Master of Many Styles

[TGMaxMaxer]

So, just trying to get this straight.

Can a MoMS take Dragon Ferocity with a bonus feat directly, or does he have to take Dragon Style first?

Master of Many Styles (Archetype):

The master of many styles is a collector. For every move, he seeks a counter. For every style, he has a riposte. Ultimately, he seeks perfection through the fusion of styles.

Bonus Feat: At 1st level, 2nd level, and every four levels thereafter, a master of many styles may select a bonus style feat or the Elemental Fist feat. He does not have to meet the prerequisites of that feat, except the Elemental Fist feat. Alternatively, a master of many styles may choose a feat in that style's feat path (such as Earth Child Topple) as one of these bonus feats if he already has the appropriate style feat (such as Earth Child Style). The master of many styles does not need to meet any other prerequisite of the feat in the style's feat path. This ability replaces a monk's standard bonus feats.

Dragon Ferocity (Combat):

You attack with the strength of a dragon, your telling blows striking fear into your enemies.
Prerequisites: Str 15, Improved Unarmed Strike, Dragon Style, Stunning Fist, Acrobatics 5 ranks.
Benefit: While using Dragon Style, you gain a bonus on unarmed strike damage rolls equal to half your Strength bonus. When you score a critical hit or a successful Stunning Fist attempt against an opponent while using this style, that opponent is also shaken for a number of rounds equal to 1d4 + your Strength bonus.
Special: Taking this feat allows you to qualify for the Elemental Fist feat (Advanced Player's Guide 158) even if you do not meet that feat's prerequisites. If you do not meet that feat's prerequisites, you must choose one of the damage types that feat offers, and you can use only that damage type with your Elemental Fist attacks until you meet the feat's normal prerequisites. A monk with this feat can use Elemental Fist as if he were a monk of the four winds (Advanced Player's Guide 112).

[Ascalaphus]

Alternatively, a master of many styles may choose a feat in that style's feat path (such as Earth Child Topple) as one of these bonus feats if he already has the appropriate style feat (such as Earth Child Style). The master of many styles does not need to meet any other prerequisite of the feat in the style's feat path.

The only prerequisite is the style's entry feat. You could bypass the middle of the style tree to go #1 -> #3, but you have to have #1.

[TGMaxMaxer]

ok... thats how I read it too. (but i was hoping that for giving up flurry you got to go straight to level 3)

[Gignere]

Even if it allowed you to pick Dragon Ferocity directly how would you be activating it?

The wording of the feat says While using Dragon Style,. You can't use Dragon Style if you don't have the feat.

[StreamOfTheSky]

You need Dragon Style first, but if you have it, you can take either Dragon Ferocity OR Dragon Roar as a bonus feat w/o needing any of the other pre-requisites.

So in general, you should try to qualify for the base style feats through your regular feats and use the bonus feats to cherry pick high level or high-requirement latter style feats in the chain. Generally shooting for the 3rd one. Like... Snake Fang without Snake Sidewind? Pretty sweet.

[TGMaxMaxer]

The goal is to have a clawed tiefling with Feral Combat training, rending fury chain, Boar style/shred and dragon style/ferocity.

Feral combat would normally not be a good option as you give up iteratives, but a MoMS gives up flurry anyways, so never gets more than 2 attacks by level 12 either way. Also, after MoMS and Shapeshifter (nat combat) ranger, he goes druid(animal shaman) getting pounce and rake on top of that whole deal.

Hitting at full BAB for 2 claws 2d4+4d6+18 +1d6 bleed, or 1d4+9 +2d6 on a single claw normally, stage up to huge and druid spells while wildshaped.

I also have the bite from Adopted: Tusked thrown in, so add a bite at 1d4+9 on full attacks while normal form.

[Skylancer4]

TGMaxMaxer wrote:

The goal is to have a clawed tiefling with Feral Combat training, rending fury chain, Boar style/shred and dragon style/ferocity.

Feral combat would normally not be a good option as you give up iteratives, but a MoMS gives up flurry anyways, so never gets more than 2 attacks by level 12 either way. Also, after MoMS and Shapeshifter (nat combat) ranger, he goes druid(animal shaman) getting pounce and rake on top of that whole deal.

Hitting at full BAB for 2 claws 2d4+4d6+18 +1d6 bleed, or 1d4+9 +2d6 on a single claw normally, stage up to huge and druid spells while wildshaped.

I also have the bite from Adopted: Tusked thrown in, so add a bite at 1d4+9 on full attacks while normal form.

Your feat investment is huge however, you need weapon focus (claw), FCT (claw), weapon focus (bite), FCT (bite) to gain use of style effects on both.

You are looking at level 11 before you have a free feat for anything assuming you dip 1 monk (MMoS) for the free IUS and Dragon Style to maximize spell and wildshape progression. 13 if you get Natural Spell (which is pretty much mandatory if you are shapechanging melee).

[TGMaxMaxer]

Actually, although I know it's not optimized, it is fun. I'm not worried about the FCT bite, I'm lookin to double dip on the rend attacks with the rend chain and boar style chain, at full BAB good chance they'll both hit, even if they don't i still get half the rend.

The actual planned build is here.

2 levels of MoMS Monk, 3 levels of Shapeshifter Ranger, 7 levels of Animal Shaman Druid (level 8 for wildshape cat/saurian haven't decided).