Ideas for a Warrior of Nature

[ColossusCrusher]

I'm planning to make a TN Totemist for an online game and I wanted to play up the whole "Natural Warrior" aspect - obviously Totemist alone is good enough, but I was wondering what other options the Playground can come up with - I've taken a look at Bear Warrior and Fist of the Forest, although Warshaper is so sexy I might ask the DM if I can use Changeling just for that.

Any other suggestions? I'd love to hear them.

[dascarletm]

I'm planning to make a TN Totemist for an online game and I wanted to play up the whole "Natural Warrior" aspect - obviously Totemist alone is good enough, but I was wondering what other options the Playground can come up with - I've taken a look at Bear Warrior and Fist of the Forest, although Warshaper is so sexy I might ask the DM if I can use Changeling just for that.

Any other suggestions? I'd love to hear them.

Druidic Avenger from Unearthed Arcana may fit the bill. Can't attest to what it does, as I don't have the book on me atm.

[Diovid]

A Ranger with acf's is a good fit. First of all, the Ranger get's an update in the form of the Dead Levels (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/cwc/20061013a) article and furthermore their Combat Style options got expanded in Dragon Magazine #326.

Then there are the actual variants:

Arcane Hunter (CM, p 32): lose normal favored enemy, gain "Favored Enemy (Arcanists)"

Aquatic Ranger (SW, p 51): Track in water, apply woodland stride to aquatic terrain instead of woodland terrain.

Celestial Slayer (EoE, p 20): must be evil; lose wild empathy, animal companion, and woodland stride, gain SR vs. good spells/spell-likes and +4 to confirm crit. vs. good creatures

Champion of the Wild (CC, p 50): Lose spellcasting for bonus feats.

Crowd-Walker (CS, web): Exchange woodland stride for the ability to move in crowds more easily.

Distracting Attack (PHB 2, p 55): Lose animal companion. Whenever you hit with an attack, the enemy is then considered flanked.

Elf Ranger Substitution Levels (RW, p 155): d6 hitdice, 8 skill points
1st level: Elf Favored Enemy (extra bonus vs certain races)
4th level: Elven Hound Companion
10th level: Strongheart Slayer (+4 morale bonus on will saves vs. drow and driders, +4 for bonus vs spider venoms), lose a favored enemy

Half-Elf Ranger Substitution Levels (RD, p 158):
1st level: Urban Tracking, lose tracking
4th level: Street magic (swap spell lists)
13th level: Skill mastery, lose camouflage

Heat Endurance (SSt, p 48): Gain Heat Endurance, lose Endurance.

Fangshields Ranger Substitution Levels (CV, p 41): nonhumanoid, add Diplomacy
2nd level: Combat Style (Multiattack or Improved Natural Attack (single natural weapon), Weapon Focus (any natural weapon), Weapon Focus (any other natural weapon), or Greater Weapon Focus (single natural weapon))
4th level: Animal Companion (as druid of 1/2 ranger level +2)
5th level: Lion and the Unicorn (+1 sacred bonus to AC during day or night), replaces favored enemy

Feign Death (EoE, p 21): lose evasion, gain ability to appear dead

Gnome Ranger Substitution Levels (RS, p 149):
1st level: Gnome Favored Enemy (bonus with certain skills vs favored enemy instead of damage)
4th level: Burrowing Animal Companion (stronger animal companion, can't share spells with it)
8th level: Gnome Ranger Spells (switch some spells on list)

Hidden Stalker (CS, web): Lose camouflage and normal hide in plain site, gain the ability to hide more easily in urban settings.

Kobold Ranger Substitution Levels (RDr, p 109):
1st level: Kobold Favored Enemy (favored enemy works with different skills)
3rd level: Kobold Endurance replaces Endurance - not an actual ACF, see feat description p.101
4th level: Dire Weasel Companion, Kobold Ranger Spells (different spells)
7th level: Subterranean Stride (underground stride instead of woodland stride)

Phynxkin Companion (DrM, p 13): Gain a phynxkin instead of your normal animal companion.

