4e strangling bugbear build.

[YPU]

A build I’m hoping to use in my next game, (I’m not dm’ing for once) is the strangler bugbear rogue. Making use of a large garrote and the garrote feats. The obvious choice for a secondary weapon would be a shuriken, as combining rogue and large makes it a d8 weapon. (this does stack, right?)

The game will start at lvl 11, standard build. I got as far as improved grab and all the garrote feats, other than that is somewhat stuck. What powers and other feats would work good with this build?

[randomhero00]

I think I'm missing the obvious. Why a strangling bugbear?

[cupkeyk]

Look up the grapple fighter in mp2. That's the equivalent of the strangling bugbear in mm. they even have a level 10 utility power that lets them have a creature they are grappling become the new target of an attack that was originally targeting them.

EDIT: replace grappling with grabbed. lolz. 3.5 brain in the morning.

[YPU]

I think I'm missing the obvious. Why a strangling bugbear?

The only creature in the mm that uses a garotte. ;p , but seriously it’s a campaign about the dark underbelly of a large fantasy city, the rest of the party imagines him a bit like a bugbear hitman, ie the rogue part. I hadn’t even thought of the grab fighter. But would that do enough damage by itself, I mean a rogue could probably do SA damage each round on a pinned down enemy this way, very nice against artillery etz.

[Faleldir]

With a STR/DEX race, a hybrid grab&stab build should be easy. Take Vicious Advantage as your first feat, HT: Brawler Style as your second. High STR means you can take Deft Blade and retrain Piercing Strike at level 11. The loss of Brutal Scoundrel hurts, but you get more control powers.

[cupkeyk]

The only creature in the mm that uses a garotte. ;p , but seriously it’s a campaign about the dark underbelly of a large fantasy city, the rest of the party imagines him a bit like a bugbear hitman, ie the rogue part. I hadn’t even thought of the grab fighter. But would that do enough damage by itself, I mean a rogue could probably do SA damage each round on a pinned down enemy this way, very nice against artillery etz.

and the mm pic is a chick bugbear too. lolz. freaky.

Its hard deciding between rogue and grab fighter.

fighters get that utility power which emulates the bugbear strangler but rogues get that knockout power where they go unconscious with sustains.

[Thajocoth]

Unfortunately, there's not a whole lot for a grab-centered build. Take backstabber to upgrade from d6s to d8s for your sneak attack dice. Take powers that give you CA.

[tbarrie]

Look up the grapple fighter in mp2. That's the equivalent of the strangling bugbear in mm. they even have a level 10 utility power that lets them have a creature they are grappling become the new target of an attack that was originally targeting them.

Mind, anybody who takes the Garrote Expert feat from Dragon 373 can do the same.

[Thajocoth]

Mind, anybody who takes the Garrote Expert feat from Dragon 373 can do the same.

Having more powers that do it means doing it more often.

[YPU]

The point of the fighter build is to slam the grabbed creature around here and there and deal weapon damage. Afterwards. The downside here is that a garrote, even large, only deals 1d6. On the other hand, with garrote training you gain combat advantage, so that means wailing away with sneak attack, which could be d8’s and ad strength in there with brutal scoundrel.

The problem that is left is that I am somewhat unsure of what to do with power selection beyond that gained from the garotte feats. The garrote feat allows a garrote to be treated as a light blade for rogue powers so pretty much everything is available, but I am not sure what would be a good idea.

Also, pinning garrote, double dead or overkill on immobilizing?