Grappler build help

[OzDragon]

Hello there I'm making a barbarian for our next game. He will be a grappler as the title says. We will be starting at level 5.
Im not looking for help with stats or feats. What i need help with is class level advancement.

He will be human and starting with prodigy feat so he will have athletics expertise from the start. The idea is grappler that hits a lot after the grapple. So barbarian/monk is the idea.
I want at least 3 levels of monk for way of the open hand and 3 levels of barb for bear totem(maybe ancestral guardian)

Should I start

Level 5 Barbarian and get the second attack first.(leaning this for start)
Level 4/1 barb/monk for the asi then switch
Level 3/2 barb/monk for bear totem and monk abilities to get the build up and running.
Level 2/3 barb/monk for Way of the open hand to trip earlier and easier.
Level 1/4 barb/monk for rage and all the monk goodies.

Any input is appreciated thanks.

[thoroughlyS]

Open Hand Monk 5/Barbarian 3/Open Hand Monk +12

You'll be able to grapple and prone up to two targets on turn one, and still deal good damage thanks to martial arts. After that, three levels in barbarian get you three rages per long rest, for when you really need to topple someone quickly. I recommend bear totem, because if you're doing your job right your targets will already have disadvantage to attacks because they're prone. Another fun one is elk totem, so you can still navigate the battlefield while dragging an opponent.

[CTurbo]

I built a grappling Barbarian and it was great fun. I was a Goliath though and choose Bear Totem at level 3 and 6. Took the Tavern Brawler feat. I never felt like I needed Expertise in Athletics as Advantage was pretty strong on it's own, but Expertise would certainly help. I had the benefit of rolling for stats and was able to start with a 20 Str though. Having the "Powerful build" Goliath feature combined with the 6th level Bear Totem level feature I was able to pick up almost anything.


I could see combining the Monks unarmed strikes meshing well with a grappling Barb, but you'd probably want to be mostly a Monk with a few Barb levels. Either way with point buy or standard array you're going to be really MAD.

[Unoriginal]

Are you thinking about taking Tavern Brawler?

[Skylivedk]

If you want extra fun, please have a sorcerer throw twinned enlarge/reduce on you and the BBEG (soon SBEG). I did it with an Aarakocra grappler. There's something immensely satisfying about going to double size while they shrink away.

[sophontteks]

I wouldn't do monk/barb at all. Its way too mad, you are losing ASIs due to multiclassing, and the two classes have a lot of overlapping skills that don't stack.
I also wouldn't do bear totem. Its overrated. Though, note that you can pick multiple totems.

A barbarian tavern brawler can go further I think. You can focus on strength and you gain some great mobility options over the monk/barb.

Because you are multiclassing, you will be pushing back the monk's awesome movement abilities. At 9th level monks can walk on water and run up walls. But Barbarians have it better anyway. At 14 barbarians can fly. Check out the third eagle option..
"Eagle: While raging you have a flying speed equal to your current walking speed. This benefit works only in short bursts; you fall if you end your turn in the air and nothing else is holding you aloft."

Monk's get a bonus action disengage or dash, but again Barbarians have a superior option. The first eagle option gives both dash and disengage at once. But wait, you may ask, the disengage only gives the enemy disadvantage, isn't that worse? No. This means you can bait out all of the enemy reaction attacks for your team. For a high hp high AC tank, this is phenomenal. The bear totem is very overrated. Barbarians already have advantage vs. the most common damage types and have the hp for everything else. "I'm really concerned about being killed by a stray fireball" Said no barbarian ever.

So, if you go tavern brawler you get a bonus action grapple to compete with flurry of blows. Then you go eagle, bear, eagle. Sure, your melee attacks only do 1d4, but your monk/barb was only realistically going to see 1d6 due to multiclassing. 1-2 points of damage isn't a big loss. Losing out on the ability to fly is. A level 14 barbarian grappler with eagle totems can fly 80 feet per round. You don't need to dwell too hard on how useful this can be with grappling. Don't forget that barbarians have their own version of slow fall. They have resistance to falling damage while raging.

[BLC1975]

I'd be reluctant to allow (or it would take some convincing to allow) a Barbarian/Monk combo for one of my players...it doesn't make much sense from a character/RP angle. Monks are supposed to be zen...Barbarians are less so? How could a Barbarian Monk happen narratively...unless you're perhaps a Yakfolk or something weird?

[TripleD]

Working on a Monk/Barbarian grappler build myself.

One totem not to discount is Tiger. The extra jump distance seems small, but don’t forget that this stacks with the Monk’s “Step of the Wind”, which doubles your jump distance.

