[3.5] Fist of the Forest Shifter Build

[Yael]

I am currently playing a Changeling Beguiler/Rogue/Chameleon in a friend's Cthulhu campaign, however, my character has dropped to -9 several times, and it's only matter of time for her being killed, so I'm taking measures building another character.

Because we are currently at Eberron, Il'l build a Shifter. Also, all the players are at 5th, and we are getting tainted or corrupted because of elder gods' intervention... So it may be necesary to add other class levels or templates (as a friend, who accidentally got the Half-Illithid template at level 1...).

Evan Wilderness
Beasthide (trait) Shifter.
Monk 2/Barbarian 2/Fighter 2/Fist of the Forest 3

STR 16
DEX 16
CON 16
INT 6
WIS 12
CHA 6

Class Inerent bonuses due to level up applies as following:
Lv4: STR +1
Lv8: STR +1
LV12: CON +1
Lv16: CON +1
Lv20: CON +1

Feats are.

[1st] Great Fortitude
[Flaw] Reactive Shifting
[Flaw] Improved Initiative/Chaste Life (Con)
[Monk] Improved Unarmed Strike
[Monk] Stunning Fist
[Monk] Combat Reflexes
[3rd] Reckless Rage
[Fighter Bonus Feat] Weapon Focus (Unarmed Strike)
[6th] Improved Natural Attack
[Fighter Bonus Feat] Power Attack
[9th] ???
[12th] ???
[15th] ???
[18th] ???

Alternate Class Features

Baribarian's Fast Movement for Lion Totem Spirit.
Monk's Flurry of Blows for Descisive Strike.

Also I'm interested in changing the levels of Fighter for levels of Pugilist Fighter and getting Ex: Combo instead of Weapon Focus (Unarmed Strike).

Which Prestige Classes do you recomend? Items?
Any suggestions?
Changes on the ''build''?

[Last Laugh]

Warshaper (complete warrior) is painfully easy to qualify for and would give you +4 str/con, reach, and fasthealing depending on how far you took it (abilities kick in while shifted tho.)
Do you need monk? Would Unarmed swordsage (tome of battle, Blurb about swordsages and adaptation) work better/qualify? You would get wisdom + dex + con + armor to AC (nifty, that's all of your save attributes.)

Low mental scores makes it seem like you might go crazy/get ego-whipped/get intelligence debuffed. Don't know how big a deal that is.

[WhatBigTeeth]

You might think about working in some Bloodclaw Master. It's one of the fastest ways to get more shifting onto a shifter (which is especially important if following the warshaper advice), plus the tiger claw maneuvers it gets along the way can be very useful to a natural weapons user.

[Yael]

Though it is allowed, no player is using ToB classes :/

I would, but I'm not used to it, could you explain how do Swordsage plays?

[Urpriest]

One minor correction: the bonuses from levelup aren't Inherent bonuses. In the event that you manage to acquire Inherent bonuses from wishes/tomes/etc., they stack.

Where is Pugilist Fighter from?

[Greenish]

Where is Pugilist Fighter from?Dragon Magazine #310. My favourite FotF entry is Barbarian2/Pugilist2.


Anyway, Weretouched Master (ECS) might fit, though it got nerfed by errata (or so I am told, I refuse to lay my own eyes on such horror). Bear Warrior and Frostrager are the standard suggestions.

[Yael]

One minor correction: the bonuses from levelup aren't Inherent bonuses. In the event that you manage to acquire Inherent bonuses from wishes/tomes/etc., they stack.

Yeah, I just figured out~~
Thanks~~

However, I just remembered that the build must be at 28 point buy. I was working on the build and I ''advanced'' as the following.

