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Bruno, a handsome and beautiful Tetori monk, play around with Strangler archetype for Brawler. By leveraging bonus feats and Martial Flexibility, you are a grapple monster by L9.
Human Shoanti
STR 18 (+2 Human)
DEX 14
CON 16
INT 9
WIS 10
CHA 7
Trait: Bred for War (+1 trait bonus for Intimidate and CMB)
L1 Improved Unarmed Strike, (Human) Improved Grapple, Martial Flexibility, Strangle +1d6
L2 (Bonus) Turtle Style, Strangle +2d6, Practiced Strangler (No DEX penalty while grappling)
L3 Turtle Clutch, Maneuver Training: Grapple +1
Typical L3 progression for a grappler (beelining for Turtle Clutch which allows an immediate action grapple on a miss). Without magic items or buffs: Grapple CMB is +11, a Grapple to do damage is 1d3+4+2d6 (or 2d6 on a successful pin). Martial Flexibility 4/day as move action for 1 feat.
L4 +1 STR
L5 (Bonus) Power Attack, Maneuver Training: Grapple, (BURNER FEAT)
L6 Retrain: (Burner feat) > Greater Grapple
Grappling comes into its own as you now can make 2 checks a round. If an enemy misses you, you can immediate action Grapple on their turn then pin and tie up on your turn...or just squeeze them. Without magic items or buffs: Grapple CMB is +16, a Grapple to do damage with Power Attack is 1d3+8+2d6 (or 2d3+16+4d6 if damaging twice). Martial Flexibility 4/day as move action for 2 feats.
Bruno apologize in advance to all GMs for the next 3 levels.
L7 Maneuver Training: Grapple +2, Finale Embrace
Around this level, you should be able to afford Anaconda's Coils. They will qualify you for Final Embrace. You now have Grab (!) and Constrict with your unarmed damage (!!). Your STR gets +2 boost. Your Grapple CMB is now +25. A Grapple check to do damage with Power Attack, Strangle and Constrict is 1d3+8+2d6 + 1d3+8; 2 in a round totals 4d3+4d6+32.
L8 +1 STR, (Bonus) Final Embrace Horror*
L9 Rapid Grappler, Use Martial Flex for Final Embrace Master* and Pinning KO
*(Please note that FE: Horror and FE: Master had Ability Focus pre-req removed)
Your base unarmed with Power Attack: 1d3+10. Your Grapple CMB is around +30. If you start already Grappled and can make 3 checks to do damage for non-lethal damage:
Grapple Standard Action:
Grapple w/ Pinning KO: 2d3+20
Constrict w/ FE: Master: 2d3+20
Strangle: 3d6
(target now shaken from FE: Horror)
Greater Grapple Move Action:
Grapple w/ Pinning KO: 2d3+20
Constrict w/ FE: Master: 2d3+20
Strangle: 3d6
Rapid Grapple Swift Action:
Grapple w/ Pinning KO: 2d3+20
Constrict w/ FE: Master: 2d3+20
Strangle: 3d6
Total non-lethal damage: 12d3+9d6+120
(Lethal option: 9d3+9d6+90)
Other than Anaconda's Coils, there are no magic items, damage buffs or size buffs in effect.
If you simply have the Brawling enchant on your armor (+2 hit/damage unarmed strikes, +2 Grapple) and the Mizu Ki Hikari Rebel trait (+1 damage unarmed strikes) and an Amulet of Mighty Fists +1, those 4 points of damage become another +48 points of non-lethal damage (12d3+9d6+168) or +36 points of lethal damage (9d3+9d6+126).
Cheap pick ups: Wand of Long Arm + Cracked Purple Ioun Stone, Wand of True Strike + Cracked Purple Ioun Stone, Potion of Enlarge Person
Not cheap pick up: Potion of Strong Jaw
PROS: You hug the world to death. Martial Flexibility gives you options in non-grapple situations.
CONS: Pitifully low Will Save. Unlike a Tetori or a Spell Sunder Brutal Pugilist, you have no Anti-Freedom of Movement options.
CONS: Pitifully low Will Save. Unlike a Tetori or a Spell Sunder Brutal Pugilist, you have no Anti-Freedom of Movement options.
Find a friendly level 9 Skald?
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@Bruno,
I would like to suggest Celestial Obedience for Falayna as a worthwhile feat choice. For being devoted to the Warrior's Ring, you "Gain a +4 sacred bonus on grapple checks and to CMD." For the cost of a feat and having to Don a jeweled ring on each finger and strike a practice dummy barehanded until the impression of the rings is left in your skin.
1 feat that is equal to 2 other feats or a couple of other magical items.
