I need a 1 dip class.

[TechnOkami]

Ok, my character has 9 levels of dire werewolf and 4 levels of Warshaper. The class I'm going to go into (for the sake of the characters theme) is a variant of the unarmed swordsage variant (basically natural attack progression vs unarmed strike).

So what class/prc would be good for me to dip into?

If anything more specific is needed, please ask.

[Dusk Eclipse]

Spirit Lion Totem Barbarian (CChamp) is golden, pounce is one of the best abilities a meleer can get.

... Warblade to get some manoeuvres

[Last Laugh]

Honestly I think that spirit lion totem is best too.

Consider the Fist of the Forest from Complete Champion as well.

It is only 3 levels long and at one point adds Constitution to unarmored AC as well as boosting unarmed strike damage and granting bite attack (don't think you'd benefit from that)

[Lev]

I agree on the barbarian, as well as psychic warrior if you have 12 wisdom or more, being able to cast enlarge person as a full BAB dip? You'd get reach out of that as well meaning less AoO's.

Whether you pounce or grow, either way it's sure to be very cinematic.

[Keld Denar]

Except PsyWar is 3/4 BAB. So a 1 level dip costs you 1 BAB. Its not a full BAB access to Expansion.

[TechnOkami]

I'm thinking FoF or Barb w/ spirit lion totem.

[WinceRind]

Honestly I think that spirit lion totem is best too.

Consider the Fist of the Forest from Complete Champion as well.

It is only 3 levels long and at one point adds Constitution to unarmored AC as well as boosting unarmed strike damage and granting bite attack (don't think you'd benefit from that)

Aaaand you get a ton of fluff that can be extremely annoying in most campaign.

Sure, you can edit that out, but then you might as well make your own homebrew class. Fist of Forest that isn't a crazy nature freak who can't sleep inside or buy food sounds a lot like a paladin who doesn't smite evil or do anything paladin-like. Change "evil" to good if you consider Paladin of Tyranny and other similar classes... But a paladin is still a paladin because it acts like a paladin.

On topic, yeah, Warblade or Lion Totem Barbarian would be good choices. I'd personally pick Warblade because while pounce is nice, you can get some really nice stances and maneuvers. Not to mention, you can always just take 1 level of Lion Totem Barbarian for the pounce and take the rest in Warblade - the BAB growth is the same, the hit die is the same, but instead of more Rage you'll get something cooler.

EDIT: Ignore the warblade stuff, I didn't comprehend the OP at first... Yeah, if you're already going into a martial class of sorts, you might as well just do 1 lvl dip in the Barbarian variant. Pounce is pounce, you'll find it useful as any melee.

[Lev]

Except PsyWar is 3/4 BAB. So a 1 level dip costs you 1 BAB. Its not a full BAB access to Expansion.

You are right, my memory failed me.

Personally I like the size increase over the BAB or pounce for the grapple reasons.

[dgnslyr]

Aaaand you get a ton of fluff that can be extremely annoying in most campaign.

Sure, you can edit that out, but then you might as well make your own homebrew class. Fist of Forest that isn't a crazy nature freak who can't sleep inside or buy food sounds a lot like a paladin who doesn't smite evil or do anything paladin-like. Change "evil" to good if you consider Paladin of Tyranny and other similar classes... But a paladin is still a paladin because it acts like a paladin.


I can definitely see that becoming problematic for some characters, but for a Dire Werewolf, I think the feral feel will fit in quite nicely.

[Keld Denar]

And a bonus feat, that at worst, could be used for Weapon Focus to make up for the loss. Doesn't get you any closer to iteratives though, which is sad.

[Yorrin]

Since it hasn't been mentioned yet: there are rarely any builds that don't improve by a 1-lvl dip in Cleric. There's a great guide on it here. (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=2773.0) I'm personally a fan of doing the whole "Travel Domain swapped for Travel Devotion" thing on melee builds.

[dspeyer]

Except PsyWar is 3/4 BAB. So a 1 level dip costs you 1 BAB. Its not a full BAB access to Expansion.

The War Mind (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/prestigeClasses/warMind.htm) solves that, thought the entrance requirements (Wild Talent and 8 ranks in know(psi)) could be harsh.

[herrhauptmann]

Why not the feral template? It's only a +1 LA.

[Myth]

Not sure where you are getting Dire Werewolf from as a progression/template or whatever. However being a wolf is all fun but consider Bear Warrior from CW. The ability bonuses stack with whatever you have as base as they basically replace rage. Ask your dm if you can be a Werewolf in wolf form who transforms into a bear when he rages. As an entry I'd mimic everyone for the Barbarian variant.

[AstralFire]

Not sure where you are getting Dire Werewolf from as a progression/template or whatever. However being a wolf is all fun but consider Bear Warrior from CW. The ability bonuses stack with whatever you have as base as they basically replace rage. Ask your dm if you can be a Werewolf in wolf form who transforms into a bear when he rages. As an entry I'd mimic everyone for the Barbarian variant.

...

A man who turns into a wolf who turns into a bear.

This is Dr. McNinja territory.

[herrhauptmann]

...

A man who turns into a wolf who turns into a bear.

This is Dr. McNinja territory.

He should ride a lion.

[Keld Denar]

OH MY! text

[Quietus]

He should ride a lion.

Only if it breathes fire. This can be set aside, however, if he or a friend can summon sharks that have laser beams attached to their frickin' heads.

[Kalaska'Agathas]

Since it hasn't been mentioned yet: there are rarely any builds that don't improve by a 1-lvl dip in Cleric. There's a great guide on it here. (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=2773.0) I'm personally a fan of doing the whole "Travel Domain swapped for Travel Devotion" thing on melee builds.

