Totem Warrior Barbarian Build

[thefortier]

This is a barbarian build I'm thinking of playing in an upcoming Adventure Path (not sure which one -- currently DMing Serpent's Skull).

While I love optimized characters, I also enjoyed themed characters. The barbarian build below is a fusion of the two. Decent in the number crunch, but also very flavourful.

The theme is totem rage powers, getting as many as I can. Here it is:

Buthrakaur the Pale, Half-Orc Totem Warrior Invulnerable Rager Barbarian

Starting Attributes (using 20-point buy):
Str 18, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 7, Wis 11, Cha 13.

Favoured Class: Barbarian (+1 rage point per level)
Alternate Racial Trait: Scavenger (replaces Intimidating)
Traits: Dump Salvager (+3 to Perception to notice concealed things)

Level-by-level breakdown:

Barbarian 1 - Fast movement, rage
Feats: Skill Focus (Survival)
Barbarian 2 - Rage power (animal fury), invulnerability
Barbarian 3 - Extreme endurance (cold) +1
Feat: Eldritch Heritage (orc - touch of rage)
Barbarian 4 - Rage power (lesser beast totem)
+1 to Cha
Barbarian 5 -
Feat: Extra Rage Power (lesser fiend totem)
Barbarian 6 - Extreme endurance +2, rage power (hive totem)
Barbarian 7 -
Feat: Extra Rage Power (fiend totem)
Barbarian 8 - Rage power (beast totem)
+1 to Cha
Barbarian 9 - Extreme endurance +3
Feat: Extra Rage Power (hive totem resilience)
Barbarian 10 - Rage power (greater beast totem)
Barbarian 11 - Greater Rage
Feat: Improved Eldritch Heritage (orc - strength of the beast)
Barbarian 12 - Extreme endurance +4, rage power (hive totem toxicity)
+1 to Cha
Barbarian 13 -
Feat: Extra Rage Power (lesser spirit totem)
Barbarian 14 - Indomitable will, rage power (world serpent totem)
Barbarian 15 - Extreme endurance +5
Feat: Extra Rage Power (world serpent spirit)
Barbarian 16 - Damage reduction 4/-, rage power (world serpent totem unity)
+1 to Cha
Barbarian 17 - Tireless rage
Feat: Greater Eldritch Heritage (orc - power of giants)
Barbarian 18 - Extreme endurance +6, rage power (spirit totem)
Barbarian 19 -
Feat: Extra Rage Power (greater spirit totem)
Barbarian 20 - Mighty rage, rage power (lesser chaos totem)
+1 to Cha

Desired Weapons: (furious flaming great)sword of the planes, oathbow
Desired Armour: +5 rhino hide armour (+9 AC)
Desired Magical Gear: ring of protection +5, belt of physical prowess (Strength/Constitution) +6, boots of striding and springing, cloak of the bat, efficient quiver, helm of fearsome mien, raven bracers, snakeskin tunic, amulet of mighty fists (+3)

