Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Firkraag8 10-29-07, 06:20 PM	Hi, i've decided to make a Reaping Mauler being a big fan of submission wrestling i thought this would be a fun class to try out. Anyways, my levels are as follow: Fighter 7 / Barbarian 1 / Reaping Mauler 5. Race: Human Chaotic Neutral/Evil (usually end up at chaotic evil eventually) str 18 (from 15 by being lvl 12) dex 14 con 14 int 13 wis 12 cha 12 With this combo i get a nice chunk of feats, 10 to be exact. 2 feats goes to Clever Wrestling and Improved Unarmed Strike as the requirement for reaping mauler. Now i have 8 more to chose, and the books we got with feats are Players Handbook , Complete Warrior and Complete Arcana. Help me decide what feats to chose and a short description why. I'm mostly going to grapple with him so feats which help with that in mind. I think I underestimated the sheer amount of them with going this combo hehe. :P Thanks alot in advance.
The_Shaman 10-29-07, 07:06 PM	Do you have to go Reaping Mauler? Grappling isn't so incredible anyway, and I don't think it's a good class, TBH. As for feats... IUS is a given, and unless you have a way to improve your unarmed damage, you might want to invest in a good light weapon so you can do damage in a grapple as well as a heavier weapon to normally bash heads with. The Knifefighter feat from PGtF could work, too, but you don't have that. Earth's embrace ups your grappling damage, and grappling block (er, Rokugan CS?) allows you to use grapples to avoid attacks. IIRC you need clever wrestling to qualify for the PrC, and apart from that... hmm, close-quarters fighting can help you avoid being grappled by enemies you don't want to wrestle with, but apart from that I'd just suggest spending some feats for an alternative fighting style, say a combination of power attack, combat reflexes, and robilar's gambit/karmic strike (RG is better, KS is in CWar). You might want to stock on other ways to up your grapple bonus, such as the bear totem barbarian from UA/SRD or enlarge person/expansion items. Quite frankly, if you don't have ways to become large+, you can just forget about grappling later on, and if you want to count against most humanoid enemies worth a damn, find a way to radiate an antimagic field - through an item, spell, or some such. As far as class levels go, really, Fighter 4 or 6/barb 2 is much better. Fighter 7 gives you nothing - in fact, avoid taking odd fighter levels altogether. Even a rogue level or two might be much better and help you meet the prerequisites - I'm sure there is a feat to add SA to grappling damage, too.
IdleAltruism 10-29-07, 07:14 PM	I suggest dropping or taking another level of fighter, its not doing you any good at an odd level. I'm not with my books atm, but in the ToB I believe in the stone dragon discipline there is a stance or strike that gives bonuses to grappling(I'm pretty sure its a stance and I believe it gives you constricting damage while you grapple foes). Taking the martial maneuver and stance feats could grant you access to them. I think the feat is called earths grasp(CW), it does damage when you pin someone. It can be useful, basically stopping one opponent in their tracks and dealing damage at the same time. Investing some ranks into UMD might be very helpful, polymorphing/enlarge person(and if you DM is very gracious giant form). If you go this route UMD might be a good option as well.
Firkraag8 10-29-07, 07:25 PM	Shaman, ya i'm dead set on being a Grappler. I mixed up clever wrestling and improved wrestling as the preq, edited :) Idle, about fighter lvl 7 i'm lvl 7 there because i plan to keep placing my lvls in fighter. We already have a monk in our party which he just made and loves, so don't want to step on anyones toes and be exactly the same, thus adding fighter instead. Items to become large and anti magic field is a very good advice, which I have already thought of and will most likely spend most of my initial gold on this. Most of the enemies we face in our campaigns are humanoid. Think of me as the big brawling drinking fighter with grappling skills like no other that's how I plan on playing him, not as the optimized character aimed at obliterating dragons. My typical fight would look like, charge in and grapple. Might not be the most exciting or efficent but i like the idea :D So you both agree on Earths Embrace, i'll have to pick that one up :) 7 more to go. Close quarter fighting also looks interesting. How about Elusive Target?
