I'm starting to build a natural attack character and looking for ways to gain natural attacks.
Druid is not an option because I want to stay humanoid in form. What other options are out there and how many natural attack could I achieve.
Core races only.
No 3rd party materal please.
I thank you for your time and effort in advance.
Half Orc Toothy Trait gives a bite attack.
Two Level Dip into Ranger let's you pick up Aspect of the Beast, for two claw attacks.
Tengu allows you to get a bite and claw attacks, albeit very weak.
Tieflings can get a bite or two claw attacks
Kobold racial feat tail terror gives a tail slap
Catfolk can get two claw attacks
Helm of the Mammoth Lord
Lesser Fiend Totem the rage power gives gore attack
The rage power lesser beast totem gives two claw attacks
Eldritch heritage could get you natural attacks depending on the bloodline
I would go for a Half-Orc Ranger/Barbarian and find magic items. If you're REALLY up for it dips into alchemist gives you tentacles.
Half-Orcs qualify for martial versatility, which means a ranger/war priest could get sacred weapon damage on all the natural weapons.
Skinwalkers can get a variety of different kinds of natural attacks depending on their heritage. There is some degree of shape-changing when they assume their bestial form, but they do remain essentially humanoid rather than changing into actual animals.
|
I'm starting to build a natural attack character and looking for ways to gain natural attacks.
Druid is not an option because I want to stay humanoid in form.
There are druid options which allow you to remain in humanoid form. The various <animal> Shamans or the Feral Shifter.
That said, the easiest way to do this is probably with a Synthesis Summoner... just choose various natural attack evolutions.
There are also many feats that grant individual natural attacks to specific races or classes and a couple more general ones (e.g. Spirit Oni Master, Aspect of the Beast).
Lunar Oracle gets a Claw, Bite, or Gore attack. You need a swift action to activate it, but it lasts an amount of rounds your oracle level times your charisma mod. Grab the wolfscarred curse for a bite attack and a race with claws for 4 natural attacks at level 1.
Looks like a one level dip in witch can get you the Prehensile Hair hex
For an extra attack.
The TENTACLE CLOAK can grant you two extra tentacle attacks for a minute a day and the helm of the mammoth Lord for a Gore attack.
So 2 levels of ranger for aspect of the beast, one level of witch for the hair hex, a cloak for 2 tentacles, a helm for a Gore, a half orc for a bite. Looks like seven natural attacks is the max at the cost of 3 levels and 18500 gp. Though 3 of these attacks are only for a minute a day.
Well I could go 3 levels of slayer instead of ranger and get sneak attack to boost all my attacks. Interesting thought
The dip into witch ain't worth it, even for the extra attack. The hair's a standard action to activate, only lasts a minute, has puny damage dice, and uses int for attack and damage rolls.
An Amulet of the Blooded (Abyssal) gives a pair of claws, a Fleshwarped Scorpion's Tail gives a sting (with poison) once attached, and a Pelt of the Beast grants a bite plus an additional Bestial Feature from the related skinwalker variant's list if you're a skinwalker (can be claws, gore or hooves).
Both the abyssal and draconic bloodrager bloodlines grant (powerful) claws with scaling damage while raging at 1st level, and the alchemist Feral Mutagen discovery grants two 1d6 claws and an 1d8 bite while using mutagen (2nd level at the earliest).
The mentioned skinwalker, or more precisely the ragebred (wereboar-kin) variant, is really THE race for martial natural attack builds, since it may grant two hooves (unique for a PC race) from start, thus being the only non-monstrous race by Paizo able to use its feet for additional natural attacks. In addition, it has easy access to a somewhat rare gore, plus perfect stat bonuses for most full bab classes and especially for a barb, granting +2 to Str and Con, (-2 Cha).
In total, a ragebred bloodrager may start with 1 primary gore (race), 2 secondary hooves (Extra Feature racial feat), and 2 primary 1d6 claws (abyssal/draconic bloodline), resulting in full attacks with quite ridiculous damage output capacity. A barb with the Lesser Beast Totem would be similar, but would gain the claws at 2nd level. I wouldn't really recommend piling on every available attack this early though, since it's likely to result in a build which is very OP for most games, at least during the earlier levels.
And while it's easy to put together an extremely potent early level natural attack damage dealer, it's typically considerably more complicated to keep the same build competitive in higher levels, since it doesn't get any additional attacks from simply having a high bab. In addition, like TWF builds, natural attackers *really* suffer from not having pounce, since their individual attacks are typically pretty weak, and their lack of good reach options makes damage their only truly viable main combat focus.
