Barbarian assistence?

[Dawnmor]

I think this is the most complicated build I ever made, I had to scrunch in as much as I could as I think I would have only 9 levels to work with.  ECL 10, but I bought a level off.  Which gives me a +1 LA now.

Fighter 2/Barb 2/Deepwarden 2/Fist of the Forest 1/Bear Warrior 1/Warshaper 1.  I dont know the BAB but I think im looking at around +8/+3, Not sure what else to do to make this character good, but I do know is that the character seems complicated to say the least.  I like simple but in order to fulfil my role in the group Simple wont do.

BTW: The Stub for the classes isnt in exact order just to let you know.

Str 40 (+4 Feral, +2 Mineral Warrior, + 8 Bear Warrior, +8 Buffs)
Dex 16 (-2 Feral, +2 Bear Warrior, +4 Buffs)
Con 38 (+2 Feral, +4 Mineral Warrior, +4 Bear Warrior, +8 Buffs, +2 Ability Buffs)
Int 14 (-4 Feral, -2 Mineral Warrior, +4 Buffs)
Wis 20 (+2 Feral, -2 Mineral Warrior, 4 Buffs)
Cha 18 (-2 Mineral Warrior, +4 Buffs)

2 Claws, 2d6 (+15 Str Mod, + 18 Inspire Courage)
Bite (unknown)

Flaws: Noncombative
          ((The one that drops Fort -3))

Feats: Power Attack, Extra rage, Great Fort, Imp. Unarmed Strike, Cleave, Great Cleave, Imp. Natural attack, Endurance.

3/day Rage

Mithril Fullplate (Soulfire), Our DM loves Death effect spells and monsters.
Monks Belt
Ring of Sustence

AC: 10 (+10 NA, +14 Deep warden, +14 Fist of the Forest, +5 Wis) = 53

I havent done the skills didnt feel they were important right now.  I am trying to build a Tank that can do insane damage in melee as well as the group doesnt have a Tank.  They have a Healer, Kreen Blender, Bard, (Paladin that isnt there atm), And a druid that doesnt exactly know how to be a druid.

So I get the role as Tank or Blaster (VIA Sorcerer), but I figured I would try to keep with this Tank/DPSer.

HP isnt important either, suffice it to say that with buffs I have a couple hundred HP at lvl 9, YAY! big rolls!.  But I am 90% sure ill stick with this but if I dont then ill go to my alternate plan.  Which is Sorcerer who is one with the Force .

[Tr011]

[Dawnmor]

What LA is a half minotaur or better yet where is it?.

Also on further consideration, I may drop Barbarian, drop bear warrior which means drop warshaper.  Instead Grab Monk for a few levels, keep with Mineral warrior and I took feral because well, Pounce, Rake, Fast healing, 2d6 damage per claw with Improved Natural attack.

But then I would loose Improved Uncanny dodge due to Fist of the Forest getting it at level 2, and Barb gets it at lvl 2.  So wouldnt it be better to get Con up ASAP to improve my AC? or should I try to boost my con and get improved uncanny dodge so I can not become flat footed and still get my Con to AC 2x?.

Also.....With the Monk and I do flurry, wouldnt I get my claw attacks PLUS my Unarmed strike attacks too?.

I should also note that I am taking the Dungeon Crasher Alternate class feature from Dungeon Scape.  To get more damage out of a charge.  The Idea I am trying to do is pretty much make myself as untouchable as I can with a Level 8 character with an LA +1 still present, due to one of the LA being bought off. 

So the more untouchable AC And flat footed wise is better, or atleast I believe it is.  Not to mention I am trying to kill one of these skeleton Vrock abomination creatures that the DM loves to use to get insane XP for defeating one.  So far we havent defeated one yet.

Also due to the Monk needing no armor, which is fine because of the fact that Mineral warrior gives me DR, plus my con to AC 2x is insanely useful.  I wouldnt mind getting Saint to boost my AC 2x due to wis but my wis isnt high enough even if combined 2x and the stats from Saint doesnt really help me much specially in the Str region of things, but it does boost my Wis and Con by a marginal amount.

