[3.5] Melee-Focused Monk/Druid

[Babale]

I want to build a 28 Point Buy monk/druid (And eventually MoMF?) under the following guidelines:

1) Strong unarmed melee, able to fight off enemies in normal form. How many monk levels do I need for this?
2) Very strong focus on Wildshaping. I want to spend most of my time in animal form, using my monk unarmed capabilities and Wildshaped strengths to fight. I talked to my DM, he will allow me to treat natural weapons as unarmed.
3) Enough AC to be able to withstand melee. I want to be able to withstand combat.
4) My DM and I are considering changing the Druid class around a bit. I'm giving up my animal companion, and we want to change casting. I was suggesting picking a custom spell list, one that would better fit the theme. My suggestion was to use only transformation spells and nature-themed spells. I also wanted to see if there was a way to deliver touch-ranged spells with a melee attack... I know there is a prestige class that does this, any suggestions on adapting this ability to a homebrewed druid/monk?


I'm not looking for super-cheese or super-powerfulness. I just want a versatile, nature-themed unarmed melee character. No planar shepherd, no flaws or vows.

A few more simple questions:
A) What would be the best race for this? Human for feats? Something with a Wis bonus?
B) How important is my Strength and Dexterity, since after a certain level, I'll be Wildshaped much of the time?

[Demidos]

You only really need 1 monk level, any more will delay the wildshape which you say you are focusing on. Besides, with the 1 level you get your WIS to Ac, and improved grapple/stunning fist. 2 levels might also be ok, because it gives you combat reflexes and evasion as well as better flurry, but anything past that is delaying casting too much, IHMO:smallsmile:

How much homebrew for the druid?

Are you starting at level 1? If so human is probably good (a race with a bonus to wis at LA 0 is grey elves, from...the MM? I think?)

[MeeposFire]

If you are going melee only (as in no spells) I would use the wild shape ranger to get wild shape.

Warforged is an excellent race.

Also there is nothing stopping you from making unarmed attacks in animal forms just be the kung fu panda.

[Babale]

If you are going melee only (as in no spells) I would use the wild shape ranger to get wild shape.

Warforged is an excellent race.

Also there is nothing stopping you from making unarmed attacks in animal forms just be the kung fu panda.
Thanks for advice.
Warforged would betray my theme... Hard to play a naturalistic warrior when you're a robot.

And unarmed attacks are nice, but 1) they make no logical sense and 2) they do less damage

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

I want to build a 28 Point Buy monk/druid (And eventually MoMF?) under the following guidelines:

1) Strong unarmed melee, able to fight off enemies in normal form. How many monk levels do I need for this?
Zero, wear a Monk's Belt (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/wondrousItems.htm#beltMonks) with a Wilding Clasp (MIC) and you'll be better off. MoMF is better suited to a Wild Shape Ranger (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#ranger) since you'd get half the feat prerequisites for free and at least two more BAB over what a Druid/MoMF would have. In that case you still use a Monk's Belt + Wilding Clasp. You can even wear Wild armor since it melds into your form and you're no longer considered to be wearing armor even though it still grants its armor bonus.


2) Very strong focus on Wildshaping. I want to spend most of my time in animal form, using my monk unarmed capabilities and Wildshaped strengths to fight. I talked to my DM, he will allow me to treat natural weapons as unarmed.
No need for that, you can full-attack with unarmed strikes in any form, then use your natural weapons as secondary attacks. Secondary attacks take a -5 to hit and get half your Str bonus to damage, you can get the feat Multiattack to lessen the attack penalty to -2, and Improved Multiattack to negate it.


3) Enough AC to be able to withstand melee. I want to be able to withstand combat.
Monk's Belt gives you Wis+1 to AC, Wild armor grants its Armor bonus when wild shaped, you can cast Barkskin as a swift action with Quicken Spell or a clasped Circlet of Rapid Casting (MIC). Barkskin adds an Enhancement bonus to your current natural armor bonus, which for most Wild Shape forms will be considerable. If you're good-aligned you could even cast Greater Luminous Armor (BoED) to get a +8 armor bonus and opponents would take a -4 to hit you.


