Optimising Bite

[noparlpf]

I have a character concept that involves only ever biting things as its only combat option. How do I go about that without being utterly useless to the party during combat?

[Hiro Quester]

Well, Improved Natural Attack(bite) is a good start.

Necklace of natural weapons. Enhancement bonus, plus it Enables you to add any weapon special ability to a natural weapon. +5 Keen bite, for example.

[bjoern]

Well, Improved Natural Attack(bite) is a good start.

Necklace of natural weapons. Enhancement bonus, plus it Enables you to add any weapon special ability to a natural weapon. +5 Keen bite, for example.

Add the tentacle property . On a confirmed crit, their brain is extracted.

Bite peoples brains out of their heads.

[Necroticplague]

Are you opposed to having multiple bites?

[tyckspoon]

Well, you either need to get multiple bites (generally, this means having multiple heads - be a hydra as much as possible) or you need to make that one bite you get count for as much as possible. Size increases and virtual/effective size increases are very valuable, and since you'll usually only be getting one attack out of it some form of attack that makes good use of standard actions or trades a full attack for an enhanced single attack is helpful; things like Tome of Battle strikes and the PHB2 Monk Decisive Strike alternate feature (you'll need to find some way to make a bite count as a Special Monk Weapon. I'm reasonably sure there is one, but I'm not aware of it.) Getting a good base bite to work with is also important, since you have a lot further to go if you're starting with a puny d4 damage instead of a d12 or something. The psychic power Bite of the Wolf is nice for that..

Basically, you want to look up X of Smack (King, President, etc) builds, and then transfer as much of that optimization as relevant over to Bite attacks instead of Claw. I think the main difference is that you probably can't make use of Rapidstrike for extra attacks, since that requires paired weapons.

Edit: Oh, and ask your DM about backporting the Vital Strike line of feats from Pathfinder. Natural weapon/weapon-size optimization is like the one situation where they work really well.

[Grod_The_Giant]

Rapid Strike and the improved versions would be good choices.

[Troacctid]

You'll definitely want greater magic fang and greater mighty wallop for your bite.

[J-H]

The first-level Psychic Warrior power Bite of the Wolf gives a nice amount of bite damage that scales with level. An X/day item of it would boost your base damage.

[AmberVael]

Tome of Battle classes are a good option here if you're not inclined to get more than one bite. Strikes allow single attacks to be more effective, and there's no reason you can't use a bite attack with maneuvers. Ruby/Diamond Nightmare Blade, Mithral Tornado / Adamantine Hurricane, Avalanche of Blades, and many other maneuvers could help you make up for lack of iterative attacks.

It would be a little odd, but you could definitely make it viable.

[Deophaun]

Tome of Battle classes are a good option here if you're not inclined to get more than one bite. Strikes allow single attacks to be more effective, and there's no reason you can't use a bite attack with maneuvers.
Hmm... is it possible to sunder with a maneuver? Because using one of the various mountain hammers to eat your opponent's weapon would be pretty awesome.

...reading over it, I think it actually can work.

[Rebel7284]

Warshaper will also let you increase the size of your bite. May or may not stack with INA.

[AmberVael]

Hmm... is it possible to sunder with a maneuver? Because using one of the various mountain hammers to eat your opponent's weapon would be pretty awesome.

...reading over it, I think it actually can work.

My understanding is that you can only use a special attack form with a strike if the strike specifically involves it.
Page 43:

In addition, you cannot combine special attacks such as sunder or bullrush with strikes, even if you have feats that make such special attacks more potent.

[WhamBamSam]

Hmm... is it possible to sunder with a maneuver? Because using one of the various mountain hammers to eat your opponent's weapon would be pretty awesome.

...reading over it, I think it actually can work.It would seem to, though as a natural weapon the bite might count as being a light weapon, which would be bad.

EDIT: It apparently can't, thought mundane sundering would have this same problem.

[Deophaun]

My understanding is that you can only use a special attack form with a strike if the strike specifically involves it.

Bah. The one thing that could make sunder fun, and WotC has to spoil it :P

[Troacctid]

You can sunder with the 3rd level maneuver Stone Dragon's Fury. It doesn't bypass hardness, but it does an extra 4d6 damage to objects or constructs.

[sage20500]

Im actually doing this right now in a current campaign, you could always play an awakened animal as your race. I have an awakened wolf right now and he does very well in our party. The fact that wolfs get to make free trip attempts when ever they bite something, combinging that with snatch will allow you to easily lock down any single target characters. I tell you there is nothing as satisfying as being a wolf that can fly, who charges up into the air to knock a dragon out of the sky before then pinning it to the ground in a grapple.

