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Zore
2010-10-10, 07:23 AM
Alright, I've been working on a character concept and I think I've gotten most of the feats and such down. I'd like opinions on which companions to choose, equipment that may be useful and any ideas on the most effective ways to take levels.

Here's the basic breakdown

Race: Changeling
Classes: Barbarian(Lion Spirit Totem) 4/Warshaper 4/Beast Heart Adept 10/Bear Warrior 1

Ability Scores

18 str
16 dex
17 con
13 int
13 wis
15 cha

Feats

Flaw-Beast Totem(Displacer beast)
Flaw-Extra Rage
1-Wild Cohort
3-Animal Affinity
6-Multiattack
9-Totem Companion
12-Natural Bond
15-Power Attack
18-?

The Beast Totem and Totem companion let me get a Displancer Beast as an animal cohort with cohort bonuses -6 levels.

Animal Affinity and Power Attack are prerequisite feats.

Multiattack for the 7 or so natural attacks I'll use Warshaper for.

The companions this gives me

a Displacer beast with +11 HD, +11 Natural Armor, +5 Str/Dex, Improved Evasion

3 Beast Heart Adept companions, tentatively a Girallon and Owlbear as combatants and an Ankheg solely for cheerleading/its ability to burrow.

I'm also considering seeing if I can get Natural bond applied to all these guys to make them a bit tougher.

This is a planned progression for a campaign that is supposed to tentatively hit level 20 and nothing is set in stone yet. I'd appreciate any feat advice, equipment advice, even different prestige class advice though I would like to stick as close to the Warshaper/Beast Heart Adept aspects of the build as possible.

Also, companion feat choices would be great too!

Last Laugh
2010-10-10, 09:51 AM
I feel like bear warrior doesn't work well with what you are doing. (short duration limits the amount of natural attacks you can grow) Consider a dip in a MoI class (totemist + totem rager rocks) instead of a few of your barb levels.

If you want bear warrior for delicious flavor that's fine, but I don't think you should take the second level.

If you want a full BAB prestige class that you meet the requirements for HELLREAVER is great (FC II) requires power attack, good alignment, and 5 Cross-Class kno(planes) skill ranks
It offers in 2 levels:
Encounter based Swift action healing to any good ally (or you)
Can be used Charisma + Healreaver levels (for you it's 40 health/encounter)
Immune to fear, attacks are good aligned
'smite evil' effect, drawing from holy fury pool (same as healing)

Full base attack, and can patch allies up on an encounter basis. (and you have allies to patch up!)

For feats, Consider Racial Emulation (RoE) which gives you access to race specific PrC (I think....)
Aberrant blood, Inhuman reach would be good for you
Add in Combat Reflexes perhaps?

IF you are allowed to wiggle things around boosting the char to 16 and sliding hellreaver level in would be cool. (not great, hellreaver is much better the further you get into it)

Dare I suggest Tome of Battle?
Barb1/Crusader 3 is a nice springboard for Warshaper. adding a little bit more survivability. and tasty tasty stances like thicket of blades.

Companions:
Blink Dog can Dimension Door
White Wolf/Worg can be molded into ok trippers. (white wolf has a Con based breath weapon and mean bite attack.)
Wyvern has nice venom (2d6 con/2d6 con) and I believe there are rules somewhere for milking willing creatures...
^^^ he also is a large creature w/ flight, a nice full attack routine, toxic stinger included, and improved grapple (but he isn't great at it)
Speaking of Grappler, the Behir would use up your high level companion but has a breath weapon, +25 grapple, improved grab, Constrict, and can make 6 claw attacks on held creatures (+15/1d4+4, would rock with a DFI bard)

Zore
2010-10-10, 10:18 AM
Hmm, Aberrant Blood and Inhuman reach sound pretty good instead of some of the filler feats I have.

Totemist and TOB classes would probably delay entry into different things, no early Warshaper with Totemist and delayed Beast Heart Adept with TOB. Warshaper is BaB +4 and Beast Heart adept has annoying cross class skill requirements that my Int isn't high enough to ignore if I went Crusader.

I looked at Bear Warrior because it gives a moderate boost to the Rage I had anyways from my Barbarian levels. Going Bear Warrior 1/Finishing Warshaper would give me unlimited Bear form so that might be a neat way to end.

On Companions

Owlbear and Girallon are much better bruisers than the worg/white wolf and blink dog who have the resiliency of paper. Wyvern is a maybe... but I'd have to essentially give up one of my 'combat companions' for another cheerleader with some admittedly nice poison and flight.

