good DEX in the form of manual dexterity. Strength should be average or better many big guys have greater muscle mass if only to push around their extra weight.

I think a nice mechanic to represent an obese character would be a permanent "armor check penalty" or negative modifier on all skills to which the armor check penalty applies.
Callista
11-30-06, 12:08 AM Don't worry about actually making up a "template" for your fat character. Just put a low stat in DEX and a moderately high one in CON (if D&D doesn't take heart attacks into account, that is!) and/or take the UA trait. The rest is all role-playing.

Have the guy huffing along behind the party when they travel, ordering double portions at the inn, or using his size to intimidate people... He could be oblivious to his size or even consider it an asset.

Or else you could have him so sensitive to comments about his weight that he considers them "fightin' words" and starts bar brawls! (Remember, a good bar fight means no weapons except for the odd tankard, and subdual damage only...)
Mecha_Pope
11-30-06, 12:11 AM Bonus on saves vs cold (insulation)
bonus vs bull rush and overrun (hevier=harder to push, also more wieght in the belly means lower center of gravity)
bonus vs poison (for body mass)
penalty on fort saves for endurance
penalty to speed
maybe something like dr2/leathal, harder to incapacitate with punches?

maybe a movement ability simaler to the dwarfs "no speed reduction in armor" thing, I mean, they would be used to carrying more weight around, and the hevier you are, the lighter the added weight would be by comparison
(Ie; add 50 pounds to a 100 pound guy and thats a 50% increase in weight, but add 50 to a 300 pound guy and its only a 16.6 repeating percent increase)
Clockwork_Apparition
11-30-06, 12:26 AM Mirt the Moneylender from FR is a pleasantly plump fellow. His stats really don't suggest he's different that any other character, though. I'd say just place the scores how you think they'd show up on a fat man. I'd say they wouldn't effect them much, though; you learn to adapt. :)
J.Augustus Rose II
11-30-06, 12:29 AM My current character, a cleric of Hanseath, is a massively fat dwarf. His dex is a 10 and he has the slow flaw from Unearthed Arcana.
JasonOrlandoHawk
11-30-06, 02:33 AM It's not his stats, it's how you play him...

I'm currently playing a Halfling with the (self-chosen) Gluttony Flaw. Everytime the party asks me something they get a muffled answer b/c I'm busy digging through the party's supplies, yet again. My character even dedicated an entire Bag of Holding (Type 4) to storing food. It's almost entirely full...

What?!? I was hungry!!!

Anyways, if you want some stats, there's a Gluttony Flaw (don't know the exact name) found in an old Dragon Magazine. Originally, it was for halflings only, but it is easily adaptable to any other character. When you accept this flaw, you are treated as being one size category larger anytime it would be detrimental to you (typically when determining your AC), but without any of the positive bonuses for a size increase.

A good bonus feat (to go along with that flaw) would likely be Toughness (Imp. Toughness also works). It's not quite a bonus to Con, penalty to Dex, but it works quite well. And, Fat Guys can Tumble. Doesn't mean I like to do it much, but I can Tumble.
pita
11-30-06, 02:40 AM In BoVD exists a feat for obesity.
+2 con, -2 dex, +2 intimidate +2 saves vs poison
Encard
11-30-06, 05:38 AM In BoVD exists a feat for obesity.
+2 con, -2 dex, +2 intimidate +2 saves vs poison

That is, I seem to recall, for being grotesquely obese... That's not quite the same thing as just being somewhat pudgy.
pita
11-30-06, 08:35 AM I know.
Just saying.
I had to chip in.
Dei
11-30-06, 08:37 AM If you wanted to home-brew it I would suggest using the dwarven height/weight table to make a human sized character as this would give him the extra weight. Similarly I'd give him many of the things that come from being a dwarf, stability, +2 con, etc, etc. However these would be the bonuses of someone being "big" which is not the same thing as "fat". So if you wanted to go down that route I'd suggest adding a -2 or more Dex (tumbling not exactly going to be his strong suit) and a permanent -4 or so to armour check penalty (he's not going to be scaling any cliff faces with ease). I think that would give a decent overall statblock for a "fat template"
Tyler Do'Urden
11-30-06, 09:02 AM A really obese character should be constantly encumbered.

That's why they walk like that.
Sereno
11-30-06, 12:53 PM I wouldn't give any bonuses/penalties to abilities, just give some thought to where you are putting the scores; higher ones to str and con, lower ones to dex and chr.

