Beast Heart Addept

[Dusk Eclipse]

What are the best lead in into such an awesome class?

I may be playing in a game next week starting at level 6, I don not know any of the other character creation rules rightnow (the DM likes to see when the player creates the characters) but I like to have a set idea beforehand.

Anyway my first instict was a Ranger 5/Beast Heart Adept 1planning on finishing BHA and then hoping onto something else.

But do anyone has better ideas?

(I am set into stone on BHA, anything else is fair game, accesss to most books but notably all the environment books and the completes)

Thanks in advance

[demidracolich]

Well, if you are going ranger you may want to go the wildshape ranger variant in UA.

[Dusk Eclipse]

Well, if you are going ranger you may want to go the wildshape ranger variant in UA.

Beast heart adept doesn't advance wildshape,a and TBH, I don't think that once a day for 1 hour becoming an animal will cut it

[The Glyphstone]

One build I've always wanted to try was Druid/Beastmaster/Beast Heart Adept. Wolf animal companion, Wolf animal companions for Beastmaster, and Winter Wolf/Worg companions for BHA. Then Wildshape into a Wolf and have your own pack.

Sadly, it doesn't work worth anything notable outside Gestalt, but BHA is still cool.

[Dusk Eclipse]

One build I've always wanted to try was Druid/Beastmaster/Beast Heart Adept. Wolf animal companion, Wolf animal companions for Beastmaster, and Winter Wolf/Worg companions for BHA. Then Wildshape into a Wolf and have your own pack.

Sadly, it doesn't work worth anything notable outside Gestalt, but BHA is still cool.

If you are up to homebrewing territory a Werewolf (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=8178217&postcount=297) 4 /Beastmaster/Beast heart addept might be what you are looking for.

Althoug a Druid 20//Werewolf 4/ X 1/Beastmaster /Beast Heart Addept sound REALLY awesome

[The Glyphstone]

It's the Druid 20//Whatever/Beastmaster/Beast Heart Adept that really does make the build effective though - Werewolf, while neat, wouldn't help too much because all of the Wolf Buddies would still be weak and flimsy, even with an extra HD or two. With Animal Growth, Chained Nature's Avatar, Companion Spellbond+self-buffing, and other fun tricks accessible to a lvl20 druid, you can make your wolfpack an unstoppable juggernaut of destruction. In theory...and in gestalt, which makes the whole thing kinda moot.

[Dusk Eclipse]

It's the Druid 20//Whatever/Beastmaster/Beast Heart Adept that really does make the build effective though - Werewolf, while neat, wouldn't help too much because all of the Wolf Buddies would still be weak and flimsy. With Animal Growth, Chained Nature's Avatar, Companion Spellbond+self-buffing, and other fun tricks, you can make your wolfpack an unstoppable juggernaut of destruction. In theory...and in gestalt, which makes the whole thing kinda moot.

Just throwing something out.... now I REALLY would like to play the gestalt build....

[Vizzerdrix]

One of the Dragon Mags has a few feats that lets you have monsters instead of animal companions. I'll look it up if you'd like.

[Dusk Eclipse]

One of the Dragon Mags has a few feats that lets you have monsters instead of animal companions. I'll look it up if you'd like.

Thanks but I don't have access to dragon magazine...

[Runestar]

Maybe this will be of some help?

http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75882/19865630/Beast_Heart_Adept_Handbook

[Amphetryon]

Hexblade 5/Beastmaster 10/Beast Heart Adept 5 might be interesting.

It also showed up in the latest Iron Chef, paired, IIRC, with a Paladin of Freedom with a Champions of Valor ACF and War Chanter.

[The Glyphstone]

Just throwing something out.... now I REALLY would like to play the gestalt build....

At least on paper, it looks to be very powerful, though probably not something you'd bring into a PvP arena match. As Druid 20//Anything 5/Beastmaster 5/Beast Heart Adept 10 and the Natural Bond feat (assuming it applies to Montrous Companions too, which it likely will if the DM lets you do it at all), you end up with:
-Wolf with +12 HD/NA, +6 Str/Dex
-Wolf with +6 HD/NA, +3 Str/Dex
-Worg with +8 HD/NA/Str/Con
-Worg with +8 HD/NA/Str/Con
-Worg with +6 HD/NA/Str/Con

Natural Bond can get you another Wolf with +11 HD/NA and +5 Str/Dex, for a total of 3 Wolves and 3 Worgs following you around. Even with you Wildshaped into say, a Dire Wolf, you can still completely super-flank a single Medium opponent, giving your entire pack +4 hit and +2 damage from Monstrous Flank, and basically guaranteeing you and every single one of your companions a free attack each round via Monstrous Tactics.

A few rounds to buff (I like Rod of Chain Spell used on Nature's Avatar and Bite of the Werebear+Superior Magic Fang on yourself spread via Share Spell), and your entire pack gains another +15 to attack and damage, +16 Strength, +2 Dex, +8 Con, +7 NA, Blind-Fight, Power Attack, +20d8 HP, and Haste.

[Jolee]

I've been looking into this myself recently, and I've tentatively settled on totemist (Magic of Incarnum). You have a nice set of abilities with similar flavour to BHA, but the down side is that knowledge (dungeoneering) isn't a class skill (though knowledge devotion (CChamp?) fixes that nicely). And for what it's worth, totemist levels stack for determining wild empathy.

