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View Full Version : Feats that make a competent unarmed combatant?



Scarlet-Devil
2011-02-17, 07:19 PM
So tha poin' o' this thread is: I wan'u see, let's say, aroun' 3-5 feats (disregarding class) tha' are essential to a bloke fightin' wi' his bare fists.

Edit: Alrighty, new parameters: to get the issue of class (and race) out of the way, let's say that our man is a half-elf commoner 12 with a 13 in every score (higher if really necessary). This gives him the maximum of 5 feats that I already mentioned, and he has no flaws. Given that he's devoted his life to becoming the best unarmed martial artist he can be, what feats has he taken?

Note: "Best" does not necessarily mean 'most damage-dishing'.

Hyfigh
2011-02-17, 07:21 PM
Supreme Unarmed Strike, depending on class.
Improved Natural Attack.
... I'm not certain on more. It really depend's on grappling or striking...

Saint GoH
2011-02-17, 07:25 PM
Those mentioned.

Snap Kick is also lovely for moar unarmed strikeyness.

Angry Bob
2011-02-17, 07:26 PM
Consider Snap Kick(Tome of Battle) or Scorpion's Grasp(Sandstorm). I might bring back more later.

Flickerdart
2011-02-17, 07:27 PM
Improved Unarmed Strike. :smallbiggrin:

SurlySeraph
2011-02-17, 07:27 PM
IUS, Superior Unarmed Strike, Improved Natural Attack for damage. Snap Kick for more attacks. Improved Grapple and Scorpion's Grasp if you want to grapple things.

TroubleBrewing
2011-02-17, 07:29 PM
Power Attack, Shock Trooper, and Combat Brute are always solid choices. As mentioned, Snap Kick, the TWF tree, Improved Natural Attack, Superior Unarmed Strike, Improved Unarmed Strike, and if you can work it in, the Rage variant Whirling Frenzy (not a feat, it's an ACF, but you get the picture).

strawberryman
2011-02-17, 07:30 PM
I generally go for dice-stacking and damage myself, Fists of Iron, Flying Kick (and Shock Trooper) especially if you can get some form of pounce (CW), stuff like that. Of course, Superior Unarmed Strike.

If you want to be able to break forms of DR other than Bludgeoning, there's Versatile Unarmed Strike (Secrets of Sarlona), too.

The Cat Goddess
2011-02-17, 07:31 PM
I'm surprised nobody has mentioned Versitile Unarmed Strike, which allows you to do cutting/impaling damage if you want. Important for fighting Zombies.

MammonAzrael
2011-02-17, 07:45 PM
Shape Soulmeld (any of several Totemist soulmelds)

The others I can think of have all already been mentioned.

Scarlet-Devil
2011-02-17, 07:47 PM
Tha' was pretty bloody fast; I'm surprised no one's mentioned Improved Trip or anything similar though...

Deathslayer7
2011-02-17, 07:51 PM
Go Dervish with two weapon fighting and versatile unarmed strike to treat your hands as slashing ^^

but versatile is good if you need it.

The Cat Goddess
2011-02-17, 07:56 PM
Go Dervish with two weapon fighting and versatile unarmed strike to treat your hands as slashing ^^

but versatile is good if you need it.

Wait... I just thought of something... icky.

Versatile Unarmed Strike allows you to treat your Unarmed Strike as Slashing.

Monk says your Unarmed Strike is treated as both a Natural and Manufactured weapon.

There's a spell in Complete Arcane (and Spell Compendium) that has you throw a slashing weapon and causes it to strike at everyone in a line effect.

Could a Sorcerer-Monk with this spell do that, with his hands? :smalleek:

Saint GoH
2011-02-17, 07:58 PM
Wait... I just thought of something... icky.

Versatile Unarmed Strike allows you to treat your Unarmed Strike as Slashing.

Monk says your Unarmed Strike is treated as both a Natural and Manufactured weapon.

There's a spell in Complete Arcane (and Spell Compendium) that has you throw a slashing weapon and causes it to strike at everyone in a line effect.

Could a Sorcerer-Monk with this spell do that, with his hands? :smalleek:

Somewhere around here theres a build involving a Dwarf putting the Throwing and Returning qualities on his beard. Much hilarity ensued.

EDIT: Gotcha. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=6401766&postcount=1)

gallagher
2011-02-17, 08:09 PM
actually a good way to work without weapons and still be a melee combatant is the good ol' fashioned psychic warrior. put in a little tash monk for flavoring and you will be pretty set. you can get a bite attack that scales with your level, make it vampiric or poisonous, be able to pounce with your flurry, have better AC than full plate and a miss chance, and have your size category go up to huge for 0 GP... the available power just goes on and on

Glimbur
2011-02-17, 09:55 PM
Shape Soulmeld (any of several Totemist soulmelds)

The others I can think of have all already been mentioned.

Mostly useless, actually. There are very few totemist soulmelds that grant natural attacks without being bound to your Totem chakra, which cannot be gained via feats. Those that do offer natural attacks when shaped alone require you to be dragon-y.

MeeposFire
2011-02-17, 09:58 PM
Mostly useless, actually. There are very few totemist soulmelds that grant natural attacks without being bound to your Totem chakra, which cannot be gained via feats. Those that do offer natural attacks when shaped alone require you to be dragon-y.

And they create new weapons and does not boost unarmed damage.

But you could bind mauling gauntlets and that will give 2x essentia invested as bonus damage on your unarmed attacks which is not bad.

Gavinfoxx
2011-02-17, 10:10 PM
So lets see what everyone has said...

Improved Unarmed Strike
Improved Natural Attack
Superior Unarmed Strike
Snap Kick
Improved Grapple
Scorpion's Grasp
Power Attack
Shock Trooper
Combat Brute
Versatile Unarmed Strike

I don't think the magical aspect of the totemist stuff is really what he was looking for... but that's a nice big list for him, yaknow?

MeeposFire
2011-02-17, 10:19 PM
Shape soul meld- totem avatar+open greater chakra makes your unarmed strike one size larger.

Shape soulmeld-mauling gauntlets+open least chakra gives you the 2x essentia morale bonus on unarmed strike damage and gives you the improved unarmed strike feat (so the combo only costs one feat plus ways to get essentia). You would have to get essentia to make it worth it though.

mabriss lethe
2011-02-17, 10:29 PM
Martial strike and Martial Stance are also good choices. (Tome of Battle),

Waker
2011-02-17, 10:53 PM
Weapon Focus (Unarmed Strike) so that you can take Sense Weakness (Draconomicon). Lets you ignore 5 points of DR or Hardness whenever you strike with a weapon you have Weapon Focus in.