Working on a Grappler

[Thrawn183]

Alright, so I'm thinking about making a grappler (Justiciar).

I've already got the following lined up. Can anyone suggest items or feats that would further this concept?

Improved Grab
Improved Grapple
Expansion
Gloves of Titan's Grip

[Pharaoh's Fist]

Partially charged wands

The feat Clever Wrestling from Races of Stone (or Complete Warrior or something)

[Zaq]

Certain Soulmelds (which you can get with a feat: Shape Soulmeld) give nice bonuses to grapple checks, and you can get Essentia through feats (or through spells, with a wand of Soul Boon).

...Yes, Incarnum makes everything better. Seriously.

[Keld Denar]

Tashalatora makes for a great grappler build. You take 2 levels of monk, then X levels of PsyWar (which gets you the expansion you love and need).

For your 1st level monk bonus, take Imp Grapple, and for your 2nd, take Monastic Training (ECS) which states that you can swap it in for any monk bonus feat.

Then, nab Scorpion's Grasp from Sandstorm to give yourself pseudo-Improved Grab (start a grapple whenever you hit). This pretty much doubles your attacks per round, since you attack once to hit, and when you hit, you grapple for UAS damage, and then as a free action, let go, and take your 2nd hit. This, combined with the way Tashalatora progresses your Flurry and the feat Snap Kick from Tome of Battle, lets you make somewhere around 12-14 or so "effective attacks" per round at around level 10. Thats pretty rediculous.

From there, feats are pretty open. Link Power (CPsi) improves your action economy, as does Expanded Knowledge (Scism). Expanded Knowledge (Metamphosis) is rather cheesy, but gets you those tasty grapple forms you love (Monstrous Centipede!). Other fun feats are Abberant Blood (Flexible Limbs), Deepspawn, and Inhuman Reach from Lords of Madness. This gives you 2 secondary tenacle attacks (that can grapple) 2 +2 unnamed bonuses on grapples, and 10' reach with your natural attacks (or +5' natural reach when Expanded...it explicitly stacks funny). Other fun feats are Illithid Herritage, Illithid Grapple x4, and Extract Brain in Complete Psionic. Even better, combine with Abberant Blood to be a true hentai mastah! Above and beyond that, Shape Soulmeld can get you the displacer tentacles meld for a total of 8 writhing grasping tentacles of doom. Speaking of doom, PsyWar eventually gets you the Form of Doom power which results in even more tentacles! MORE TENTACLES THAN YOUR BODY HAS ROOM FOR!!!! SNAKE EYES!!!!

Because seriously...whats the fun of playing a grapple monster if you can't terrorize a few japanese girls in sailor outfits. Seriously!

[Thrawn183]

Well I'm already playing as a Mindflayer (gestalt camapaign and the LA is waved) so those aberrant feats... could be vewy vewy intewesting.

[Sinfire Titan]

Certain Soulmelds (which you can get with a feat: Shape Soulmeld) give nice bonuses to grapple checks, and you can get Essentia through feats (or through spells, with a wand of Soul Boon).

...Yes, Incarnum makes everything better. Seriously.

Because not even the Druid can grapple better than the Totemist.


No, seriously. I've proven this. You can get a Grapple modifier of +70 before spell effects like Enlarge Person or items/feats. Totemists are the best grapplers in the game.

[Eldariel]

Grip of Iron [XPH] seems like a good move. Also, Strength of My Enemy is pretty good.

[AmberVael]

...so those aberrant feats... could be vewy vewy intewesting.

Yeah, I thought about it too. Unfortunately, the Aberrant feats require your type to be humanoid.

[Thrawn183]

*sigh* Yeah, I saw that when I checked on it. And unfortunately Grip of Iron won't stack with Gloves of the Titan's Grip.

At this point I've actually been concentrating a bit more on damage to anyone that attacks me with a natural or non-reach weapon then boosting my grapple check itself.

I've also been working on getting more natural attacks. With a Horned Helm and a Fanged Mask, I'm up to 6.

[Glimbur]

and then as a free action, let go, and take your 2nd hit.

How are you leaving the grapple as a free action? Isn't it an attack action to try to escape, and an opposed grapple check (which you should win)?

[NEO|Phyte]

How are you leaving the grapple as a free action? Isn't it an attack action to try to escape, and an opposed grapple check (which you should win)?
Aye, only way to leave a grapple as a free action that I'm seeing is if you have him pinned, and that takes a second grapple check to establish.