So the challenge for a natural attack build is often to find additional attacks which don't use the same limbs as the attacks the build already has (for example, claws and slams are usually incompatible since both attack types use the hands/arms), and to find ways to make full attacks more often, most commonly via some sort of pounce. Items and rage powers can go a long way in order to gain more attacks, and pounce is most easily gained from Greater Beast Totem, which means the martial natural attackers that remain good/great also past level 10 are almost exclusively based on barbs or primalist bloodragers.
In addition, the damage of individual attacks can be seriously upgraded via Dragon Style, Dragon Ferocity and Feral Combat Training, granting the attacks at least a 1.5 Str bonus to damage and the "2-handed" Power Attack ratio of 3 times the attack penalty. To cut down on the feats and levels required for this, I really recommend dipping a level into Master of Many Styles Monk (unless perhaps the RAW incompatible barb/monk alignment restrictions are a problem in your game and you're not a bloodrager) and getting a cracked Opalescent White Pyramid and a Wayfinder. This nets you the Improved Unarmed Strike and Stunning Fist (needed for the Dragon Ferocity) plus Dragon Style as bonus feats, +2 to all saves, the nifty ability to use two style feat stances simultaneously, and Weapon Focus (chosen natural attack, usually claws) for a mere 2k. Well worth the gold and delayed level of barb/bloodrager.
To have additional natural attack types also benefit from Dragon Ferocity, this is of course feat intensive, but by dipping 2 levels of alchemist and getting the vestigial arm discovery twice (through the Extra Discovery feat) you can use a second pair of claws. You bypass the "doesn't grant extra attack" limitation of the vestigial arms since you actually have your monk unarmed strikes replaced (as these can be made with any part of the body, unlike regular unarmed strikes). You also get mutagen, providing an additional boost to your Str of up to +6 for 20 min. per 1 hour prep. Pretty great deal.
If you're REALLY up for it dips into alchemist gives you tentacles.
I wouldn't recommend this without the above mentioned monk unarmed strikes to "trade", since the tentacles cannot grant additional attacks. And then vestigial arms are often better, since they can allow for additional primary attacks of a type you already have.
thus being the only non-monstrous race by Paizo able to use its feet for additional natural attacks.
Do you possibly know of a citation that hooves replacing humanoid feet can be used that way (i.e., along with claws in a full attack)? For some reason, I thought it was stipulated somewhere that you couldn't put natural attacks on all four of a humanoid's limbs - basically, that they had to be left with feet to stand on. But it's entirely possible that's a fiction of my memory. (My husband's working on a ragebred barbarian for his next character, so the answer's possibly quite relevant for me personally.)
Two levels of Wildsoul (Bear) Vigilante gets you two claws in Vigilante form, and six levels gets you a bite. Taking a toothy Half Orcs gets you your three attacks by level 2.
thus being the only non-monstrous race by Paizo able to use its feet for additional natural attacks.Do you possibly know of a citation that hooves replacing humanoid feet can be used that way (i.e., along with claws in a full attack)? For some reason, I thought it was stipulated somewhere that you couldn't put natural attacks on all four of a humanoid's limbs - basically, that they had to be left with feet to stand on. But it's entirely possible that's a fiction of my memory. (My husband's working on a ragebred barbarian for his next character, so the answer's possibly quite relevant for me personally.)
I think you may be confusing this with the (FAQ/blog?) clarification a couple of years back which said humanoid PCs cannot put claws on feet (unlike a biped eidolon), though talons would work if such an option existed.
The ragebred obviously walks on its hooves when using Shape Change, and since this is indeed a racial ability, not something any PC could get, I don't think you need to have any doubts about whether this was intended or whether it somehow breaks RAW.
While I appreciate all the race options that have been mentioned but I can only use the core races for this build. If it is on the Ord I can use the option.
Again thank you for your time and effort.
I think you may be confusing this with the (FAQ/blog?) clarification a couple of years back which said humanoid PCs cannot put claws on feet (unlike a biped eidolon), though talons would work if such an option existed.thus being the only non-monstrous race by Paizo able to use its feet for additional natural attacks.Do you possibly know of a citation that hooves replacing humanoid feet can be used that way (i.e., along with claws in a full attack)? For some reason, I thought it was stipulated somewhere that you couldn't put natural attacks on all four of a humanoid's limbs - basically, that they had to be left with feet to stand on. But it's entirely possible that's a fiction of my memory. (My husband's working on a ragebred barbarian for his next character, so the answer's possibly quite relevant for me personally.)
STANDARD RACES, CLAWS, TALONS, AND FEET..
And yes, there are options for talons!
First, lets look at the various shaman druid archetypes- many of them grant natural attacks appropriate for the animal they focus on through the totem transformation ability they get at second level (lets you pick one of a few appropriate options, like movements, senses, skill bonuses, etc. for minutes/level). Eagle shamans in particular can grab a bite and a pair of talons, which you can then combine with one of the various claw options to get 5 natural attacks easily (and really- that is about all you need).
