How to get claws!

[Yaitanos]

So, just had this AWESOME idea for a character, but it kinda require that he have claws. I know there are several ways to do it, but I'd rather stay away from magic items or soulmelds and stuff. Don't really wanna go clawlock either. So how would you guys here in the playground go about giving someone claws?

[Thurbane]

Feats: Willing Deformity + Deformity: Clawed Hands
Template (+1 LA): Draconic Creature
PrC: Dragon Disciple 2

[J-H]

There's a kobold web enhancement that gives claws for free.

[Gnaeus]

The Aspect of the Beast feat will do it in PF. Available to people with wild shape or Rangers/slayers with the correct fighting style

[The Viscount]

If you can deal with the stat adjustments, Feral is also an LA +1 template.

Are your race and class locked in, or are they subject to change?
If you don't mind my asking, why do you not want to use soulmelds? With the right race choice, you could get always on claws by taking Shape Soulmeld (Claws of the Wyrm).

[Gildedragon]

Improved unarmed strike + versatile unarmed strike for stuff that can be fluffed as claws

Mulhorandi Divine Minion that lets you change into something with claws

Fiendish graft: clawed arm x2
Ilithid graft: rending claw x2

Undead graft: skeletal hand (3kgp a hand)

[Inevitability]

The Psionic Sinew symbiont can give you claws, but damages you dexterity when it does (hint: dip binder). A Fiend of Corruption can give one to you.

[Zaq]

Claws of the Beast (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/clawsoftheBeast.htm) is a first-level power, so it's easy to get it with a dip in PsyWar or with a feat (Hidden Talent or Expanded Knowledge). The claws last hours/level, and you don't need to spend extra PP to increase the duration, just the damage, so you don't need much PP to get them to last all day if you don't care about how much damage the claws do. What's more, the power is only a swift action to manifest (even without augmenting it), so it won't cost you a turn in combat to activate your claws at the start of the fight—you don't actually have to keep them active for the entire day for them to still be effective on every combat round.

[Deadline]

Undead graft: skeletal hand (3kgp a hand)

What book is this from?

[Gildedragon]

What book is this from?

Libris Mortis

[CharonsHelper]

In Pathfinder tieflings can start with claws, and tengu can have claws & a bite attack at level 1.

[daremetoidareyo]

1 feat:

draconic claw from races of the dragon: your sorcerer has claws, and can attack with them as a swift action if they use non-metamagicked standard action spells

grizzly claws from complete divine: blow a wild shape for claw attacks

Minor shapeshift from complete mage: 7th level spellcaster gets a claw attack

Claws of the beast (fiendish codex 1): natural weapons or unarmed strikes gain a +1 profane bonus on damage rolls.

2 feat:
willing deformity + deformity clawed hands

Also.... razorclaw shifter

[Yaitanos]

?
If you don't mind my asking, why do you not want to use soulmelds?
Always on until the 24 hours are up and the soulmeld dissolves. Also kinda of want something that can be used in an antimagic field.


1 feat:

draconic claw from races of the dragon: your sorcerer has claws, and can attack with them as a swift action if they use non-metamagicked standard action spells

grizzly claws from complete divine: blow a wild shape for claw attacks

Minor shapeshift from complete mage: 7th level spellcaster gets a claw attack

Claws of the beast (fiendish codex 1): natural weapons or unarmed strikes gain a +1 profane bonus on damage rolls.

2 feat:
willing deformity + deformity clawed hands

Also.... razorclaw shifter
You have to have draconic heritage to take draconic claw. So it is two feats.

This will be a martial character and will not be taking any levels that will give him spellcasting, at least that he could use wild/shape or minor shapeshift with.

Razorclaw shifters only get their claws while in their shifted state and it doesn't last long enough, or can be used often enough, for me to consider viable for this build.

[Zaq]

Soulmelds don't dissolve after 24 hours. They stay shaped (and bound, if appropriate) until you choose to unshape them. The AMF thing I'll grant you, but outside of an AMF, soulmelds are basically as permanent as you want them to be.

[Yaitanos]

Soulmelds don't dissolve after 24 hours.

Misread it or confused it with the bajillion other things that work like that, sorry. But still, there is also a bit of the aesthetic to is. I don't want phantom claws, I want REAL claws for this guy.

[Extra Anchovies]

A character with the Dragonblood subtype (e.g. Silverbrow Human) can get Draconic Heritage as a bonus feat from a 1-level dip into Sorcerer with the Dragonblood substitution levels (Races of the Dragon). You lose the familiar, but if you aren't taking any more sorcerer levels it'd be a weak familiar anyways. From there, Draconic Claw gives two claws with a base damage of 1d6 for a medium creature, quite a bit better than most claw-granting effects (which tend to be 1d3 or 1d4 at Medium size). Silverbrow Human Sorcerer (Dragonblood) 1 with Draconic Claw would be a pretty solid start to a claw-based melee build - I recommend Fist of Stone and/or Enlarge Person for 1st-level spells known, because at CL 1 their 1-minute durations are still enough to last most fights. You may want to spend your other feat on Dragon Tail for another 1d6-base-damage natural attack.

Hm. Now I want to see what I can build from that.

[mabriss lethe]

Draconic Claw is my go-to for feat based claw attacks, especially on a gishy-build for that swift bonus attack. It has some class based limitations, but those can be useful in and of themselves or simply gotten around by additional feat taxes. A one level sorcerer dip brings it online immediately, but a non-sorcerer can qualify as early as level 3 (5 for non-humans) using Dragontouched + Draconic Heritage + Draconic Claws.


Hm. Now I want to see what I can build from that.

I actually cobbled together a really fun NPC a while back using this stuff. She was a poison wielding assassin (profession, not class) based on a sorcerer/invisible fist monk frame. The build mostly revolved around draconic claws, Chill Touch, Master of Poisons and the poison spell feats. Hardly optimized from a PCs perspective, but was the lead NPC of a great encounter and I'll probably keep her as a recurring antagonist.

(Basic strategy: poisoned shuriken flurry from hiding. Pop invisibility-move into melee casting Poison spell+chill touch and taking a swipe with a claw attack. Stick to melee for a while with more poisons and spellcasting as needed. When invisible fist refreshes, pop invisibility again, retreat to cover, Heal, rinse, repeat.)

[Gruftzwerg]

imho the only claws worth as player are "Eldritch Claws" (Dragon Magazine) feat for warlocks, combined with "Beast Strike" and a bunch of Monk levels.
Have a look at my signature build to get some inspiration ;)

[The Viscount]

Race appears to be open, so here's some options.

Daeklyr Half-Blood begins play with a free symbiont, which can be a claw attack. A level of Impure Prince can also nab you the claw attack, both are through the claw gauntlet.

Kenku have two claws and are LA 0.

Kobolds with the Web Enhancement also get claws and a bite.

Poisondusk Lizardfolk get claws and bite, and some other goodies, but are LA 1.

Skarn don't quite have claws, but their spines are pretty close.