Morbidly Obese Character?

[TylerDurden]

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.

 

[Nifft]

I don't see the need for much in the way of house rules here.

Just tell him to:
1/ Make sure Strength and Dexterity are low (8 & 10 or so); and
2/ Never train Endurance, Acrobatics, Stealth or Athletics.

Cheers, -- N

PS: Isn't there a forum for this game?

 

[Stalker0]

I don't see the need for much in the way of house rules here.

Just tell him to:
1/ Make sure Strength and Dexterity are low (8 & 10 or so); and
2/ Never train Endurance, Acrobatics, Stealth or Athletics.

Cheers, -- N

PS: Isn't there a forum for this game?

Agree with Nifft here, the core mechanics already give you the tools to do this, no need to further penalize the player.

 

[Alt F4]

Does 4E penalize speed and skills based on encumbrance? If so, I'd say treat his minimum encumbrance (before any equipment is added) as Medium. Or else treat his Strength as lower for the purposes of encumbrance only.

 

[JoeGKushner]

And let's not forget the strength penalties for woman.

Or the movement penalties for short people.

Or the various bonuses and penalties for peoples of various ethniticies.

 

[CleverNickName]

I'm with Joe. I don't see the need for game stats to be adjusted. The character's development, behavior, and aesthetics in the game should come down to how creative the player wants to be about his character, and the decisions the player makes when rolling and playing it.

Put the lowest stats in whatever ability score seems suited to a character of that body type. Select skill training that seems appropriate. Choose a class that fits the idea. In the game, make sure the character behaves in a manner consistent with his idiom. The rules need not (and probably should not) get involved.

 

[purplexenno]

don't make assumptions

i would use the encum. rules. i know for a fact that i can run with the best of them and i'm not skinny. Friend of mine almost soiled his shorts when i caught up to him and he's a track runner. I've also carried four people 35 yards in a football game (would have kept going except my brother figured out that he needed to hold my feet together to get me to stop). so don't assume that someone who is overweight is not strong or quick.

 

[TarionzCousin]

i would use the encum. rules. i know for a fact that i can run with the best of them and i'm not skinny. Friend of mine almost soiled his shorts when i caught up to him and he's a track runner. I've also carried four people 35 yards in a football game (would have kept going except my brother figured out that he needed to hold my feet together to get me to stop). so don't assume that someone who is overweight is not strong or quick.

Nicely put.

Maybe you should give the PC a bonus to Strength. Carrying extra weight makes for strong leg muscles.

 

[JoeGKushner]

The real question is what would Mirt the Moneylender have to say about all this?

 

[Asmor]

Perhaps a bit tangential, but fat people needn't necessarily be less strong than others. In fact, carrying around all that weight all day long tends to give your legs a good workout, if nothing else. Ditto for balance. So blanket penalties to athletics and acrobatics seem ill-advised, though penalties to more specific activities (e.g. climbing, jumping) make sense.