Totem Power Breakdown:
Animal Fury: bite that deals 1d4 + half Str modifier damage; attack at -5 if part of a full attack.
Beast Totem, Lesser: two claw attacks that deal 1d6 slashing + Str modifier. Primary attacks.
Beast Totem: +1 natural armour bonus. Increases by +1 for every 4 levels attained.
Beast Totem, Greater: Gain pounce. Claw damage increases to 1d8/x3.
Chaos Totem, Lesser: +1 deflection bonus to AC against the attacks of lawful creatures and +1 resistance bonus on saving throw against confusion, insanity, polymorph, and effects with lawful descriptor. Increases by +1 for every chaos totem power.
Fiend Totem, Lesser: horns that deal 1d8 piercing + Str modifier . Primary.
Fiend Totem: dozens of wicked barbs from body. Anyone striking with a melee weapon, an unarmed strike, or natural weapon takes 1d6 piercing damage.
Hive Totem: half damage from swarms of vermin. +1 bonus on Strength ability checks and to CMD against bull rush, drag, and trip attempts for every four barbarian levels.
Hive Totem Resilience: No damage from swarms of vermin, +1 on combat maneuver checks and to CMD when grappling for every four barbarian levels.
Hive Totem Toxicity: Animal fury bite damage increases by one step and decreases penalty on attack rolls with bite to -2. Injury toxin (once per round for four rounds, deals 1d3 Con, cure of one save. DC 10 + 1/2 barbarian level + Con modifier.)
Spirit Totem, Lesser: Spirit wisps attack adjacent foe. Slam attack that deals 1d4 + Cha modifier negative energy damage.
Spirit Totem: 20% miss chance by foes not adjacent.
Spirit Totem, Greater: Adjacent living enemies take 1d8 negative energy damage. Spirit wisps can attack up to 15 ft. away and deal 1d6 points of negative energy damage.
World Serpent Totem: +1 insight bonus to AC against outsiders and aberrations. Increases by one for every World Serpent rage power, excluding this one.
World Serpent Spirit: weapons considered chaotic-, evil-, good-, lawful-aligned for overcoming damage reduction. +1 resistance bonus on saving throws against spells with alignment descriptors or come from outsiders or aberrations. Increases by one for every World Serpent rage power, excluding this one.
World Serpent Totem Unity: doubles fast movement and cannot be knocked prone. Doubles insight bonus to AC against attack rolls made by an aberration or outsider to confirm a critical.

Commentary: I went with a high Charisma, and by putting all the level increases into Charisma, was able to qualify for the Eldritch Heritage (orc bloodline) feat line. This nets me a +6 inherent bonus to Strength at level 17, as well as the super-nifty Power of Giants ability. This ability allows Buthrakaur to grow to Large size, with a +6 size bonus to Strength, -2 to Dex, +4 to Constitution, and +4 natural armour.

Strength while enlarged and raging is 44 (18 base + 6 inherent + 8 morale + 6 enhancement + 6 size), for a whopping +17 to damage.

The idea is to pounce around the battlefield, dealing full attacks to targets within 80ft. Each of these attacks is +2d6 because of rhino armour. And just bounce back and forth between two or more enemies, laying into them with 5 attacks (poisonous bite, 2 claws, gore, spirit wisp), relying on AC 35 and DR 10/- to withstand attacks of opportunity. And if anyone does hit, they take damage from fiend totem's wicked barbs.

Hive Totem grants bonuses to CMD in case someone makes an attack of opportunity with a trip or grapple or something, while World Serpent Totem Unity ensures I can't be knocked prone. The end result is a high-damage, decent AC pouncer with multiple attacks that bypass a good portion of CR, and can take a hit or two.

Attacks (rage): <- I think the math is correct
bite +38 (1d6+10 plus poison plus 2d6 charge)
claw +40 (1d8+18 plus 2d6 charge)
claw +40 (1d8+18 plus 2d6 charge)
gore +40 (1d8+18 plus 2d6 charge)
spirit wisp +24 (1d6+4)

Any thoughts?

[Drejk]

Personally I'd drop the animal fury rage power for something else and took alternate half-orc racial trait of toothy (replaces ferocity). Animal fury bite seems to be always secondary - it is nice in grapple however, IIRC.

Your plans will be hampered by one small but improtant rule:

Quote:

Rage Powers (Ex): The following new rage powers can be taken by any barbarian that meets the prerequisites. Totem rage powers grant powers in a theme. A barbarian cannot select from more than one group of totem rage powers. For example, a barbarian that selects a beast totem rage power cannot later chose to gain any of the spirit totem rage powers.

So no mixing various totems.

[blahpers]

If you go by UC, you can. But it's probably an error.

[Mikaze]

Yeah, the multimple totem thing is really confusing at this point. Apparently the line saying Totem Warrior Barbarians are able to have more than one is hidden away in a section on some previous pages according to what I've read here recently. I've always thought the entire Totem Warrior section was some text that was meant to be cut but slipped through to print.