Evan Wilderness
Beasthide (trait) Shifter.
Monk 2/Barbarian 2/Fighter 2/Fist of the Forest 3/Oriental Beast Warrior 9/Warshaper 3

STR 14
DEX 16 (14 +2 Racial Adjustment)
CON 16
INT 8 (10 -2 Racial Adjustment)
WIS 12
CHA 6 (8 -2 Racial Adjustment)

Bonuses due to level up applies as following:
Lv4: STR +1
Lv8: STR +1
LV12: CON +1
Lv16: CON +1
Lv20: CON +1

Feats are.

[1st] Great Fortitude
[Flaw] Reactive Shifting
[Flaw] Improved Initiative
[Monk] Improved Unarmed Strike
[Monk-1st] Stunning Fist
[Monk-2nd] Combat Reflexes
[3rd] Reckless Rage
[Fighter Bonus Feat] Power Attack
[6th] Improved Natural Attack
[Fighter Bonus Feat] Weapon Focus (Unarmed Strike)
[9th] Flying Kick
[12th] ???
[15th] ???
[18th] ???

As for the suggestion of using Swordsage, I would be using even more feat slots for getting into Unarmed Strike (as I want to play), I know that maneuvers are awesome, but I'm only taking two levels for the good saves and the Decisive Strike ACF.

Any ideas?

[animewatcha]

Is dragon magazine allowed for building this character? If so, there is a superior shifter race if you can.

[Yael]

Is dragon magazine allowed for building this character? If so, there is a superior shifter race if you can.

Yup, that's why I'm taking the dip to Puligist Fighter.

[animewatcha]

328 page 62. Bit of different list of traits ( Depending upon DM, might allow for official shifter traits to be 'added onto' allowed list as there are two text sections that are at odds with each other ). Other notable differences. Reptilian sub-type added on as an addition ( whatever pros or cons there are ). The racial bonus is Con instead of Dex which means slightly longer shifting. AND the best part. TWO racial traits instead of just one.

-edit- if you wanna be a bit of a munchkin, take the pugilist ability in which you 'only develop nonlethal damage' and later ( somehow through spell or otherwise ) become immune to non-lethal damage.

[Yael]

-edit- if you wanna be a bit of a munchkin, take the pugilist ability in which you 'only develop nonlethal damage' and later ( somehow through spell or otherwise ) become immune to non-lethal damage.

:eek:
I don't quite understand the uses of developing non-lethal damage.

[animewatcha]

Alternative damage source for if you want more to knock the target unconscious rather than kill ( see Exalted Vows ). If manipulated right ( aka shenanigans ), it can turn into a second life bar of sorts.

[Yael]

Alternative damage source for if you want more to knock the target unconscious rather than kill ( see Exalted Vows ). If manipulated right ( aka shenanigans ), it can turn into a second life bar of sorts.

There could be any other use? We are currently running a Cthulhu campaign where we are the chosen by the Elder Gods to open portals and unseal them so they can enter the Material Plane or get closer to the inner planes. Of course, we are evil, killing in the name of the lovecraftian gods and sacrificing cities to do so (Yog Sothoth already ate a city because of a sacrifice made by a party member).

[animewatcha]

IIRC, there are some abilities, spells, items, etc. ( you get the idea ) that ( as part of the activation ) deal hitpoint damage to the user. If you can divert that to non-lethal ( aka not via pugilist shenanigans, but someway in general ), it will allow you to have more lethal-damage based hitpoints for use. Afterall, in some situations, every hit point counts.

[Greenish]

-edit- if you wanna be a bit of a munchkin, take the pugilist ability in which you 'only develop nonlethal damage' and later ( somehow through spell or otherwise ) become immune to non-lethal damage.That reading is a truly inspired piece of munchkin logic, yes.

In any case, Dragon Magazine #313 corrects the obvious typos in the ability in the letters to the editor section. The correct text for "shake it off" goes as follows:
The pugilist develops fast healing 1 that applies only to non-lethal damage. This ability also reduces the duration of all stunning effects by 1 round. The pugilist can take this ability multiple times; its effects stack.

[animewatcha]

Didn't think errata wound up in the letters to the editor. Any of other key pieces of errata wind up in other issues of dragon?