Trying to create a pummeler.

[headrush46n2]

Andre The Half Giant

starting a new campaign at lvl 8 and i'm trying to make a fighter who basically pins you down and whollops you. Brutal Pugalist(5) and Thug(3)
seemed like a good combo, i also thought of using a chain or a rope as my "weapon" so i could render some people helpless.

any tips on different classes, feats or gear Andre could use, starting at lvl 8 with standard gold? GM is allowing half giant, but not psionics, so he basically just has fire resistance and powerful build (which is all i wanted anyway)

[Imbicatus]

I'd go pure Tetori. They may not have quite as high of a CMB as a Barbarian, but they hit just as hard, and once they have you grappled, nothing is getting away from them.

[RaizielDragon]

Tetori Monk is the default answer, typically, for Grapplers because they get some neat tricks for preventing easy-escape options for opponents (like Freedome of Movement effects). While this somewhat makes sense for them, because they give up their main non-grapple gimmick (Flurry) in order to be better grapplers, my preferred answer is to just have a back-up in case your opponent is un-grapple-able.

Tetoris don't have that option because they gave up Flurry. Fighters, Barbarians, and Brawlers can all just fall back on "I beat you down" if they run into something that a Tetori would normally overcome with "more grappling".

My current preferred grappler build is a Brawler with the Mutagenic Mauler archetype. You get some bonus feats to help you fill out the Grapple series of feats (Improved Grapple, Greater Grapple, Rapid Grapple), you get improved unarmed damage so you can deal more damage while grappling, you get bonuses to grappling (Maneuver Training), have access to Fighter-specific feats, can still Flurry, get a Str-boosting gimmick like the Barbarian that you can change up for Dex or Con boosting if needed. Really the only thing it is missing are some of the tricks that Tetori Monks, Brutal Pugilist Barbarians, or Unarmed Fighters get that do stuff like not losing your Dex bonus or allowing attacks of opportunity, etc. I think it's a really nice blend of abilities that lends itself to grappling without sacrificing some flexibility to still excel in other areas.

[RaizielDragon]

I even recently found out about a feat called Throat Slicer that allows you to coup-de-grace a pinned opponent as a standard action. So combined with Greater Grapple, you can maintain your grapple as a move action, pinning them, then "whallop" them with an unarmed coup-de-grace. If they don't die you just repeat next round; you can even use the damage opponent option on subsequent rounds instead of the pin option since they will still be pinned from previous rounds.

[Fruian Thistlefoot]

Tetori is Defiantly the way to go. Very Easy to build and Operate.

There is a Mega Cross Class bastard build out there by Scott Wilhelm. I also took his build and added/modified some things I like. But basically you take a few different classes and take the best features. The Bastard Shredder gets tentacles with grab feature and will use armor spikes to literally shred the opponent like a cheese Grater. Here is my build I posted up Similar to Scott's Build.

But if you want easy to play and straight forward I recommend the Tetori as well.

[Imbicatus]

Your Cheesy Shredder doesn't qualify for Monastic Legacy btw. You need Still Mind but only have two monk levels.

[Fruian Thistlefoot]

Your Correct Imbicatus that is what I get for rushing a post @ work Trying not to get caught. Here is Scott's Grappler...I just pulled out some Web-fu and found it.

Scott Wilhelm's Grappler Build:

I'll throw in my build for perusal. This is for PFS.

Tengu with Claws
1Ranger1: Freebooter, Weapon Focus Claws
2R1Monk1: Master of Many Styles, Snake Style

This character will wear armor and use a shield. I could forgo the Claw Trait and work on the bite instead, since I can't claw with my shield arm, and then I could use a Bastard Sword sometimes, and that would be a solid choice. But I'm hoping this character will eventually acquire a Wand of Monstrous Physique and polymorph into a 4 armed Sahaugin with extra claw attacks. Meanwile, I have a method for developing all the natural attacks I can get. If I want to, I can drop the shield anyway, perhaps carrying a longbow for when the enemy is out of reach and clawing/biting/beating when they close in.

3R2M2: Snake Fang, Combat Reflexes

Crosswinds, MOMS totally lets you skip Snake Sidewind.

