What do I need to know about the Totemist?

[Wings of Peace]

A friend of mine is building a level three Totemist for what has been described to me as a "high-op" group. He's not new to d&d but he isn't the strongest optimizer (more because he doesn't know a lot of the material rather than doesn't understand how to make optimal choices). My experience with the Totemist is limited and I'm worried I may not have given as much advice as I could.

Since the starting level for his group is three I recommended he play a web enhanced (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20060420a) desert kobold (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/races/environmentalRacialVariants.htm). For soulmelds I've suggested he shape Claws of the Wyrm (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ex/20060912a&page=4) along with Girallon Arms bound to his totem chakra for a total of 8 claw attacks and a bite attack.

For feats I suggested Multiattack and Ancestral Relic with a Dastana as the relic so as to not interfere with his chakra binds. Other than that I am uncertain what to recomend (is it worth spending a feat on Improved Multiattack just to get rid of a small -2 penalty?)

The group uses all non third party material (I don't know if this includes dragon magazine but I'm assuming it does). Additionally, I've linked him to the various Incarnum and Totemist handbooks. Any further suggestions?

Edit: I forgot to mention that as far as I know the guy wants this to be a melee build. He hasn't said range is out of the question so I'll try and get a response on that but for now lets play it safe and assume melee as the primary means of hurting things.

[Fouredged Sword]

Claw attacks, overlap, they do not stack. You get 4 claws that way.

Better to start with a race that is fairly good for size and with a natural attack and build from there.

Because you have this set in a high op game, I would suggest the following...

I would suggest he play a level drained lizard man dragonborn.

Pre-game he was a level 2 lizard man who go level drained to 1HD after buying off his LA. Now he can start the game as a level 2 totemist (your first racial HD becomes a class level if you only have one). Then he has a very nice stat array for a totemist, great natural armor, and natural wings to fly with.

Then go the multiattack path with a binding of manticore's belt for a ranged option.

[Wings of Peace]

Claw attacks, overlap, they do not stack. You get 4 claws that way.

Better to start with a race that is fairly good for size and with a natural attack and build from there.

Because you have this set in a high op game, I would suggest the following...

I would suggest he play a level drained lizard man dragonborn.

Pre-game he was a level 2 lizard man who go level drained to 1HD after buying off his LA. Now he can start the game as a level 2 totemist (your first racial HD becomes a class level if you only have one). Then he has a very nice stat array for a totemist, great natural armor, and natural wings to fly with.

Then go the multiattack path with a binding of manticore's belt for a ranged option.

Thanks for the advice. I forgot to mention that he wants this to be a melee build, that was my mistake but I like the lizard man idea. Do you have a source on the claw attacks not stacking though? In the srd says that the character gains one attack per claw or tentacle (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/specialAbilities.htm) not that they overlap. I only ask because otherwise the kobold is still a tempting option it seems like (I like the Lizardman option but I want to check to be sure pre-game level draining is allowed before taking it for granted).

[Fouredged Sword]

The forum goes back and forth on this. See here.

http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=254647

Dragon claws expressly don't stack with normal claws, and you cannot have more claw attacks than you have limbs to make the attacks from. Lizard man has a bite and two claw attacks. Grallion arms gives another 2 arms with claws attached, granting 5 natural attacks at level 1.

Getting dragon tail for your level 1 feat when you get dragonborn is not a bad idea, as is a barbarian dip at level 3 for pounce. My build would look something like

Lizardfolk dragonborn
Totemist 2 / barbarian 1 / totemist 17
Feat
1 - Dragon tail
3 - Multiattack
6 - Improved Multattack
9 - Extra Rage

Though, I would check to see if double bind is obtainable within that level set, as it is needed for totemist.

[Wings of Peace]

The forum goes back and forth on this. See here.

http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=254647

Dragon claws expressly don't stack with normal claws, and you cannot have more claw attacks than you have limbs to make the attacks from. Lizard man has a bite and two claw attacks. Grallion arms gives another 2 arms with claws attached, granting 5 natural attacks at level 1.

Getting dragon tail for your level 1 feat when you get dragonborn is not a bad idea, as is a barbarian dip at level 3 for pounce. My build would look something like

Lizardfolk dragonborn
Totemist 2 / barbarian 1 / totemist 17
Feat
1 - Dragon tail
3 - Multiattack
6 - Improved Multattack
9 - Extra Rage

Though, I would check to see if double bind is obtainable within that level set, as it is needed for totemist.

I was thinking it'd be best to get pounce from a psionic tattoo of Psionic Lion's Charge (it has a duration of instantaneous) but I think you're right that it's better going with Barbarian for pounce since that'll let the character prestige into totem rager.

