SoulGrappler (3.5e Optimized Character Build)
Introduction
3e Summary::Fun tank built with soulmelds. Try to reach grapple as high as possible
An other soulmelded build this time with focus on grappling. Generally grappling is not considered so optimal since you can grapple only up to 1 size category larger than you. But especially in low levels it's really fun to play. Also this build is not only focus on grappling but on other aspects.
gollark: Yes.
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gollark: https://pastebin.com/HL0SZhJG
gollark: I can send you my code if it helps?
References
- Magic of Incarmun
- Tome of Battle
- Magic Item Compendium
- Players Handbook
- Unearthed Arcana
- Races of Eberron
- Monster Manual II
Spells, Powers, Soulmelds, Stances, etc...
Important things to note about this build:
- Shiffter to boost your primary claw attacks
- Girallon Arms will give you enormous boost on grappling. Put all possible essentia since it will boost your damage, since it gives you enhancement bonus to your 4 claw attacks and grapple checks.
- Bear Totem Barbarian to give you Improved Grapple.
- Warblade (from Tome of Battle) to give you access to Crushing Weight of the Mountain stance so you can apply constrict damage on grappled foes
- Totem Rage to continue progressing your soulmelding capabilities and gaining access to more essentia.
- Finally Kraken Mantle/ Open Lesser Chakra(Arms) will give you an extra boost to grapple.
Items
The main item to boost you grapple is Gloves of the Titan Grip from Magic Item Compendium. The good thing is that it gives you enhancement bonus whereas Girallon Arms gives you competence, so they do stack. On the other hand Kraken Mantle does not state the type of bonuses so I am not 100% sure if they stack. Also Magic of Incarnum does not exactly state the type of damage it does. Most probably it's constrict so it does stack with Crushing Weight of the Mountain since you can have only one constrict damage. Finally Spiked/Razored armor will deal a bit more damage for just 50gp.
Progression
Final Class Progression 3e Final Class Progression::Totemist 2/Bear Totem Barbarian 3/WarBlade 5/Totem Rager 10
Starting Ability Scores (Before Racial Adjustments): Strength will always boost your grappling ability so is the number one ability. The rest will be as distributed as a any melee character.
Race (Templates): For this build I have been using Shifter (razorclaws). It boosts yous claw attacks, adds a second attack on charge, gives you the ability to use snatch, boost in strength/dexterity.
Starting Racial Traits: My starting stats are
- str 14
- dex 16
- con 14
- int 8
- wis 13
- cha 9
| ECL | Class/HD/LA | Base Attack Bonus |
Saving Throws | Feats | Class Features |
Soulmelds | Essentia | Chakra Binds | Initiator Level | Maneuvers | Stances | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort | Ref | Will | |||||||||||
| 1st | Totemist 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | Razorclaw Elite | Wild empathy, illiteracy | 2(Wormtail Belt,Lammasu Mantle) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2nd | Totemist 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | - | Totem chakra bind (+1 capacity) | 3 (Wormtail Belt,Lammasu Mantle,Girallon Arms) | 2 (all in girallon arms) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 3rd | Totemist 2/Bear Totem Barbarian 1 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 0 | Snatch | rage 1/day,Toughness | 3 (Wormtail Belt,Lammasu Mantle,Girallon Arms) | 2 (all in girallon arms) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 4th | Totemist 2/Bear Totem Barbarian 2 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 0 | - | Improved Grapple | 3 (Wormtail Belt,Lammasu Mantle,Girallon Arms) | 2 (all in girallon arms) | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 5th | Totemist 2/Bear Totem Barbarian 2/WarBlade 1 | 4 | 8 | 3 | 0 | - | Battle clarity (Reflex saves), weapon aptitude | 3 (Wormtail Belt,Lammasu Mantle,Girallon Arms) | 2 (all in girallon arms) | 1 | 3 | 3(Moment of Perfect Mind (1),Battle Leader's Charge (2),Wall of Blades (2)) | 1 (Punishing Stance) |
| 6th | Totemist 2/Bear Totem Barbarian 2/WarBlade 2 | 5 | 9 | 3 | 0 | Cobalt Rage(6th) | Uncanny dodge | 3 (Wormtail Belt,Lammasu Mantle,Girallon Arms) | 3 (all in girallon arms) | 1 | 4 | 3(Moment of Perfect Mind (1),Battle Leader's Charge (2),Wall of Blades (2)) | 1 (Punishing Stance) |
| 7th | Totemist 2/Bear Totem Barbarian 2/WarBlade 3 | 6 | 9 | 4 | 1 | - | Battle ardor (critical confirmation) | 3 (Wormtail Belt,Lammasu Mantle,Girallon Arms) | 3 (all in girallon arms) | 1 | 5 | 3(Moment of Perfect Mind (1),Battle Leader's Charge (2),Lion's Roar (3)) | 1 (Punishing Stance) |
| 8th | Totemist 2/Bear Totem Barbarian 2/WarBlade 4 | 7 | 10 | 4 | 1 | - | - | 3 (Wormtail Belt,Lammasu Mantle,Girallon Arms) | 3 (all in girallon arms) | 1 | 6 | 4(Moment of Perfect Mind (1),Battle Leader's Charge (2),Lion's Roar (3),Wall of Blades (2)) | 2 (Punishing Stance,Crushing Weight of the Mountain) |
| 9th | Totemist 2/Bear Totem Barbarian 2/WarBlade 5 | 8 | 10 | 4 | 1 | Shifter Savagery | Bonus Feat(Combat Reflexes) | 3 (Wormtail Belt,Lammasu Mantle,Girallon Arms) | 3 (all in girallon arms) | 1 | 7 | 4(Moment of Perfect Mind (1),Battle Leader's Charge (2),Lion's Roar (3),Lightning Recovery (4)) | 2 (Punishing Stance,Crushing Weight of the Mountain) |
| 10th | Totemist 2/Bear Totem Barbarian 2/WarBlade 5/Totem Rager 1 | 8 | 12 | 6 | 1 | - | Totem rage | 3 (Wormtail Belt,Lammasu Mantle,Girallon Arms) | 3 (all in girallon arms)(+1 when raging) | 1 | 7 | 4(Moment of Perfect Mind (1),Battle Leader's Charge (2),Lion's Roar (3),Lightning Recovery (4)) | 2 (Punishing Stance,Crushing Weight of the Mountain) |
| 11th | Totemist 2/Bear Totem Barbarian 2/WarBlade 5/Totem Rager 2 | 9 | 13 | 7 | 1 | - | Extra rage (2/day total) | 3 (Wormtail Belt,Lammasu Mantle,Girallon Arms) | 3 (all in girallon arms)(+1 when raging) | 1 | 8 | 4(Moment of Perfect Mind (1),Battle Leader's Charge (2),Lion's Roar (3),Lightning Recovery (4)) | 2 (Punishing Stance,Crushing Weight of the Mountain) |
| 12th | Totemist 2/Bear Totem Barbarian 2/WarBlade 5/Totem Rager 3 | 10 | 13 | 7 | 2 | Shifter Multiattack | Damage reduction 1/— | 4 (Wormtail Belt,Lammasu Mantle,Girallon Arms,Dread Carapace) | 4 (all in girallon arms)(+2 when raging) | 1 | 8 | 4(Moment of Perfect Mind (1),Battle Leader's Charge (2),Lion's Roar (3),Lightning Recovery (4)) | 2 (Punishing Stance,Crushing Weight of the Mountain) |
| 13th | Totemist 2/Bear Totem Barbarian 2/WarBlade 5/Totem Rager 4 | 11 | 14 | 8 | 2 | - | Chakra binds (crown, feet, hands) | 4 (Wormtail Belt,Lammasu Mantle,Girallon Arms,Dread Carapace) | 4 (all in girallon arms)(+2 when raging) | 2 | 9 | 4(Moment of Perfect Mind (1),Battle Leader's Charge (2),Lion's Roar (3),Lightning Recovery (4)) | 2 (Punishing Stance,Crushing Weight of the Mountain) |
| 14th | Totemist 2/Bear Totem Barbarian 2/WarBlade 5/Totem Rager 5 | 11 | 14 | 8 | 2 | -) | Extended rage | 4 (Wormtail Belt,Lammasu Mantle,Girallon Arms,Dread Carapace) | 5 (4 in girallon arms)(+3 when raging) | 2 | 9 | 4(Moment of Perfect Mind (1),Battle Leader's Charge (2),Lion's Roar (3),Lightning Recovery (4)) | 2 (Punishing Stance,Crushing Weight of the Mountain) |
