[3.5, PEACH] Turning the Barbarian into a Drunken Master with ACFs

[playswithfire]

So, a while back, I saw a bunch of Drunken Master threads and it got me thinking that
1 - the current drunken master is pretty weak
2 - barbarians should be able to be drunken masters
so, I started thinking about alternative class features that would let that happen, while making each individual ACF make sense on its own. Below is the result. Comments sought and welcome.

First, a new Barbarian totem:

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Gorilla Totem Class Features
A barbarian dedicated to the gorilla totem does not gain the standard fast movement, uncanny dodge, and improved uncanny dodge barbarian class features, and instead gains the following abilities.
A 1st level gorilla-totem barbarian gains Improved Unarmed Strike as a bonus feat and gains a +1 bonus on damage rolls with his unarmed strikes.
At 2nd level, a gorilla-totem barbarian gains Superior Unarmed Strike as a bonus feat, even if he doesn't meet the normal prerequisites.
Beginning at 5th level, a gorilla-totem barbarian's unarmed strike damage increases by one size category when he is raging.

Then, a new alternative to trap sense

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Improvisation Alternative Class Feature
Most rogues and barbarians are adept at seeing the danger inherent in the seemingly inconspicuous appearance of a well-hidden trap. There are some, however, who use this ability offensively to see the lethality hidden in seemingly commonplace items. Those with the latter ability are never caught unprepared, as they can find a weapon wherever they may be.
Class: Barbarian or Rogue
Level: 3rd
Special Requirement: Craft(trapmaking) 3 ranks
Replaces: You do not gain the trap sense class feature (or any later improvements to that class feature).
Benefit: Beginning at third level, you do not take a penalty on attack rolls when attacking with an improvised weapon and become increasingly skilled at using them. An improvised weapon you wield does d4 damage at 3rd level. This damage increases by one die size every three barbarian or rogue levels thereafter (to d6 at 6th level, d8 at 9th level, and so on to a maximum of d12 at 15th level). If you have the Improved Unarmed Strike feat, the improvised weapons do damage equal to that listed above plus your unarmed strike damage and you may deal nonlethal damage with blunt improvised weapons with no penalty on the attack roll.

Finally, a new Rage variant (the only one explicitly involving being drunk)

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Rage Variant: Drunken Haze
A barbarian with this variant form of rage doesn’t gain the normal bonuses and penalty when he enters a rage. Instead, when a barbarian with drunken haze enters a rage, he temporarily gains a +4 bonus to Strength and a +4 bonus to Charisma, but takes a -2 penalty on Reflex saves. While in a drunken haze, the barbarian can take additional drinks of an alcoholic beverage as a move action. Each drink consumed in this way reduces the barbarian's Intelligence and Widsom scores by 2 points each, but increases his Strength or Charisma (character's choice) by 2 points. He may benefit from a number of drinks equal to half his barbarian level, rounded down.
Drunken haze is otherwise identical to the standard barbarian rage in all other ways. At 11th level (when a standard barbarian gains greater rage), the Strength and Charisma bonuses increas to +6. At 20th level (when a standard barbarian gains mighty rage), the Strength and Charisma bonuses increase to +8. A barbarian using this variant doesn’t gain indomitable will at 14th level. Instead, he gains a +4 bonus to Fortitude saves, but only while in a drunken haze. A character can't use drunken haze at the same time that he uses any other form of rage (or similar ability).

These three all used together, along with the Cityscape Streetfighter ACF, make a pretty convincing Drunken Master, I feel (and replace every class feature except illiteracy).

[playswithfire]

OK, 24 hours with no feedback, so I'll trim back on the request for comments and focus on just the new totem:

Gorilla Totem Class Features
A barbarian dedicated to the gorilla totem does not gain the standard fast movement, uncanny dodge, and improved uncanny dodge barbarian class features, and instead gains the following abilities.
A 1st level gorilla-totem barbarian gains Improved Unarmed Strike as a bonus feat and gains a +1 bonus on damage rolls with his unarmed strikes.
At 2nd level, a gorilla-totem barbarian gains Superior Unarmed Strike as a bonus feat, even if he doesn't meet the normal prerequisites.
Beginning at 5th level, a gorilla-totem barbarian's unarmed strike damage increases by one size category when he is raging.

The end result is a barbarian who normally does the unarmed strike damage of a Small monk and, while raging, does the damage of a Medium monk and seemed like a nice option for barbarians who prefer to tear things apart with their bare hands rather than a sword. In terms of balance, I was using the Bear totem as an example of balance. At 2nd level, it gives you a feat you likely don't meet the prereqs for and improves the efficacy of the ability used in the feat while raging at 5th.

So, the two questions are: is this balanced? is this a reasonable/flavorful ACF for a barbarian?

[Melamoto]

I like it. I've always thought it was a bit silly that barbarians didn't have unarmed options (Apart from some obscure PrC), and that alcoholic combat really suited them more than monks.

The Gorilla Totem looks good to me. Improvisation feels just a little...weak? It doesn't really give much of a noticeable benefit compared to just fighting unarmed. Although I do admit it's probably on par with Trap Sense.

As for Drunken Haze: Are you sure you didn't mean Strength and Constitution? I can't see much use a raging barbarian would have for charisma. Also, I think at some point the bonuses gained from drinking should improve, without increasing the penalties. Otherwise drinking in combat seems to become more and more obsolete as you get to higher levels.

[playswithfire]

I like it. I've always thought it was a bit silly that barbarians didn't have unarmed options (Apart from some obscure PrC), and that alcoholic combat really suited them more than monks.

The Gorilla Totem looks good to me.

Thanks.

Improvisation feels just a little...weak? It doesn't really give much of a noticeable benefit compared to just fighting unarmed. Although I do admit it's probably on par with Trap Sense.

Yeah, I didn't want to make the ability too strong, since trap sense isn't all that great to begin with. It has limited usefulness in the "you've been captured or had your gear stolen" scenario. Or, if fight breaks out in a restaurant, you can use a stack of plates as thrown improvised weapons, which is probably the more useful case; find a stack (or deck) of anything and they become moderately useful weapons.

As for Drunken Haze: Are you sure you didn't mean Strength and Constitution? I can't see much use a raging barbarian would have for charisma. Also, I think at some point the bonuses gained from drinking should improve, without increasing the penalties. Otherwise drinking in combat seems to become more and more obsolete as you get to higher levels.

No, I meant charisma; seemed thematic that a drunken barbarian would get a bump to intimidate and bluff, among other things. Admittedly, a straight Barbarian 20 wouldn't have much use for it, though the Force of Personality feat would make it of some benefit. And it could be useful for a Battle Dancer/Barbarian, a Bardbarian or a Paladin of Freedom/Slaughter/Barbarian.

I'll have to think about increasing the benefits of drinking in combat over time. I wrote it the way it is based on how the current Drunken Master works, but I forgot that when a drunken master drinks, the benefits of that drink last for a number of rounds starting from the time of drink. As I have it, the drinks stop working at the end of the haze, regardless of when during the haze they are consumed. Some sort of rewrite is definitely needed.

Thanks for the feedback