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Hey all! I was thinking about how to best utilize the Crane Style line of feats, and realized that a Barbarian might be just about the best option. Here's my thinking:
-you're probably fighting defensively, and so have -2 to your attacks
-you want to have one hand free
-you'll be able to parry one attack per turn, and possibly counterattack
So what does that get you? A character no enemy wants to attack, certainly, thanks to your defenses. But it also makes a character that isn't likely to hit (-2 to attacks) and likely deals less damage (no two-handed weapons, though check with your DM if you can two hand a longsword/whatever and then still have a hand free).
Well, barbarians love to charge into battle, get right in the middle of the enemies (Improved Uncanny Dodge says hello), and beat the heck out of people while tanking hits. Rage and full BAB means fighting defensively isn't a big deal, and Crane Style helps makes up for your lessened AC from charging and raging.
So how would you build a Crane Style Barbarian?
PS: By RAW, "While in rage, a barbarian cannot use any Charisma-, Dexterity-, or Intelligence-based skills (except Acrobatics, Fly, Intimidate, and Ride) or any ability that requires patience or concentration." Not sure if crane style requires "concentration," but if your GM says it does, Crane Style Urban Barbarian could still be pretty good. Share your thoughts!
So how would you build a Crane Style Barbarian?
Invulnerable Urban Barbarian X/Unarmed Fighter 1 or Invulnerable Urban Barbarian/MoMS 1. Going either route nab the armor expert feat and wear a mithral breastplate and use a katana(gain proficiency with cracked opalescent ioun stone), full attack using both hands held onto the weapon and then take one hand off to use crane wing. 5500 gold tax, but by the time you get crane wing that's not too expensive(nearly half at level 5, 1/5th at level 7). In the end you get to enjoy a large crit range, good AC, full movement, and you can still attack with the katana at any time.(Alternatively just build for natural attacks because those always leave a hand open, but hey, katanas are cool right?)
Well if you are going to dip Unarmed Fighter or MoMS then 2 levels are probably more efficient for feats and abilities (evasion =level 2). it still might be better, albeit slower, going pure Barb.
Master of many styles maybe, unarmed fighter no. I don't think a bonus feat is worth slowing down barbarian progression.
Ahem...
Korak Fists of Fury - MoMS Barbarian
This guy uses Dragon and Snake styles, but nothing stops you from switching one of those for Crane Style. (Although I'd say it's less effective). He doesn't use the Urban archetype because I really like the increased movement speed, but that's just personal preference. Another cool trick is grab the Monk of the Sacred Mountain archetype as well, so you get Toughness as a bonus feat fro free! :D
I'm currently playing a similar build in a homebrew game where we can mix and match class features. So I can be a Barbarian Monk without delaying class progression. :D
After you get Pounce, you can either get more Barbarian levels for Come and Get Me or grab 3 levels of Brawler Fighter for a +1 to hit and +3 to damage, but the latter stops you from getting Tireless Rage later on, so it might not be a good idea.
How ?
Barbarian cant be lawful
Moms must be lawful.
The only monk available is martial artist
Good ol' techinique... Known only as "Alignment Juggling"
Become lawful, grab 2 Monk levels. Stop being lawful, get Rage and never again take another level in Monk.
Ex-Monks keep all their class features! :D
Because alignment is b~@!+&%~, anyway.
Atarlost, any race can get an SLA if the level doesn't matter - there are several traits that give SLAs.
Since taking a hand off a weapon and putting it back is a free action, there's nothing stopping your from using a 1-handed weapon, attacking with it in two hands during your turn and switching to 1-handed after your attack.
Also, if you go with MoMS, do take tiger style & tiger pounce, shifting PA penalty to AC is just too good, in particular with crane wing taking over some defensive duty from AC.
On a final note, the Agathion blooded Aasimar can take the Enlightened Warrior trait, which allows for a non-lawful monk, if you want to avoid an alignment shift. The rest of the race isn't half bad, though you'd have to do without a bonus to STR.
huh... great minds....
A few months ago I had the same idea, I did build a crane style barbarian, and I'm running him in a game right now. He's strong, but I didn't optimize as much as I could have.
I also don't know if you'd say he qualifies, he's only Barbarian2, Fighter5. I didn't go the monk route so I needed the bonus feats to get into Crane Style. But the core idea is the same.
For lolz, I took my 2 Barb levels in Titan Mauler so he can weild a greatsword and still use Crane Style.
As KutuluKultist pointed out, you can use the oddness of stance switching to change your grip on a weapon, so he attacks with the greatsword two-handed, and then switches to a one-handed stance for Crane Style. As long as you remember your penalties for using a two handed weapon in one hand on any AoOs you make, it's legit.