| 15th | Totemist 2/Bear Totem Barbarian 2/WarBlade 5/Totem Rager 6 | 12 | 15 | 9 | 3 | Extra Shifter Trait(Longtooth) | - | 4 (Wormtail Belt,Lammasu Mantle,Girallon Arms,Dread Carapace) | 5 (4 in girallon arms)(+3 when raging) | 2 | 10 | 4(Moment of Perfect Mind (1),Battle Leader's Charge (2),Lion's Roar (3),Lightning Recovery (4)) | 2 (Punishing Stance,Crushing Weight of the Mountain) |
| 16th | Totemist 2/Bear Totem Barbarian 2/WarBlade 5/Totem Rager 7 | 13 | 15 | 9 | 3 | - | Damage reduction 2/— | 5 (Wormtail Belt,Lammasu Mantle,Girallon Arms,Dread Carapace) | 6 (4 in girallon arms)(+4 when raging) | 2 | 10 | 4(Moment of Perfect Mind (1),Battle Leader's Charge (2),Lion's Roar (3),Lightning Recovery (4)) | 2 (Punishing Stance,Crushing Weight of the Mountain) |
| 17th | Totemist 2/Bear Totem Barbarian 2/WarBlade 5/Totem Rager 8 | 14 | 16 | 10 | 3 | - | Extra rage (3/day total) | 5 (Wormtail Belt,Lammasu Mantle,Girallon Arms,Dread Carapace) | 6 (5 in girallon arms)(+4 when raging) | 2 | 11 | 4(Moment of Perfect Mind (1),Battle Leader's Charge (2),Lion's Roar (3),Lightning Recovery (4)) | 2 (Punishing Stance,Crushing Weight of the Mountain) |
| 18th | Totemist 2/Bear Totem Barbarian 2/WarBlade 5/Totem Rager 9 | 14 | 16 | 10 | 4 | Bonus Essentia(2) | Chakra binds ( arms, brow, shoulders) | 5 (Wormtail Belt,Lammasu Mantle,Girallon Arms,kraken mantle,Dread Carapace) | 9 (5 in girallon arms)(+5 when raging) | 3 | 11 | 4(Moment of Perfect Mind (1),Battle Leader's Charge (2),Lion's Roar (3),Lightning Recovery (4)) | 2 (Punishing Stance,Crushing Weight of the Mountain) |
| 19th | Totemist 2/Bear Totem Barbarian 2/WarBlade 5/Totem Rager 10 | 15 | 17 | 11 | 4 | - | Totem chakra bind (+2 capacity) | 6 (Wormtail Belt,Lammasu Mantle,Girallon Arms,kraken mantle,Dread Carapace) | 10 (6 in girallon arms)(+5 when raging) | 3 | 12 | 4(Moment of Perfect Mind (1),Battle Leader's Charge (2),Lion's Roar (3),Lightning Recovery (4)) | 2 (Punishing Stance,Crushing Weight of the Mountain) |
| 20th | Totemist 2/Bear Totem Barbarian 3/WarBlade 5/Totem Rager 10 | 16 | 17(+2gf) | 12 | 5 | - | Great Fortitude | 6 (Wormtail Belt,Lammasu Mantle,Girallon Arms,kraken mantle,Dread Carapace) | 10 (6 in girallon arms)(+5 when raging) | 3 | 12 | 4(Moment of Perfect Mind (1),Battle Leader's Charge (2),Lion's Roar (3),Lightning Recovery (4)) | 2 (Punishing Stance,Crushing Weight of the Mountain) |
Highlights
Let's do the math at level 20
- BAB:16
- Strength modifier + 2(from rage)+1 from shifting
- +4 improved grapple
- Girallon Arms: +2 base +2x6(essentia)=+14
- Kraken Mantle: +4 (and 50 ft swim speed!!!)
- Gloves of the Titan Grip: +8
- ...
- Total:49+strength modifier
in my case with a +6 item (total strength would be 18+6=24):+56 on grapple
Munchkin-Size Me
- Use Powerful build race (Goliath etc)
- Have someone cast you enlarge person so as to get an other +4 and be able to grapple huge creatures
- Squeeze in 2 more levels of Totem Barbarian for an other +4 (most probably going Warblade 3 but nowhere states that you can change somehow your known stance to an other)
Side Notes
One more feat to consider Rapidstrike which requires 10 BAB.
Limitations
- Big creatures can not be grappled
- Very low (+5 in 20 is not good) will saves, but you have some ways to boost it, since you have Moment of Perfect Mind when not raging and some boost while raging (+2 from rage +4 from cobalt rage)
DM Counters
Huge of larger Creatures which can't be grappled
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