I'd get the GM's call on that matter. What happened is unclear enough that it could really go either way.

edit-

Quote:

multimple

wut

[Udinaas]

"A barbarian often has a special totem that is the patron of her tribe.

While individual totems vary, those in the tribe that call upon a totem receive similar abilities. Totem warrior barbarians can select from the following rage powers.

Rage Powers: The totem warrior is based entirely upon his totem rage powers. In addition to the totem powers themselves, the following rage powers complement the totem warrior archetype (depending on the totem chosen): animal fury*, low-light vision*, night vision*, raging climber*, raging leaper*, raging swimmer*, and swift foot*."

Doesn't it just mean that a totem warrior can choose any combination of totem powers but ONLY totem powers plus the ones listed?

Edit: from the totem warrior archtype

[Mikaze]

The "rage powers that complement" lines for each archetype are really just suggestions for powers that synergize well with it or fit into its flavor. The other barbarian archetypes have them, but you aren't restricted to them.

You might be looking for the expected tradeoffs that standard archetypes are supposed to have. All of the other archetypes give up a barbarian ability in exchange for something else, but not Totem Warrior, which is part of what makes it a confusing odd duck. As written, it doesn't actually do anything. Even if one was required to be a Totem Warrior to get one totem power, it doesn't seem to have much point because you're not giving anything up to be a Totem Warrior.

Which has me curious about whether the "Totem Warrior can have multiple totems" thing is right after all.

I'm actually more confused about this than I was when I started this post. :O

[Udinaas]

You're right, I missed that. I guess I don't understand the totem warrior thing at all. And if I can't understand it there's no way a barbarian could figure it out. At least I'd like to think I'm smarter than most barbarians.

[thefortier]

With regards to the Totem Warrior archetype, I tried to nerf the build as much as possible while still remaining within the archetypes boundaries. That is to say, "Totem Warriors can have multimple :) totems", but must select their rage powers from the totem powers and the complementary list. Seems more balanced than gain awesome for nothing. The powergamer in me wants awesome for nothing (and the chicks for free), but the developing Johnny in me is looking for balance.

I agree it is confusing, and that the whole legality of the build sits on a decidedly shaky foundation, but I believe Udinaas to be correct in his interpretation; especially once one regards the notion of party balance.

That being said, working within the framework that the build is legal, what do we think?

I thought about the Toothy idea, but I wanted the Hive Totem powers, as I find them better than the dragon totem powers (which are not viable due to intimidating glare not being on the Complement List of Powers), as well as better than the Chaos Totem powers. And wanting only rage powers that were legal with the above mentioned interpretational parameters, hive beats chaos, especially with the poison and the bonuses to CMD.

[blahpers]

Mikaze wrote:

Yeah, the multimple totem thing is really confusing at this point. Apparently the line saying Totem Warrior Barbarians are able to have more than one is hidden away in a section on some previous pages according to what I've read here recently. I've always thought the entire Totem Warrior section was some text that was meant to be cut but slipped through to print.

I'd get the GM's call on that matter. What happened is unclear enough that it could really go either way.

edit-

Quote:

multimple

wut

I must be up too late, because I cannot stop laughing at this.

[blahpers]

Udinaas wrote:

You're right, I missed that. I guess I don't understand the totem warrior thing at all. And if I can't understand it there's no way a barbarian could figure it out. At least I'd like to think I'm smarter than most barbarians.

AM LEARNED SCHOLAR--bah, forget it.

[Deadmanwalking]

You need Power Attack. Find a way to get it, and early on to boot. Other than that, should work if not ideally then quite functionally.

[Drejk]

Ok, I looked in Ultimate Combat and the equivalent section to that which I cited from APG writes:

Quote:

Rage Powers: Any barbarian who meets the powers' prerequisites can select and use the following new rage powers. Totem rage powers grant powers related to a theme. A barbarian cannot select from more than one group of totem rage powers; for example, a barbarian who selects a beast totem rage power (see the Advanced Player's Guide) cannot later choose to gain any of the dragon totem rage powers (any rage power with “dragon totem” in its title), unless she has the totem warrior archetype.

