Post/Author/DateTime	Post
klode_me 12-13-05, 08:23 AM	i saw the Thayan cladiator in the Champions of Ruin. Anyone who knows how i could get Maximum advantage from it? A high claw attack damage. more than three attacks. Etc. Or maybe claws of the beast would work better? they pass all DR. because it's magical.
AviLazar 12-13-05, 10:02 AM	Improved Natural Attack?
PhoenixInferno 12-13-05, 10:19 AM	Or maybe claws of the beast would work better? they pass all DR. because it's magical. Er...show me in the text of Claws of the Beast where it says that they penetrate all types of DR. Also show me where in the text it says its even magical.
ksbsnowowl 12-13-05, 10:21 AM	I'd say the best way to make an effective claw attack build, using thayan gladiator, would incorporate at least one level of barbarian, the Snow Tiger Berserker feat (UE), Power Attack, and the Neraph Charge feat (Planar HB). Also utilizing the Great Stag Berserker feat wouldn't be a bad idea. Also use Craven (CoR) and a level of Tacticle Soldier (MiniHB). Gotta run. I'll flesh it out more later.
hogarth 12-13-05, 10:36 AM	How about: Grell 11/Fighter 2/Soul Eater 2/Thayan Gladiator 5 (ten tentacles, one bite) or Sharn 9/Fighter 2/Soul Eater 2/Thayan Gladiator 7 (nine claws, three bites)?
Beppo 12-13-05, 11:34 AM	Consider the Feral Template (Savage Species). It's really good for this kind of characters.
klode_me 12-13-05, 01:09 PM	Er...show me in the text of Claws of the Beast where it says that they penetrate all types of DR. Also show me where in the text it says its even magical. Claws of the beast is a power, and then breaks all DR. Because psionics/incarnum is the same as magic, and magic ignores DR. it's the same thing with the crystal shards, they deal slashing damage, but they are magical and then ignores DR. read errata and FAQ.
klode_me 12-13-05, 01:14 PM	Consider the Feral Template (Savage Species). It's really good for this kind of characters. you know that the HD abilities are based on racial HD, right?
ksbsnowowl 12-13-05, 01:17 PM	How about something like this? Feral Dwarven Rogue 2/Barbarian 2/Fighter 2/Tactical Soldier 1/Thayan Gladiator 1 Feral 2 Rogue - Power Attack 3 Barbarian 4 Fighter - Combat Reflexes, Weapon Focus (Claw) 5 Fighter - Snow Tiger Berserker 6 Barbarian 7 Rogue - Toughness 8 Tactical Soldier - (flanker) 9 Thayan Gladiator - Imp. Nat. Attack* 10 Thay Glad - Neraph Charge 11 Thay Glad 12 Thay Glad 13 Thay Glad - Craven 14 Thay Glad 15 Thay Glad 16 Thay Glad - Battle Hardened 17 Thay Glad 18 Thay Glad You can charge for a full attack with your claws, getting to make a sneak attack along the way that does +1d6+(character level) in damage. And you can power attack with it too. You could save yourself some feats by starting as a Neraphim race (Planar HB), but then you can't get the battle hardened feat (which counteracts the negative effects of Craven.) Battle Hardened is found in Races of Stone
Dread Khan 12-13-05, 01:18 PM	Masticar the Mad Inferno Human (seriously messed up mind you) Fighter6/Disciple of Mephistopheles4 18, 17, 15, 12, 9, 13 (Solid roles, but he doens't need great roles to be effective) Traits: Abraisive, Detatched Flaws: Individualist, Weaponbound (Ranseur) Lvl 1 (Fighter) Flaw Bonus Feats: Willing Deformity, Willing Deformity: Clawed Hands Human Bonus Feat: Disciple of Darkness Fighter Bonus Feat: Weapon Focus: Unarmed/Clawed Hands Feat: Willing Deformity: Gaunt (+2 dex, -2 cons) Lvl 2 (Fighter) Fighter Bonus Feat: Two Weapon Fighting Lvl 3 (Fighter) Feat: Evil Brand Lvl 4 (Fighter) Fighter Bonus Feat: Weapon Specialization: Unarmed/Clawed Hands Ability Boost: Str Lvl 5 (Fighter) Lvl 6 (Fighter) Fighter Bonus Feat: Improved Two Weapon Fighting Feat: Willing Deformity: Eyes Lvl 7 (Dis M.) Lvl 8 (Dis M.) Ability Boost: Str Lvl 9 (Dis M.) Feat: Combat Reflexes Lvl 10 (Dis M.) Masticar the Mad Inferno is a devoted lover of suffering, both his own and others. In addition to prodigious combat abilities as a melee fighter using his claws, and an excellent short range ranged combatant (he can throw blasts of fire ). The intimidate score here is throught he roof, and he has a variety of magical/pseudo magical abilities, making him fairly self sufficient, but he is at his best when he can cow other, weaker 'allies'. Masticar is Lawful Evil, as befits a servant to an Archdevil. Woe to the cold subtyped monster that fights him, I'd say. Throw in the obvious magic items to boost him alot of course, and use a ranseur to get around stranger DR's outthere. :P Edit: The feat choices aren't exactly min/maxed, some are flavourish
klode_me 12-13-05, 01:18 PM	I'd say the best way to make an effective claw attack build, using thayan gladiator, would incorporate at least one level of barbarian, the Snow Tiger Berserker feat (UE), Power Attack, and the Neraph Charge feat (Planar HB). Also utilizing the Great Stag Berserker feat wouldn't be a bad idea. Also use Craven (CoR) and a level of Tacticle Soldier (MiniHB). Gotta run. I'll flesh it out more later. I'm very curios with this build. i have played DnD in a year, but i haven't been a barbarian yet. :embarrass