4) My DM and I are considering changing the Druid class around a bit. I'm giving up my animal companion, and we want to change casting. I was suggesting picking a custom spell list, one that would better fit the theme. My suggestion was to use only transformation spells and nature-themed spells. I also wanted to see if there was a way to deliver touch-ranged spells with a melee attack... I know there is a prestige class that does this, any suggestions on adapting this ability to a homebrewed druid/monk?
Touch spells can normally delivered via a natural weapon or unarmed strike, that's built into the core rules. This is confirmed in Complete Arcane on page 73. Check out the Spirit Shaman in Complete Divine, maybe switch your spellcasting to the way that class casts spells. You spontaneously cast from a limited list of spells known, but you get to pick what spells you have access to every day.


I'm not looking for super-cheese or super-powerfulness. I just want a versatile, nature-themed unarmed melee character. No planar shepherd, no flaws or vows.

A few more simple questions:
A) What would be the best race for this? Human for feats? Something with a Wis bonus?
B) How important is my Strength and Dexterity, since after a certain level, I'll be Wildshaped much of the time?
A) Human is good, Gnome is pretty decent for the Con bonus and the small size starting out. Water Halfling is even better than Gnome, especially if you can combine it with Strongheart Halfling to get a bonus feat. Anthromorphic Bat in Savage Species and Jermaline in MM2 are the super-cheese Druid races.
B) Strength only matters if you're taking Power Attack. Dex is the perfect dump stat unless you're starting out low level, then you don't want to have a negative modifier on it.

[JaronK]

Monk 1 is plenty. Note that you don't want your natural attacks to count as unarmed strikes... you get your unarmed strikes in addition to all natural attacks (which are all secondary attacks in that situation, so base -5 to hit and half str mod).

Remember that natural weapons never have iterative attacks.

And human will be plenty.

JaronK

[olelia]

Monk 1 is plenty. Note that you don't want your natural attacks to count as unarmed strikes... you get your unarmed strikes in addition to all natural attacks (which are all secondary attacks in that situation, so base -5 to hit and half str mod).

Remember that natural weapons never have iterative attacks.

And human will be plenty.

JaronK

I'm probabably just being blind but...where is that rule? <natural attacks on top of unarmed>. Does that mean if I have two claw attacks I could flurry for 2 punches and then 2 claw attacks?

[Darrin]

I'm probabably just being blind but...where is that rule? <natural attacks on top of unarmed>.


The combat section under Unarmed Attacks (http://srd.realmspire.com/actionsInCombat.html#unarmed-attacks) lays out the basic rules for unarmed strikes. Briefly, they are treated as a manufactured weapon in most ways (except for spell effects, and to a certain extent, some feats). This means you get iterative attacks with your unarmed strike, and can use it as an off-hand weapon if you want to TWF.

The rules for natural weapons (http://srd.realmspire.com/monsterTypes.html#natural-weapons) are mostly in the MM/Monsters section. Briefly, natural weapons can only attack once per round (no iterative attacks), but most creatures compensate for this by having multiple natural weapons. One of your natural attacks is the "primary" attack (usually the one that's easiest to hit with or does the most damage), and the rest of your attacks are secondary attacks, which have a -5 penalty and get 1/2 Str bonus on damage.

If you check the section on manufactured weapons (http://srd.realmspire.com/monsterTypes.html#manufactured-weapons), it says a creature with both manufactured and natural weapons can combine them into the same full attack routine. Basically, you make your manufactured/iterative attacks, and then all of your natural weapons are added as secondary attacks with a -5 penalty (including the primary, if it's otherwise not occupied). You can reduce these penalties to -2 with Multiattack and zero with Improved Multiattack. If you can keep adding different types of natural weapons (only one attack per type, although claws and tentacles appear to be popular exceptions), you can keep adding secondary attacks. Most spell effects/abilites/soulmelds state whether or not a natural weapon can be used as a primary or secondary attack, but if it's not mentioned, then the general rules allow them to be added as secondary attacks.

There's been quite a bit of head-scratching over whether holding a manufactured weapon in a "claw" or other appendage prevents it from being used as a natural attack. Although there's no *specific* rule that forbids it, it's assumed from the preponderance of stat-blocks and a huge whopping of common sense that if you're attacking with a sword in your claw-hand, you can't use that claw as a secondary attack. Slam attacks are also quite confusing in this regard, since most creatures larger than medium size and vaguely humanoid in shape get two "slam" attacks for each "arm", while slam attacks for non-humanoids or medium-sized and smaller creatures aren't really identified with any particular anatomical feature.

