Worth the deal?

[Misterwhisper]

Long story short:

Playing a war forged monk, got attacked by a symbiont hive.

Just hit level 4.

DM offered me an option:
The symbiont breastplate bonds with me and gives me a flat +1 to ac, that will stack with my monk unarmored bonus.
+1 to Str or Dex, dex obviously.
The 2 symbiont whips bond to my arms and give my unarmed attacks 10 ft reach and can manipulate things like my own hands.

However: it will cost my ASI at level 4 and I will have to attune to each one so it will take my 3 attuned slots.

As a monk I don't really need much in the way of gear and these will level with me to be the equivalent of +1/2/3 when the group gets their magic weapons/armor.

I am very tempted to take it.

Worth it?

[ChildofLuthic]

That honestly sounds like a pretty sweet deal, assuming you're cool with the flavor. Compared to other half feats, it's honestly a bit OP, and it covers down for a major problem with the monk.

[JNAProductions]

+1 AC and reach are quite nice.

It's DEFINITELY worth the ASI.

But is it worth the attunement? If your DM is liberal with items, I'd say no. But if they're not super generous with them, it's probably worth it.

[Misterwhisper]

+1 AC and reach are quite nice.

It's DEFINITELY worth the ASI.

But is it worth the attunement? If your DM is liberal with items, I'd say no. But if they're not super generous with them, it's probably worth it.

We don't have any magic items yet, but we just leveled up to 4, so not like we would be rolling in them.

[Man_Over_Game]

+ 1 to Dex
+ 1 to AC
Adds reach to Unarmed Strikes (making them as effective as Whips or eventually Polearms)

Considering Monks don't usually get many options to attune to anyway, this is a great deal. It's a shame you hit level 4, knowing what subclass to play matters a lot here. Drunken Master and Sun Soul, for instance, become completely redundant, where Open Palm gets a drastic buff.

[Anymage]

I say go for it. You're already getting half your ASI back, so it's basically a half feat for reach that also has out of combat utility. Plus a weapon that auto-scales.

Plus, your DM seems to be offering you this on the basis of rule of cool. If there are other attunement requiring magic items that everybody picks up, expect your symbionts to develop those powers too. There are probably plot based strings attached to this offer, but you're a PC. Having built in plot hooks makes everybody's life easier.

[Wildarm]

The chest augment to AC is going increase? You're going to end up with some insane AC. I'd say it's a good deal. The reach ability is less important. Monks are already pretty mobile.

I'd be very tempted to multiclass into something else. Darkwood core with light armor and shield proficiency, you lose a lot of your monkness with it but a Shield+1 would crank your AC crazy high at Tier 2 and above. Easily to get close to 30AC in Tier 3.

Rapier and Board Battlemaster fighter with Sentinel feat would let you do some awesome tricks with your tentacles.

[Galithar]

I would say it's worth it, but also think it should only take 2 attunement slots. It's armor and a weapon. That should leave you one attunement in my opinion. I'd probably take it either way though!

[Misterwhisper]

I would say it's worth it, but also think it should only take 2 attunement slots. It's armor and a weapon. That should leave you one attunement in my opinion. I'd probably take it either way though!

It is both whips, they are considered unarmed so can’t dual wield really, not that it would matter.

1 attunement for the chestpiece and 1 for each whip.

I like it for the thematics. I am cg and will have a hive mind voice in my head.

My character is an archaeologist who opened a chest in a tomb and kind of got facehuggered.

I am a warforged envy and my built in tool was a climbing kit, the whips will be very nice.

I went with the drunken master subclass.

Think drunken Indiana Jones living life to the fullest, loves danger and mystery and exploring ruins.

[Misterwhisper]

The chest augment to AC is going increase? You're going to end up with some insane AC. I'd say it's a good deal. The reach ability is less important. Monks are already pretty mobile.

I'd be very tempted to multiclass into something else. Darkwood core with light armor and shield proficiency, you lose a lot of your monkness with it but a Shield+1 would crank your AC crazy high at Tier 2 and above. Easily to get close to 30AC in Tier 3.

Rapier and Board Battlemaster fighter with Sentinel feat would let you do some awesome tricks with your tentacles.

It only adds the +1 ac, so with an 18 dex and 16 wis my ac is only 18.

Most I could do would be 21 if I get 20 in both stats, if my armor gets enhanced I could max at 24.

Anyone with plate and a shield can get the same and if they have magic items they can get higher, and do not need a 20 in 2 stats to get it.

[ATHATH]

cg

Coconut gun!

(Yes, I do know what it actually stands for; I just happened to randomly think of that rip while/after reading it (the "cg" in your post).)

[jiriku]

Can you attune just one whip? I don't really see where the second one is giving you any benefit, and it's sucking up that third attunement slot.

Even at three, though, go for it. Have fun. If you reach a point where you regret it later, I'm sure you can do some plot thing to kill your symbionts, and you'll only be out 1 ability point. In the meantime, you are weird, scary, cool, and mechanically very effective in combat.

[Misterwhisper]

Can you attune just one whip? I don't really see where the second one is giving you any benefit, and it's sucking up that third attunement slot.

Even at three, though, go for it. Have fun. If you reach a point where you regret it later, I'm sure you can do some plot thing to kill your symbionts, and you'll only be out 1 ability point. In the meantime, you are weird, scary, cool, and mechanically very effective in combat.

Nope, can't attune to just one, has to be both.

I think I will go for it, the idea of being a CG drunken archaeologist whose normal metal armor and weapons are actually sentient beings that are bonded with him and whisper in his mind is pretty cool.

Maybe I can get a job at Miskatonic U.

[Anymage]

Think drunken Indiana Jones living life to the fullest, loves danger and mystery and exploring ruins.

Drunken robot Indiana Jones. You know what you have to do.

[Misterwhisper]

Drunken robot Indiana Jones. You know what you have to do.

Actually, I hate futurama and all those other type shows.

[ATHATH]

Actually, I hate futurama and all those other type shows.

Define "other type shows", I'm curious.

[guachi]

I say kudos to your DM for the magic item. The fact it wasn't an obvious yes or no tells me the DM did a good of providing a difficult choice.

I say go for it as at least it'll be really interesting and (hopefully) fun.

[Lunali]

Optimizing under the assumption that the campaign will continue for a while, I'd go with no. While monk doesn't need their attunement for weapons and armor, there are other things that are very useful for boosting defense or mobility. You're basically giving up 3 attunement slots and a stat point for longer reach and 1 AC.

However, that has to be balanced against what makes a fun character for you.

[Misterwhisper]

Define "other type shows", I'm curious.

The other fox animated shows like family guy, Simpson’s, bob’s burgers, American dad, whose kinds of shows. It my kind of thing.

[Misterwhisper]

I say kudos to your DM for the magic item. The fact it wasn't an obvious yes or no tells me the DM did a good of providing a difficult choice.

I say go for it as at least it'll be really interesting and (hopefully) fun.

Yeah, he is doing a great job so far. It is his first time among and he wrote his own campaign complete with extensive backstory and history.