Planar Ranger (UA, p 55): Wild empathy works better on fiendish/celestial creatures than it does on regular animals, may aquire a fiendish or celestial animal as a companion.

Planar Ranger (PlH, p 34): gain knowledge: the planes as a class skill
4th level: Planar Animal Companion
8th level: Portal Intuition (attempt to determine where portals lead), lose swift tracker
13th level: Planar Tracking (use plane shift to follow quarry), lose camouflage

Rival Organization (CS, web): Do not gain favored enemies. Instead, gain bonuses when fighting members of an organization which you have studied.

Sandskimmer (SSt, p 49): Gain Sandskimmer, lose woodland stride.

Shadow Sword Substitution Levels (CV, p 49): add Knowledge (history)
3rd level: Walk in Silence (+5 Move Silently for 1 round 1 day/2 ranger levels), replaces Endurance
6th level: Bane Weapon (treat weapon as bane weapon against favored enemy), replaces improved combat style
8th level: Portal Analysis (detect portal within 10', study as with analyze portal, use as with portal well), replaces swift tracker

Shape-changing (UA, p 58): Gain wildshape as druid (small and medium animals only) and fast movement as barbarian. Lose combat styles.

Shifter Ranger Substitution Levels (RE, p 128): add balance to list of class skills
1st level: Wild Empathy (add wisdom instead of Cha to wild empathy)
4th level: Share Shifting (share benefits of shifting with animal companion), replaces the ability to share spells
9th level: Enhanced Shifting (gain extra benefit while shifting, depending on primary shifter trait), lose evasion

Shooting Star Substitution Levels (CV, p 50): add Knowledge (arcana) and Spellcraft
3rd level: Weavespeak (as sending with restrictions), replaces Endurance
4th level: Bonus Spells, Improved Spellcasting, replaces animal companion
8th level: Expanded Spell List (see invisibility, word of recall), replaces swift tracker

Spell Reflection (CM, p 35): Lose evasion, gain the ability to reflect spells targeted at you that miss.

Spell-less Ranger (CW, p 13): Lose spellcasting, gain fast movement and spell-like abilities.

Spiritual Connection (CC, p 50): Lose wild empathy, gain speak with plants and speak with animals spell effects.

Spiritual Guide (CC, p 50): Lose animal companion. As long as you're in natural settings, gain a bonus on several skills. Use commune with nature once per day.

Trap Expert (DS, p 12): Lose tracking. Gain trap finding, and disable device as a class skill.

Urban Ranger (UA, p 55): No animal companion greater than medium, replace tracking with urban tracking, no woodland stride or camouflage. Add only one half level to wild empathy checks. Gain Hide in Plain Site in any area, and additional spellcasting.

Urban Companion (CS, web): Instead of a normal animal companion, instead gain something similar to a familiar.

Urban Tracker (CS, web): switch normal tracking for urban tracking.

Voice of the City (CS, web): Lose wild empathy to gain the ability to communicate with people who speak languages you do not know.

Waste Hunter (SSt, p 49): Choose a specific wasteland creature from among current favored enemies, gain additional benefits against that creature.
An additional variant worth mentioning that's not mentioned in the list above is the Solitary Hunter variant from Dragon Magazine #347.

[ColossusCrusher]

Hmm, I took a look at Druidic Avenger, but I'm not really comfortable playing prepared casters. It's obviously a strong pick because it's a Druid base, but I like to work for my crunch a bit. :)

Ranger could definitely work, although I feel there'd be some conflict if I wanted to go Totemist.

[thethird]

Totem rager?

[ColossusCrusher]

Totem Rager would actually be pretty cool - I could spin in Fist of the Forest too and get full iteratives + natural attacks. Nice.

[Yogibear41]

Needs More Were-Bear


Yogi may have died in my game but I can still live my were-bear life vicariously through you.

[Waker]

If you go the Totem Rager route, I'd suggest choosing Shifter or Duskling as your race. The quickest entry into the class is Totemist 2/Barbarian 4. You might want to consider grabbing Bonus Essentia to help deal with the rather small pool that you have. Note that the damage bonus from Cobalt Power and Cobalt Rage do not stack as the are both Insight bonuses. Other useful feats are Double Chakra and Split Chakra, which let you attach two soulmelds or bind a soulmeld to a chakra while wearing an item on the body slot respectively.