However, unarmed strikes don't have to worry about this, since they're not made with any specific body part (elbows, knees, head-butts, etc.). A wildshape druid that dips into monk (or picks up Improved Unarmed Strike from somewhere else, such as a Fanged Ring) or totemist can be an extremely potent furball of melee whoopass. It doesn't really matter if the base damage of your unarmed strike or secondary attacks is relatively weak. Most of your damage is going to come from whatever humongous Strength bonus your wildshape form grants, on top of greater magic fang + ice weapon + Power Attack + etc.



Does that mean if I have two claw attacks I could flurry for 2 punches and then 2 claw attacks?

This isn't entirely clear, but the FAQ (which isn't RAW) tends to support this. Flurry of Blows requires a full attack action, which can be combined with TWF and Snap Kick for additional attacks. However, there's an additional requirement under the Flurry description: "When using flurry of blows, a monk may attack only with unarmed strikes or with special monk weapons". Natural weapons don't qualify, but it isn't entirely clear if this requirement is *just* for the Flurry attacks, or for all attacks a monk makes that round. Ask your DM for his interpretation.

However, even if he doesn't allow Flurry + secondary attacks, it's really easy to get a Flurry-like extra attack with fewer restrictions. Unless you have 5-11 levels of monk, TWF is almost mechanically identical to Flurry of Blows. Snap Kick (Tome of Battle) is also almost identical, although it has the added benefit of being usable on a standard attack.

[Babale]

Does multiattack also cancel the 1/2 strength bonus?

How high should my stats be? If I go with limited casting, would Wisdom be as valuable?

[Darrin]

Does multiattack also cancel the 1/2 strength bonus?


No. Multiattack only affects your attack penalty. I'm not aware of anything that can give you full Str bonus on your secondary natural weapons (however, there are a lot of stat blocks that are inconsistent with the Str bonus on both the primary and secondary attacks).

There are a couple ways to get full Str bonus on your off-hand attacks, but in general only manufactured/unarmed strikes/iterative attacks can be off-hand attacks. For example, monks get full Str bonus on their off-hand unarmed strikes (but only monks... non-monks with Improved Unarmed Strike don't get full Str bonus on off-hand unarmed strikes). Bloodclaw Masters can get full Str bonus on their off-hand attacks.



How high should my stats be? If I go with limited casting, would Wisdom be as valuable?

It depends. If you have a level of Monk or a Monk's Belt, then you can still add your Wisdom bonus to your AC, so a high Wisdom would be nice. Otherwise, you'll want whatever Wisdom you need to cast your spells.

The general advice for wildshape druids is to dump all your physical stats and buff Wis/Cha/Int, probably in that order. After Druid 7ish, you can pretty much stay in wildshape all day.

[Babale]

We're starting at low levels... Won't my inability to do significant damage until level 6 (Or 7 if I take two monk levels before 5th druid) mean I should invest a little more in Strength?

[Urpriest]

We're starting at low levels... Won't my inability to do significant damage until level 6 (Or 7 if I take two monk levels before 5th druid) mean I should invest a little more in Strength?

Generally speaking as a lower level druid you can focus on spellcasting. Your animal companion is already about as good a combatant as a monk, so you'll still be contributing a character to the front lines.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Level 1: Druid 1, get a wooden tower shield and an animal companion. In combat cast Enrage Animal and concentrate on it while you hide behind your shield. Also have Entangle prepared.
Level 2: Druid 2, same as level 1.
Level 3: Druid 3, get a Lesser Rod of Extend and prepare Creeping Cold to use with it. Get the feat Natural Bond in Complete Adventurer. Othewise same as level 1.
Level 4: Druid 4, trade your current companion for a Fleshraker Dinosaur (MM3), you'll get to count your full Druid level for its benefits due to Natural Bond, otherwise same as level 1-3.
Level 5: Druid 5, get Wild Shape 5 hrs/day but don't use it much, prepare Sleet Storm. You're still a caster while your animal companion does the fighting for you.
Level 6: Druid 6, get Natural Spell, maybe turn into a Fleshraker Dinosaur (MM3) since you can now cast while Wild Shaped. At four attacks/round with poison you're better off than if you'd multiclassed into monk.
Level 7: Druid 7, prepare Bite of the Wereboar to cast while wild shaped to increase your combat ability significantly.
Level 8: Druid 8, wild shape into a Dire Lion. Get a Monk's Belt and a Wilding Clasp, you can now add your Wisdom bonus to AC and make unarmed strikes in addition to your natural attacks, without even multiclassing.
Level 9: Druid 9, prepare Bite of the Weretiger, you should see where this is going.
Level 10-20: Druid 10-20, Bite of the Werebear is available at level 11 and it's the strongest of that line of spells. Don't forget to share those buffs with your animal companion. This character is one of the most potent melee combatants in the party, and also one of the most capable spellcasters in the party, because you didn't take any Monk levels.