So in theory the totem warrior allows multiple totems... However, the totem warrior description does not mention it and, frankly speaking, it would be ridiculous for the totem warrior to override the general limitation on totem powers because that archetype sacrifices nothing to gain that ability. And because characters can take multiple abilities as long as their alternate abilities do not interfere with other archetypes it would mean that every damn barbarian should take Totem Warrior archetype in addition to any archetype he wants and thus avoid limit on totem rage powers.

With this in mind, make sure with your GM that he'll allow Totem Warrior at all. I know that I won't at my table, at least not until it is revised in some meaningful way.

[thefortier]

@Drejk: While I do thank you for your input, and it is being considered; it is not enitrely relevant to the discussion. I have, in a previous post, mentioned the boundaries within which I am working.

With regards to the Totem Warrior archetype, I tried to nerf the build as much as possible while still remaining within the archetypes boundaries. That is to say, "Totem Warriors can have multimple :) totems", but must select their rage powers from the totem powers and the complementary list. Seems more balanced than gain awesome for nothing. The powergamer in me wants awesome for nothing (and the chicks for free), but the developing Johnny in me is looking for balance.

and

That being said, working within the framework that the build is legal, what do we think?

I do admit that, as it stands, the Totem Warrior is very confusing. I have attempted to capture (with my nerf) the intention of the Totem Warrior. One thing to note, Totem Warriors (as I have interpreted/nerfed) cannot select the Dragon Totem rage powers, as they do not have access to Intimidating Glare.

So the question is not: Is the build legal? The question is: Assuming the build is legal, is it viable?

[Malleus Maleficarum]

Even though there is nothin to give up to be a totem warrior, it does stop you from being one of the other archtypes and having multiple totems. So i coukd not have beast and spirit and be say an invulnerable rager or armored hulk. I think having more than one totem is fine

[XMorsX]

It is illegal, but balance-wise it is perfectly fine. Go go beast + dragon or spirit totem barbs!

[Thymus Vulgaris]

FAQ wrote:

Barbarian--Totem Warrior: Does this APG archetype allow you to take more than one type of totem rage powers?

No, the line in Ultimate Combat is in error; a barbarian cannot select from more than one group of totem rage powers.
This error will be corrected in the next printing of Ultimate Combat.
This answer originally appeared in the 9/11/12 Paizo blog.

[EsperMagic]

So now I'm curious... What the hell is the point of the Totem Warrior archetype? it doesn't do...anything?

[XMorsX]

EsperMagic wrote:

So now I'm curious... What the hell is the point of the Totem Warrior archetype? it doesn't do...anything?

Yes!

[blackbloodtroll]

EsperMagic wrote:

So now I'm curious... What the hell is the point of the Totem Warrior archetype? it doesn't do...anything?

It officially doesn't exist.

[Taow]

Necro to post false information :(

Totem warrior has zero overlap with anything, so you can take any other archetype you want with it. Alas, it also has zero function. You can only take one chain of totem powers.

[Mikaze]

Yep, as noted that line about the Totem Warrior should be ignored completely.

Technically, any barbarian taking a totem power chain would be called a Totem Warrior by that line's definition, unfortunately its presence confused matters when it's already explained how totems work elsewhere, making it seem like there's an exception where there isn't one.

[EsperMagic]

it would have been awesome if it let you take multiple totems. like a master of many styles...but totems

[Quandary]

blackbloodtroll wrote:

EsperMagic wrote:

So now I'm curious... What the hell is the point of the Totem Warrior archetype? it doesn't do...anything?

It officially doesn't exist.

"Hi, I'm Head-Smash, the new Totem Warrior Barbarian."

"The new WHAT Barbarian?"
"Ahh... Never mind, you wouldn't understand. Nobody understands Head-Smash... At least I still know I am Totem Warrior Barbarian INSIDE."