How to increase CMB?


Advice


So, I'm currently playing a Tetori Monk, and I was looking at what my CMB would be at 20th level (dreaming of wrestling Tarrasques and what not) and could only see myself getting up to about a +38 or Grapple, which seems a bit low.

Any advice on ways to increase it? Already have the following planned:

Improved Grapple
Greater Grapple

Bred for War

Belt of Physical Perfection

Gauntlets of the Skilled Maneuver

I saw in another thread, a CMB of around +50 mentioned. Any advice on how I can get my CMB up even higher?

Grand Lodge

BRACERS OF ARMOR with BRAWLING will give you another +2

Grand Lodge

also Weapon Focus can be put towards grapple.


@sowero, Can't put Brawling in Bracers of Armor, specifically called out light armors only.

Dusty Rose ioun stone slotted in a Wayfinder +2.

Depending on your GM, AoMF enhancements could count for Grapple, since you are getting a grapple off of an unarmed strike attack per Grab.

Lore Warden 3 levels, 3 feats and a +2 to all CMB/CMD.

Hobgoblin race gets 1/4 levels FCB to grapple/trip.

Should have : Level-20, Str-10(Str 30, maybe more), Gauntlets-2, Feats-+4, Trait-1, Weapon Focus(grapple)-1, Ioun Stone-2, ... That's 40 with a single classed character.

Sovereign Court

Look into some backdoor methods:

Step 1: Take Skill Focus in Any Knowledge.
Step 2: Take Eldritch Heritage, Select Arcane Bloodline.
Step 3: Take the King Crab Familiar! (+2 CMB For grapples!)

Seriously, though, sometimes the answer to your problem can come from the strangest places. I have a character that specializes in "Dirty Tricks". And just when I thought I was maxed out on buffing my CMB for Dirty Tricks, I discovered the Burglar's Buckler while poking around Ultimate Equipment.

Asking on the forums is a great idea, don't get me wrong! But sometimes, pouring over materials on your own can land you with a discovery that could be often overlooked by even the most experienced players.


sowero wrote:
BRACERS OF ARMOR with BRAWLING will give you another +2

Bracers of armor are not light armor and as such are no legal target for brawling.

Jason Bulmahn wrote:

Bracers of armor do not count as light armor I am afraid.

Jason Bulmahn
Lead Designer
Paizo Publishing

Ok, I missed that someone already mentioned it.

Grand Lodge

Anything that adds to attack rolls, adds to CMB.


blackbloodtroll wrote:
Anything that adds to attack rolls, adds to CMB.

So an Amulet of Mighty Fists would be another +5? That's cool. I will have to look into what other feats might be worth taking, to increase attack bonus/CMB. Maybe Big Game Hunter? Would help even the playing field against the Tarrasque.

Also, does that mean I should just take Weapon Focus(unarmed) rather than Weapon Focus(grapple), because it would still apply when I go to make a grapple, and I get the added bonus of more accurate regular attacks as well?


I think you can only add weapon enhancements to those CMs that specifically call out being usable with weapons.
Grapple and using unarmed seems to be a special case but I'm not sure that the enhancement bonus applies.

What would apply would be size bonuses to attack. So if you were small but had an ability letting you be treated as medium for CMs you'd get your +1 size bonus on attack.

And I think there is some weapon enchantment that gives a bonus to CMs.

Edit: Found it. It's one of the two enchantments called duelling but it doesn't work with grapple.


Hexcrafter White Haired Witch can use INT for attacks and gains the grab ability. Using Arcane Accuracy will allow to to add that INT bonus again.
I have +36 at level 9 when buffed.


stuart haffenden wrote:

Hexcrafter White Haired Witch can use INT for attacks and gains the grab ability. Using Arcane Accuracy will allow to to add that INT bonus again.

I have +36 at level 9 when buffed.

Normally creatures with the grab ability gain a +4 bonus to grapple checks. Is that true for the white haired witch, too?

universal monster rules wrote:
Creatures with the grab special attack receive a +4 bonus on combat maneuver checks made to start and maintain a grapple.

If you had any way to get beast shape II (like wildshape at level 6)you could shape into a large animal to get grab (with the +4 to grapple) and a +4 size bonus to strength but a -1 size bonus to hit. This would net you +5 and the option to grapple after dealing damage.


Actually, Tetori already get Grab (and Constrict) as class features. So I guess that would be another +4 I would be getting.

Scarab Sages

RaizielDragon wrote:
Actually, Tetori already get Grab (and Constrict) as class features. So I guess that would be another +4 I would be getting.

Only when using Ki. The best option is to get a belt of anaconda's coils or a two level dip in White Haired Witch for a constrict attack, which allows you to take final embrace for an always on grab and constrict that is not tied to ki use. The Witch dip also gives access to the King Crab familiar for +2 to grapple.

Also, worship the Empyreal Lord Falayna. Her Celestial obedience is easy to complete, and gives a +4 sacred bonus to grapple checks.

There are Ioun Stones that give bonuses to a maneuver.