Of course. that is just some weird archetype's ability. It is hardly useful for general builds. If only there was a way to get it on any class.
Oh wait- there is- Animal Shaman Tattoos.
For 12,000 gp, this magical item is a magical tattoo (...which,uses its own slot system, parrallel to the normal item slot system) which gives you the totem transformation ability of a 5th level of whichever animal shaman the tattoo is for (ie- eagle tattoo= eagle shaman). This means that for 5 minutes per day (or 5 fights per day, really) you can grab the choices from an animal shaman. Eagle shamans are VERY useful, since it has other rather good options. These include flight and a +4 to perception.
Oh, and you can talk to birds while transformed. Which seems rather useful for scouting, at the very least.
Overall, if you have the chance to grab this tattoo- do it. Talons go on the feet, and it is rather hard to get primary natural attacks on the feet otherwise. It has other useful goodies, and it doesn't mess with the rest of your load out.
A witch with synergist archetype gets all the natural attacks of her familiar at level 14. That's late and not spectacular by itself, but there is the Evolved Familiar feat and a few familiars have attacks that don't take the usual spots.
The witch gets 2 claws and hair by hexes. She can meld with her familiar, granting one of its natural attacks (and 8 minues of fly) at level 8. At level 7, she can pick up a harbinger archon as improved familiar. It has three body blades which don't occupy any slot, and can fly. Evolved Familiar allows adding evolutions to the non-improved familiar and keeping them, also pounce is available in its APG version. So at level 14 the familiar can have 6 attacks (according to APG eidolon restrictions), means you can add three via feats (but go for pounce at level 7, since you can apply it at level 8).
This way you are at 9 natural weapons. Bite and gore slots are still available, and items can further increase the number - this build is compatible with some other proposals from this thread. Arcane Strike adds a lot of damage, but make sure you get your attack bonus up via spells or multiclassing. Strength patron looks like a good choice here.
I suggest Barbarian with beast totem rage powers OR a Druid that has the Totem Transformation ability... this would allow you to remain humanoid in form and use natural attacks. Maybe Half-Orc with the Toothy racial trait for the bite and an animal shaman archetype that allows claws with totem transformation. Also, could be accomplished with the Aspect of the Beast feat if you prefer a different trait/animal to be a shaman for.
There are some vicious rage powers that would add to your bite attack, 1d6 bleed on hit, grab, etc. Don't forget the claw master feats; Rending Claws, Rending Fury, Improved RF and Greater RF. Look at what the Greater Beast Totem rage power does and add these feats ;)
Synergist Witch 8 with the right Improved Familiar gets pounce and fly, along with a bite to add to normal witch natural attacks.
If you don't mind waiting until level 5 to stay Humanoid, Mooncursed (Horror Adventures) Barbarian can give you some natural attacks.
EDIT: From what I've seen of clarifications, the hybrid form counts as humanoid.
Supernaturalist Druid (Occult Origins) gets you claws and a bite at level 4 all day long. Unless you want the spellcasting then there is no real reason to stick with the archetype any further (and level four in it can also give you a large treant pet). Then you only need to multiclass to get a foot attack of some sort...
Two levels of the Agathiel Vigilante (Spymaster's Handbook) can get you more constant or near constant natural attacks to add.
Most of the good rounds per day methods are already mentioned above.
Mutagenic Mauler and Mutation Warrior can get okayish natural weapons, but take a bit too long to get there. Barb powers get similar faster.
The totem tattoos mentioned above or three levels of Magic Warrior Magus (Inner Sea Intrigue) can get some good minutes per day of flexible transmutation that can get natural weapons (or possibly some fly).
|
Couple of things I haven't seen mentioned yet:
1 level of Transmutation (shape change) school wizard, gives a swift action natural attack useable 3+ INT mod times per day. You choose the type of attack, and you need to have an available limb (or head) to make the attack with.
Gutbite belt: ok, it's not really a natural attack, but the belt animates and bites your opponent when you're in a grapple for damage equivalent to armour spikes (which stacks with armour spikes if you are also using them). Otherwise it's a Belt of Mighty Constitution +2, and the bite attack can be separately enchanted as a weapon.
|
|
There's also the monstrous extremities spell. It's on lots of spell lists, including cleric, wizard and bloodrager. Target gets two secondary natural attacks for 1 hour / level. The spell transforms the targets arms into wings (cannot fly) or tentacles, or its legs into hooves. If you've already got natural attacks using those limbs then it's possibly a downgrade, but otherwise it's a long lasting buff, and only a level 3 spell.