And, if you are going to use a UA flaw to gain an extra feat, consider being "reasonable" ... don't exchange "obese" (or, whatever ... I hate flaws in general) for Lightning Reflexes or Combat Reflexes ... take something like Cleave or Improved Bull Rush (you know, really putting you bulk behind an attack).... :)
Lycanthromancer
11-30-06, 02:18 PM When I was younger, I was overweight.

I mean overweight. 300 lbs at 11 years old. This only got worse as I got into my teen years.

Luckily, though, I (at last count) have lost about 325 lbs (which is an amazing feeling, and a great relief).

So, I'd imagine that I have some experience on the subject.

In any case, think about why your character is overweight.

Is he overweight because he's out of shape? In that case, low scores in Dex (though this is for non-manual-dexterity-related uses), Str, and especially Con would be good.

Is he overweight because he's very active and strong,but really REALLY enjoys food (a la sumo), or quite literally, "Big Boned" (the Kingpin)? Give him a very high Str and Con (sumo wrestlers are exceptionally sturdy) but a low Dex.

Or, he could be like those professional weightlifters that are unbelievably strong, but have no endurance, and are rather clumsy. Exceptional Str, but low on Dex and Con.

Just some things you might think about.
FeceMan
11-30-06, 02:53 PM The Kingpin is a good kind of fat.
DarkNick
11-30-06, 03:07 PM I agree with the people here that say you don't really need a mechanic. Just roleplay it out.

There is no reason why a fat guy could not have high dex (like that martial arts guy that often directs Jacky chan movies) - they could have agile hands.
There are good arguments for either high or low con of str scores.

So just do what feels logical to you. See what your stats are then go from there.
Khatoblepas
11-30-06, 05:52 PM Remember, this is high fantasy heroic adventuring, not realistic. The bigger characters are usually the more durable characters, able to withstand blows simply due to their bulk. So penalties to all physical ability scores wouldn't be in the right spirit.

The Willing Deformity (obese) feat means that you are three times heavier than normal. For the average human, let's say 150lbs. That would make 450lbs, which is definately not what we're aiming for. Especially if I've underestimated the average weight.

What we're aiming for is about twice the usual weight, which would mean 300lbs. Pretty huge, but not obscenely so. If I were to make it a template:

- Reduce Movement by 10ft, to a minimum of 5ft.
- -2 penalty on Tumble, Jump, Balance and Reflex Saves.
- +2 bonus on Fortitude Saves.
- Treats being bull-rushed as if you were one size catagory larger (+4 bonus) and does not stack with Powerful Build.
- Twice race's average weight.

Dunno if this is balanced, but a movement hit and a reflex save hit seem pretty balanced, and the Bull-Rush defense is situational, though the Fort save bonus is good. Stats should NOT be affected, as that is up to the player. Any character too thin to be considered big (as in someone who is slightly round, but it isn't a defining feature) shouldn't take this template.
MMMMMfear
11-30-06, 05:59 PM You don't really have to change the stats. I'm a pretty big guy myself (6' 280 lb), and I can safely say that there really is no stat change, just average it out.
Max the Immortal
12-01-06, 04:28 AM In my opinion as a fat guy, being overweight should be classified as a trait rather than a flaw or feat.

I suggest that you use the rules for encumberance on page 162 of the player's handbook. Compare the character's carrying capacity based on his strength score. If, for example, a human with a strength score of 10 were 34 to 66 pounds overweigh, he would count as encumbered with a medium load at all times: Speed reduced to 20ft, max dex bonus of +3, and a -3 armor check penalty. If he were 67 to 100 pounds overweight, he'd have the penalties of a heavy load: Speed 20ft (run at x3), max dex bonus +1, and a -6 armor check penalty. To balance this out, give the character the stability ability, and probably also the ability to not have his speed reduced further by medium or heavy armor (though heavy armor still reduces the character's run speed to x3 if the character's weight gives him the medium encumberance penalty).

Give the character a bonus on saves vs. poison, with a corresponding penalty on checks to avoid becoming fatigued or exhausted when performing strenuous activity.

Give the character a bonus to avoid the negative effects of cold weather, with a corresponding penalty to avoid the negative effects of hot weather.
Sphere
12-01-06, 05:09 AM I'm considering creating a fat charactor. A nocromancer most likely, but a wiz, soc or warlock. Anyway, just out of curiousity how would you handle the ability stats?

