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Animal companion build.
1st: Toughness. +2 int from the druids Eye for talent racial ability.
2nd: Stealth synergy
5th: Improved unarmed strike
8th: Dragonstyle
It wouldn't let him get the 1.5 x strength on his first attack, but being able to charge through the PFS ubiquitous difficult terrain is definitely worth the two feats. Some people get a little... uptight about critters doing anything smarter than attacking, but all its really doing is charging through the bush to take down its prey. Isn't that what a dinosaur supposed to be doing?
I always looked at improved unarmed strike as knowing some form of martial arts, even if you don't have a humanoid body. I can't see a dinosaur actually learning martial arts.
If you are just asking about it for reasons of power then I think it is ok. If this is an animal companion then I like the idea though. IIRC he has to have an int of 3 to take IUS anyway unless the GM says it is ok otherwise.
What is "stealth synergy?"
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I always looked at improved unarmed strike as knowing some form of martial arts, even if you don't have a humanoid body. I can't see a dinosaur actually learning martial arts.
It can be martial arts, brawling, body slamming etc. Most likely the druid training it to hit with its tail because too many people they want alive keep comming back with teeth marks...
Dragonstyle should be easier for him than a human.. he's halfway there.
If you are just asking about it for reasons of power then I think it is ok. If this is an animal companion then I like the idea though. IIRC he has to have an int of 3 to take IUS anyway unless the GM says it is ok otherwise.
What is "stealth synergy?"
Its a teamwork feat. Both people sneaking roll, and you take the better d20 off the pair.
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As awesome as this would be, I don't think it's legal. With an INT of 3 or higher Animal Companions can learn any feat they are capable of using. Can a raptor use Improved Unarmed Strike? They don't have unarmed strikes, so they can't use IUS. Thus, they can't get the prerequisite for Dragon Style.
What you can do is simply have your druid cast Feather Step on your AC. It has a good duration, so you should be able to keep it up in dangerous areas(especially by level 8, when this kicks in).
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As awesome as this would be, I don't think it's legal. With an INT of 3 or higher Animal Companions can learn any feat they are capable of using. Can a raptor use Improved Unarmed Strike? They don't have unarmed strikes, so they can't use IUS. Thus, they can't get the prerequisite for Dragon Style.
What makes you think they can't use unarmed strikes? They're not something you have its just something that you do.
What you can do is simply have your druid cast Feather Step on your AC. It has a good duration, so you should be able to keep it up in dangerous areas(especially by level 8, when this kicks in).
I just don't like keeping track of the 10 minute spells. There's usually an unknown amount of time between encounters.
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It's not legal without Feral Combat Training.
Animals can't use style feats without it, meaning you'd have to sneak in Weapon Focus & Feral Combat Training to get Dragon Style on a dinosaur.
You are misunderstanding the feat. The feats that Feral Combat Training refers to are not the style feats, it is talking about things like Stunning Fist or Elemental Fist which modify your unarmed strikes.
I know this because you are never restricted to only unarmed strikes when using a style.
Improved Unarmed Strike and Dragon Style will get you a kung-fu dinosaur, but it might be too awesome for most people to accept in PFS.
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It is talking about any bonus for Unarmed Strikes applying to Natural Weapons. Being BigNorseWolf didn't want the 1.5x STR damage, I guess the other portions of the feat may apply, but I'd argue that a creature without unarmed strikes can't master an unarmed fighting style.
How does a creature not have unarmed strikes?
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It has a bite attack and claws. The animal will attack with them rather than balling it's paw into a fist and striking with knuckles. It's why apes have slam attacks.
By nature, yes. But if you improve its intelligence so it can take these two feats, then that's no longer the case. An animal with an Int of 2 can be taught to stay, guard, attack, etc.; an animal with an Int of 4 can be taught to Vital Strike, Dazzling Display, and use its Improved Unarmed Strike.
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It has a bite attack and claws. The animal will attack with them rather than balling it's paw into a fist and striking with knuckles. It's why apes have slam attacks.
In an "off the shelf" animal, maybe. But this is a special animal with INT 3, so by RAW it can take any feat it is physically capable of using. Does a velociraptor have limbs? Then it can take Unarmed Strike and learn how to hit things with its hands and feet rather than its claws and talons.
It is talking about any bonus for Unarmed Strikes applying to Natural Weapons. Being BigNorseWolf didn't want the 1.5x STR damage, I guess the other portions of the feat may apply, but I'd argue that a creature without unarmed strikes can't master an unarmed fighting style.
As BNW points out, this is a nonsequitor. Even if you are of the opinion that having natural attacks takes away your unarmed strikes, this is a special animal already, since it has the Improved Unarmed Strike feat no matter what other prerequisites you are making up for the style feats.
By your logic, a tengu or tiefling with the racial trait that gives a natural attack cannot use style feats without there suddenly being extra prerequisites. That does not sound right to me.
You reaaaally don't like your teammates having the spotlight at all, don't ya? ;)
RPG Superstar 2015 Top 32, RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32
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Exotic saddle for the halflings... and two masterwork lances (one for the raptor one for the druid...)You reaaaally don't like your teammates having the spotlight at all, don't ya? ;)What if he gives them rides? I'd happily play "support" in exchange for raptor rides!
