Multiple Ability Dependency

"MAD" redirects here. This article is about a D&D term. For when people are MAD, which they generally are when they have to deal with MAD, see rage. For the national security policy see Mutual Assured Destruction.

Multiple Ability Dependency, often shortened to MAD, is a Dungeons & Dragons term that refers to a class or build that requires high scores in many different stats in order to be effective, as opposed to classes which are dependent on only one or two. Classes or builds that suffer from MAD are generally underpowered in comparison to more specialized classes, as they require each Ability to be roughly as high as those dependent on smaller numbers of abilities, even though getting high scores in a large number of attributes is difficult.

The archetypical example is the 3rd Edition Monk, which is dependent on

• good strength for offensive capability,
• good dexterity for unarmoured defense,
• good constitution for hit points,
• good intelligence to make the best use of his skills list,
• good wisdom for both defense and many of his class abilities,
• and will probably need charisma to hire henchmen so the Monk can survive to level 5.

Thus the monk is relegated to tier 5, where it begs for spare change alongside the Healer class, the NPC "Expert" class, and unoptimized Fighters.

For the 4e equivalent, see nonhuman Star Pact Warlock.