Took a look at Hellreaver... Wow, I am totally building a character around that class soon! Only squeezing in two levels though it looks like a level of Bear Warrior and Warshaper would give me a more solid boost. +8 str, +2 Dex and +4 con permanently in addition to the +4 str and con from Warshaper and all my magical doodads and level-up looks awesome and a bit better than at best 80 HP healed per fight or minor bonuses against evil.

Thanks for the suggestions!

Starbuck_II
2010-10-10, 10:34 AM
You seemk like a Pokemon trainer. I like it.
"Return Displacer, go Girallon!"
"Girallon!" :smallbiggrin:

Last Laugh
2010-10-10, 11:40 AM
Hmm, Aberrant Blood and Inhuman reach sound pretty good instead of some of the filler feats I have.

Totemist and TOB classes would probably delay entry into different things, no early Warshaper with Totemist and delayed Beast Heart Adept with TOB. Warshaper is BaB +4 and Beast Heart adept has annoying cross class skill requirements that my Int isn't high enough to ignore if I went Crusader.

I looked at Bear Warrior because it gives a moderate boost to the Rage I had anyways from my Barbarian levels. Going Bear Warrior 1/Finishing Warshaper would give me unlimited Bear form so that might be a neat way to end.

Took a look at Hellreaver... Wow, I am totally building a character around that class soon! Only squeezing in two levels though it looks like a level of Bear Warrior and Warshaper would give me a more solid boost. +8 str, +2 Dex and +4 con permanently in addition to the +4 str and con from Warshaper and all my magical doodads and level-up looks awesome and a bit better than at best 80 HP healed per fight or minor bonuses against evil.

Thanks for the suggestions!

I like the idea of finishing warshaper.
It doesn't look like you are using that Charisma very much. perhaps switch it into INT? helping w/ skills?

Your wizard will be your best friend! buy him a scroll of haste and mage armor, mass!!
(talk him into snakes swiftness, mass too)
and you will be the rogues best friend, you superflank afterall.

Talk your dm into letting you use a Howler (MM) the quill attack is awesome and it fits the theme of BHA

Zore
2010-10-10, 11:44 AM
I like the idea of finishing warshaper.
It doesn't look like you are using that Charisma very much. perhaps switch it into INT? helping w/ skills?

Beast Heart adept has a few skills that key off Charisma, and I'll have a lot of pets to teach tricks to. Switching the two may be more beneficial in the long run though... I'm just annoyed Warshaper s 2/level.

comicshorse
2010-10-10, 11:55 AM
What book is Beast Heart Adept from ?

Last Laugh
2010-10-10, 11:59 AM
dungeonscape, handy little book! (loves me some factotum)

comicshorse
2010-10-10, 12:26 PM
Many thanks

The White Knight
2010-10-10, 01:23 PM
Going Bear Warrior 1/Finishing Warshaper would give me unlimited Bear form so that might be a neat way to end.

Say what now? Please enlighten me.

Zore
2010-10-10, 06:12 PM
Say what now? Please enlighten me.

Capstone of Warshaper either allows you to shift as a move action, if you have unlimited ability to do so per day, or shift into an alternate form unlimited times per day. For most of the progression I'd just be using my natural Changeling abilities to shift so it doesn't do much for me, but once I take Bear Warrior I'd only be able to turn into a bear Rage times per day. Warshaper 5 would let me shift into a bear whenever and get those sweet stat bonuses.

Urpriest
2010-10-10, 06:19 PM
Capstone of Warshaper either allows you to shift as a move action, if you have unlimited ability to do so per day, or shift into an alternate form unlimited times per day. For most of the progression I'd just be using my natural Changeling abilities to shift so it doesn't do much for me, but once I take Bear Warrior I'd only be able to turn into a bear Rage times per day. Warshaper 5 would let me shift into a bear whenever and get those sweet stat bonuses.

You're misreading it. The ability allows you to take multiple forms with a single use of whatever ability you're using (in your case rage, which is irrelevant as there is only one form your rage gives you).

Unless you're interpreting it as allowing you to use your changeling shapeshifting to turn into a bear. I see where you're going with that, but it's more than a bit of a stretch.

Starbuck_II
2010-10-10, 06:27 PM
If you wanted unlimited bear, just be a Sentinel of Bharri. 3rd level unlimited, black, browb, or Polar.
You retain ability to speak.

At level 7, unlimited Dire Bear.

Zore
2010-10-10, 06:30 PM
You're misreading it. The ability allows you to take multiple forms with a single use of whatever ability you're using (in your case rage, which is irrelevant as there is only one form your rage gives you).

Unless you're interpreting it as allowing you to use your changeling shapeshifting to turn into a bear. I see where you're going with that, but it's more than a bit of a stretch.

In rereading the ability more closely you are absolutely right. Thats a pretty garbage capstone.

Well... hmm. Any suggestions for the last level after all then?