Better yet, get a saddle/pouch/sidecar for each party member. Hand them all bows/crossbows/wands of magic missile. RAPTOR TANK
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If Tekken has taught me anything, it's this: if a kangaroo can box, then so can a velociraptor.
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Better yet, get a saddle/pouch/sidecar for each party member. Hand them all bows/crossbows/wands of magic missile. RAPTOR TANKExotic saddle for the halflings... and two masterwork lances (one for the raptor one for the druid...)You reaaaally don't like your teammates having the spotlight at all, don't ya? ;)What if he gives them rides? I'd happily play "support" in exchange for raptor rides!
I'm saving that for the Anklysaurus themed druid in full plate :)
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I don't see anything illegal in this build. Not sure if I would have taken Stealth Synergy at 2nd level, but that is personal preference, not that the feat is illegal or bad.
Now, in order to get the 1-1/2 times Strength damage for one of its natural attacks, it would need Weapon Focus and Feral Combat Training in it, but that is purely optional cheese, there.
Could do that by 8th, actually, by forgoing Toughness and Stealth Synergy, and taking WF and FCT in their place, with a small order change.
1: IUS
2: WF Bite or Talon
5: FCT Bite or Talon
8: DS
And, at 8th, that gets really ugly, since it has also gained pounce and two more attacks as part of its 7th level bump.
Nasty, but nowhere near a RageLancePounce Barbarian.
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Wouldn't IUS be treated the same as a weapon feat for PFS? I can't really see the difference in trying to teach an ape how to ball it's fist for an unarmed strike vs. showing it how to swing a club. If one is illegal, the other one really should be considered as such too.
IUS is a heck of a lot more than "balling one's fist", and you are going to tell me you can't teach an animal how to do things like body checks and kicks?
Could you teach a Wolf Combat Expertise and Improved Trip? How about Greater Trip? Tripping Strike?
I know that real world dogs can and do get trained in something similar to Improved Grapple. I used to live with a friend who owned a retired police dog, and, even though she only weighed 47 pounds, you did NOT want to mess with her. Then again, she was also a herd-tending breed, and was trained in that, and enjoyed her trips out to do some sheep herding....
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Wouldn't IUS be treated the same as a weapon feat for PFS? I can't really see the difference in trying to teach an ape how to ball it's fist for an unarmed strike vs. showing it how to swing a club. If one is illegal, the other one really should be considered as such too.IUS is a heck of a lot more than "balling one's fist", and you are going to tell me you can't teach an animal how to do things like body checks and kicks?
Could you teach a Wolf Combat Expertise and Improved Trip? How about Greater Trip? Tripping Strike?
I know that real world dogs can and do get trained in something similar to Improved Grapple. I used to live with a friend who owned a retired police dog, and, even though she only weighed 47 pounds, you did NOT want to mess with her. Then again, she was also a herd-tending breed, and was trained in that, and enjoyed her trips out to do some sheep herding....
All I'm saying is PFS has said an ape can't be taught how to swing a simple club.
As you say, IUS is a "heck of a lot more than "balling one's fist"". I'd think it'd be easier to show it how to to swing the club than martial arts.
I'm not talking about combat maneuvers and everything else. Just the simple weapon proficiency and IUS and how they compare, since one is explicitly outlawed for PFS animal companions.
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Wouldn't IUS be treated the same as a weapon feat for PFS? I can't really see the difference in trying to teach an ape how to ball it's fist for an unarmed strike vs. showing it how to swing a club. If one is illegal, the other one really should be considered as such too.
I've never seen an ape manage to use a pole arm, but i have been head butted by a horse.
Wouldn't IUS be treated the same as a weapon feat for PFS? I can't really see the difference in trying to teach an ape how to ball it's fist for an unarmed strike vs. showing it how to swing a club. If one is illegal, the other one really should be considered as such too.IUS is a heck of a lot more than "balling one's fist", and you are going to tell me you can't teach an animal how to do things like body checks and kicks?
Could you teach a Wolf Combat Expertise and Improved Trip? How about Greater Trip? Tripping Strike?
I know that real world dogs can and do get trained in something similar to Improved Grapple. I used to live with a friend who owned a retired police dog, and, even though she only weighed 47 pounds, you did NOT want to mess with her. Then again, she was also a herd-tending breed, and was trained in that, and enjoyed her trips out to do some sheep herding....
All I'm saying is PFS has said an ape can't be taught how to swing a simple club.
As you say, IUS is a "heck of a lot more than "balling one's fist"". I'd think it'd be easier to show it how to to swing the club than martial arts.
I'm not talking about combat maneuvers and everything else. Just the simple weapon proficiency and IUS and how they compare, since one is explicitly outlawed for PFS animal companions.
I don't think it is so much that they can't be taught to do so. It is more likely their hands are not as dexterous as ours. If an int 3 human can learn how to, I don't see why an int 3 ape can't learn the same thing.
PS:Knowing how and having the ability to do so are not the same for this discussion.
