A big scary Kanabo wielding samurai

[Teapot Salty]

Hey guys, so, I have an image in my head, based on something a friend of mine said:
So picture a six foot seven samurai, who's pretty much covered in muscle, holding this 60 pound kanabo, and he's just smashing through people, literally sending them flying like the puny little baseballs. No picture afterword, he's meditating in a grove, slowly polishing his massive weapon, when a butterfly lands on the end, prompting a small smile from the very large man.
I may have embellished a bit (a lot :smalltongue:) but that's the image that I have in my head, this massive, heavily muscled man, who is incredibly peaceful. And fair point that I'd like to make-A kanabo is a massive Japanese club.

So that's the fluff, but I'm confused as to what kind of crunch that I want, but I know what I need for basics:

Strength needs to be a major stat
Constitution needs to have a positive score
Wisdom (or intelligence, but preferably wisdom) needs to be a high stat.
The character needs to actively participate in melee combat, preferably under the "tank" or "brawler" archetype.

With that in mind, playground, please do your thing, thanks, and as always, go nuts.

[Lalliman]

Although you say muscular, I can't help but think of the big guy from Mulan (http://images6.fanpop.com/image/polls/1200000/1200360_1365033432164_full.jpg).

Anyways, mechanically you could go for fighter, but I think bear totem barbarian will do better. He'll be ridiculously tough and a great tank. The only thing not fitting the theme are the two rituals you get, but you can just opt not to acknowledge having those. The rage could be seen as a sort of dual personality, or simply reflavoured into a battle trance of sorts.

Of course, the maul is the obvious thing to reskin into a kanabo. (Or tetsubo, as I call them. Is there a difference?)

[Teapot Salty]

Although you say muscular, I can't help but think of the big guy from Mulan (http://images6.fanpop.com/image/polls/1200000/1200360_1365033432164_full.jpg).

Anyways, mechanically you could go for fighter, but I think bear totem barbarian will do better. He'll be ridiculously tough and a great tank. The only thing not fitting the theme are the two rituals you get, but you can just opt not to acknowledge having those. The rage could be seen as a sort of dual personality, or simply reflavoured into a battle trance of sorts.

Of course, the maul is the obvious thing to reskin into a kanabo. (Or tetsubo, as I call them. Is there a difference?)

Maybe add some war cleric?
The internet seems to like calling the kanabos (kanobi?)

[PoeticDwarf]

I made a samurak subclass, but mot the kinda samurai ya want.

Bearcleric sounds pretty reasonable. Or you could go fighter/bladelock with other fluff

[Submortimer]

I'll just leave this (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?429272-Barbarian-Path-Path-of-Iron&p=19565320#post19565320) here.

Big? Check.
Mean? Check.
Heavy armor? Double check.
Smashes fools with the biggest freaking stick he can find? You know that's a check.

[bid]

Barbarian 2 / war cleric 1
You can use reckless without raging. you can get war priest's bonus attack while raging.
You can go Str16 Dex10 Con14 Int8 Wis15 Cha10 with variant human.

Or just go Str hunter, if that fits the concept.

[Ralanr]

You could go barbarian/fighter.

Really this concept can work with any strength based martial. Though race wise I'd give it to Half-orc or Goliath.

[Foxhound438]

Of course, the maul is the obvious thing to reskin into a kanabo. (Or tetsubo, as I call them. Is there a difference?)

kanabo is the wooden version, a tetsubo can be wood or steel. (or so i've heard)

[PallentisLunam]

I agree with the opinion that most martial builds can pull off some version of this.

My only nit pick is that no one, no one, could possibly wield a 60 pound weapon in combat, especially something shaped like a kanabo. It's all a matter of leverage and friction.

[Ouranos]

I'd take the stats of the biggest two handed blunt weapon and just call it a kanabo. Go fighter, Great Weapon fighting and Great Weapon Master. Things like action surge (for the extra attack) and second wind are very thematic, and you could easily build it with the Champion archetype and fit the theme. It might be less OPTIMIZED as other builds people suggest, but it can fit the theme much, MUCH better than using the raging barbarian as the basis for a PEACEFUL, ascetic warrior.

[PallentisLunam]

I'd take the stats of the biggest two handed blunt weapon and just call it a kanabo. Go fighter, Great Weapon fighting and Great Weapon Master. Things like action surge (for the extra attack) and second wind are very thematic, and you could easily build it with the Champion archetype and fit the theme. It might be less OPTIMIZED as other builds people suggest, but it can fit the theme much, MUCH better than using the raging barbarian as the basis for a PEACEFUL, ascetic warrior.

Raging doesn't have to equal foaming at the mouth madness and "only the weak believe that what they do in battle is who they are as men" besides fluff is fluff.

[bid]

My only nit pick is that no one, no one, could possibly wield a 60 pound weapon in combat, especially something shaped like a kanabo. It's all a matter of leverage and friction.
I think the 60 pound version is for oni.:smallcool:

[PallentisLunam]

I think the 60 pound version is for oni.:smallcool:

Except oni are generally super strong but not super heavy. Strength fixes the leverage problem but exacerbates the friction problem. In order to exert enough downward pressure on the ground to not slide around when swinging their weapon the oni would have to weigh thousands of pounds. It's the same problem you get into with Cloud's Buster Sword (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6QSu1EolCI).

[Teapot Salty]

Ahh...physics.

I'm curious if Druid would work at all.