My thinking is, high str, average con and low dex, but I think a case could be made for low str too.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

About how fat are you talking about here? Within the "normal" weight limits for the race and just kind of lazy, or extra lbs tacked on to the max? For that mater what race are going to be?

For a human under 250 lbs, I would use normal stats. Maybe 12 in con, around 10 in str and a 8 or 9 in dex. 251 is over the "average" humans weight according to the phb, and there should probably be some penalties associated with it.
Dei
12-01-06, 07:51 PM Apart from the stating I agree with many of the roleplay suggestions that have been doled out. Things like ordering double portions, not enjoying taking the stairs, prefering riding in a cart (or since you'll be a magic character flying/levitating) to walking/riding a horse as unless the character is seriously overweight you'll be able to represent it through distributing your stats, i.e. low dex and str, high con and then int or cha depending on the magic type you choose.
You're in a unique position playing a magic charater actually and could really use your spell/feat selection to reflect your character, in this case, obtaining extended fly spells or at early levels, extended levitating discs to make your life easier. Also, since you're not going to be comfortable running in and out of the fray look at spells that will keep you out of harms way, resilient sphere, rope trick, etc.
As for roleplaying a fat character with high cha (as in a sorceror or warlock) I'd play it as someone who revels in life and is very out-going and commanding in his presence, caring not a jot for what people think of him. Often people of this body type are the most self-confident and comfortable with themselves and this could easily be reflected by a high cha. Anyway, hope this helps and sorry for derailing the thread with my response to DM before.
Regular_K
12-01-06, 09:02 PM In BoVD, they have an Obese feat. might want to check that out.
pita
12-02-06, 02:23 AM I already mentioned that.
But he isn't looking for hideously overweight, just fat.
Note that the obese feat gives +2 to intimidate checks.
ORC_Tuhteth
12-02-06, 05:48 AM If you really want a mechanic of some sort (in addition to or instead of the excellent roleplaying suggestions I've seen above), I'd suggest this:

* Your weight is increased by an amount equal to 50% your heavy load maximum. Add this amount to the weight of your carried equipment when calculating encumbrance. Given that you always have at least a medium load, you will always have a speed reduction, check penalty, and maximum Dex bonus to your AC.
* +2 on checks made to initiate or resist a grapple, trip, or bull rush

I think these two balance out fairly well, so it would make a decent stand-alone template.

As an aside, most heavy people are actually fairly strong in absolute terms -- their muscles move a lot of weight all the time, after all. Given this, a very large person should probably have an above-average Strength; you might even make Str 13 a requirement for this template (for a Medium-size character).
Tyler Do'Urden
12-02-06, 12:58 PM I'm not sure of the responsibility of balancing something that is entirely detrimental.
High Octane
12-02-06, 01:29 PM I'm not sure of the responsibility of balancing something that is entirely detrimental.

QFT.

Take that to all your blind armless monks.
TarlSS
12-02-06, 01:50 PM It's just an appearance, and has nothing to do with statistics. Body fat has a will of it's own and can be explained in a bazillion different ways.

Are there stat changes for women with excessively large breasts, as fantasy is won't to do? No. They should cause some problems, but this is a fantasy game, so they enchance a character if anything else.

Do we give penalties or bonuses for green hair? Blue eyes? Beards? Scars? Unibrows? Tattoos? Skin conditions? Skin color?
No.

Other than some basic physics considerations (Your weight reads properly on scales) then no, I wouldn't bother taking game statistics into account.

Fat people don't get stat adjustments anymore than busty lasses do, and you can be sure, those heaving bosoms can cause -alot- of problem in combat.
High Octane
12-02-06, 04:47 PM Are there stat changes for women with excessively large breasts,

High Charisma?
trapspringer
12-02-06, 05:01 PM Negative.

A character with that trait gets a circumstance bonus on diplomacy and bluff when dealing with male gamers.

Unfortunately, there is a penalty to intimidate and diplomacy checks when trying to convince the afore-mentioned male gamers that the well-endowed character is not, in fact, interested in them.
FRRC
12-02-06, 06:23 PM A fat, or overweight, character would have a relatively low consitution since Endurance is something we lack. Sprinting short distances. Being resistant to poisons and diseases is a fickle thing. Thats more directly related to the immune system. Fat people are bigger, but not really big enough to warrent resitance to poisons. It might have a different effect on Morbidly Obese people though.

