Harpoon User Optimization

[togapika]

So I like the idea of a character who can just stab people with his harpoon and then cart them around the battlefield via the use of strength and was wondering the best ways to optimize this...

[Escheton]

Personally I love dipping factotum 3 on chars that use str checks a lot.

To prevent them from using that pointblank range to just charge and maul you, you could add in some tripperbuild. You are already using str checks a lot...

Also makes you really drag them, and not just limit their movement.

[Zaq]

The Mauling Gauntlets soulmeld gives you a very nice morale bonus (+2, with an additional +2 per essentia) to all Strength checks. They're Soulborn-only, which is why you go Incarnate or Totemist and take the feat Shape Soulmeld: Mauling Gauntlets. Raw bonuses to Strength checks aren't that common, and with some investment it can be quite nice. A level 3 Incarnate (who takes Shape Soulmeld: Mauling Gauntlets and Expanded Soulmeld Capacity as his two feats; quite a reasonable investment, since they're good feats) could get a +8 to all Strength checks in addition to his normal Strength. That's an effective STR score of 26 if he has an actual score of 10. Let's see the Barbarian match that. Sure, that's optimizing for a particular purpose, but you actually haven't limited your options that much by doing so. You've got other soulmelds, and you can just shuffle your essentia into them if Strength checks aren't the order of the day.

So yeah, take some levels in Incarnate (3 is a good break point, but 4 also works if you have room) and get the Mauling Gauntlets. Don't be a Soulborn, because they don't even get to shape the Gauntlets until level 4, and they don't have any essentia to put in them until even later.

[SurlySeraph]

Being a Goliath or Half-Ogre for Powerful Build would be smart. It also opens up Knockback, which is a good alternative to tripping for keeping people away from you.

Power Attack. The harpoon's wording isn't clear on whether Power Attack damage (if you can apply it to a thrown weapon via Bloodstorm Blade or Power Throw) applies again when the target pulls the harpoon out, but if it does that would be excellent.

Warblade/ Bloodstorm Blade would work well, to let you be Str-dependent with no need to bother with Dex. Lightning Throw would be awesome with a harpoon, though you might not be able to afford the level investment to get it.

[Escheton]

The kua'toan harpoon from MM5 (page 90-ish) is a melee weapon.
The exitdmg is 1d10 however, and not the entrydmg again. Which is probably how the original harpoon was intended, but not worded.

[togapika]

Hmm I wonder what it would take to make a combo of incarnum and TOB work...
Something/Warblade/Bloodstorm Blade

[togapika]

So let's see
Goliath
Incarnate 3/Warblade 2 or 3/ Bloodstorm Blade ??

[Zaq]

So let's see
Goliath
Incarnate 3/Warblade 2 or 3/ Bloodstorm Blade ??

Looks nice on the face of it, though you might want to go Incarnate 4. It gives you an extra essentia, the feet and hands binds, and it doesn't reduce your IL at all. Depends on what level you're starting at, really.

[Sacrieur]

Barb 8 / Bear Warrior 10

Mmmm, +20 str.

[The Sauceror]

Bloodstorm Blade 5 will let you do Blood Wind Ricochet. Your weapon ricochets off the first target into others then back to your hand. Would the harpoon go through everybody, stringing them all together?