Seconded. Travel Devotion gives you pseudo-pounce, but I'd make it a Cloistere Cleric dip for Knowledge devotion as well. How does the line go? Knowledge Devotion is Weapon Specialization for the thinking man?

[herrhauptmann]

Only if it breathes fire. This can be set aside, however, if he or a friend can summon sharks that have laser beams attached to their frickin' heads.

Of course, instead of riding a lion, he could ride an elephant, and throw lions.
Lightning breathing Laser beam elephants, and lions with bees in their mouths that shoot bees at you when they roar.

[Person_Man]

Incarnate and Totemist are both good 1 level dip classes. Each grants 2 soulmelds and a point of essentia. Since you have sufficient hit dice, you can spend a feat or two on Open Chakra. This gives you access to goodies like Uncanny Dodge + Evasion (Impulse Boots), Flight (Astral Vembraces), at will Mindlink (Psion's Eyes), Immunity to Bull Rush and at will Telepathy (Shedu Crown), Pounce with all natural weapons (Sphinx Claws), 2 wing buffets with a Save or Daze (Chaos Roc's Span, Drag Mag 350 pg 87), Etherealness whenever you move (Phase Cloak), and many other options.

[Yorrin]

Seconded. Travel Devotion gives you pseudo-pounce, but I'd make it a Cloistere Cleric dip for Knowledge devotion as well. How does the line go? Knowledge Devotion is Weapon Specialization for the thinking man?

I'm having trouble remembering why anyone plays non-cloistered Clerics other than for plot/flavor reasons, so I had assumed that was a given :smallbiggrin:

And Knowledge Devotion is more like Greater Weapon Focus + Weapon Specialization for the thinking man.

[TechnOkami]

Now its Barb w/ spirit lion vs cloistered cleric

[Yorrin]

Both are great choices. Here's the breakdown on differences:

Barb:
d12 hitdie
+1 BAB
+2 Fort
Rage 1/day
True Pounce

Cloistered Cleric:
d6 hitdie
+2 Fort/Will
Travel Devotion
Knowledge Devotion
One other Devotion feat or Domain Granted Power
A handful of lvl-0 and lvl-1 spells

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

If you go with Cleric, you may as well make it Cloistered Cleric (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#clericVariantCloistere dCleric) instead. Swap the Knowledge domain for Knowledge Devotion and put one rank in every creature type relevant Knowledge skill to get a guaranteed +1 to attack and damage vs everything. Your other two domains can be Travel swapped for Travel Devotion, and the Celerity domain which gives you +10 ft. movement in light or no armor. You can cast Expeditious Retreat as your domain spell, which stacks with that movement bonus, but you could also ask your DM to switch that for Swift Expeditious Retreat instead.

The Wild Shape Ranger (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#ranger) variant gets Fast Movement identical to the Barbarian class feature at the first level. That gets +1 BAB, +2 Fort/Reflex, Track, tons of skill points, and you can use wands of Ranger spells.

[Yorrin]

If you go with Cleric, you may as well make it Cloistered Cleric (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#clericVariantCloistere dCleric) instead. Swap the Knowledge domain for Knowledge Devotion and put one rank in every creature type relevant Knowledge skill to get a guaranteed +1 to attack and damage vs everything. Your other two domains can be Travel swapped for Travel Devotion, and the Celerity domain which gives you +10 ft. movement in light or no armor. You can cast Expeditious Retreat as your domain spell, which stacks with that movement bonus, but you could also ask your DM to switch that for Swift Expeditious Retreat instead.

The Wild Shape Ranger (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#ranger) variant gets Fast Movement identical to the Barbarian class feature at the first level. That gets +1 BAB, +2 Fort/Reflex, Track, tons of skill points, and you can use wands of Ranger spells.

Good call on Celerity as the other domain.

I was considering mentioning Wild Shape Ranger, but most DMs cringe at the idea of chaining ACFs (for whatever reason) so he might not get a pounce out of that one.

[TechnOkami]

Good call on Celerity as the other domain.

I was considering mentioning Wild Shape Ranger, but most DMs cringe at the idea of chaining ACFs (for whatever reason) so he might not get a pounce out of that one.

I was gonna say, it's a little late in the game for this character to be wildshaping.

Besides, I have my dire werewolf form, I'm set with my 41 strength.

[Quietus]

Of course, instead of riding a lion, he could ride an elephant, and throw lions.
Lightning breathing Laser beam elephants, and lions with bees in their mouths that shoot bees at you when they roar.

Man, that'd be pretty cool. And why do I get this strange feeling that it'd take no more than three feats and judicious choice of spell selection to have a druid that can do this?

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

I was gonna say, it's a little late in the game for this character to be wildshaping.

Besides, I have my dire werewolf form, I'm set with my 41 strength.

The point of using Wild Shape Ranger isn't that it gets Wild Shape, you never even get that far into the class. It gets Barbarian fast movement at the first level, just like a Barbarian. The Lion spiritual totem ACF trades your Barbarian fast movement for Pounce. Since a Wild Shape Ranger gets Barbarian fast movement, you could conceivably trade that for the same ACF, so at Ranger 1 you would get Pounce instead of fast movement. The 'drawback' is that you lose your Combat Style class feature and future advancements to it, which you won't even notice unless taking at least two levels of the class. When taking fewer than five levels in Wild Shape Ranger, it may as well be called Fast Movement Ranger, since that's the only difference you'll see, which is the case here.

[TechnOkami]

Oh, I see... nvm.

[Greenish]

One other Devotion feat or Domain Granted PowerI'm quite fond of Magic domain's granted power. Use all cleric and sorc/wiz wands without UMD? Sure!