Wookie fighter

[DrGonzo]

Good people of the playground,

I'm playing a first level Wookie, fighting unarmed. First level is soldier, with Melee Smash and Martial Arts I. Stats are STR 20 DEX 13 CON 12 INT 13 WIS 8 CHA 6. Further levels will involve more soldier, elite trooper, Hammerblow and perhaps some Teras Kasi. This seems to be the most usual route to kick butt barehandedly.

Are there any feats or talents to improve unarmed fighting? All books are game.

Thanks!

[Nerd-o-rama]

I think you covered most of the highlights. The key things are indeed Martial Arts (all of them), Hammerblow, and Teras Kasi Training (coupled with the Teras Kasi Basics talent from Elite Trooper or Martial Arts Master). Your Soldier Talents go to Melee Smash, Stunning Strike, Devastating Attack (Simple), and either Weapon Specialization (Simple) or Armored Defense if you'd like to wear trooper armor/don't have room for a weapon focus feat. The idea in any melee build is to smack someone so hard they fall down the CT before they can shoot you, which means damage and DT reduction. Important feats are Rapid Strike, Flurry (alternate entry to Elite Trooper so you don't waste anything on Point-blank Shot, plus it lets you hit even higher Ref Defs), Melee Defense (prereq for Martial Arts Master and helps with not getting shot), Powerful Charge, and maybe Power Attack (since your attack rolls will be way up there with Hammerblow and full BAB).

Thinking about it, for a Wookiee who hits 20 Str easily, Echani Training is actually better than Teras Kasi training (at least until you get the style talents), especially with how well it synergizes with its style Talent in Martial Arts Master. You're going to be moving/charging almost every round anyway, so the restriction on one attack/round isn't terribly important.

As a Wookiee specifically, you can also look at the excellent Wruushi Training feat and accompanying style Talent. It's basically free Temp HP every round where you can reach something, which helps with the whole getting shot thing, and lets you move people down the CT quicker on crits (which also synergizes with the Echani Training talent).

You're not going to fit in all three styles and MA I-III and Melee Defense/Flurry/Rapid Strike/etc. in a meaningful amount of time, so I'd say pick any two of (Echani, Teras Kasi, Wruushi) and it'll make for fun times without weapons.

Prestige Classes should be as much MAM as you need to get the Basics talents for your style feats, then Elite Trooper (which can grab Teras Kasi Basics and upgrade your weapon damage/DT penalties).

For equipment, Shockboxing Gloves, a jetpack for those hard-to-reach places, and maybe some light armor should cover what you need.

EDIT: Oh, you might dip your Strength down by a point to boost your Con by 2, for HP/Fort/Rage/Wruushi purposes. You can bump it back up to 20 at level 4.

[DrGonzo]

Good stuff! I'll see how the campaign goes, and which style I'll choose. Will keep you posted, thanks for the advice!

[DrGonzo]

Quick question: Hammerblow doubles the strenghtbonus to damage. So does Echani Training. Does this mean Hammerblow + Echani Training triples or quadruples the bonus?

[Nerd-o-rama]

Hammerblow actually doubles the Strength bonus to attack rolls (which makes it a good combo with Rapid Strike or even Power Attack if you can convince your GM that you're "two-handing" your unarmed attack in spite of the rules implying that's not really possible. Echani Training might help).

Easy to misread, that one.

[DrGonzo]

Ah.. That explains a lot.

*goes and changes contacts*