IdleAltruism 10-29-07, 07:45 PM	But obliterating dragons is fun 8). Well like I said before skill focus(UMD) might be an option. Extra rage(CW) might be an option, its a cheap +2 grapple checks while raging. Overwhelming assault(PHBII) could be interesting, since I don't think trying to get out of a grapple counts as an attack. Superior Unarmed Strikes(ToB) can give you nice unarmed damage so the enemy can't try and use your dagger against you. Quick Draw(PHB) I'm unsure if this would work in a grapple, but if your DM approves it, drawing a light weapon as a free action opposed to a move action could prove useful. Leadership(PHB)! Gain cohorts and followers to form a wrestling gang! In former additions the orc wrestling squad could take a dragon down.
Firkraag8 10-29-07, 08:04 PM	Haha, gang of wrestlers that would be quite a sight. I might actually consider Leadership if there's absolutely nothing else that can improve my grappling :D Earths Embrace Skill focus UMD (this helps using use magic device in combat right?) don't have the books with me right now. Extra Rage definately looks like a good one! I don't know about unarmed though, won't a pair of adamantite spiked gauntlets be a better choise for the striking part of grappling? Doubt I could do all that much unarmed damage without any levels in monk. Thanks in advance for continued help, getting alot of inspiration =)
IdleAltruism 10-29-07, 08:15 PM	UMD will help you with things like wands/staffs for the nifty spells you can get out of them. I guess if you were using magic devices in combat it would help you there as well. Superior unarmed strikes gives you something like a 2d6 unarmed damage by 20th level. Basically it gives you progressing unarmed damage, not quite as good as a monk, but damn good for any unarmed combatant. A greatsword kick to the teeth opposed to 1d4 gauntlet seems like a better choice to me.
Firkraag8 10-29-07, 08:21 PM	True, I guess i got enough feats to max out the use of my fists without placing lvls as monk. You'r right, unarmed with feats does make alot more damage then gauntlets. so: Earths Embrace Superior Unarmed Strikes Extra Rage Close Quarter Fighting UMD (have to see which items i'll actually use to see if i need this or not =) 4 down, 4 to go =) Shaman, what did you mean by "Rokugan(CS?)" which allows me to use grapples to avoid attacks. That seems like an awesome feat for sure. Although I can't find it :o
IdleAltruism 10-29-07, 08:35 PM	I mentioned it earlier, Martial study(ToB) and Martial Stance(Crushing weight of the mountain) could give you a 2d6 constricting while you grapple. Two feats right there and they give pretty good benefits.
Disciple_of_Salsa 10-29-07, 08:49 PM	Leadership=buddies to help you grapple Snap kick(ToB)= better unarmed strike Also, you could lose one level in fighter and start as a half giant(EPH) for an easy +4 to grapple checks.
plain 11-04-07, 05:15 PM	Also, you could lose one level in fighter and start as a half giant(EPH) for an easy +4 to grapple checks. Or something with powerful build like the Goliath (Races Of Stone) And I think it would be fun to take the feat "hold the line" with a grappler. So you can ruin the attacks of characters who are charging you by simply grappling them before they get the chance to strike you.. :)
Fend 11-06-07, 01:05 PM	Eh.. I have to agree with the initial responses and say Reaping maulers arnt the best class ever. They are a fun concept tho. I mean, to Grapple something down and pretty much dominate it - specially if its an evil black knight or a lich - is awsome and funny.. but ultimately It slows the game down and hogs the glory. But if you want to be it and your DM is excited about it too - then go for it. Personally tho id make a few suggestions if you want to be awsome at grappling - Monks make an awsome grappler base class. but im not sure how they go with Reaping maulers entry prereq needs. See if you can get to a wizards guild and have permanency and enlarge cast upon you so you count as a large creature - Be warned - you will prolly get shot at more or your DM might hate you (Specially as Large + Monks belt = Super Death) When you Grapple people make sure the party doesnt have any AOE casters or Archers in it or they will definantly hate you for hogging theyre glory with selfish gameplay. And finally - Goliath would be an awsome choice as a base race for Reaping mauler. Though human gives you so many more feats and takes away the penaltys for multiclassing (if your DM still uses them.. personally i dont bother) Anyway, hope i helped. * Oh and a final note - Defencive throw can be a very funny feat to take and id recomend it if you wanna throw people around and grapple other dudes. - Reaping maulers are useless against dragons - They tend to be one trick ponys, so surprise your DM with a nifty ranged weapon or carry a net to hurl at hard to reach things.