[Maglubiyet]

What about shifter feats, like Great Bite (increased crit range) and Longtooth Elite (bite does 1 pt Con dmg).

[Necroticplague]

Thayan Gladiator and Soul eater are both useful for a build like this. Thayan Gladiator improves one specific natural attack you select, while Soul Eater adds a nasty rider effect to your bite.

[weckar]

Where is the character actually getting a bite attack from?

[atemu1234]

Add the tentacle property . On a confirmed crit, their brain is extracted.

Bite peoples brains out of their heads.

Might want this for my rogue who thinks he's a mind flayer.

[Riculf]

Getting the Primeval PrC (Frostburn) can be good. Gives access to 8HD Dire Animals e.g. The Dire Wolf form which ADDS +14 STR onto the character base STR (as well as adding +4 DEX and +6 CON). As the Dire Wolf only has one attack type (Bite) you'll get STR +1/2 on damage to each attack (which is nice).

[Rebel7284]

Also, totemist can get some nice bonuses to natural attacks. Worg's pelt is another way to get trip on that bit attack.

[The Viscount]

If (and only if) you happen to have rage and access to a breath weapon (through totemist is nice) then furious inhalation can be used. It's extremely niche, so only use it if you already have the ingredients.

[RolandDeschain]

AFB, but would the Strength Devotion feat grant your bite attack adamantine properties for sundering?

[Troacctid]

AFB, but would the Strength Devotion feat grant your bite attack adamantine properties for sundering?

No, it would grant your bite attack adamantine properties for bypassing damage reduction. It would not bypass hardness the way an adamantine weapon would.

...It would bypass hardness in an even better way, by ignoring it completely, even if it is greater than 20. :smalltongue:

[deuxhero]

PF or 3.5?

[Heliomance]

Might be worth taking Kensai - I believe you can explicitly use it to enchant a natural weapon.

(Throwing and Returning are hilarious properties to put on a natural weapon.)

Actually, for utter silliness, get an item of continuous Blood Wind, then go into Bloodstorm Blade.

[MrSinister]

What about War Hulk for all the strength? Because you are probably making one huge attack a round, might as well power it up. Be a Warforged, get large size, and get that bite feat. Stick that BAB enhancing enchantment on your necklace or amulet of natural attacks and deliver deadly robot chomps with all the standard action tome of battle strikes. Become legendary.

[ShurikVch]

Some other options:
Fangshields Ranger (CoV): Natural Attack combat style
Black Blood Hunter (PGF): extra vile damage
Slime Lord (PGF): 1 level dip make your bite paralyzing

Increasing effective size category:
Totem Avatar soulmeld, Chakra Bind (Shoulders): +1
Mortal Hunter 7 (Claws of the Overfiend): +1
Sharptooth spell (Wizard 4): +1

Feats:
Battle Jump (UE) x2 damage or trip
Mark of Nessus (FC2) 1d6 hellfire damage 1/turn
Brand of the Nine Hells (FC2):
Levistus - 1d6 cold damage, 10 min. 1/day
Baalzebul - 1d6 acid damage
Mephistopheles - 1d6 fire damage, 1 round 3/day
Embody Energy (EoE) 1d6 of appropriate energy damage, 1 round/level of the spell sacrificed
Silver Fang (CoV) natural weapon count as silvered
Improved Outer Plane Heritage (Planar Handbook) aligned attack
Fire Heritage (Planar Handbook) 1 fire damage

[lytokk]

I believe there's either a feat or a component for warforged to give them a bite attack. There is also another component that basically turns a warforged's torso into a giant set of jaws, but I don't know if it was 3.5, an I can't find the image that I keep remembering.

[Red Fel]

I believe there's either a feat or a component for warforged to give them a bite attack. There is also another component that basically turns a warforged's torso into a giant set of jaws, but I don't know if it was 3.5, an I can't find the image that I keep remembering.

Jaws of Death, a feat, gives Warforged a bite attack.

More importantly, does using a Mouthpick Weapon count as optimizing a bite attack? Because those are a thing. Take the Mouthpick Weapon - in which you are automatically proficient, because you have a bite attack - and then optimize around that.

Although, to be fair, if all you have is a bite attack, there's a reasonable chance you're a creature without arms and legs. A snake. And we all know the best way to optimize a snake is to become Pun-Pun's tiny viper familiar...

... I'll see myself out.