Ursa Major (3.5e Optimized Character Build)
Introduction
Ursa was a dwarf monk who lived deep in the great northern mountains. One day, when he was on a mission to find a rare flower that could be used for the sick in the southern dwarf kingdoms, an avalanche caused a tunnel to collapse and he was cut off from his monastery.
As he journeyed through the endless tunnels inside the northern mountains, he ran low on food and water. He became dizzy and fell down a rocky slope into a cave. A black bear, hibernating in the cave, awoke to the sound of the crashing rocks. When he righted himself, the bear was charging towards him. In what was clearly luck, Ursa was able to defeat the bear by wrestling it down. He did not kill it, however, and it was that act that had the gods smile on Ursa. He found his way outside the mountains and learned to hunt for food and fend for his own in the icy forests and mountains.
Though the bear was still a feral creature, Ursa showed respect for what it represented to him, and it in turn came to respect his place in the mountains.
Eventually the bear died of old age and its spirit joined Ursa's spirit.
References
- SRD (Monk, Barbarian, Ranger)
- Races of Stone (Deepwarden, Reckless Rage)
- Complete Champion (Fist of the Forest)
- Complete Warrior (Warshaper, Bear Warrior)
- Frost Burn (Frostrager)
- Dungeonscape (Ranger variant - trade Track for trapfinding)
- PH2 (Monk Overwhelming Attack variant)
Game Rule Components
Progression
- Elite array (Before Racial Adjustments): Str 13 Dex 8 Con 15 Int 12 Wis 14 Cha 10
- 25 point-buy (Before Racial Adjustments): Str 14 Dex 8 Con 17 Int 8 Wis 14 Cha 8
Race (Templates): Dwarf
- Elite array (After Racial Adjustments): Str 13 Dex 8 Con 17 Int 12 Wis 14 Cha 8
- 25 point-buy (After Racial Adjustments): Str 14 Dex 8 Con 19 Int 8 Wis 14 Cha 6
| ECL | Class/HD/LA | Base Attack Bonus |
Saving Throws | Feats | Class Features |
Special | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort | Ref | Will | ||||||
| 1st | Monk 1 | +0 | +2 | +2 | +2 | Power Attack, Improved Unarmed Strike, Great Fortitude | Flurry of blows, Monk AC bonus | |
| 2nd | Monk 2 | +1 | +3 | +3 | +3 | Improved Bull Rush | Evasion | |
| 3rd | Barbarian 1 | +2 | +5 | +3 | +3 | Endurance | Rage, Trade fast movement for Pounce (Complete Champion Lion Totem) | |
| 4th | Ranger 1 | +3 | +7 | +5 | +3 | Favored Enemy, Wild Empathy, Trapfinding | +1 con | |
| 5th | Ranger 2 | +4 | +8 | +6 | +3 | Two Weapon Fighting | ||
| 6th | Fist of the Forest 1 | +5 | +10 | +8 | +3 | Extra Rage | AC bonus, Fast Movement, Feral Trance 1/day, Primal Living, Unarmed Damage Boost | |
| 7th | Deepwarden 1 | +6 | +12 | +8 | +5 | Track | Trap Sense + 1 | |
| 8th | Deepwarden 2 | +7 | +13 | +8 | +6 | Stone Warden (Con to AC) | +1 con | |
| 9th | Fist of the Forest 2 | +8 | +14 | +9 | +6 | Frozen Berserker | Uncanny Dodge, Untamed Strike | |
| 10th | Fist of the Forest 3 | +9 | +14 | +9 | +7 | Feral Trance 2/day, Scent, Unarmed Damage | ||
| 11th | Frostrager 1 | +10 | +16 | +9 | +7 | Frostrage, Freezing Blood | ||
| 12th | Frostrager 2 | +11 | +17 | +9 | +7 | Superior Unarmed Strike | One-two Punch | +1 con |
| 13th | Frostrager 3 | +12 | +17 | +10 | +8 | Absorb Cold | ||
| 14th | Frostrager 4 | +13 | +18 | +10 | +8 | Improved Frostrage | ||
| 15th | Frostrager 5 | +14 | +18 | +10 | +8 | Improved Natural Attack (unarmed) | Rend | |
| 16th | Bear Warrior 1 | +15 | +20 | +10 | +8 | Change into a black bear on rage (+8 bonus to Strength, a +2 bonus to Dexterity, and a +4 bonus to Constitution) | +1 con | |
| 17th | Warshaper 1 | +15 | +22 | +10 | +8 | Morphic Immunities, Morphic Weapons | ||
| 18th | Warshaper 2 | +16 | +23 | +10 | +8 | Reckless Rage | Morphic Body | |
| 19th | Warshaper 3 | +17 | +23 | +11 | +9 | Morphic Reach | ||
| 20th | Warshaper 4 | +18 | +24 | +11 | +9 | Morphic Healing | +1 con | |
- Still need to review Fist of the Forest, Bear Warrior, and Warshaper
Other Components
- Overwhelming attack Monk variant
- Spiritual lion totem Barbarian variant
- Trapfinding trade for track Ranger variant
Highlights
AC
Ursa is a great melee fighter. He gets Wisdom to AC from monk and Con to AC from both Deepwarden (instead of Dex) and Fist of the Forest.
Using the elite array given, he will have a base AC (no items) of: 10 + 8 (Con) + 8 (Con) + 2 (Wis) = 28
In a rage: 10 + 11 (Con) + 11 (Con) + 2 (Wis) + 6 Natural -4 (raging) = 36
With two +5 tomes and two +6 stat boosting items to Con and Wis: 10 + 13 Con + 13 Con + 7 Wis = 43
In a rage: 10 + 16 Con + 16 Con + 7 Wis + 6 Natural -4 raging = 51
Attacks
- +18/+13/+8/+3 BAB
- +21/+16/+11/+6 after strength... Not very spectacular yet (assuming elite array 17 Strength)
- +10 strength raging
In progress...
Munchkin-Size Me
<- Take it to the next level ->
= Side Notes
you have alignment issues with being a monk (lawful only) and barbarian (chaotic)
I'll let the author edit these both out. I'll only rebut what you have to say. Monks can become chaotic with no loss of class features; they just can't continue as a monk. He doesn't attempt to pick up more monk levels later, and thus his build is valid.
Limitations
The monk bonus feats are limited to specific selections at each increment. The start of the build would not work unless your DM specifically allows for the variations.
DM Counters
<- If needed, tricks for the DM (provided they allow this build) to keep the abuse to a minimum. ->
Miscellaneous
<- Any other side notes that don't fit in the above sections. ->
Credits
Thanks to Summerscythe for the suggestion of Bear Warrior and Warshaper for the final 5 levels.
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