Lets build Tarzan

[Taverick]

So me and some friends have decided to do a ****s-and-giggles one shot game where we build and play pop icons. Warforged as Ironman/Warmachine, weird complex rogue/monk/vigilante/something as Batman, that sort of thing. And while they're all building all these super powered heroes, I decided to go a different route and play a Tarzan based character. Unfortunatly, I'm kinda torn on how to build him. I figure a human with the Wild template, and will look through the villian design handbook for a language based anti-feat, maybe take the illiterate trait and let him use brachiation. But past that I'm stuck. Do I make him a barbarian, or a raging monk? The barbarian makes sense, and I don't think I need to explain why, but the monk also would to let him grapple and beat on people with his bare fists and all the movement based skills. Monk also works cause the less a monk wears the better their AC, while a barb often goes the route of armor at some point. What I would like to do is give him an actual climb speed, but not sure how to do that without changing the race. I 'could' make him another race but it just wouldn't be the same.

Anyway, I've got 9 lvls to play with so feel free to mess around with the build. Also, don't worry about equipment. Not sure we're getting any and not sure my character would have much anyway.

[Pilo]

I am sure you want to take Fist of the forest PrC (from Complete Champion p80), which is a good one for outdoor dweller.

I would go with human Barbarian 4/Fist of the forest 3/Barbarian2

[Taverick]

Fist of the Forest is appealing, and even fits the concept rather well. I'll check the barb variants and see if there is something that fits the concept. Maybe that barb variant where you get a bonus to dex instead of str while raging. If nothing else I may go ahead and take a level of chaos monk for some flavor.

[Diovid]

Maybe Ape Totem (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#apeTotemClassFeatures) Barbarian 5 / Beastmaster 1 / Ape Lord 3 ?

Skill Focus (Handle Animal) and Toughness are needed as requirements which kinda sucks.

Natural Bond can help give you a decent Animal Companion. With Natural Bond, 1 level of Beastmaster and 3 levels of Ape Lord you would have an Effective Druid Level of 10.

[Taverick]

Don't really care for an animal companion. But I do like the ape totems climbing speed.

[Cranthis]

I'm gonna say Ape totem Barbarian 2/ Beast wrestling Ranger 2/ Fist of the forest 1/ Beastmaster 4

[Taverick]

I'm gonna say Ape totem Barbarian 2/ Beast wrestling Ranger 2/ Fist of the forest 1/ Beastmaster 4

Why Beastmaster? I already mentioned not wanting an animal companion, so besides the speak with animal stuff I'm not sure what the pull of that is.

[Cranthis]

Why Beastmaster? I already mentioned not wanting an animal companion, so besides the speak with animal stuff I'm not sure what the pull of that is.

I was typing my post before you sent yours, and did not see that.

[Diovid]

Don't really care for an animal companion. But I do like the ape totems climbing speed.
Ape Lord is not about your Animal Companion, the companion is just an added bonus. Other than that it gives full BAB, 4+int skill points, 10 HD, good fortitude and reflex saves and various abilities (including the Brachiation feat).

[Gwendol]

Why don't you want an animal companion for Tarzan? A dire ape seems to fit the description of the Mangani perfectly.

[Grim Reader]

You'd want Jad-Bal-Ja, Tarzans mighty golden lion, if you wanted an animal companion. He pretty much did all the stuff Animal Companions do. Or Tantor.

[BowStreetRunner]

Well, if no one else is going to say it, I will have to. Brachiation. Feat from CAdv p 106. Can't have a Tarzan who doesn't swing through the vines.

[Flickerdart]

Well, if no one else is going to say it, I will have to. Brachiation. Feat from CAdv p 106. Can't have a Tarzan who doesn't swing through the vines.
a) The OP mentioned it, as well as several other posts;
b) Tarzan did not swing from vines, because they grow from the ground. If you tried swinging on one, you would fall down.

[Theoboldi]

a) The OP mentioned it, as well as several other posts;
b) Tarzan did not swing from vines, because they grow from the ground. If you tried swinging on one, you would fall down.

And the Tarzan movies are so well known for getting facts about the flora and fauna of the jungle right.

[Flickerdart]

What is this "movies" of which you speak? (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarzan_of_the_Apes)


From early childhood he had used his hands to swing from branch to
branch after the manner of his giant mother, and as he grew older he
spent hour upon hour daily speeding through the tree tops with his
brothers and sisters.

[Theoboldi]

What is this "movies" of which you speak? (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarzan_of_the_Apes)

Huh. They're based on a novel. The more you know.

Edit: Also, I don't see that quote mentioning vines. My point stands, in that the movies got that wrong. :smalltongue:

[BowStreetRunner]

Edit: Also, I don't see that quote mentioning vines. My point stands, in that the movies got that wrong. :smalltongue:

Actually...it apparently wasn't so much getting it wrong as not being able to do it right until the technology improved. See here (http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2620/could-a-human-swing-through-the-jungle-on-vines).

[Theoboldi]

Actually...it apparently wasn't so much getting it wrong as not being able to do it right until the technology improved. See here (http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2620/could-a-human-swing-through-the-jungle-on-vines).

Being unable to portray something correctly still is portraying it incorrectly.

Still though, interesting bits of trivia. More on-topic however, there is the dungeon specialist variant of the scout class. Three levels in it would allow you to fight with light weapons while climbing and give you a climb speed of 1/2 your land speed. It's in the PH2.

[nedz]

You'd want Jad-Bal-Ja, Tarzans mighty golden lion, if you wanted an animal companion. He pretty much did all the stuff Animal Companions do. Or Tantor.



And the Tarzan movies are so well known for getting facts about the flora and fauna of the jungle right.

Lions live on the savannah.

[Grim Reader]

Lions live on the savannah.

Well, Jad-Bal-Ja pretty much went where Tarzan went, as I remember. He was raised from a cub by him after all. Lions in general are among the most adaptive carnivores, and have historically had vast ranges covering most climates and terrains. There are still tales about remnant European lions being spotted in the Caucasus mountains.

[Taverick]

Whew, this topic got side tracked fast. Anyway, the reason I don't want an animal companion is cause while I'm basing this character off Tarzan, I'm not actually playing Tarzan. I want a wild child character who fights with his hands and feat, can climb and do stuff while climbing, doesn't wear armor (or anything but a loincloth) and doesn't speak very well. Animal companions kinda annoy me cause having them always leads to social problems. Lodging is a problem, people panic when they see large animals and the are only so many times you can a lion or ape to sit before they eat someone's face. Usually a commoners. So yeah, no pets.

Animal lord is.. Okay. Not really what I'm looking for though. Fist of the forest and the ape totem barbarian is closer. Think I'll mod the city brawler barb to be the jungle brawler and use that in combo with the ape totem, since they don't replace similar class features. It's house ruled that we can do that.

[navar100]

AC will be a problem. Levels in monk or unarmed swordsage aren't really going to help much by themselves. Ask your DM for a magic loincloth of armor +8.

[Taverick]

Plan on having a high dex and a decent con, which fist of the forest will let me put to AC. But yeah, plan on getting some charms and such.