[Rebel7284]

Half Minotaur is in dragon 313 and is LA +1.  As written is also gives you additional Str/Con just for the size increase as described in the monster manual.  Most SANE DMs drop that part to avoid +12 Str for +1 LA. =)

[Dawnmor]

I looked at Half minotaur and it didnt SCREAM!!!!! PICK ME! to me .

I think I will stick with Feral and Mineral Warrior.

BTW YES its a Dwarf, I was leaning towards Arctic Dwarf due to the +2 Str and Con.

[Jackinthegreen]

Just keep in mind that you can't wear armor with this, since the Deepwarden's Con to AC is treated exactly the same as Dex to AC.

A couple levels in Monk might be beneficial, but you'd have to take them before Barbarian.  I recommend taking the Overwhelming Attack style to get Power Attack and Improved Bull Rush.  That should free you up to take Shock Trooper later on.  You could also go Martial Monk, but no sane DM would allow it to grant Fighter bonus feats like Monk bonus feats.

[Dawnmor]

I decided to drop the Bear warrior for the moment, I instead decided to keep with my Earth Dwarf Ranger 1, Barbarian 2, Fighter 2, Fist of the Forest 1, Deep warden 2, for the moment.  Ill bump Fighter up to 6 later and grab another level of Fist of the Forest to get Improved uncanny dodge.

[X-Codes]

Just keep in mind that you can't wear armor with this, since the Deepwarden's Con to AC is treated exactly the same as Dex to AC.

He can or cannot do whatever his DM lets or doesn't let him do.  Do not speak definitively in either direction on this issue, ever.  It's like striking a match in a coal mine, and the tread might go "boom."

What you should do is ditch Uncanny Dodge from Barbarian and get it instead from Fist of the Forest 2, and in place of Uncanny Dodge from the Barbarian you can get Improved Trip from Wolf Totem Barbarian (UA).  You should also consider being a Whirling Frenzy barbarian, since you've got a decent touch AC and Whirling Frenzy will boost it instead of dropping it.

[Rebel7284]

Just keep in mind that you can't wear armor with this, since the Deepwarden's Con to AC is treated exactly the same as Dex to AC.

He can or cannot do whatever his DM lets or doesn't let him do.  Do not speak definitively in either direction on this issue, ever.  It's like striking a match in a coal mine, and the tread might go "boom."

What you should do is ditch Uncanny Dodge from Barbarian and get it instead from Fist of the Forest 2, and in place of Uncanny Dodge from the Barbarian you can get Improved Trip from Wolf Totem Barbarian (UA).  You should also consider being a Whirling Frenzy barbarian, since you've got a decent touch AC and Whirling Frenzy will boost it instead of dropping it.

Boom!

As I recall, from previous long long threads on this topic:
RAW: Can be ruled either way.  
RAI (from book writer's or sage's post): meant to count max Dex of armor.

Also, doesn't FotF bonus only work when not wearing armor anyway making the Deepwarden debate pointless?

[X-Codes]

In this particular case, yes, it's a rather moot point.

Also, the previous long, long threads do not need to be repeated here (for reasons other than because we're doubling up with FotF), which is why I'm not going to talk about either the RAW or the RAI of the ability.

Elaborating on my Improved Trip suggestion, you might get a free attack if you have some kind of knockdown ability (I think I remember a Knockdown feat somewhere, but I don't remember where), although RAW you might only get the free attack when you actually use an attack to make a trip attempt.

Also, RAW, you need 4 RHD to get Pounce with the Feral Template.  If your DM confirms this, then you'll want Lion Totem Barbarian (CC) as well (call it Panther Totem if you also want the Improved Trip ability, above).

[Rebel7284]

Elaborating on my Improved Trip suggestion, you might get a free attack if you have some kind of knockdown ability (I think I remember a Knockdown feat somewhere, but I don't remember where), although RAW you might only get the free attack when you actually use an attack to make a trip attempt.

As I recall, 3.0 Feat in the Divine Section of Deities and Demigods.  If you deal 10 or more damage, you get a free trip.