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@Secane, good point. The grapple CMB gets pretty high pretty quickly and explodes once you get your Anaconda Coils and Final Embrace (+2 competence, +1 STR, +4 grab). If you need to boost your CMB on the cheap prior to that combo, definitely the Obedience is the way to go and you can Flex into Power Attack to boost your damage. Once your CMB is sky high and you flip the switch from controller to damage, you can retrain out of the Obedience into Power Attack.
I'm glad to see a strangler build on the forums. Thanks Bruno!!
What is your opinion of also taking the Snakebite Striker archetype (stacks with Strangler) for even more SA damage? Is it worth giving up Martial Flexibility?
I think they would stack. Here is a post on that very qustion
That would bring the Sneak Attack damage to 9d6 at level 20.
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@libraryrpgamer
Bruno favors tactical preparedness and flexibility above all, so personally, Bruno would not trade away Martial Flexibility.
As for Strangle and Sneak stacking, the "for the purpose of this ability" gives me enough pause to say they don't stack unless you meet the requirements when you're actually flanking or doing damage to a target denied their Dex.
Even if they did stack, Bruno still would not trade Flexibility away.
Odd thought, possible tangent; At 2nd level, the Slayer archetype - Bounty Hunter - can perform a dirty trick whenever able to get sneak attack damage.
Something maybe worth dipping? Especially given removing a given penalty and escaping a grapple might just push escape into a non-option.
As to dealing with that most irksome of escapes; teleporting. Remember, you count as a fighter, and well this feats chain might be worth some uses of martial flexibility.
This is just nitpicky and a flavor issue, but you referred to him as "Handsome and beautiful", yet his Cha is a 7. Maybe He used to be, now is hideously scarred?
I was recently told by several people that the strangler brawler is a trap option. This seems like a solid build. I wonder if Bruno would be a tetori again if he had it to do over again.
It might slow your build down too much, and it would make your will save even worse, but 2 levels of Cavalier or Samauri with Order of the Penitent from Knights of the inner sea, lets you skip pinning and go straight from grappled to tied up, plus it eliminates the -10 to the check. Samurai would also let your roll twice once per day on a will save.
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This is just nitpicky and a flavor issue, but you referred to him as "Handsome and beautiful", yet his Cha is a 7. Maybe He used to be, now is hideously scarred?
Charisma measures a character's personality, personal magnetism, ability to lead, and appearance. Bruno, beautiful and handsome tetori, is very beautiful and handsome. No one he has hugged has ever said otherwise ;)
Bruno RP'd as a good looking but gruff, loud and not-all-that smart man who has evil tattoos (from Lissala/Krune) on his body. CHA is not just physical looks, but presence as well.
Bruno also need to get around to updating his character sheet on paizo.com
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I wonder if Bruno would be a tetori again if he had it to do over again.
Bruno, a handsome and beautiful tetori, would like to settle down one day have many handsome and beautiful babies. Maybe, one day, Bruno will have a handsome and beautiful daughter named Bruna who will take after father, but in her own Brawler way.
(But I'm sure the GMs would rather Bruno not play a grappler again...)
In all seriousness, Bruno like many thing about the brawler chasis, but Bruno's monk saves and monk speed have been very critical in his success. Being a brawler, especially if looking towards higher level play, will require system mastery and foresight about the challenges to come. Bruno seriously considering playing brawler someday, but he already has 3 martials he play on regular basis: Halfling Titan Mauler Barbarian 2, Human Geokineticist 8 and Human Freebooter Ranger 6/Horizon Walker 3/Viking Fighter 3 (DimDoor Shieldbasher)
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Another piece of Equipment I would recommend is the Shirt of Immolation:
Whenever the wearer is grappling (whether on the offense or defense), this shirt automatically bursts into flame, dealing 1d6+10 points of fire damage every round to anyone grappling the wearer. The flames do not harm the wearer and last one round (though it continues to burn if the wearer is still grappling after one round). The shirt burns for a maximum of 10 rounds per day. These rounds do not need to be consecutive.
I'm curious to try this out but how does the Anaconda Coils work for the pre-req of final embrace? Mainly this part
" naga, serpentfolk, or creature that has the constrict special attack as a racial ability;"
Most GMs probably wouldn't allow an item giving you the constrict ability as a requirement for the feat. Unless I'm missing something.
Edit: I know the item thing works for other pre-reqs, in regards to working towards gaining feats but I've been shut down before on it. Just trying to clarify if the item will cover for it or not.
I would suggest going for Divine obedience - Falayna instead. Same bonus, no item reliance though you still get constrict from Anaconda's Coils if you buy it. You would need to change the other feats from FE chain but I think there is a lot of options here.