Is it definitive that the dragon claws don't stack? Since the sentence on claw damage is separated from the damage entry sentence by only a single other sentence (I don't think I've used that word enough yet) it seems like grammatically the text could actually be read as a modification to the damage entries given earlier in the paragraph rather than a total override of what would normally happen if your character did not already have a claw attack.

It's possible I'm reading it wrong but since the unbound description of the soulmeld is "A pair of dragonlike arms, wreathed in blue fire, hover above your own arms and mimic your actions. The arms have long, sharp talons of cerulean light. " it seems like the arms issue resolves itself fairly cleanly.

[lord_khaine]

I would suggest he play a level drained lizard man dragonborn.

Pre-game he was a level 2 lizard man who go level drained to 1HD after buying off his LA. Now he can start the game as a level 2 totemist (your first racial HD becomes a class level if you only have one). Then he has a very nice stat array for a totemist, great natural armor, and natural wings to fly with.

Good luck getting this past most sane GM's, it goes straight past optimisation and directly into Munchin territory IMO.

[Grod_The_Giant]

Good luck getting this past most sane GM's, it goes straight past optimisation and directly into Munchin territory IMO.
Agreed.

My main piece of advice to him would be to read the soulmelds section REALLY carefully. Make a table somewhere with the melds sorted by chakra, listing their effects when shaped and when bound. That'll make it a lot easier to go through and figure out good combos.

Girallon Arms bound to totem + Girrallon Arms bound to Arms + Sphinx Claws bound to Hands + Urskan Graves bound to feet give you four claws with rend, pounce, and bonus damage on a charge that may, arguably, apply to each claw.

Also, you generally don't want a small race as a Totemist, because of the damage you lose from smaller natural weapons.

[Darth Stabber]

I like the Lizardman option but I want to check to be sure pre-game level draining is allowed before taking it for granted

Any GM that would allow that should be stripped of their DMG. A preplay level drain is unheard of. You might be able to make a case for a level drain if you are starting at a low level and you wanted a lizardman, and would spend your first level on buying off the drain

A better option would be a warforged with jaws of death, or even kobold.

[HunterOfJello]

Totemists are some of the highest damage level 2 characters out there. However, past level 2 everyone else starts catching up quickly.

One thing you need to know is what all of their crap actually does on a per day basis. Make them show each soulmeld to you from the book so that you both know and agree on what it does.

One of their strongest melds is the basilisk mask (i think) which does a petrification effect. This should be watched out for since there are extraordinarily few creatures in the game that are actually immune to petrification.

[danzibr]

As for Claws of the Wyrm, the text says, "If you already have claw attacks, use either your normal claw damage or the damage for this soulmeld, whichever is higher."

As for Girallon Arms, a *really* lenient DM might let you have 4 more claw attacks regardless, but usually you get 4 claw attacks if you don't already have 2 on your hands.

Also, I suggest not going Kobold. The small size and penalty to stats hurt a lot. Also, I'm working on a Totemist handbook. Check my sig.

EDIT: Depending on how high-op this high-op group is and how lenient your DM is, suggest your friend go Half-Minotaur something, like Azurin or Warforged (Half-Minotaur Warforged is silly but works by RAW). Fantastic bonuses to stats, get bigger, other goodies including a gore attack.

[Darth Stabber]

Actually smaller damage dice are not that big an impediment, you lose about damage per attack, meh. If you were going to grapple it would matter a lot more, but that's a different story for a different post. I can see wanting that extra point of damage, but if you aren't going to use size increasers there is nothing else to worry about.

[Dusk Eclipse]

Warforged make awesome totemists, being able to rock 5 (or 6 depending on your DM's leniency) natural attacks by level 2 with only 1 feat invested.

Pick jaws of death for an (enchantable) bite attack, bind Girallon claws and don't forget about your racial slam. Never mind the awesome immunities that come with the construct type.

[Darth Stabber]

Don't forget the Improved Unarmed Strike. It gives you even more attacks. If you go with warforged with jaws, you will have attacks before you even factor in any melds. (Bite, slam, and punch), and you get iteratives on the punching.

[Waker]

Mixing Totemist with Barbarian or Ranger wouldn't be a bad idea. Barbarian can grant access to Pounce as well as opening up the Totem Rager PrC. The Fangshield's Ranger ACF can grant you multi-attack as a combat style. Races you might consider are:
Warforged- Con bonus, immunities and natural attacks.
Azurin- Essentia bonus and bonus feat, plus they count as Human for the purposes of feats and classes.
Duskling- Con bonus, speed bonus and bonus essential.
Skarn- Strength bonus and natural attack.