[Urpriest]

Level 4: Druid 4, trade your current companion for a Fleshraker Dinosaur (MM3), you'll get to count your full Druid level for its benefits due to Natural Bond, otherwise same as level 1-3.


Note that many DMs would consider this use of Natural Bond as cheese, since it involves treating the penalty from a better animal companion as the same as having fewer druid levels.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Note that many DMs would consider this use of Natural Bond as cheese, since it involves treating the penalty from a better animal companion as the same as having fewer druid levels.

Not necessarily. You can add your own bonuses and penalties in the most beneficial order. Natural Bond gives you +3 to your effective Druid level for your animal companion's benefits, but no higher than your current character level. If you get a 'level -3' companion you can apply the -3 first, then apply Natural Bond to bring your effective level back up to your current level. Having a lower effective druid level and having fewer levels of druid is the same thing.

[Darrin]

We're starting at low levels... Won't my inability to do significant damage until level 6 (Or 7 if I take two monk levels before 5th druid) mean I should invest a little more in Strength?

Druids level 1-4 are mostly battlefield controllers and summoners with a little buff/debuff on the side.

For levels 1-2, your bread-and-butter spells are entangle, conjure ice beast, obscuring mist, and wall of smoke. For direct-damage, you've got produce flame and maybe shillelagh if anything gets through to the REMFs. For your character, you'll probably want to focus on aspect of the wolf, which is basically "wildshape with training wheels" for 10 min/CL. If you need to fly/swim, aquatic escape and winged watcher are available in Complete Scoundrel.

For levels 3-4, the bear/bull/cat/owl spells are now available for buffing, and fog cloud/briar web/drifts of the shalm are available for battlefield control. For debuffing, blinding spittle and kelpstrand are filthy-good. For dealing damage, you've got heat/chill metal, creeping cold, frost weapon (either ranged/melee), and if you have to get your hands dirty, flameblade (melee touch attack, Str modifier does not apply).

[Gnaeus]

Everything they have been saying is true.

If you want to play a monk/druid meleer (say because the full druid is too strong for your group) your stats should be (in this order) Wis, Con, Int, Cha, Dex, Str.

Level 1 Druid (Melee is still possible through Aspect of the Wolf, which rewrites your physical stats)
Level 2 monk (1 level of monk is really all you need. DO NOT take more than 2)
Level 3 Druid. At this level, you can melee with Produce Flame, using touch attacks. You could also use Shillelagh, although your Str probably sucks.
Level 4 Druid. Now you have Barkskin, and Bite of the Wererat. Your HP are probably good (D8s with a focus on con). Your AC is probably very good when using BotW, and decent otherwise (Wisdom+NA+dex if any). All you are weak on is damage. Flank the enemy with your pet, and use lots of tricks like aid another.
Level 5 Druid (like level 4, but moreso)
Level 6 Druid Now you have wildshape and touch based save or sucks. Focus your spell list on buffs and take natural spell, and you will be a melee beast no problem.

[Lord.Sorasen]

If regardless of all this you still want to be a monk, there are options. I understand that the monk is a highly desirable class for flavor reasons, even if it is weak. So, to match the theme you've talked about.

1. Druidic Avenger : No Animal companion, but you get rage as a barbarian. Rage is normally seen as the opposite of what monks do. But as an animal type attack thing it can be pretty cool

2. Actually that's it. That's all I have.

3. No wait I have more. At low levels, Shillelag (no idea how to spell it) will allow you to wield a pretty decent quarterstaff.

[Babale]

Alright, so 1 level of monk. I don't really need evasion until I can get a ring.

What about MoMF? Is it worth it? Actually I can answer that myself... Would taking it gimp my build so much that the flavor won't be worth it?

What about feats? Multiweapon fighting? Improved mwf? Power Attack? Something to improve charging, or maybe grappling? Tactics like Trip or Stunning Blow?

[MeeposFire]

No you can make a nice character using MoMF especially combining with wild shape ranger and the warshaper prestige class.