MOMS, Bonus Feat wrote:
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.
Meanwhile being able to use a shield secures those extra Attacks of Opportunity. She will have a Dex of 16, so I'm losing 1 attack/round for the shield, but I'm gaining 4.

4R1M2F1: Feral Combat Training, Claws
5R1M3F1: Monastic Legacy, Maneuver Training
6R2M3F1: Improved Natural Weapon Claws

So now the Claw attacks do 2d6, and I get to use my claws to make those Attacks of opportunity.

7R2M3F1Alchemist1: Improved Grapple, Mutagen

I disagree with Crosswinds assessment that Panther Claw and Snake Fang have no synergy in most cases, but they don't have synergy, here. I like the Dex Mutagen because I think the extra Attacks of Opportunity granted via Combat Reflexes leads to a higher DPR than the Strength Mutagen does. But you gain Dex at the Cost of Wisdom, and Panther Claw builds on Wisdom. And that's the opposite of synergy.

8R2M3F1A1White Haired Witch1
9R2M3F1A1W2: Final Embrace

Level 2 White Hair has Constrict, and that is the prerequisite for the Final Embrace Feat. With Final Embrace, the Hair, the Bite, The Claws, and the Monk Unarmed Strike all get Grab and Constrict. Constrict damage = the Claw Damage, and she will wear Armor Spikes and do Armor Spike damage with every hit. Her DPR will be outrageous.

10R2M3F2A1W2: Greater Grapple, Coordinated Maneuvers
11R2M3F2A1W2Cavalier1: Potion Glutton, Expert Captor

With Improved and Greater grapple increase the Grapple Mod, which helps with those Grabs and Constricts, of course. But if you have Greater Grapple and Expert Captor, you can Initiate a Grapple and Tie up your opponent in 1 round! Potion Glutton allows you to drink any potable, you know, like an Alchemal Extract of True Strike, as a Swift action. So on round 1 you can use a Wand of True Strike on yourself and close with your opponent. On round 2 you can Initiate a Grapple as a Standard Action, pop your Extract as a Swift Action, and Tie Up your opponent as a Move Action, both with a +20 from True Strike. And there are plenty of ways to pump up your Grapple Mod Quite High.

12R2M3F2A2W2C1: King Crab Tumor Famililiar

I have been wanting to try this. Have my Tumor Familiar take a Potion of Shield Other then meld with me. It would take half my damage, and it would enjoy Fast Healing 5.

Its better anyways as Scott understands grappling much better than I do. My specialty is more with Mounted Combat, wizards, and Clerics.

[BadBird]

One interesting combo of oddball things would be Grabbing Style and Hamatula Strike with a piercing weapon. Auto-grapple with melee attacks and maul grappled foes with typical full attacks, ignoring the strange non-sensical second part of Hamatula Strike. It's an odd feat that poses some questions about exactly what's going on, but if your GM is OK with the idea that you're doing something like initiating the grapple by stabbing something and then pummeling it with your other hand, it's a pretty flavorful melee-grappler.

[Taenia]

Master of Many Styles was errata'd and no longer works that way. You can only use your bonus feats for Style feats and no longer for feats down the line. So you cannot take Snake Fang at level 3.

In addition, Final Embrace was changed to require constrict as a racial ability so neither the WHW or Anaconda's Coil qualifies.

[Weltrath]

RaizielDragon wrote:

I even recently found out about a feat called Throat Slicer that allows you to coup-de-grace a pinned opponent as a standard action. So combined with Greater Grapple, you can maintain your grapple as a move action, pinning them, then "whallop" them with an unarmed coup-de-grace. If they don't die you just repeat next round; you can even use the damage opponent option on subsequent rounds instead of the pin option since they will still be pinned from previous rounds.

Does unarmed strike count as a one-handed, light or natural weapon? I thought it was it's own category as 'unarmed' and not any of the others. Sure it's a weapon since both brawler and monk say it is, but I didn't think it was any of the ones listed for throat slicer.

[RaizielDragon]

This states that an unarmed strike is always considered a light weapon, and never a natural weapon.

[Weltrath]

I missed that part under Unarmed Strike. Good to know, looks like I might have to try a Brawler with Throat Slicer one of these days.