Max Grappler

[SpicyBoi_Nezu]

I thought it would be fun to make a character that is built be the best at grappling. Here's what I have now.

Goliath/Half-Giant: Powerful Build (+4)
Improved Grapple (+4)
legendary wrestling (Prerequisite 25 str) (+10)
Scorpion's Claws (Weapon) (+4)
Clever wrestling (between +2 to +8)

That's at least a +29 grapple (Not counting BAB)

List of possible "Supporting Feats"
in no particular order:

Combat reflexes
Dodge
Combat expertise
Earth's Embrace
Scorpion's grasp
Defensive throw
Great throw
Curling wave strike
Gentle Way mastery
Mighty works mastery I
Mighty works Mastery II

I just need to know the most efficient combination of feats to maximize "Grappling" which may also include tripping and punching and such

[Climowitz]

Looking at ways to increase size out effective size will also do the trick since every steps adds another +4. However I haven't looked on Google yet but I bet you can find a guide to optimize grapple somewhere.

[magic9mushroom]

Goliath/Half-Giant: Powerful Build (+4)

Grab the Half-Minotaur template from Dragon; that makes you Large, which gives you effective Huge with Powerful Build. It also gives you a big pile of +Str.

If by Legendary Wrestling you mean Legendary Wrestler, it requires Str 21 Dex 21, not Str 25. Also, it's [Epic], so you need to be level 21 to get it.

[Calthropstu]

Grab the Half-Minotaur template from Dragon; that makes you Large, which gives you effective Huge with Powerful Build. It also gives you a big pile of +Str.

If by Legendary Wrestling you mean Legendary Wrestler, it requires Str 21 Dex 21, not Str 25. Also, it's [Epic], so you need to be level 21 to get it.

You are looking at the wrong stuff. He mentioned BAB which is PF.

[Morcleon]

I'd recommend checking out the Girallon Arms soulmeld, which gives +2 grapple and an additional +2 grapple per essentia invested. With a Totemist who can pack a bunch of essentia into this, it can often turn into massive bonuses to grapple.


You are looking at the wrong stuff. He mentioned BAB which is PF.

...3.5e also has BAB :smalltongue:

[Calthropstu]

I'd recommend checking out the Girallon Arms soulmeld, which gives +2 grapple and an additional +2 grapple per essentia invested. With a Totemist who can pack a bunch of essentia into this, it can often turn into massive bonuses to grapple.



...3.5e also has BAB :smalltongue:

So it does. I was thinking cmb. NVM then.

[SirNibbles]

I once stumbled upon an important rule while working on a TO build:

Sword and Fist, page 62 states that every extra set of limbs may grant +4 to grapple. So if you have a way to get lots of limbs, that helps.


TN Anthropomorphic Bat Pugilist Fighter 1/Fangshields Druid 5

Str 5
Dex 15
Con 16
Int 8
Wis 23 (+1 at 4th level to 24)
Cha 6

1- Druid 1 - Child of Winter
2- Druid 2
3- Druid 3 - Weapon Finesse
4- Pugilist Fighter 1 - Granted Feats: Improved Unarmed Strike; Endurance | Fighter Bonus Feat: Two-Weapon Fighting
5- Druid 4
6- Fangshields Druid 5 - Vermin Shape

Once per day, you can use Wild Shape Hands to turn into a Monstrous Centipede with 100 hands (100 unarmed strike attacks). If you have a way of getting Natural Spell, Pounce comes into play with Lion's Charge (Spell Compendium, page 133).

Attack: Unarmed Strike + 6 Melee (1d4-1)
Full Attack: 100 Unarmed Strikes +4 Melee (1d4-1)
BAB/Grapple: +4/+200

Yes, that's +200 to grapple. Sword and Fist, page 62 states that every extra set of limbs grants +4 to grapple.

If you cast Claws of the Beast (Player's Guide to Faerûn, page 101) before you Wild Shape, your Unarmed Strike becomes 1d8.

Attack: Unarmed Strike +6 Melee (1d8-1)
Full Attack: 100 Unarmed Strikes +4 Melee (1d8-1)

The best part is, even if you're not in Centipede form, you're a 5th level Druid with 24 Wis and a fly speed. If you can continue getting feats past 6th level, pick up Natural Spell to be able to cast while Wild Shaped. You can do other stuff to optimise this with items and buffs from your allies. Dragonfire Inspiration is especially strong, thanks to the number of attacks you have.

[TallerSpine]

Wu Jen 8/Warblade 7/Abjurant Champion 5
Feat: Practiced Spellcaster

Cast Giant Size (Wu Jen 7)
Give +32 Str and you become size category Colossal. That's +32 to Grapple.

Add in Improved Grapple and be a Goliath (who bought off the level adjustment), you are gonna have a sick grapple check!