One basic build is ranger5/MoMF10/warshaper5

Add in one monk level and remove one level of warshaper and you are still doing well (though I do not think you really need the monk level but if you want it).

You will be versatile and can be made to be a force in melee. You will be a little weak in the first 5 levels but it will get better. You will not be the ultimate power as that goes to the spellcasters in the group but you will not be a liability, heck you will even have passable skill points especially since your int should be decent since you do not need better than average commoner str and dex as you will a good BAB (especially with fraction BAB) and a good combat form. Just put your best score in con and wisdom (I like con myself) and put our next best scores in int and cha.

Question is would you like a bonus feat or access to 1st level ranger spells with a bad CL?

[kaiguy]

I know monks are supposed to be underpowered; I'm having a lot of fun playing one in my group for flavor purposes. I'm a level 11 monk right now, and one of the main melee fighters in the group. Anywho...

If you're starting higher than level three, play a Githzerai monk - you will never worry about armor class again. +6 Dex, +2 Wis, and +4 psychic armor translates to +8 AC.

[Urpriest]

Not necessarily. You can add your own bonuses and penalties in the most beneficial order. Natural Bond gives you +3 to your effective Druid level for your animal companion's benefits, but no higher than your current character level. If you get a 'level -3' companion you can apply the -3 first, then apply Natural Bond to bring your effective level back up to your current level. Having a lower effective druid level and having fewer levels of druid is the same thing.

Character Level and Effective Character Level beg to disagree.

That said, all I was saying is that it's often viewed as a misinterpretation. I myself am not sure on this one...there seem to be decent arguments for and against.

[veven]

Wildshape Ranger 1(first for the skills)/Overwhelming Assault monk 1/ Wildshape Ranger 4/ Fist of the forest 1/ Master of Many forms 10/ War Shaper 3

This is just off the top of my head so there is probably a better way to do all that. The Overwhelming Assault monk gets both the prereq feats for Fist of the forest gets you Con to AC which is useful for obvious reasons.

You'll have faster movement from WS ranger, decent unarmed damage from monk & fist of the forest and slightly more natural attack damage from War shaper, which also nets you +4 str and con (+2 more ac :)) and +5ft reach. Master of many forms just gives you waaaaay more options and the ability to use more of the forms abilities.

[begooler]

If you do wild shape ranger, you can take the feat Ascetic Hunter" in Complete Adventurer for your monk and ranger levels to stack for your unarmed strike damage.

But otherwise, I would say to stick with druid. The spellcasting is going to help a lot, even if you plan on mostly doing melee.
I've used a house rule before that druids get natural spell as a bonus feat at first level, start wild shape progression at level 3 instead of 5, and give up their animal companion.

[Darrin]

What about MoMF? Is it worth it? Actually I can answer that myself... Would taking it gimp my build so much that the flavor won't be worth it?


One of the reasons to go into MoMF is to get early access to Huge wildshape + Frozen Wild Shape, so you can turn into a cryohydra. The 1-level monk dip actually helps you qualify for Frozen Wildshape at ECL 6, and access to Huge forms comes in around ECL 12, three levels before Druid 15.

Monk 1/Wildshape Ranger 5 might still be a better entry than Monk 1/Druid 5. Ranger's BAB is 2 points higher, he gets a few bonus feats (unfortunately, they're Track and Endurance, but useful as prereqs), and you can still use ACFs to trade your animal companion for Distracting Shot/Spiritual Guide or your spellcasting for bonus feats.

[jiriku]

The revised monk in my sig may be useful to you, although with a one-level dip, you may not be getting into monk far enough to care. Check the second post (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=8357956&postcount=2), though, for a bonanza of new and revised feats for monks, including the Ascetic Naturalist (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=8357956&postcount=2) feat, which is intended to support a monk/druid multiclass combination. Even if you don't use my feats, they might inspire you and your DM for some homebrewing of your own.

[Ungvar]

What about MoMF? Is it worth it? Actually I can answer that myself... Would taking it gimp my build so much that the flavor won't be worth it?


Keep in mind, you don't have to take all 10 levels of MoMF. Taking 2 or 3 and you get all humanoids, giants, and monstrous humanoids. At 7th level, you will be able to become a troll. You will only be gimped if you're playing in a party of super-optimizers.

[gorfnab]

Thanks for advice.
Warforged would betray my theme... Hard to play a naturalistic warrior when you're a robot.