I'm actually contemplating a grapple build too. I'd like to take advantage of the Knowledge is Power Discovery to add to stats to grapple checks. It's a more complicated build but I like multiclassing...
Took some debating but had to convince our local lodge this build would work however there was much questioning as so how you get Improved Unarmed with this building as the Archetype for Strangler at L1 replaces it.
"At 1st level, a strangler deals +1d6 sneak attack damage whenever she succeeds at a grapple check to damage or pin an opponent. The strangler is always considered flanking her target for the purpose of using this ability. This damage increases by +1d6 at 2nd, 8th and 15th levels.
This ability replaces unarmed strike and brawler’s flurry."
So I assume you're taking IUS for pre-req on feats later on? Otherwise why not just take it with Tetori as first level, getting IUS and Improved Grapple from the Archetype without having to blow a feat right out the gate? So with Tetori you'd get IUS and Improved Grapple from the archetype, you'd lose the 1d6 starting from strangler but save 2 feats at the cost of delaying the building one level. Assuming that's not an issue, then beelining for Turtle Clutch would give it to you by L2 but you'd be doing 1d6+4+1d6. Unless it states it somewhere (from what I was told) then you'd get to keep the IUS from Tetori but not from Strangler so the d3 would be a d6.
Also it should be mention that Martial Flex or any of the freed up feats can go towards Accomplished Sneak Attacker for another 1d6. And while I'm not going to count it on here, I could have sworn there was an ability somewhere that moves the d6 up to d8 as well. I'd assume most of the time there's be a stack of notes cards with feats to rifle through as you need them.
Other feats to consider: Knockout Artist, Surprise Maneuver, Sneaking Precision, and a whole list of teamwork feats. I second the notion on using Sap feats as well.
Now I might have gotten carried away without all this but I'm not one to build a character without a plan and there's a few variation of a "best grappler" build out there. With the entire to play society games and they're dreadful happy of always wanting people alive, I thought the idea of making a Cajun style gator wrestler was pretty hilarious. Considering he doesn't even really speak Common and just mumbles most of the time before launching into combat and putting sleeper holds on anyone or anything. Plus it was Irwin's birthday yesterday and it's only right to do something stupid along those lines.
Edit: Mathfinder is confusing as shit. So, you get IUS from Brawler anyways. (that helps the understanding a bit) but you lose Unarmed Strike from the archetype. If you were to then blow a feat (since I don't see where you've added in the feat every odd level anywhere) for Unarmed Strike, would you then have it anyways? Saving Martial Flex for any situational feats and still having feats to blow on other things as they present issues. Otherwise the mentioning of Tetori is very odd for an almost solid Strangler build throughout. I'm just wanting some clarification as it's a good build and sounds like a fun character but my brain needs details.
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I think most GMs wouldn't.I'm curious to try this out but how does the Anaconda Coils work for the pre-req of final embrace? Mainly this part
" naga, serpentfolk, or creature that has the constrict special attack as a racial ability;"
Most GMs probably wouldn't allow an item giving you the constrict ability as a requirement for the feat. Unless I'm missing something.
Edit: I know the item thing works for other pre-reqs, in regards to working towards gaining feats but I've been shut down before on it. Just trying to clarify if the item will cover for it or not.
I had to double and triple check. It's legal in society. Items can count for pre-reqs but if you lose the item you lose any feats/abilities you'd have that require it all the way down a feat tree even.
I've had issues following this build though I do like it. I'm curious as to where being able to grapple for damage three times in round comes from. Once you grapple can you simply do damage every time and constrict every time even though you're already grappled and constricted or does it count constrict as one hard squeeze?
Aside from that I've decided to make this build as a backwater gator wrestler who only speaks in Haitian Creole (would have been cajun but not enough info to help learn the language).
Other than that I love this build/idea. Been looking for something I can put more than just a cookie cutter outline to pfs play.
Been playing this build for society and since our local lodge has issues understanding what non-lethal is or remembering to do it, it's been quite fun having a backwater swamp dwellin' gator wrestler showin the city folk what no-kill captures look like. May have gone to far with him only speaking in swamp tongue (haitian creole) but people seem to enjoy his refusal of common.
Not quite into the multiple grapples meat of the build yet but it's a nice change of pace to the murder hobos r' us tactics. Had more than one GM tell me it f*#$s up their plans to have a BBEG knocked out and turned in for the bounty. There's not always one I just keep trying to insist on them to promote better handling of situations.... get it... cuz he strangles things with his hands.... I'll see myself out.
Thanks though, it's been a lot of fun.
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Spermy, yours is probably the most singularly unpleasant username that I've had the misfortune of encountering on the internet.