Some overweight people are quite flexible in some sense. I can move faster than most of the skinny people I know(Dodging, quick reflexes). But then again, thats directly tied with endurance. I become really sluggish, really fast.

Strength is something I lack but other fat people seem to have. Alot of the "Strongest Men in the World" are fat. Not muscular fat, but pot-belly fat. Our extra weight adds pounds to the punch.

Overweight people can have a varying degree of physical stats. You get fat dancers, fat muscle men and 50 Stone men who drink 27 pints of beer without feeling a thing (Britain's fattest man). Think of something you want to be and build around it

See what I did there? Around? A...round? No?....
JackSnape
12-03-06, 12:00 AM Thanks everyone for the ideas, I expected to do some heavy RP here, but I did want some ideas on mechanics, I'm going to talk with the DM about trading the weight encumberance for a bonus on certain fort saves.
speeblefreak
12-03-06, 12:30 AM Maybe I'm just tired, but I find it mildly amusing that "The Hutt" is posting on this particular thread.
Tyler Do'Urden
12-03-06, 12:56 AM Are there stat changes for women with excessively large breasts, as fantasy is won't to do?Carrying capacity penalty due to lower back problems? Or maybe, how about different random encounter tables in urban areas.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
JackSnape 11-29-06, 10:52 PM	I'm considering creating a fat charactor. A nocromancer most likely, but a wiz, soc or warlock. Anyway, just out of curiousity how would you handle the ability stats? My thinking is, high str, average con and low dex, but I think a case could be made for low str too. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Whisper_Swiftblade 11-29-06, 11:02 PM	I don't know what would change, but you might be interested to know that there was a build someone made useing a verry fat clearic that can do 20d6 at first level by jumping at opponents.
Krugg 11-29-06, 11:03 PM	Well, you could easily just do the character as fat without any ability score changes. I'm a pretty big guy, but I don't think I have any bonuses on STR or anything (if anything, maybe a penalty to DEX). Alternatively, there are two options. Check out the Flaws section of Unearthed Arcana, which gives guidelines for creating flaws, and you could create one for fat characters. Maybe you and the DM could get together and put together one that gives a -2 or more to DEX and maybe half the amount of rounds the character could run before taking penalties. Or, if you're going the really evil route (which could be possible if you decide on a necromancer), you could, with DM approval, look at the feat in Book of Vile Darkness that's called Willing Deformity (Obese) or something like that. I'm not sure on specifics though, since I don't own the book.
trapspringer 11-29-06, 11:07 PM	There is a trait for this already in UA, and as mentioned by the above poster you could create it as a flaw by reworking the flavor text of an existing one.
Krugg 11-29-06, 11:16 PM	Oops, I guess I overlooked that... I thought that I'd seen something in UA about overweight characters, but I missed it the first time through.
The Half-Orc Wizard 11-29-06, 11:29 PM	A heavy character would have a high constitution, I think. The fat would cushion blows better (i.e. for hit points), and he would be more resistant to alcohol and other poison (i.e. better fortitude saves). His dex would be affected negatively. I would treat it as +2 con, -2 dex.
quenya 11-29-06, 11:33 PM	A fat character would probably have average CON, extra mass would maybe increase the "toughness" aspect of CON this but the health aspect would get penalized. I think that DEX would also remain average, I have seen very heavy guys with amazing licks on guitar and type REALLY fast both of which require good DEX in the form of manual dexterity. Strength should be average or better many big guys have greater muscle mass if only to push around their extra weight. I think a nice mechanic to represent an obese character would be a permanent "armor check penalty" or negative modifier on all skills to which the armor check penalty applies.
Callista 11-30-06, 12:08 AM	Don't worry about actually making up a "template" for your fat character. Just put a low stat in DEX and a moderately high one in CON (if D&D doesn't take heart attacks into account, that is!) and/or take the UA trait. The rest is all role-playing. Have the guy huffing along behind the party when they travel, ordering double portions at the inn, or using his size to intimidate people... He could be oblivious to his size or even consider it an asset. Or else you could have him so sensitive to comments about his weight that he considers them "fightin' words" and starts bar brawls! (Remember, a good bar fight means no weapons except for the odd tankard, and subdual damage only...)
