Homebrew assisstance! Hoping to make a unarmed rager type class

[Nishant]

Howdy everyone! I suppose the title says it all. I'm hoping to make a relatively effective(no need for a super high tier, but decent enough) melee class that allows for rage(or perhaps a variant of such), as well as an unarmed damage progression as or similar to monk. While I've got a few ideas on the matter myself, I noticed that I struggle with balance, and the like.

Notes I already have set;
-Light/no armor proficiency
-Would need several attributes to function, but perhaps less so than monk
-Need to find a way to enchant unarmed attacks/ natural attacks gained by class.
-Rage, Ferocity, or whirling frenzy progression
-d8-d10 HD
-Find a way to boost AC, due to lack of armor

I've considered giving spell like abilities or more extraordinary abilities, but I'm not sure what would actually be effective. Martial Maneuvers was also a thought I had in mind here too.

[Seerow]

Not sure why you really need Homebrew for this.


Barbarian (Whirling Frenzy) prestiging into Frost Rager does basically everything you would want (big natural armor boost, unarmed strike damage, extra attacks). If you want more, add on Fist of the Forest (get con to AC while unarmored, even more unarmed damage, a bite attack and an extra dex based rage).

[Urpriest]

Further, if you're interested in a Homebrew class for this, google Xefas's Teramach.

[Nishant]

Not sure why you really need Homebrew for this.


Barbarian (Whirling Frenzy) prestiging into Frost Rager does basically everything you would want (big natural armor boost, unarmed strike damage, extra attacks). If you want more, add on Fist of the Forest (get con to AC while unarmored, even more unarmed damage, a bite attack and an extra dex based rage).

I've never heard of Frost Rager before. What book is it from? I assume something Ice-Age or the like? If I don't have to homebrew, I won't I've just really liked the feel of an unarmed barbarian, but I never can get it to work right

[Deox]

I've never heard of Frost Rager before. What book is it from?

It's Cold Outside - AKA Frostburn.

[Urpriest]

It's Cold Outside - AKA Frostburn.

That said, the Frost Rager part isn't really necessary. City Brawler (a Barbarian ACF from Dragon Magazine, gives Improved Unarmed Strike and TWF with unarmed strikes) plus a way to get your unarmed damage up to decent levels (Frost Rager, or Fist of the Forest, or the Superior Unarmed Strike feat) does the job nicely.

[Nishant]

Alright. I'll look it up then. See if my DM is okay with it. He doesn't mind homebrew so long as it isn't OP, but if he doesn't have the book himself, he can be iffy about it.

[Fax Celestis]

By putting a couple variants together, you can get a pretty good approximation of what you're looking for.

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#druid
http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#druidVariantDruidicAve nger

LvlBABFortRefWillSpecialAC BonusFast Movement
1+0+2+0+2Animal Companion, Fast Movement (+10'), Favored Enemy (1st), Nature Sense, Rage (1/d), Track, Wild Empathy (-4)+0+0 ft.
2+1+3+0+3Woodland Stride+0+0 ft.
3+2+3+1+3Trackless Step+0+10 ft.
4+3+4+1+4 Rage (2/d), Resist Nature's Lure +0+10 ft.
5+3+4+1+4 Favored Enemy (2nd), Wild Shape (1/d) +1+10 ft.
6+4+5+2+5 Wild Shape (2/d) +1+20 ft.
7+5+5+2+5 Wild Shape (3/d) +1+20 ft.
8+6+6+2+6 Rage (3/d), Swift Tracker, Wild Shape (Large) +1+20 ft.
9+6+6+3+6 Venom Immunity +1+30 ft.
10+7+7+3+7 Favored Enemy (3rd), Wild Shape (4/d) +2+30 ft.
11+8+7+3+7 Wild Shape (Tiny) +2+30 ft.
12+9+8+4+8 Rage (4/d), Wild Shape (Plant) +2+40 ft.
13+9+8+4+8 A Thousand Faces +2+40 ft.
14+10+9+4+9 Wild Shape (5/d) +2+40 ft.
15+11+9+5+9 Favored Enemy (4th), Timeless Body, Wild Shape (Huge) +3+50 ft.
16+12+10+5+10 Rage (5/d), Wild Shape (Elemental 1/d) +3+50 ft.
17+12+10+5+10 Tireless Rage +3+50 ft.
18+13+11+6+11 Wild Shape (6/d, Elemental 2/d) +3+60 ft.
19+14+11+6+11 +3+60 ft.
20+15+12+6+12 Favored Enemy (5th), Rage (6/d), Wild Shape (Elemental 3/d, Huge Elemental) +4+60 ft.


