Morbidly Obese Character?

[Solvarn]

I play 4th edition and we had a player that wants to create a morbidly obese character. I find this a cool idea if he agrees to role play him properly and not just be a short time gag.

My question to everyone here is what type of mechanic penalties should I impose on this obese character?



Some ideas we had:

• Cut movement speed by half
• All endurance, acrobatics, athletics, and stealth are reduced
• weight limits of gear greatly reduced

Anything else, I want to be somewhat serious about this, and not just make him a laughing stock - although my image of him is pretty funny.

You can negate the movement penalty by casting the ritual Tenser's Floating Jazzy.

 

[Kingreaper]

Simple answer: Have him play a dwarf.


Explanation:

He can't be poisoned easily (with the mass of him, you need twice as much poison )
He's hard to push around
He moves slowly
Heavy armour is lighter than his flab, so it doesn't slow him down any further.

 

[Ebylon]

Playing a morbidly obese character needs to be roleplay-oriented. Does the party need to climb up a mountain? Chubs needs to bitch and complain the whole way up. Make him stop and sit and rest while panting and heaving, and make the other players have to wait... and then have a pack of nasties take the opportunity to attack the party!

But don't try and shoehorn in some means of making the character 'lesser' than the others. That sounds like a serious reduction in fun, for both the player and the party in general, and also it's kind of degrading.

Or have him play a dwarf.

 

[TylerDurden]

Good feedback

I appreciate the feedback on this. The idea came up and I found it intriguing, and not an attempt to 'BUCK' the system as some have thought.

While I do understand that the mechanics are there and the player only need to role play a fat unhealthy guy, I also understand that the rules are geared to the typical muscular hero type. This was merely an excercise to determine what options there are to really getting into a character like this.

I think building your character appropriately combined with the correct roleplay will do the trick. So yes, there is no need to ALTER mechanics of the game, just make sure the stats match the character and be prepared to role play properly.

 

[Ebylon]

Even then, statting as you like while playing a morbidly obese guy could result in some hilarity.

"By the Raven Queen! How the hell did your fat ass avoid that guillotine blade?" "I *pant* don't *wheeze* know!"