ksbsnowowl 12-13-05, 02:46 PM	I'm very curios with this build.I posted a more in-depth build just one minute before your reply, so I'm not sure you saw it. Check out post number 9. It was just a basic idea, and I'm sure there are things that could be done to optimize it further, but as it stands, at ECL 10 he can charge every opponent in battle once each during any given encounter and deny them their Dex to AC, thus opening them up for sneak attack (granted, at that level it is only +1d6) in conjunction with a full attack. He also has an easier time getting sneak attacks from Flanking possitions, due to his Flanker ability (from Tactical Soldier). Starting at ECL 13 he gets a bonus to his sneak attacks equal to his character level, so he could, theoretically, while weilding a short sword, make a neraph charge, full attack with 3 sword swings and a claw attack, with each attack dealing an additional +1d6+12 points of damage.
Dougbert 12-13-05, 03:14 PM	Claws of the beast is a power, and then breaks all DR. Because psionics/incarnum is the same as magic, and magic ignores DR. it's the same thing with the crystal shards, they deal slashing damage, but they are magical and then ignores DR. read errata and FAQ. Not really. If you use the transparency rules they would overcome DR x/magic, but not other types.
Dread Khan 12-13-05, 03:18 PM	Hmm... Claws of the Beast in this case isn't refering to the gauntlets from SS I'm guessing? That would let you get past x/magic though, you'd have +2 claws. Edit: Is Masticar self explanitory enough btw? *wonders if he should list numbers to make him sound scarier*
klode_me 12-13-05, 03:19 PM	Not really. If you use the transparency rules they would overcome DR x/magic, but not other types. all spells ignore DR.
ksbsnowowl 12-13-05, 03:38 PM	all spells ignore DR....if their effect is to cause damage. The effect of claws of the beast is to give you claws.
Dougbert 12-13-05, 03:56 PM	all spells ignore DR. CotB modifies your existing hands into claws, it doesn't even grant an enhancement bonus so I'm not positive about bypassing DR x/magic. By the same token does the shillelagh spell or magic weapon spell allow the items modified to bypass ALL DR?
MeleeMonster 12-13-05, 05:27 PM	I love Feral - since you have claws grappling is another route to look into, especially with Feral but know that if you are using it to go with a character that is at least large size since then you improved grab will work every time you hit a medium ceature with a claw attack if you so choose. I have a feral stone dwarf and was looking forward to improved grap btu we don't fight many small creatures and I missed that in the print.
Beppo 12-14-05, 04:02 AM	you know that the HD abilities are based on racial HD, right? only the special attacks are based on that.
ancalimohtar 12-14-05, 04:09 AM	Claws granted by spells/powers do not bypass DR since they do not do magic damage. They give you claws made of matter, which do slashing and piercing damage. Read the rules before you read the errata/FAQ.
klode_me 12-14-05, 04:23 AM	only the special attacks are based on that. not the special qualities?
runestar 12-14-05, 08:08 AM	What in your opinions are good natural attacks to be enchanted. Thri-keen seems very tempting because of their 4 claws, slap on the insectile template and that's 8 claws, each with the various weapon enhancement.... :eek: Take the willing deformity feat that gives you reach and combat reflexes for more fun.
hogarth 12-14-05, 08:35 AM	Thri-keen seems very tempting because of their 4 claws, slap on the insectile template and that's 8 claws, each with the various weapon enhancement.... From Savage Species, p. 122, "Creating an Insectile Creature" Attacks: Despite having six arms, insectile creatures gain no additional attacks
Beppo 12-14-05, 08:41 AM	not the special qualities? In the Savage Species entry it says detailed that special attacks are dependent on your corresponding monster hit dice. Special Qualities, which are later on described, have no such entry. So most humanoids won't benefit from the great pounce or rake ability but gain fast healing with some attribute enhancement.
Dread Khan 12-14-05, 10:41 AM	From Savage Species, p. 122, "Creating an Insectile Creature" Attacks: Despite having six arms, insectile creatures gain no additional attacks Extra arms have plenty of other uses, especially if you can't use them for extra attacks by them selves... *uses 4 hands on his fullblade* Good grapple too of course, since you have extra arms. :S It always confused me though, how that worked, the extra arms without attacks. :S I'm guessing like Arms of the Naga without penalty or something?