[ColossusCrusher]

If you go the Totem Rager route, I'd suggest choosing Shifter or Duskling as your race. The quickest entry into the class is Totemist 2/Barbarian 4. You might want to consider grabbing Bonus Essentia to help deal with the rather small pool that you have. Note that the damage bonus from Cobalt Power and Cobalt Rage do not stack as the are both Insight bonuses. Other useful feats are Double Chakra and Split Chakra, which let you attach two soulmelds or bind a soulmeld to a chakra while wearing an item on the body slot respectively.

Why Shifter or Duskling instead of Azurin? Feats *are* one of the most valuable resources in the game, after all.

[Waker]

Why Shifter or Duskling instead of Azurin? Feats *are* one of the most valuable resources in the game, after all.

Feats are quite useful of course. The being locked into an alignment extreme can be bothersome for some players (Azurins need to be LG,LE,CG, CE).
I suggested Shifter because they gain a bonus to Dexterity automatically, but can potentially gain a bonus to Strength or Constitution depending on your choice of traits, not to mention some of the Shifter feats are rather handy. Since Totemists are a class that emphasizes natural attacks, Shifters seem like a decent choice.
Dusklings have a bonus to Constitution, which is of course important to both a Barbarian and Totemist. They gain the same essentia bonus that Azurin's have. They also have the rather useful Fey type, which makes them immune to certain annoying effects like Charm Person, sadly they aren't a viable target for Enlarge Person. The Duskling Barbarian racial sub level is decent, allowing you to invest essentia to increase your movement speed and gain a bonus to initiative. Not amazing, but somewhat handy.

[ColossusCrusher]

I was also looking at Thunderstep Boots (I know I'd need to take a feat to get them), and is the sonic damage per hit on a charge or just per charge?

I also assume that if you get multiple claw attacks that occupy the same area via Totem Double Chakra you need to choose which one you get (such as Girallon Arms + Kruthik Claws)?

[Kuulvheysoon]

Why Shifter or Duskling instead of Azurin? Feats *are* one of the most valuable resources in the game, after all.

Longtooth Elite (feat) is a pretty damn nice feat.

[Dusk Eclipse]

Feats are quite useful of course. The being locked into an alignment extreme can be bothersome for some players (Azurins need to be LG,LE,CG, CE).
I suggested Shifter because they gain a bonus to Dexterity automatically, but can potentially gain a bonus to Strength or Constitution depending on your choice of traits, not to mention some of the Shifter feats are rather handy. Since Totemists are a class that emphasizes natural attacks, Shifters seem like a decent choice.
Dusklings have a bonus to Constitution, which is of course important to both a Barbarian and Totemist. They gain the same essentia bonus that Azurin's have. They also have the rather useful Fey type, which makes them immune to certain annoying effects like Charm Person, sadly they aren't a viable target for Enlarge Person. The Duskling Barbarian racial sub level is decent, allowing you to invest essentia to increase your movement speed and gain a bonus to initiative. Not amazing, but somewhat handy.

I think you might be thinking of Incarnates, I don't see any mention of Azurins needing to be of any particular alignment, not in the first chapter, nor in the monster section.

[Waker]

Longtooth Elite (feat) is a pretty damn nice feat.

Shifter Savagery is excellent. Double the crit range of natural attacks and increase damage die as if you were two size categories larger. Whats not to like?


As for the alignment comment, it's under Azurin Society Alignment. Says they are never of a neutral alignment.

[ColossusCrusher]

In the end I decided to go for Changeling Spirit Lion Barb 1/Totemist 5/Totem Rager 10/Warshaper 4. Straightforward and to the point. :)

Can Morphic Weapons increase the size of Soulmeld-based natural weapons?

EDIT: And is Bloodclaw Master the only way to get a full strength bonus to secondary attacks (claws only in this case)?