So I'm making a backup character for a game I'm playing (currently a Dark Tapestry Oracle).
Fiddling around with the idea for a big buff wrestle-man who breaks people like twigs.
So far, I've got this.
Basically has a progression of Fighter (Brawler) 1/Monk (Tetori) 8/Fighter (Brawler) 3, Mythic Tier 4 (Dual Path Champion/Guardian) and these Feats:
Brawler 1.) Weapon Focus (Unarmed), Power Attack, Hamatulatsu
Monk 1-8:
2.) Improved Grapple
3.) Stunning Pin, Weapon Focus (Grapple)
5.) Iron Will
7.) Greater Grapple, Jawbreaker
Brawler 2-4
9.) Hamatula Strike, Bonebreaker
11.) Rapid Grappler
12.) Neckbreaker
Mythic Feats:
1.) Dual Path
3.) Mythic Improved Grappler
Mythic Path Abilities:
Sudden Attack (Champion)
Sudden Block (Guardian)
1.) Uncanny Grapple
2.) Aerial Assault
3.) Master Grappler
4.) Dimensional Grappler
The main issue I'm having is A.) I've never built a Grappler. Is this a solid build? and B.) There are a number of Mythic abilities (which I have) that make Tetori all but worthless except for the level 9 ability (spend Ki to negate Freedom of Movement and the like).
Dimensional Grappler gives me the 13th level ability, Improved Grapple (Mythic) gives me Counter-Grapple, Hamatula Strike gives me Graceful Grappler's Grab without the Ki cost, etc.
So, is Tetori even worth it? Should I just go straight Brawler (or Brawler/Brutal Pugilist I was possibly thinking, well, I need one level of Monk for Stunning Fist but beyond that...)? Some other combination of classes I haven't thought of?
Minor correction, I probably want at least 4 levels for the whole "You take no penalties while grappling" bit.
But Brawler/Pugilist for the rest?
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Tetori is worth it. To get Grab without a Ki cost, avoid Hamatula strike, instead get a belt of anaconda's coils or a two level dip into white-haired witch to get a constrict ability. That allows you to take Final Embrace.
Final Embrace a) give you grab, b) lets you constrict with your regular unarmed strike damage, not just your belt/hair, and c) lets your constrict creatures one size larger.
I cannot overstate how awesome Final Embrace is to a grapple build.
If you are going to dip fighter, I would go with Unarmed Fighter instead of Brawler. It gives DR/- when in a grapple, and a free style feat that can be used for either Snapping Turtle Style for the ability to make more grapple checks or Dragon Style for more unarmed strike damage which will apply on your constrict.
So, why is Tetori worth it for more than 4 levels though?
It just seems like 9 levels of a class that only gives me ONE useful thing (since everything else is obsoleted by other abilities I get on top of that) isn't worth it.
Looking at it, 7 levels of Unarmed Fighter gives me all I was gonna get from 4 levels of Tetori anyway.
Break Free and Counter Grapple both add more unique abilities to protect you when grappled by invisible gargantuan creatures, and using monk unarmed damage on constrict attacks can make DPR very high. Double that by doing non-lethal damage with Pinning Knockout.
'Kay.
So, that leaves me with two free Feats (Hamatulatsu and Hamatula Strike). You suggested I take Final Embrace and Snapping Turtle Style (eventually going for Clutch, i assume) or Dragon Style (not bad if I get Ferocity, since I can impart Shaken to people I use Bone/Neckbreaker on...neat).
I like Brawler because it gives me a bit more OOMPH on a dip (Close Combatant at 3rd), I can get DR from other sources easily, maybe.
DR/- in a Grapple sounds nice, but replacing the Brawler levels with that will max it out at DR 2/-, not too stellar IMO.
Guess it depends on whether I want a little more damage or a little more survivability. I'll decide that once I see what my AC looks like, all told.
I didn't want to do my gear just yet because all the characters in this game have (or will have) an artifact level item of some kind (usually a +6 weapon with a bunch of other abilities. The Caduceus of Hermes, a +6 Dancing Rod with Invisibility/See Invisibility/Fly At-Will, Haste/Greater Invisibility 3/day, and a no-cost Raise Dead and Plane Shift 1/day in my Oracle's case).
But AC items and that belt seem like a given.