I was considering builds, and, as some of you may know, I often advocate reach builds with a focus on controlling distance. In this vein, I ended up considering a build that combines two different methods of attacking at a distance: outslug style and aberrant bloodragers.
Build considerations: I will use brawler as a base for general ease of getting a good close weapon style and satisfying outslug’s prereqs. Brawler will be levels 1-8 (to get free ITWF), and blood rager will follow after- this is more theorycrafting to get a simple set up rather than trying to get goodies early for ease of gameplay. Aberrant is chosen over other bloodlines that increase reach both due to a lack of obvious downsides (since this isn’t as pure barbarian that could survive the tanked AC from abyssal) and since it might stack with buffs like enlarge person.
Other notes: I chose cestus for this build since it has decent threat range, and the aberrant bloodline has a good crit based power at first level. Through the sheer number of attacks from flurries, you have a decent chance to stagger opponents. If crits are abandoned, then a nice 2 handed weapon would boost damage.I will also go with half elf, since I wanted to shore up the relatively poor will saves through race and alt traits. However, other options could be used to open up new weapon choices (since you won't get high enough in brawler for close weapon mastery, you might as well grab a temple sword to 2 hand and still get crits).
Brawler Levels
1: Power Attack
2: B: Combat Reflexes
3: Weapon Focus (Cestus)
5: Iron Will (?); B: Out Slug Style
7: Lunge
8: B: Outslug Weave
Bloodrager Levels
9 (BR 1): B: Outslug Sprint
11 (BR 3): Extra Rage (?)
13 (BR 5): Arcane Strike
Build Goals: The advantage of combining the aberrant bloodline with outslug is two fold, since it improves full attack range and allows Reach AoO shenanigans.
Combined, this character can full attack anything that is within 25’ feet (10’ step +10’ reach +5’ from lunge), which places it VERY comfortably when it comes to full attacks. A dwarf would have to spend their full move action to make just one attack at that distance. It is suggested that the brawler uses mutagenic mauler to rack up some extra damage from the easy flurries (martial flexibility might allow some aspects of the build to technically work earlier, but its limited usage in a multiclass build doesn’t quite satisfy the bread and butter of the build like extra damage does).
The place where the really shines is when it retreats. Using Outslug Sprint, this character can retreat 10’ away from an opponent for free. Normally, this would only limit enemy full attacks… except for the fact that this character has 10’ reach from blood rager. This means that the character can back away from an opponent and force them into eating AoOs for approaching. And even if the opponent tries to get away, they may well likely still remain in the 25’ radius where you can full attack. This build works best when you have enlarge person/long arm support in order to keep enemies within your reach for AoOs even if they try to escape after you back off (luckily, as an aberrant bloodrager, you more than have access to these).
Obviously, using this method exclusively can lead to problems, but having more tools is never a bad thing. Even if the enemy runs directly in the opposite direction to avoid eating an AoO and/or your full attack next turn, this would ideally be in the opposite direction from your squishy casters. Generally, a reach build wants to make going forward as unattractive as possible for the enemy. Even when you cannot get the enemy to ‘dance’ with you, this build still offers incredible distance for your full attacks, the typical reach 'circle of pain', and allows you to make things hard for casters that you get close to (since 10’ natural reach practically insures they are going to eat some kind of AoO).
Any obvious areas I can improve the build? If I abandon ITWF, I am sure I could get the brawler levels in earlier, making this potential PFS material (although the bonus feats help out, of course).
