Fist of the Forest

[PaucaTerrorem]

Just cruising through Complete Champion and saw this PrC.
Is it as good as it looks or am I missing something. Would be using this in a low-mid OP game.

[Flickerdart]

Walking around naked and punching things is very rarely as good as walking around armoured and swording things (and especially not as good as magic). FotF helps punchery catch up a little bit, and is one of the best PrCs for this, but it's not broken or anything.

[Talya]

Walking around naked and punching things is very rarely as good as walking around armoured and swording things (and especially not as good as magic). FotF helps punchery catch up a little bit, and is one of the best PrCs for this, but it's not broken or anything.

Yes, but you're still walking around naked. That can be awesome, or horrible, depending.

[PaucaTerrorem]

Thanks.
Should probably start a new thread for this but, what other PrCs are good for punchy PCs?

[Talya]

two thumbs up for Sacred Fist.

[Ortesk]

FoF is key to any unarmed build i make, that being said a Two handed build is alot stronger and takes alot less work to make good. Any unarmed fighter i make takes massive dipping and anal level feat choices, but it can be done. Its just easier to pull off a slash build than an unarmed fighter

[Flickerdart]

Thanks.
Should probably start a new thread for this but, what other PrCs are good for punchy PCs?
Fist of Zuoken (Psionic Fist in the SRD) is pretty sweet if you want a little psionics in your guy.

[Carth]

I played a ranger1/ex-monk2/barbarian1/fist of the forest3/drunken masterX (or something like that) once, it was loads of fun. Drunken masters use their unarmed strike damage with improvised weapons, the character's whole schtick was that they never actually carried weapons, they would always attack with whatever objects happened to be around them. I'd use tables, chairs, farm tools, rocks, animals, and so forth as thrown weapons, or if there wasn't a good supply of 'ammunition' around I'd break a door off its hinges, break of a tree limb, or some other oddity and use it as a melee weapon.

[PaucaTerrorem]

Usually I'm the uptight-ish Cleric. Gonna do a side campaign and I've been wanting to play a more savage PC for a while. Looking for things that give me/boost natural attacks without templates or spells.

[Ortesk]

Usually I'm the uptight-ish Cleric. Gonna do a side campaign and I've been wanting to play a more savage PC for a while. Looking for things that give me/boost natural attacks without templates or spells.

Human

Unarmed Swordsage 2/Battle Dancer 1/Fighter 2/FoF 3/ Shiba Protector 1/ Unarmed Swordsage 11

Get con/wis/cha/dex to ac
Get wisdom/str/dex to damage
get wis/str to hit

You get a total of 10 feats, and with this build out you will be an unarmed beast

[Talya]

Usually I'm the uptight-ish Cleric. Gonna do a side campaign and I've been wanting to play a more savage PC for a while. Looking for things that give me/boost natural attacks without templates or spells.

There's a barbarian variant from Dragon Magazine that's actually very good as a base class for this concept, mechanically.

Fluff-wise, it sorta sucks for this concept, i forget the exact name, but it's something like "Urban Brawler". Fist of the Forest is NOT urban.

[Drelua]

Usually I'm the uptight-ish Cleric. Gonna do a side campaign and I've been wanting to play a more savage PC for a while. Looking for things that give me/boost natural attacks without templates or spells.

If you're looking for something a bit more savage, Frostrager from Frostburn goes pretty well with FotF. You have to take a feat that gives you the cold subtype while raging, making you immune to cold and vulnerable to fire, but if you also take the feat from Sandstorm that gives you the fire subtype while raging, then you're just immune to fire and cold. I'm not sure what would be a good build for this, but whirling frenzy spirit lion totem barbarian would be a good start.

[Ortesk]

If you're looking for something a bit more savage, Frostrager from Frostburn goes pretty well with FotF. You have to take a feat that gives you the cold subtype while raging, making you immune to cold and vulnerable to fire, but if you also take the feat from Sandstorm that gives you the fire subtype while raging, then you're just immune to fire and cold. I'm not sure what would be a good build for this, but whirling frenzy spirit lion totem barbarian would be a good start.

Frostrager is aweful.....I've tried to make it work i really did

Although if your going barb route feral is a nice template

[Drelua]

Frostrager is aweful.....I've tried to make it work i really did

Although if your going barb route feral is a nice template

Really? But it's so cool...

Actually, looking over it again, I'm noticing some problems. I mean, I'm pretty sure absorb cold doesn't even work while you're raging. It gives you cold immunity, which you already have from frozen berserker. Still, the extra attack from one-two punch and the damage doesn't look too bad. I guess unarmed swordsage would be a much better use of five levels though, especially with tiger claw.

[Ortesk]

Really? But it's so cool...

Actually, looking over it again, I'm noticing some problems. I mean, I'm pretty sure absorb cold doesn't even work while you're raging. It gives you cold immunity, which you already have from frozen berserker. Still, the extra attack from one-two punch and the damage doesn't look too bad. I guess unarmed swordsage would be a much better use of five levels though, especially with tiger claw.

I mean its not god aweful, but being a barbarian having no increased unarmed damage, then that class which you only do the damage when raging and rages are finite, and any other unarmed build i make will do more damag with ease. Rend is cool and all, but the one two punch just isnt worth it Imo considering what you give up by not going my usual route

[Person_Man]

It's a decent Tier 4ish PrC. You hit stuff slightly better and maybe get better AC.

If you're going to use it, I suggest combining it with anything that grants Rage (and thus Con) and 2 levels of Deepwarden (which replaces Dex bonus to AC with a Con bonus to AC). That way you get your Con bonus to AC twice.

Maybe something like Totemist 4/Lion Totem Barbarian 1/Fist of the Forrest 1/Totem Rager/Deepwarden 2.

[PaucaTerrorem]

I could stack CON bonuses to AC? Is that RAW?

[Karnith]

I could stack CON bonuses to AC? Is that RAW?
Yes. Fist of the Forest gives an untyped bonus to your AC equal to your Constitution bonus, while Deepwarden lets you add your Constitution bonus to your AC in place of your Dex bonus. There are no stacking issues (neither the type nor source of the bonuses are the same), so you get your Con bonus to AC twice if you possess both abilities.

[PaucaTerrorem]

Well sweet, thanks for all the help. Defiantly gives me something to look at.

[FullStop]

I played a ranger1/ex-monk2/barbarian1/fist of the forest3/drunken masterX (or something like that) once, it was loads of fun. Drunken masters use their unarmed strike damage with improvised weapons, the character's whole schtick was that they never actually carried weapons, they would always attack with whatever objects happened to be around them. I'd use tables, chairs, farm tools, rocks, animals, and so forth as thrown weapons, or if there wasn't a good supply of 'ammunition' around I'd break a door off its hinges, break of a tree limb, or some other oddity and use it as a melee weapon.

Now you're making me want to do something like a Warblade/FoF/Drunken Master/Bloodstorm Blade monstrosity and sloppily kick (returning!)stools at people.