Goliath Grappling Warlock

[rye0006]

I read the guide on here to the melee warlock and since then have been really intrigued to make a grappling warlock. I thought that a goliath would be a good option to use as the powerful build racial trait lets them count as large for the grapple checks. But was trying to work out what would be the best build. These are the two options i've though of so far:


Goliath LA
Monk 1 - Improved Unarmed Strike; Improved Grapple; Weapon Focus (unarmed)
Warlock 1 - 1d6 blast; invocations
Warlock 2 - Detect magic; +1 feat
Warlock 3 - DR 1/cold iron; blast 2d6
Warlock 4 - Deceive item
Warlock 5 - blast 3d6; grappling blast


obviously this requires an alignment change between the monk and warlock classes, but i could roleplay that within reason if a dm was to allow it. But i'm lacking eldritch claws or anything like that which would be really useful.

Alternatively:


Goliath LA
Warlock 1 - 1d6 blast; invocations; imp unarmed strike
Warlock 2 - Detect magic
Warlock 3 - DR 1/cold iron; blast 2d6; eldritch claws
Warlock 4 - Deceive item
Warlock 5 - blast 3d6
Fighter 1 - Improved grapple; grappling blast
Warlock 6 - etc.


Not sure how best to work this build. Is there a non-LA race that offers a plus to grapple? or does anyone have any suggestions for how this build could work/be improved?

at some point i want to work in the following feats as well:
Beast strike; Superior Unarmed Strike; Improved Natural Attack

I was thinking that i would make this character mute. i've never used the flaws system before so i was just going to roleplay this. where does the flaw system come from? would mute work as a flaw and how would it benefit me?

sorry for the abundance of questions asking for advice, thought id put them all in the same post as they all correspond to the same character idea.

[Keld Denar]

There is the feat Jotunbrud, in PGtF, I think. Its human only, but it gives you about 60% of what Powerful Build gives you, including being treated as size large on grapple checks.

Any reason why Warlock? Could you get the same feeling out of Psychic Warrior? There is a TON more synergy there...

[rye0006]

I've always liked the sound of the warlock class, but never really had the chance to play it. and when i read about the grappling blast feat, i just thought that was a really nice idea and fighting style.

Was thinking about this again yesterday and realised that if i dropped the eldritch claw idea and focussed on glaive and grapple to begin with then pursue claws after the grapple idea then i can work it without a random 1 level dip into anything - thinking straight warlock would be a better way to go to get as much eldritch blast as possible.

i like the goliath race, but the jotunbrud feat would help ignore the LA and increase the HP (which would be a major worry for someone entering combat a lot). - something to think about definitely.

Thank you!

[Grumman]

I've made a similar character in the past. Here's the most important parts of what I did:

Goliath Barbarian 1 with the Spirit Bear Totem. This gives you Large size (and the resulting increase to your reach) and Improved Grab.

Levels in Crusader (or another ToB class, or feats) for the Crushing Weight of the Mountain stance. This gives you constrict.

Improved and Superior Unarmed Strike, and feats from the Multigrab tree.

She was using a Barbarian variant and also had levels in Hellreaver, but that's not relevant to your build.

Basically, if anyone of medium size tried to get into melee range, she could hit them with an AOO, grapple them, and start crushing the life out of them with one hand.

[Keld Denar]

I wonder....

Cerebromancer is a psionic class. It advances psionic on one side and arcane on the other. You could get into Cerebromancer as a Warlock with the Precocious Apprentice feat. Since Cerebromancer is a psionic class, you could advance monk skillz with it using Tashalatora.

Granted, its only 1/2 BAB, but you'd get a goodly portion of your grapple bonus from size and effective size bonuses, so its less important.

Maybe...

Monk2/Ardent1/Warlock2/Cerebromancer10 as a base build stub? Get Expansion from Mantle swapping the Physical Power mantle, and then take any other 2nd level power (like Hustle from the Freedom mantle). You'd have the invocations and EB damage of a 12th level warlock, the UAS damage of a 12th level monk, and the manifesting power of an 11th level Ardent, but with the bonus PP of a 15th level Ardent.

Not great, but not too shabby.