Brawler Type Barbarian

[Reavent]

So I'm creating a new character for a friends campaign and I've been wanting to do a barbarian character for a while and after looking at the Animal Lord (specificly the Bear Lord) and the Reaping Mauler as well as the bear totem ACF from UA. I was thinking of going into Bear Lord, and after a few levels go into Reaping Mauler. We'll be starting around levels 4 to 6. So my question is this: How can I get all this to work and not be too over powered?

[GnomeGninjas]

Do not use reaping mauler! It is horribly inefective. You get very small benifits that you lose if you increase your size and to be a good grappler you want to be as big as possible.

[Lateral]

Reaping Mauler is quite possibly the worst PrC for melee noncasters ever written. DO NOT TAKE.

Also, the thing about Bear Totem is that the Improved Grab only works on creatures of at least one size smaller than you. That means it's not going to be much use unless you can get really damn big.

[Darrin]

So I'm creating a new character for a friends campaign and I've been wanting to do a barbarian character for a while and after looking at the Animal Lord (specificly the Bear Lord) and the Reaping Mauler as well as the bear totem ACF from UA. I was thinking of going into Bear Lord, and after a few levels go into Reaping Mauler. We'll be starting around levels 4 to 6. So my question is this: How can I get all this to work and not be too over powered?

Bear Totem Barbarian 3
Ranger 3
Leviathan Hunter 3 (Stormwrack)
Bearlord 6
Reaping Mauler 5

The trick here is Leviathan Hunter gives you Clever Wrestling as a bonus feat, even if you don't normally qualify for it, so you retain it even if your size changes to something bigger than medium.

Unfortunately, even though you can now combine Reaping Mauler with size increases... you don't have anything that really makes you any bigger, such as wild shape ranger, psywar expansion, bear warrior, etc.

And there are better ways to get improved grab. Scaled Horror, from Savage Species, for example... which lets you grab anything your size or smaller. This requires the reptilian or amphibious subtype, but per Stormwrack p. 136 you can add the amphibious template to any humanoid or monstrous humanoid just by lowering your Dex score by 2.

So take an Amphibious Water Orc, Wildshape Ranger 5/Fist of the Forest 3/Scaled Horror 2/Master of Many Forms 10, throw in Frozen Wild Shape, turn into a cryohydra, and claw/bite your way through a few continental landmasses.

[Reavent]

Bear Totem Barbarian 3/Ranger 3/Leviathan Hunter 3/Bearlord 6/Reaping Mauler 5 seems pretty complicated and I should have said that I do want to be purely melee and not use any magic, even though magic would probably make the build much better Im not a big fan of cheesing or munckening (as my DM would put it). and Im not to sure how you would expain Bear lord and Leviathan Hunter in an RP situation.

[Darth Stabber]

Instead of reaping mauler, add totemist. You only really need 2 levels, but up too 4 won't really hurt anymore since you already gave up 1 BAB by taking any levels. The girallon arms soulmeld gives 4+(2x invested essentia) to grapple checks for just being shaped.

Alternately, Bear Warrior is a VERY good prestige class for grappling barbarians, take it to level 5 (the remaining 5 levels are crap). It gives you a size increase and improved grab while raging (not to mention MASSIVE STRENGTH BONUS). And If you are already going Bearlord, It's a fluff fit sure to please even the strictest GM.

[Urpriest]

Bear Totem Barbarian 3/Ranger 3/Leviathan Hunter 3/Bearlord 6/Reaping Mauler 5 seems pretty complicated and I should have said that I do want to be purely melee and not use any magic, even though magic would probably make the build much better Im not a big fan of cheesing or munckening (as my DM would put it). and Im not to sure how you would expain Bear lord and Leviathan Hunter in an RP situation.

Barbarian from the Frigid North. Worships Polar Bears (if Amphibious Water Orc, also swims like them!) and slays whales and such.

[Darrin]

Bear Totem Barbarian 3/Ranger 3/Leviathan Hunter 3/Bearlord 6/Reaping Mauler 5 seems pretty complicated and I should have said that I do want to be purely melee and not use any magic, even though magic would probably make the build much better


That build doesn't involve magic. The only thing I suggested with any magic is Scaled Horror (which gets ranger spells), but I suggested that because it gets a much better Improved Grab than most other methods. (My biggest beef with Scaled Horror is it gets medium BAB.) I suggested Leviathan Hunter because that's the only way to make Reaping Mauler even slightly worth taking (but it's still something of a stretch).

I'm not sure Bear Lord is any better than Reaping Mauler... there are so many better ways to get much more effective claws. Fist of the Forest, for example. Wildshape Ranger + Warshaper (you can trade the Ranger spellcasting for feats if need be) or Nature's Warrior.



Im not a big fan of cheesing or munckening (as my DM would put it). and Im not to sure how you would expain Bear lord and Leviathan Hunter in an RP situation.

Leviathan Hunter doesn't necessarily hunt sea creatures. You just need a favored enemy: aberrations, animals, dragons, or magical beasts. Maybe your Bear Tribe has a deep hatred of Owlbears. Or some other abomination that might eat a bear. Or the polar bears vs. killer whales thing (actually, I was going to suggest Frostblood Water Orc for the free Endurance/bonus feat, but that may whiff a little of cheddar).

But it's easy to build a semi-decent grappler without Leviathan Hunter/Reaping Mauler... in fact, you'll probably get an even better grappler with just Wildshape Ranger or Bear Warrior.

I have a hard time imagining you'll get into trouble with the DM over a "munchkin" grappler build. First, Melee Isn't Allowed to Have Nice Things to begin with, and second, it's way too easy to render grapple builds effectively useless. (Hint: acronym is F.O.M.)

[Kaeso]

I'm surprised nobody has linked to Bearington Bearman the BearBearian. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=140757)
It's simply unbearable :smallbiggrin:

[Roguenewb]

Yeah but bearington got wayed down trying to be an anthropomorpic Wearbear.

Just be a barbarian Warbear/Bear Warrior/Beastmaster with bear companions. Base race Human for the feat

[Reavent]

Bear Warrior definitely fits, both for RP and actual use. And I have look t it to though I dont really remember what the strength bonus is but I know its really high =D

And combining Bear Lord, I can see it being pretty cool and something very interesting. Though would going straight barbarian for 5 to 7 then Bear Warrior then on ways to Bear Lord, or would dipping into ranger be worth it?

[Darth Stabber]

If memory serves black bear form gives +8str +2dex +4con, brown bear form gives +16str +2dex +8con, and large size, both give claw claw bite, and improved grab (keyed to the bite attack) plus your normal rage bonuses. Add in Improved Unarmed Strike for some bear punches, and Bearlord for some pet bears. Like druid but without those sissy spells.

[Feytalist]

For a grappler, Black Blood Cultist (from Champions of Ruin) is a great choice. There's a handbook for it here (http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75882/19870826/Black_Blood_Cultist_Handbook:_A_Grapplers_Manual).