Mecha_Pope 11-30-06, 12:11 AM	Bonus on saves vs cold (insulation) bonus vs bull rush and overrun (hevier=harder to push, also more wieght in the belly means lower center of gravity) bonus vs poison (for body mass) penalty on fort saves for endurance penalty to speed maybe something like dr2/leathal, harder to incapacitate with punches? maybe a movement ability simaler to the dwarfs "no speed reduction in armor" thing, I mean, they would be used to carrying more weight around, and the hevier you are, the lighter the added weight would be by comparison (Ie; add 50 pounds to a 100 pound guy and thats a 50% increase in weight, but add 50 to a 300 pound guy and its only a 16.6 repeating percent increase)
Clockwork_Apparition 11-30-06, 12:26 AM	Mirt the Moneylender from FR is a pleasantly plump fellow. His stats really don't suggest he's different that any other character, though. I'd say just place the scores how you think they'd show up on a fat man. I'd say they wouldn't effect them much, though; you learn to adapt. :)
J.Augustus Rose II 11-30-06, 12:29 AM	My current character, a cleric of Hanseath, is a massively fat dwarf. His dex is a 10 and he has the slow flaw from Unearthed Arcana.
JasonOrlandoHawk 11-30-06, 02:33 AM	It's not his stats, it's how you play him... I'm currently playing a Halfling with the (self-chosen) Gluttony Flaw. Everytime the party asks me something they get a muffled answer b/c I'm busy digging through the party's supplies, yet again. My character even dedicated an entire Bag of Holding (Type 4) to storing food. It's almost entirely full... What?!? I was hungry!!! Anyways, if you want some stats, there's a Gluttony Flaw (don't know the exact name) found in an old Dragon Magazine. Originally, it was for halflings only, but it is easily adaptable to any other character. When you accept this flaw, you are treated as being one size category larger anytime it would be detrimental to you (typically when determining your AC), but without any of the positive bonuses for a size increase. A good bonus feat (to go along with that flaw) would likely be Toughness (Imp. Toughness also works). It's not quite a bonus to Con, penalty to Dex, but it works quite well. And, Fat Guys can Tumble. Doesn't mean I like to do it much, but I can Tumble.
pita 11-30-06, 02:40 AM	In BoVD exists a feat for obesity. +2 con, -2 dex, +2 intimidate +2 saves vs poison
Encard 11-30-06, 05:38 AM	In BoVD exists a feat for obesity. +2 con, -2 dex, +2 intimidate +2 saves vs poison That is, I seem to recall, for being grotesquely obese... That's not quite the same thing as just being somewhat pudgy.
pita 11-30-06, 08:35 AM	I know. Just saying. I had to chip in.
Dei 11-30-06, 08:37 AM	If you wanted to home-brew it I would suggest using the dwarven height/weight table to make a human sized character as this would give him the extra weight. Similarly I'd give him many of the things that come from being a dwarf, stability, +2 con, etc, etc. However these would be the bonuses of someone being "big" which is not the same thing as "fat". So if you wanted to go down that route I'd suggest adding a -2 or more Dex (tumbling not exactly going to be his strong suit) and a permanent -4 or so to armour check penalty (he's not going to be scaling any cliff faces with ease). I think that would give a decent overall statblock for a "fat template"
Tyler Do'Urden 11-30-06, 09:02 AM	A really obese character should be constantly encumbered. That's why they walk like that.
Sereno 11-30-06, 12:53 PM	I wouldn't give any bonuses/penalties to abilities, just give some thought to where you are putting the scores; higher ones to str and con, lower ones to dex and chr. And, if you are going to use a UA flaw to gain an extra feat, consider being "reasonable" ... don't exchange "obese" (or, whatever ... I hate flaws in general) for Lightning Reflexes or Combat Reflexes ... take something like Cleave or Improved Bull Rush (you know, really putting you bulk behind an attack).... :)
Lycanthromancer 11-30-06, 02:18 PM	When I was younger, I was overweight. I mean overweight. 300 lbs at 11 years old. This only got worse as I got into my teen years. Luckily, though, I (at last count) have lost about 325 lbs (which is an amazing feeling, and a great relief). So, I'd imagine that I have some experience on the subject. In any case, think about why your character is overweight. Is he overweight because he's out of shape? In that case, low scores in Dex (though this is for non-manual-dexterity-related uses), Str, and especially Con would be good. Is he overweight because he's very active and strong,but really REALLY enjoys food (a la sumo), or quite literally, "Big Boned" (the Kingpin)? Give him a very high Str and Con (sumo wrestlers are exceptionally sturdy) but a low Dex. Or, he could be like those professional weightlifters that are unbelievably strong, but have no endurance, and are rather clumsy. Exceptional Str, but low on Dex and Con. Just some things you might think about.