[Eldariel]

Wu Jen 8/Warblade 7/Abjurant Champion 5
Feat: Practiced Spellcaster

Cast Giant Size (Wu Jen 7)
Give +32 Str and you become size category Colossal. That's +32 to Grapple.

Add in Improved Grapple and be a Goliath (who bought off the level adjustment), you are gonna have a sick grapple check!

You could also just be a Cleric, cast/persist Giant Size (Hero-domain) and Divine Power on level 13 and enjoy your +billion to grapple. Then Anyspell Fearsome Grapple, get a familiar somehow (e.g. by Dragonsblood Pooling an arcane caster level and taking Obtain Familiar-feat) picking Octopus (Stormwrack). Sadly you'd need 3 levels of Wizard to double the bonus with the Elf ability, but we'll make do with +3. Aberration Blood adds +2, Improved Grapple +4. Then you have like...

BAB (20) + Strength (lots, you have +32 Str just from Giant Size and another +6 from Divine Power and can pump it further with Divine Transformation/Draconic Polymorph [Greater Anyspell]/Visage of the Deity and even Ability Enhancer + Bite of the Werebear (though you need Miracle for that)) + 16 Size + 13 Misc bonuses. So with 10 starting strength, assuming none of the other buffs, at least +58. If we add Draconic Polymorph into e.g. Lesser Dusk Giant, our starting strength goes up to 42 (-8 from Giant Size though) so we're looking at 42 + 24 + 6 = 72 Str, which gives us +31. In total 20+31+16+13 = +80. We're 1 point short of the Tarrasque's grapple score. So let's cast Bite of the Werebear (+12 enhancement to Str, eclipsing the +6 from Divine Power), Greater Visage of the Deity (+4 Str) and Holy Transformation (+4 Sacred to Str). That gives us Str of 86 and Grapple-score of +87. Fairly good odds against Big T. Now if you bothered to stack some other buffs you could get Str 100ish and that would suffice for +95. I takes a few other bonuses to hit +100 to ensure you can never lose a grapple-check to Big T (there are bonuses to strength checks and such; a single level of Marshal with all these buffs would suffice for instance).

[PoeticallyPsyco]

The Feral Creature template (Savage Species) doesn't actually give a bonus to your grapple check (beyond +4 STR), but does give a lot of grapple related benefits like Improved Grab on your claws and Rend on people you've grappled. +1 LA.

EDIT: Speaking of Improved Grab and Savage Species, have you considered being an Anthropomorphic Giant Octopus (probably with the Amphibious template from Stormwrack)? 6 primary attack tentacles with reach that can automatically initiate a grapple check on a hit.

[TallerSpine]

You could also just be a Cleric, cast/persist Giant Size (Hero-domain) and Divine Power on level 13 and enjoy your +billion to grapple. Then Anyspell Fearsome Grapple, get a familiar somehow (e.g. by Dragonsblood Pooling an arcane caster level and taking Obtain Familiar-feat) picking Octopus (Stormwrack). Sadly you'd need 3 levels of Wizard to double the bonus with the Elf ability, but we'll make do with +3. Aberration Blood adds +2, Improved Grapple +4. Then you have like...

BAB (20) + Strength (lots, you have +32 Str just from Giant Size and another +6 from Divine Power and can pump it further with Divine Transformation/Draconic Polymorph [Greater Anyspell]/Visage of the Deity and even Ability Enhancer + Bite of the Werebear (though you need Miracle for that)) + 16 Size + 13 Misc bonuses. So with 10 starting strength, assuming none of the other buffs, at least +58. If we add Draconic Polymorph into e.g. Lesser Dusk Giant, our starting strength goes up to 42 (-8 from Giant Size though) so we're looking at 42 + 24 + 6 = 72 Str, which gives us +31. In total 20+31+16+13 = +80. We're 1 point short of the Tarrasque's grapple score. So let's cast Bite of the Werebear (+12 enhancement to Str, eclipsing the +6 from Divine Power), Greater Visage of the Deity (+4 Str) and Holy Transformation (+4 Sacred to Str). That gives us Str of 86 and Grapple-score of +87. Fairly good odds against Big T. Now if you bothered to stack some other buffs you could get Str 100ish and that would suffice for +95. I takes a few other bonuses to hit +100 to ensure you can never lose a grapple-check to Big T (there are bonuses to strength checks and such; a single level of Marshal with all these buffs would suffice for instance).

The Hero Domain is a shaman-only domain. It is from Oriental Adventures, a 3.0 book that was never converted to 3.5. So, a DM would not necessarily allow that. In 3.5, the only way I know to get Giant Size is by being a Wu Jen or having a killer UMD check. The Spirit Shaman (the class most similar to the 3.0 Shaman class) does not get domains.