Bloodhound optimization

[true_shinken]

Hello, guys.
As I said in another thread before, a new player has joined my group recently. As discussed in aforementioned thread, I suggested him play a dragonfire adept or warlock. He had a concept in mind, though - a vagabond bounty hunter, like Sanosuke Sagara from Rurouni Kenshin. Flipping though a few books, we found the Bloodhound prestige class and it seemed perfect for a bounty hunter type. He chose hengeyokai (dog) as a race, going with the hound theme. For the first levels, since there are alreayd rangers and barbarians in the party, he wanted to use fighter. We fixed him a character sheet on the fly just for the session and there wasn't any combat.
So, I want the playground's help in optimizing his character so that he does not feel left behind. He told me to change anything I thought should be changed, as long as he remained a hengeyokai Fighter/Bloodhound with this stats: Str 16, Dex 16, Con 15, Int 14, Wis 10, Cha 12.
Oh, he is a level 10 character. And other people in the party wanted him to do a lockdown build, which he agreed to.
I was thinking on using the Thug fighter variant for this, since Bloodhound is heavy on the skill side. Any thoughts on this?

[9mm]

I prefer Justicar (CW) for bounty hunters over bloodhound personaly (Bloodhound is focused on finding the bad guys, Justicar is focused on the capture part), but it comes down to taste. However thug fighter doesn't do lockdown all that well, but standard get reach, get big, trip+standstill will be possible. 1st expertise, 3rd trip, 6, stand sitll, 9, knockdown or something else like PA. assuming tripping lockdown.

also: consider Pally over Fighter all togeather, I think Ranger works best for this concept personaly (and thanks to some judicital aplication of Dragon mag more adept at lockdown) but pally would not step on toes, give most of the skills If Pathfinder material is allowed look up inquisitor from the APGor it's beta.

[Adumbration]

Note that many of the Bloodhound's abilities require a mark to work, which makes it quite circumstential. You might consider removing the necessity of a mark - or make sure your player has access to depictions of most of your BBEGs.

[Amphetryon]

I prefer Justicar (CW) for bounty hunters over bloodhound personaly (Bloodhound is focused on finding the bad guys, Justicar is focused on the capture part), but it comes down to taste. However thug fighter doesn't do lockdown all that well, but standard get reach, get big, trip+standstill will be possible. 1st expertise, 3rd trip, 6, stand sitll, 9, knockdown or something else like PA. assuming tripping lockdown.

also: consider Pally over Fighter all togeather, I think Ranger works best for this concept personaly (and thanks to some judicital aplication of Dragon mag more adept at lockdown) but pally would not step on toes, give most of the skills If Pathfinder material is allowed look up inquisitor from the APGor it's beta.

Ranger works best, and it is possible to combine Justiciar and Bloodhound in the same build; the requirements aren't that onerous.

There are better classes out there, but if this fits his concept, good luck to him.

[true_shinken]

Ranger works best, and it is possible to combine Justiciar and Bloodhound in the same build; the requirements aren't that onerous.

There are better classes out there, but if this fits his concept, good luck to him.

Thing is, there is already a Ranger in the group and the player does not want to go with the same class.
Paladin simply does not fit the fluff and he is quite set on Fighter/Bloodhound. But thanks for all the suggestions regarding feats.

[Amphetryon]

Don't suppose you could interest him in splashing a class with precision damage?

[Coidzor]

Psi War, maybe?

[Cog]

Psi War, maybe?

Not with 10 Wisdom locked in.

Hm. Does he like the idea of fighter feats? The feat-rogue might do nicely.

[Pechvarry]

I know it costs you 2 levels of Bloodhound but... Scout for a change of pace?

[Machiavellian]

I know it costs you 2 levels of Bloodhound but... Scout for a change of pace?

Scout, comboed with Urban Tracking.

Racially, Shifter is a nice touch, since I belive one of the types allows you to gain "scent" as an ability. So Urban Tracking, Scent, Bloodhound, and Justicar sounds like the "Ultimate Tracker" idea. ICoE, 2 levels of prestige ranger (if ur DM would allow it) would give you all of the ranger's nicest abilities for low cost (a dip into Druid)

[true_shinken]

Scout, comboed with Urban Tracking.

Racially, Shifter is a nice touch, since I belive one of the types allows you to gain "scent" as an ability.

Dog hengeyokai has scent. Thug can get Urban Tracking as a bonus feat, I believe.

So Urban Tracking, Scent, Bloodhound, and Justicar sounds like the "Ultimate Tracker" idea. ICoE, 2 levels of prestige ranger (if ur DM would allow it) would give you all of the ranger's nicest abilities for low cost (a dip into Druid)

I'm the DM, and I'm not allowing prestige ranger. Since I have ranger as a base class in my game, I see no reason to allow it. Also, there are no druids in my world (their roles being covered by spirit shamans, adepts and rangers, mostly).

About the suggestions for Justiciar: I think Justiciar is better when it comes to trading blows, since it gets a bonus to nonlethal damage, but the class fluff does not fit (yes, and I do care about the fluff), requirements are steeper and in this group there is no way that little added d6s are going to matter, damage-wise - there is a Sorcerer going around with Arcane Thesis Scorching Ray and Wings of Flurry, a Lion Totem Barbarian and two TWFighting precision-damage-dealers (a Rogue/Swashbuckler/Invisible Blade and a Mystic Ranger/Assassin/Jade Phoenix Mage).
So, I'm thinking this guy won't be allow to grab the damage spotlight at all - but he seemed interested in a lockdown build.

However thug fighter doesn't do lockdown all that well, but standard get reach, get big, trip+standstill will be possible. 1st expertise, 3rd trip, 6, stand sitll, 9, knockdown or something else like PA. assuming tripping lockdown.

The 'getting big' part will be hard, the player didn't want Warshaper because he didn't want to 'look weird' (even though he is already a hybrid of dog and man... I mean, wtf?). I like your feat suggestions; I'll show him that plus Combat Reflexes. Sidestep would be awesome, but damn those requirements.

also: consider Pally over Fighter all togeather, I think Ranger works best for this concept personaly (and thanks to some judicital aplication of Dragon mag more adept at lockdown) but pally would not step on toes, give most of the skills If Pathfinder material is allowed look up inquisitor from the APGor it's beta.

Both Inquisitor and Paladin don't fit the 'martial' (borrowing from 4e) feel the player wants. My first suggestion was Paladin, but he didn't want it.

Also, any help with equipment would be greatly appreciated.