[Ryuuk]

I'm playing one right now in a 12th level game, went Hexblade 4 / Ranger 1 / BHA 7. The DM allowed Natural Bond to work on my companions, so currently I have a strong Winter Wolf, a so-so Winter Wolf used as a mount, a dark companion to debuff (or buff the wolves, depending on how you look at it), and a PC that focuses on nerfing the enemy further with hexes and intimidation. It's been fun so far, the sheets here (http://pifro.com/pro/view.php?id=4968) if you want to take a look (it does use some homebrew feats though).

[Marriclay]

technically couldn't we use legacy champion to buff out one of the higher level monstrous companions? as long as the game scales into epic - say, level 25 - then you could technically have another 8 levels of advancement on top of the original, though I don't think you could improve past the normal rate... so you'd have to take one of the higher level companions

[PId6]

Legacy Champion to the rescue! Again! :smallbiggrin:

Abilities: Int >= 15, Cha >= 15
Race: Silverbrow Human
(Savage) Bard 3/Barbarian 1/Beast Heart Adept 10/Legacy Champion 6

Feats:

Flaw: Favored -> Dragonfire Inspiration
Flaw: Primary Contact -> Extra Music
1: Animal Affinity
3: Song of the Heart
6: Words of Creation
9: Snowflake Wardance
12: Least Legacy
15: Whatever (Power Attack/Extra Music/Lingering Song/etc)
18: Whatever

Use Favored -> Primary Contact to qualify for Beast Heart Adept at 5th, then retrain/PsyRef them away after you take your first level. This gets you 15 effective levels of BHA, which can get you, say, a Behir with 6 bonus HD. You also get the usual bard stuff, including up to +12d6 fire damage from Dragonfire Inspiration. It's possible to fit Dragontouched -> Dragon Heritage for sonic DFI, but that makes the build even more feat starved than it is now.

[Marriclay]

Legacy Champion to the rescue! Again! :smallbiggrin:

Abilities: Int >= 15, Cha >= 15
Race: Silverbrow Human
(Savage) Bard 3/Barbarian 1/Beast Heart Adept 10/Legacy Champion 6

Feats:

Flaw: Favored -> Dragonfire Inspiration
Flaw: Primary Contact -> Extra Music
1: Animal Affinity
3: Song of the Heart
6: Words of Creation
9: Snowflake Wardance
12: Least Legacy
15: Whatever (Power Attack/Extra Music/Lingering Song/etc)
18: Whatever

Use Favored -> Primary Contact to qualify for Beast Heart Adept at 5th, then retrain/PsyRef them away after you take your first level. This gets you 15 effective levels of BHA, which can get you, say, a Behir with 6 bonus HD. You also get the usual bard stuff, including up to +12d6 fire damage from Dragonfire Inspiration. It's possible to fit Dragontouched -> Dragon Heritage for sonic DFI, but that makes the build even more feat starved than it is now.

what are Primary Contact and Favored? I'm not sure what they are

[PId6]

what are Primary Contact and Favored? I'm not sure what they are
Cityscape. Favored is for qualifying. Primary Contact gives you a bonus skill point that lets you go beyond the normal skill cap; perfect for early entry.

[Fax Celestis]

One build I've always wanted to try was Druid/Beastmaster/Beast Heart Adept. Wolf animal companion, Wolf animal companions for Beastmaster, and Winter Wolf/Worg companions for BHA. Then Wildshape into a Wolf and have your own pack.

Sadly, it doesn't work worth anything notable outside Gestalt, but BHA is still cool.

Better idea: be a worg (they're 4 RHD/LA +1 for ECL 5), take two levels of Marshal or Bard, then go into Tribal Chieftain (Miniatures Handbook) and alternate them with levels of Beast Heart Adept.

[Akal Saris]

I'm of the opinion that crusader is actually a very solid entry to BHA.

[Ryuuk]

I'm of the opinion that crusader is actually a very solid entry to BHA.

Having Handle Animal as a cross class skill kinds hurts though.

[Thurbane]

Barbarian 2/Hexblade 3 - use the Knowledge Devotion feat to grab Knowledge (Dungeoneering). If you can afford it, sink another level into Hexblade, and grab the awesome Dark Companion ACF from PHB II.

Alternatively, Barbarian 2/Human Paragon 3...

[PId6]

Barbarian 2/Hexblade 3 - use the Knowledge Devotion feat to grab Knowledge (Dungeoneering). If you can afford it, sink another level into Hexblade, and grab the awesome Dark Companion ACF from PHB II.

Alternatively, Barbarian 2/Human Paragon 3...
Why Barbarian 2? The first level is a great dip, but the second doesn't really get you much. I guess the Improved Trip ACF might be worth it, but otherwise I'd rather take a level of Fighter for the feat or something with maneuvers.

[Thurbane]

Why Barbarian 2? The first level is a great dip, but the second doesn't really get you much. I guess the Improved Trip ACF might be worth it, but otherwise I'd rather take a level of Fighter for the feat or something with maneuvers.
True - I always find Uncanny Dodge pretty handy though. Also, Barb has 4 skill points/level.

[Amphetryon]

Barbarian 2/Hexblade 3 - use the Knowledge Devotion feat to grab Knowledge (Dungeoneering). If you can afford it, sink another level into Hexblade, and grab the awesome Dark Companion ACF from PHB II.

Alternatively, Barbarian 2/Human Paragon 3...That, coupled with spellcasting, is the primary reason I recommend Hexblade 5. Sink 2 feats for Obtain and Improved Familiar, and you can have a wolf pack, along with the stronger Monstrous companions available through Beast Heart Adept.