Well there is the Salad Bar Monk:
Warforged Monk 1/ Druid 4/ Landforged Walker 5/ Sacred Fist 10

[Maeglin_Dubh]

If you do wild shape ranger, you can take the feat Ascetic Hunter" in Complete Adventurer for your monk and ranger levels to stack for your unarmed strike damage.


I feel like this + Mystic Ranger + Sword of the Arcane Order would be awesome.

[FMArthur]

I feel like this + Mystic Ranger + Sword of the Arcane Order would be awesome.

I think that would just feel like the Ranger features were pulling all of the weight - and even hampered by the level + feat burden more than it gains and the general waste of Combat Style.

[Maeglin_Dubh]

I think that would just feel like the Ranger features were pulling all of the weight - and even hampered by the level + feat burden more than it gains and the general waste of Combat Style.

Mechanically suboptimal, maybe.

But you'd be a shapechanging, facepunching, spellcasting terror.

[MeeposFire]

I think there is a natural attack ranger alternate class feature in dragon somewhere or one that grants power attack that would be useful to you so you do not waste combat style.

[FMArthur]

There is one for Power Attack and Improved Sunder, yes. There's also one for IUS and Improved Grapple, which might be useful in getting SUS - which is nearly as good as a Monk's and I've even heard it said that at certain levels scales better than a Monk's with size. The investment is one feat instead of a level or two and a feat.

[Ungvar]

Keep in mind that if you go the wildshape ranger route, you HAVE to take MoMF, because wildshape ranger only gives you small or medium animal shapes. No Large, Huge, Plant or Elemental forms, though I suppose you could ask your DM to give you those as feats, a la Vermin Wildshape or Draconic Wildshape.

[Gnaeus]

I think there is a natural attack ranger alternate class feature in dragon somewhere or one that grants power attack that would be useful to you so you do not waste combat style.

Fangshields Ranger from Champions of Valor? I think? I'm AFB right now.

[MeeposFire]

Not sure. I remember it being posted years ago ut I do not know from where.

[Togo]

MoMFs works very well from levels 7-14, in that you'll be good in combat.

The problem is _how_ you'll be good in combat. What MoMFs don't do terribly well is in hitting things with high AC, or doing large amounts of damage. You'll be good, particularly at about 7-10, but a well-built barbarian with the big magic axe will be better. The few forms they have that can manage lots of damage are fairly fragile, the tough forms and utlity forms don't tend to dish out the hp. What they are good at is grappling, tripping, and special attacks. They can certainly hold their own, and the tough forms makes some of the toughest characters in the game, but you'll consistently do less hp damage than a true melee character. Your advantages are speed, movement types, special attacks and special defences, and they are very effective, but I don't think you'll find extra unarmed attacks all that useful.

The other disappointment is that straight druid is almost as good in a straight fight, and has spellcasting on top. Druids are simply very good, and with some of the more obscure buff spells they get for wildshape, they can duplicate a lot of the special abilities.

I personally found my MoMFs immense fun, and it's personally my favourite class, but my advice would be:

1) From levels 1-6, you're a straight spellcaster, even if you try and get a decent strength. You just don't have the armour to do what the cleric does, but you have good spells. Hide behind your animal companion, don't pretend you can heal well, and use entangle, produce flame, and anything that blocks line of sight to help the party out of trouble.

2) From level 7-11, you're excellent. Fast, deadly, make primary melee types green with envy.

3) From 12-16, you won't be able to do enough straight damage to compete, but you'll be able to eat (swallow whole), paralyse, and otherwise use special attacks to deal with them anyway.

4) From 17 onwards, spellcasters will have shapechange, which is generally better than your primary ability. you'll need to get increasing imaginative to keep ahead.

5) Once you hit epic, you can get sufficient feats to unique in any case


I'd suggest being human. You don't need a big stat bonus, you can't use a lot of racial abilities when you're in wild shape anyway, and with MoMFs needing 2 feats to enter, you'll not get to choose anything else until you're 6th level unless you start as human, or risk delaying entry into the class.

[Urpriest]

There is one for Power Attack and Improved Sunder, yes. There's also one for IUS and Improved Grapple, which might be useful in getting SUS - which is nearly as good as a Monk's and I've even heard it said that at certain levels scales better than a Monk's with size. The investment is one feat instead of a level or two and a feat.

Since Wildshape Ranger doesn't get Combat Style, though, this is kind of a wash.