Weapon Focus (Grapple)


2 people marked this as FAQ candidate.
Imbicatus wrote:
RaizielDragon wrote:
Actually, Tetori already get Grab (and Constrict) as class features. So I guess that would be another +4 I would be getting.
Only when using Ki.

I actually had a question about this. Under the updated rules for Grab, it states that you can use Grab on an equal-sized target, versus the original ruling which was that you could only Grab targets smaller than you.

My question is: Does the sentence in Graceful Grappler, "...and can use this ability against creatures his own size or smaller by spending 1 point from his ki pool, or against larger creatures by spending 2 points from his ki pool..." mean that he can't use Grab at all without spending ki, or only that he must spend ki to use it against equal-sized or larger creatures? Further, was this written before the update to Grab, in which case, Grab automatically works on equal-sized targets, and therefore, ki is only needed for larger targets?

Scarab Sages

As written, the tetori must use one ki to use grab against an opponent his size or smaller. The Tetori text is specific, and the grab is general.

This is worth a FAQ, as the Tetori would be much better if it applied the Grab update.


How does FAQ work? Do I need to submit a clarification request to someone, or anything?

Scarab Sages

You can just hit the FAQ link above your post. You could also post the question in the rules thread and hit the FAQ there.


Ok. I selected FAQ, and it looks like 1 other person did as well (I assume it was you Imbicatus).

So, back to trying to increase CMB.


I took the feat Final Embrace, the WHW gets the +4 from grab.


Similar question about Final Embrace. It has a requirement that you already have Constrict. The benefit is that you gain Grab and Constrict. If you already had Constrict, I don't see why it specifies that you gain it again. Also, a Tetori already has Grab and Constrict, so this feat is useless so far. It also states that your Constrict does damage equal to your unarmed damage. Again, Tetori already does this. Lastly, it states that you can Grab and Constrict opponents up to your size. Grab already lets you do this, per the updated rules, and Constrict doesn't have a size restriction. So this feat does nothing for a level 15 Tetori Monk.

(Alternatively, since a Tetori has Grab and Constrict, but must currently use ki to Grab equal-sized creatures [pending rules clarification], the Grab granted from Final Embrace is a step up from the Grab granted by Graceful Grappler, saving the Tetori from needing to spend ki on equal-sized targets)

Following on to that, isn't there a rule (maybe a generally accepted hosue rule, not sure) that if you already have all the benefits of a feat, you are basically assumed to have that feat, for purposes of prerequisites and such?

Scarab Sages

The benefit is you can get constrict via final embrace far earlier than 15th level. If you are actually playing up to 15, this is huge. With the multi-class dip, you could get it grab and constrict at fifth level. It also opens Final Embrace Horror for shaken on any constrict, and Final Embrace Master for double damage dice on Constrict (triple with Pinning Knockout).


I do like Final Embrace Master, and that would be the only reason I would look into that feat string at all, though I'm not sure if it is worth 3 feats.

Scarab Sages

It depends on your playstyle and how often you play at high level. APs end at 15-16, PFS ends at 11, and I haven't seen 20th level in 5 years. The vast majority of play in my games is from 1-12, and if you have to wait until 15th level for an ability, it might as well not be there in my point of view.

If you play high level and start at 15, then Final Embrace isn't needed. If you play from level one, getting it asap is worthwhile as you can play with the benefit of it for 10 levels.


This character is being used in the Legacy of Fire campaign. We have currently had one session so far.


I don't have my books with me right now, but looking at the WHW in the SRD, the WHW doesn't technically get the Constrict ability. She gets a class feature called Constrict that allows her to spend a Swift action to deal damage. The actual Constrict ability is automatic whenever you succeed on a Grapple check. Granted, Final Embrace would provide a full Constrict ability that is automatic as it should be, but I'm not sure if the Constrict feature the WHW gets is the same as the Constrict ability needed to qualify for the feat in the first place.


RaizielDragon wrote:
blackbloodtroll wrote:
Anything that adds to attack rolls, adds to CMB.
So an Amulet of Mighty Fists would be another +5?

No, it is not that simple. The amulet increase the CMB for trip, disarm and sunder. The only way to add it to grapple hcks is via hamatula strike.

But things like cracked pale green prism Ioun stone do add +1 to attack and CMB. A wayfinde plus a dusty rose Ioun stone give another +2 to CMB and CMD.

Spells like heroism and haste also add.


Nicos wrote:
The only way to add it to grapple hcks is via hamatula strike.

I assume I would have to take another feat to change my Unarmed Strike to piercing damage as well, correct?

Also, hust as an observation, Hamatula Strike seems to very closely emulate the Grab ability. It just has the added benefit of being able to use weapons to deal damage in a Grapple that you wouldn't normally be able to.

So, for purposes of this build, Hamatula Strike doesn't add anything itself, but it does allow attack bonuses that are specific to Unarmed Strike to also apply to Grapple checks. So I could then add Weapon Focus, Amulet of Mighty Fists, etc.?

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