FeceMan 11-30-06, 02:53 PM	The Kingpin is a good kind of fat.
DarkNick 11-30-06, 03:07 PM	I agree with the people here that say you don't really need a mechanic. Just roleplay it out. There is no reason why a fat guy could not have high dex (like that martial arts guy that often directs Jacky chan movies) - they could have agile hands. There are good arguments for either high or low con of str scores. So just do what feels logical to you. See what your stats are then go from there.
Khatoblepas 11-30-06, 05:52 PM	Remember, this is high fantasy heroic adventuring, not realistic. The bigger characters are usually the more durable characters, able to withstand blows simply due to their bulk. So penalties to all physical ability scores wouldn't be in the right spirit. The Willing Deformity (obese) feat means that you are three times heavier than normal. For the average human, let's say 150lbs. That would make 450lbs, which is definately not what we're aiming for. Especially if I've underestimated the average weight. What we're aiming for is about twice the usual weight, which would mean 300lbs. Pretty huge, but not obscenely so. If I were to make it a template: - Reduce Movement by 10ft, to a minimum of 5ft. - -2 penalty on Tumble, Jump, Balance and Reflex Saves. - +2 bonus on Fortitude Saves. - Treats being bull-rushed as if you were one size catagory larger (+4 bonus) and does not stack with Powerful Build. - Twice race's average weight. Dunno if this is balanced, but a movement hit and a reflex save hit seem pretty balanced, and the Bull-Rush defense is situational, though the Fort save bonus is good. Stats should NOT be affected, as that is up to the player. Any character too thin to be considered big (as in someone who is slightly round, but it isn't a defining feature) shouldn't take this template.
MMMMMfear 11-30-06, 05:59 PM	You don't really have to change the stats. I'm a pretty big guy myself (6' 280 lb), and I can safely say that there really is no stat change, just average it out.
Max the Immortal 12-01-06, 04:28 AM	In my opinion as a fat guy, being overweight should be classified as a trait rather than a flaw or feat. I suggest that you use the rules for encumberance on page 162 of the player's handbook. Compare the character's carrying capacity based on his strength score. If, for example, a human with a strength score of 10 were 34 to 66 pounds overweigh, he would count as encumbered with a medium load at all times: Speed reduced to 20ft, max dex bonus of +3, and a -3 armor check penalty. If he were 67 to 100 pounds overweight, he'd have the penalties of a heavy load: Speed 20ft (run at x3), max dex bonus +1, and a -6 armor check penalty. To balance this out, give the character the stability ability, and probably also the ability to not have his speed reduced further by medium or heavy armor (though heavy armor still reduces the character's run speed to x3 if the character's weight gives him the medium encumberance penalty). Give the character a bonus on saves vs. poison, with a corresponding penalty on checks to avoid becoming fatigued or exhausted when performing strenuous activity. Give the character a bonus to avoid the negative effects of cold weather, with a corresponding penalty to avoid the negative effects of hot weather.
Sphere 12-01-06, 05:09 AM	I'm considering creating a fat charactor. A nocromancer most likely, but a wiz, soc or warlock. Anyway, just out of curiousity how would you handle the ability stats? My thinking is, high str, average con and low dex, but I think a case could be made for low str too. Any suggestions would be appreciated. About how fat are you talking about here? Within the "normal" weight limits for the race and just kind of lazy, or extra lbs tacked on to the max? For that mater what race are going to be? For a human under 250 lbs, I would use normal stats. Maybe 12 in con, around 10 in str and a 8 or 9 in dex. 251 is over the "average" humans weight according to the phb, and there should probably be some penalties associated with it.
Dei 12-01-06, 07:51 PM	Apart from the stating I agree with many of the roleplay suggestions that have been doled out. Things like ordering double portions, not enjoying taking the stairs, prefering riding in a cart (or since you'll be a magic character flying/levitating) to walking/riding a horse as unless the character is seriously overweight you'll be able to represent it through distributing your stats, i.e. low dex and str, high con and then int or cha depending on the magic type you choose. You're in a unique position playing a magic charater actually and could really use your spell/feat selection to reflect your character, in this case, obtaining extended fly spells or at early levels, extended levitating discs to make your life easier. Also, since you're not going to be comfortable running in and out of the fray look at spells that will keep you out of harms way, resilient sphere, rope trick, etc. As for roleplaying a fat character with high cha (as in a sorceror or warlock) I'd play it as someone who revels in life and is very out-going and commanding in his presence, caring not a jot for what people think of him. Often people of this body type are the most self-confident and comfortable with themselves and this could easily be reflected by a high cha. Anyway, hope this helps and sorry for derailing the thread with my response to DM before.