Total high jump = (3 + 4 (strength 18) + 3 (tiger)) * 2 (Step of Wind) = 20

If you grapple, jump, and drop that works out to 2d6 damage (no save) and results in a prone enemy. Against one enemy while raging that’s worse than than flurry of blows, but if you have two enemies grappled it gets sweeter. What’s better is that you can still use your attack action to strike at advantage when they are prone on the ground.

If you can get someone to cast Jump on you, or pick up the Boots of Springing and Striding, that triples your jump to 66 feet! Granted your jump is limited by your speed, which is cut in half by grappling, so even with the Monk’s speed boost you will be lucky to clear 40 feet without some extra items or spells.

Still, 4d6 against two opponents...

[Misterwhisper]

For grappling the things you need in order of priority should be:

1. Extra attack
2. Advantage on athletics checks
3. Expertise if you can get it.

Consider battlerager.

Bonus attack without needing feats or special gear.
Spiked armor options that anyone should let you put on any armor not just the crappy spiked armor.
Rage bonuses are great.

Later bonuses are nice too.

Can mix in monk if your dm will let you have spiked straps that don’t count as armor.

[GlenSmash!]

Remember that whatever Unarmored defense you get first is the on you are stuck with. So if you plan on maxing wisdom go Monk at first level.

[sophontteks]

Remember that whatever Unarmored defense you get first is the on you are stuck with. So if you plan on maxing wisdom go Monk at first level.
I'm pretty sure you get to choose which you use at any point.

[GlenSmash!]

I'm pretty sure you get to choose which you use at any point.

For every other instance of multiple formulas for AC this would be true, but take a look at the section on Unarmored defense from the multi-classing Rules Page 164 of the PHB.


Unarmored Defense
If you already have the Unarmored Defense feature, you can't gain it again from another class.

[thoroughlyS]

I'd be reluctant to allow (or it would take some convincing to allow) a Barbarian/Monk combo for one of my players...it doesn't make much sense from a character/RP angle. Monks are supposed to be zen...Barbarians are less so? How could a Barbarian Monk happen narratively...unless you're perhaps a Yakfolk or something weird?
Simple, understand that the concept of classes don't exist in-universe. Looking at my build above (Open Hand 5/Totem 3/Open Hand+), you can simply say rage is an extension of your mastery over your body. Practiced over many years, it is a manifestation of you pumping your ki to every part of your body at once. You can surpass your body's natural limits through focus, both output and resilience. Reckless attack doesn't need any consideration, it is just a tactic that any warrior can understand. Danger sense and the eagle totem both already fit within the concept of a monk.

To put it another way, you're not a monk/barbarian, your a monk who took their training in a different direction.

[dmteeter]

I'd Go fighter with a one level dip into rogue.
rogue dip for athletics expertise.
fighter for extra attacks.

[lunaticfringe]

I wouldn't do monk/barb at all. Its way too mad, you are losing ASIs due to multiclassing, and the two classes have a lot of overlapping skills that don't stack.
I also wouldn't do bear totem. Its overrated. Though, note that you can pick multiple totems.

A barbarian tavern brawler can go further I think. You can focus on strength and you gain some great mobility options over the monk/barb.

Because you are multiclassing, you will be pushing back the monk's awesome movement abilities. At 9th level monks can walk on water and run up walls. But Barbarians have it better anyway. At 14 barbarians can fly. Check out the third eagle option..
"Eagle: While raging you have a flying speed equal to your current walking speed. This benefit works only in short bursts; you fall if you end your turn in the air and nothing else is holding you aloft."

Monk's get a bonus action disengage or dash, but again Barbarians have a superior option. The first eagle option gives both dash and disengage at once. But wait, you may ask, the disengage only gives the enemy disadvantage, isn't that worse? No. This means you can bait out all of the enemy reaction attacks for your team. For a high hp high AC tank, this is phenomenal. The bear totem is very overrated. Barbarians already have advantage vs. the most common damage types and have the hp for everything else. "I'm really concerned about being killed by a stray fireball" Said no barbarian ever.

So, if you go tavern brawler you get a bonus action grapple to compete with flurry of blows. Then you go eagle, bear, eagle. Sure, your melee attacks only do 1d4, but your monk/barb was only realistically going to see 1d6 due to multiclassing. 1-2 points of damage isn't a big loss. Losing out on the ability to fly is. A level 14 barbarian grappler with eagle totems can fly 80 feet per round. You don't need to dwell too hard on how useful this can be with grappling. Don't forget that barbarians have their own version of slow fall. They have resistance to falling damage while raging.

I'm doing this with a Simic Hybrid (Manta Glide, Grappling Appendages). No need for TB.

[OzDragon]

Are you thinking about taking Tavern Brawler?

No, the monk levels will take care of unarmed strikes.