Feats for Multiple Arms

[lord irial]

Multiattack, Multidexterity, and Multiweapon Fighting are feats from D&D3e/D20SRD that allow creature with multiple "arms" to use those limbs more effectively. I was wondering if I should allow them for Sydites, Virushi, and other, as-yet unknown multi-armed races. I wouldn't use these to offset the the half-strength/half-dex properties of each set of limbs, but rather to allow a character to make unarmed attacks (multiattack) with both sets of arms or multiple armed attacks (multiweapon fighting) at reduced off-hand penalties. What do you all think? Directly from the SRD, they read:

Multiattack [General]
Prerequisite: Three or more natural weapons.
Benefit: The creature’s secondary attacks with natural weapons suffer only a -2 penalty.
Normal: Without this feat, the creature’s secondary natural attacks suffer a -5 penalty.

Multidexterity [General]
Prerequisite: Dex 15+, three or more arms.
Benefit: The creature ignores all penalties for using an off hand.
Normal: Without this feat, a creature who uses an off hand suffers a -4 penalty to attack rolls, ability checks, and skill checks. A creature has one primary hand, and all the others are off hands; for example, a four-armed creature has one primary hand and three off hands.
Special: This feat replaces the Ambidexterity feat for creatures with more than two arms.

Multiweapon Fighting [General]
Prerequisite: Three or more hands.
Benefit: Penalties for fighting with multiple weapons are reduced by 2.
Normal: A creature without this feat suffers a -6 penalty to attacks made with its primary hand and a -10 penalty to attacks made with its off hands. (It has one primary hand, and all the others are off hands.) See Attacking with Two Weapons, page 124 in the Player’s Handbook.
Special: This feat replaces the Two-Weapon Fighting feat for creatures with more than two arms. The Multidexterity feat further reduces penalties for off-hand attacks.

 

[Reginald]

All I can say is to try them out and playtest them with your friends. If those mechanics (i.e, feats) are suitable for your game, go for it.

There is another feat for mult-limbed creatures but it is from Sword and Fist and so far, material from that supplement have not been made OGC ... yet. It's called Multitasking.

 

[themink]

Picture a Virushi on angel dust charging own the corridoor with a pair of tables wielded two handed each!

And the wracking guilt that would follow.

 

[Reginald]

"Tables"?

 

[themink]

Virushi don't tend to have a lot of weapons lying arround. And they are strong enough to pick up a table and hit you with it - one in each pair of hands!

Of course if the virushi was hanging arround some dis-reputable company (WHo gave it angel dust in the first place?) Then they might have something a little more "handy" when maneuvering down coridoors.

I can see them getting mellow and giggling instead of "psycho-nut" - but every drug has different effects and every biological responds to drugs slightly differently.

 

[scurry]

I originally read that even though Sydites have two sets of arms, they can only take actions with one set at a time as more limiting than I think most people here do.

Do you think that their "innate wisdom" (by that I mean coordination and body control) precludes, say, weilding 2 weapons, 2 handed at once? So long as they are not simultaneous attacks, I think they should be able to get multiple attacks with a full round action - at least if they are barehanded!

Are the mechanics involved too difficult? I imagine it would be difficult to balance properly while swinging four arms aggressively.

Can they carry something with one set while attacking with another set?

My first read was "four arms, great!" Then, "can only use 2 at a time, so what." Next, "why all the mental penaltis for such trivial gain." All of my group had a similar response, perhaps biased by me. Am I off base in thinking that they are largely a waste of time?

 

[Reginald]

Well, that depends on how they used their multiple arms. If they used their arms like we used our two arms (which portrudes on opposite sides of our torso), then it would be difficult to wield 2 two-handed weapons properly.

If they can do so with two left hands on one weapon and two right hands on another ... naturally ... then there should be no difficulty, yes?

But if you're to used them barehanded or with natural weapons, then there should also be no problem.

 

[themink]

HOwever, they can probably fire crew served weapons by themselves!

SO they use two arms to hold and steady the Recoilless Rifle, the other two open the back up and fit a round in.

From a hand combat point of view, I would probably let them carry a shield or two as well as the 2 handed sword.

They can run arround with a longarm (rifle) plus a grenade launcher (flechette/HE) and fire whichever one they like without having to ready it. or Rifle/Grenade/sensor device

etc etc

From a pure fighting point of view, extra hands will be wonderful and as long as that is the only field they play in, I would expect them to excell. Fortunately, it is probably the least important aspect of trav characters - so I don;t expect to see any of them as PC's IMTU

 

[Reginald]

I have got to see what a Virushi looks like and/or its physical description regarding their arms' range of movement.

 

[Libris]

Surely they already be havin' two feats and its hands theys got on them arms?

 

[Liam Devlin]

Good ideas Ld Irial! ANother candidate fer the multi-armed races would be Hivers, of course (how could we forget our starfish limbed frineds dfrom Spica/Langere?!).

An example I can see would be, say, drive a vehicle (land/ or grav) and say, fire a weapon outside the vehicle (like an open topped airraft) for Sydites/ Hivers (unlikely given their nature-unless in defense/ or "supporting fires role!).

Goes back to the addage of "Can you walk and chew gum?"