[X-Codes]

Elaborating on my Improved Trip suggestion, you might get a free attack if you have some kind of knockdown ability (I think I remember a Knockdown feat somewhere, but I don't remember where), although RAW you might only get the free attack when you actually use an attack to make a trip attempt.

As I recall, 3.0 Feat in the Divine Section of Deities and Demigods.  If you deal 10 or more damage, you get a free trip.

Ah, of course.  It wasn't coming up in the search because it's "Knock-Down" instead of "Knockdown," and Google doesn't like hyphens.

While we're on the subject: http://www.d20srd.org/srd/divine/divineAbilitiesFeats.htm#knockDown

So the idea... Claw, Knock-Down, Free Claw (Improved Trip), Claw, Haste Claw, Whirling Frenzy Claw, Improved Grab (for giggles).

[Rebel7284]

So the idea... Claw, Knock-Down, Free Claw (Improved Trip), Claw, Haste Claw, Whirling Frenzy Claw, Improved Grab (for giggles).

Forward, Forward, High Punch?

[X-Codes]

So the idea... Claw, Knock-Down, Free Claw (Improved Trip), Claw, Haste Claw, Whirling Frenzy Claw, Improved Grab (for giggles).

Forward, Forward, High Punch?

Maybe, but your DM will get mad if you spam that.

[Gribel]

So the idea... Claw, Knock-Down, Free Claw (Improved Trip), Claw, Haste Claw, Whirling Frenzy Claw, Improved Grab (for giggles).

It almost works like that, except Whirling Frenzy and Haste don't stack. Anyway, reach is key for a tripper build, so I don't think clawing is the best way to go.

[Shiki]

So the idea... Claw, Knock-Down, Free Claw (Improved Trip), Claw, Haste Claw, Whirling Frenzy Claw, Improved Grab (for giggles).

It almost works like that, except Whirling Frenzy and Haste don't stack. Anyway, reach is key for a tripper build, so I don't think clawing is the best way to go.

Uhm, what? Where does it says that? Wait, I did my homeworks. Carry on. Or..? Bleh.

[X-Codes]

So the idea... Claw, Knock-Down, Free Claw (Improved Trip), Claw, Haste Claw, Whirling Frenzy Claw, Improved Grab (for giggles).

It almost works like that, except Whirling Frenzy and Haste don't stack. Anyway, reach is key for a tripper build, so I don't think clawing is the best way to go.

Whirling Frenzy and Haste do stack, just the same way that TWF and Haste stack and Rapid Shot and Haste stack.

[Gribel]

So the idea... Claw, Knock-Down, Free Claw (Improved Trip), Claw, Haste Claw, Whirling Frenzy Claw, Improved Grab (for giggles).

It almost works like that, except Whirling Frenzy and Haste don't stack. Anyway, reach is key for a tripper build, so I don't think clawing is the best way to go.

Whirling Frenzy and Haste do stack, just the same way that TWF and Haste stack and Rapid Shot and Haste stack.

Indeed, I got confused with Frenzied Berserker's Frenzy. Was in a hurry and didn't check it, my bad, sorry.

Still, that build lacks reach.

[Jackinthegreen]

I don't think Whirling Frenzy would be that useful for AC in this case.  With just regular Rage granting +4 Con, he'd get +4 AC from that, which means a net +2, the same as WF's AC bonus.  The extra attack is the main reason for WF, and that part does indeed look good for this build.

Tr011, the feat is Steadfast Determination.

Random thought for those wanting to truly add insane Con bonuses to a character, among other things: Arctic Dragonborn Feral Half-Minotaur Mineral Warrior Mongrelfolk. +18 Str, -6 Dex, +20 Con, -10 Int, +0 Wis, -8 Cha.  I still feel like I'm overlooking something though.

[Tr011]

Still, that build lacks reach.

Warshaper 3 and Exotic Weapon Profiency are very good to get Reach. Of course, getting reach by being larger helps, too, but if you can't "turn it off" it makes some problems in tight dungeons. Permanent Enlarge Person is at 3k gp IIRC. A magic item with permanent enlarge should be at 8k gp.