Proficiencies: as druid, but no armor or shield proficiencies.

Not included on table: standard druid spellcasting, except he cannot spontaneously convert spells to summon nature's ally spells.

Pros: Wis-to-AC with Wis-centric 9th-level spellcasting, can grant and enhance natural attacks and unarmed strikes with magic fang, bite of the wererat, girallon's blessing, and similar, 4+INT skills, 3/4 BAB and two good saves. Can substitute Rage for Whirling Frenzy, possibly for Ferocity with DM approval.

Extensions: See about replacing the barbarian Fast Movement with a Barbarian ACF option. Spirit Lion Totem pounce is a good choice.
Trade away Resist Nature's Lure for Iron Constitution (via the CS web enhancement (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20070228a)) and trade Rage for Ferocity (which now has no downside for coming out of it).
Trade away your penalized Wild Empathy for Voice of the City (from the CS web enhancement linked above).
Trade Favored Enemy for Favored Environment (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/classFeatureVariants.htm#favoredEnemyVariantFavore dEnvironment).
See about using the Ranger ACF from Dungeonscape to trade away the Track feat and Swift Tracker for Disable Device as a class skill and trapfinding.
More of a stretch, but see if your DM will let you use the sorcerer ACF from CCham, which lets you trade a first and second level slot for access to a domain. Thematically appropriate ones for this character could be Animal, Celerity, Plant, Protection, Retribution, Strength, Wrath, or an elemental domain.
Using feature equivalencies (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?58667-Class-Feature-Equivalencies-(or-How-To-Be-Reasonable-When-Mixing-And-Matching)), you can trade A Thousand Faces for Camouflage, then trade Camouflage for Skill Mastery.
Using the same equivalencies, there's a Goliath rogue ACF that trades Trap Sense for Nature Sense: you could see about using the reverse of that and trading your Nature Sense for Trap Sense, which might actually be useful, or you could then trade that away for the Rogue ACF in CMage that gives you a dodge bonus vs. spells.


tl;dr with enough ACFs, you can make the druid into basically any class you want.

[frost890]

Tomb of battle has a feat that let's you do unarmed damage like a monk. Just inchant a gauntlet and start swinging. You can take it with any class. Barbarian for example. It might be from lack of sleep but you went from calling it a ranger build to wanting to rage. If you want the fluff of the ranger just remember a fighter can put on a green suit and hunt in the woods just fine.

[Seerow]

Tomb of battle has a feat that let's you do unarmed damage like a monk. Just inchant a gauntlet and start swinging. You can take it with any class. Barbarian for example. It might be from lack of sleep but you went from calling it a ranger build to wanting to rage. If you want the fluff of the ranger just remember a fighter can put on a green suit and hunt in the woods just fine.

The word "Ranger" was never used in this thread until the Druid ACF megapost. Though I initially misread "unarmed rager" as "unarmed ranger", which may have confused you as well.

[Bluydee]

+1 to the Teramach idea, though it may be too powerful for some groups, being made to hold up even in groups with Sorcerers and Wizards.

[Jormengand]

You could try Devotee Ascendant, in my sig, which allows you to be an unarmed attacker who is so angry that his fists are constantly on fire solely due to his passionate hatred of the things of this world. Strapping Rage progression to it wouldn't exactly make it OP, either.

[Fax Celestis]

The word "Ranger" was never used in this thread until the Druid ACF megapost. Though I initially misread "unarmed rager" as "unarmed ranger", which may have confused you as well.

Haha. I really just love how you can turn a druid into practically anything if you chain enough ACFs.