Regular_K 12-01-06, 09:02 PM	In BoVD, they have an Obese feat. might want to check that out.
pita 12-02-06, 02:23 AM	I already mentioned that. But he isn't looking for hideously overweight, just fat. Note that the obese feat gives +2 to intimidate checks.
ORC_Tuhteth 12-02-06, 05:48 AM	If you really want a mechanic of some sort (in addition to or instead of the excellent roleplaying suggestions I've seen above), I'd suggest this: * Your weight is increased by an amount equal to 50% your heavy load maximum. Add this amount to the weight of your carried equipment when calculating encumbrance. Given that you always have at least a medium load, you will always have a speed reduction, check penalty, and maximum Dex bonus to your AC. * +2 on checks made to initiate or resist a grapple, trip, or bull rush I think these two balance out fairly well, so it would make a decent stand-alone template. As an aside, most heavy people are actually fairly strong in absolute terms -- their muscles move a lot of weight all the time, after all. Given this, a very large person should probably have an above-average Strength; you might even make Str 13 a requirement for this template (for a Medium-size character).
Tyler Do'Urden 12-02-06, 12:58 PM	I'm not sure of the responsibility of balancing something that is entirely detrimental.
High Octane 12-02-06, 01:29 PM	I'm not sure of the responsibility of balancing something that is entirely detrimental. QFT. Take that to all your blind armless monks.
TarlSS 12-02-06, 01:50 PM	It's just an appearance, and has nothing to do with statistics. Body fat has a will of it's own and can be explained in a bazillion different ways. Are there stat changes for women with excessively large breasts, as fantasy is won't to do? No. They should cause some problems, but this is a fantasy game, so they enchance a character if anything else. Do we give penalties or bonuses for green hair? Blue eyes? Beards? Scars? Unibrows? Tattoos? Skin conditions? Skin color? No. Other than some basic physics considerations (Your weight reads properly on scales) then no, I wouldn't bother taking game statistics into account. Fat people don't get stat adjustments anymore than busty lasses do, and you can be sure, those heaving bosoms can cause -alot- of problem in combat.
High Octane 12-02-06, 04:47 PM	Are there stat changes for women with excessively large breasts, High Charisma?
trapspringer 12-02-06, 05:01 PM	Negative. A character with that trait gets a circumstance bonus on diplomacy and bluff when dealing with male gamers. Unfortunately, there is a penalty to intimidate and diplomacy checks when trying to convince the afore-mentioned male gamers that the well-endowed character is not, in fact, interested in them.
FRRC 12-02-06, 06:23 PM	A fat, or overweight, character would have a relatively low consitution since Endurance is something we lack. Sprinting short distances. Being resistant to poisons and diseases is a fickle thing. Thats more directly related to the immune system. Fat people are bigger, but not really big enough to warrent resitance to poisons. It might have a different effect on Morbidly Obese people though. Some overweight people are quite flexible in some sense. I can move faster than most of the skinny people I know(Dodging, quick reflexes). But then again, thats directly tied with endurance. I become really sluggish, really fast. Strength is something I lack but other fat people seem to have. Alot of the "Strongest Men in the World" are fat. Not muscular fat, but pot-belly fat. Our extra weight adds pounds to the punch. Overweight people can have a varying degree of physical stats. You get fat dancers, fat muscle men and 50 Stone men who drink 27 pints of beer without feeling a thing (Britain's fattest man). Think of something you want to be and build around it See what I did there? Around? A...round? No?....
JackSnape 12-03-06, 12:00 AM	Thanks everyone for the ideas, I expected to do some heavy RP here, but I did want some ideas on mechanics, I'm going to talk with the DM about trading the weight encumberance for a bonus on certain fort saves.
speeblefreak 12-03-06, 12:30 AM	Maybe I'm just tired, but I find it mildly amusing that "The Hutt" is posting on this particular thread.
Tyler Do'Urden 12-03-06, 12:56 AM	Are there stat changes for women with excessively large breasts, as fantasy is won't to do?Carrying capacity penalty due to lower back problems? Or maybe, how about different random encounter tables in urban areas.