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So, after looking over Horror Adventures and looking over a base Barbarian build, I've decided I want to do a tough Ulfen Barbarian whom has a sort of lycanthropic vibe, specifically in regards to bears. Given the Ulfen respect towards lycanthrope, I played around with a few ideas, but when the Mooncursed Archetype came out, I fell in love with the idea of thus spiritualist whom seeks to emulate the spirit of the bear. Big, strong, tough, but also protective and nurturing.
So, the build I have gives me high physical stats, focusing on STR and CON, with a low INT.
I've been looking over rage powers and I'm at a crossing point.
The Mooncaller Archetype.. just doesn't seem good enough. The other animals all get something great, but due to the way Beast Shape works, I'd be stuck at two d4 claw and a d4 bite until level 11, if I go with natural attacks. The lack of CON bonus hits hard, and the Nat AC doesn't really provide a bonus, just mitigates part of the loss of armor in beast shape.
Looking at Unchained Barbarians, I love the build, but I want to use a two-handed weapon when out of rage, and claws in rage.
So then it comes down to equipment and feats really, as the deciding factor, and how Rage powers can affect the character.
What can I do to get the big, tough Bar-bear-ian I really want?
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Well, at 5th level when' you get hybrid form, your armor stays on, so the natural armor is a bonus at that point.
Also, you'll have access to scent when in bear or hybrid form, so make use of pheromone arrows. Anything shot by one will give you +2 to hit and damage. Give some to an archer, or take rough and ready trait with profession: fletcher to use them as improvised weapons without penalty.
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Well, at 5th level when' you get hybrid form, your armor stays on, so the natural armor is a bonus at that point.
Also, you'll have access to scent when in bear or hybrid form, so make use of pheromone arrows. Anything shot by one will give you +2 to hit and damage. Give some to an archer, or take rough and ready trait with profession: fletcher to use them as improvised weapons without penalty.
That's very interdependent on having an archer in the party for PFS.
As for the 5th level, the claw damage doesn't increase.
It's sort of like this: Human with hide armor.
Mooncursed. +2 STR, +2 Nat AC, lose armor bonus. So, AC 14. Claws: 1d4+1/1d4+1, Bite: 1d4+1, Spd: 50, Scent. Cannot speak. Magical Weapons/Armor not viable until level 5. Can take another Rage Power aside from Lesser Beast Totem.
Standard Rage. +4 STR, +4 CON, +2 Will, -2 AC. AC 14. Greatsword: 2d6+3. Spd: 40. +2 HP/level. (W/Lesser Beast Totem) Claws: 1d6+2/1d6+2. Magical Weapons and Armor viable
Unchained Rage. +2 att/damage/skill checks, +2 HP/level, +2 Will, -2 AC. As above, but Greatsword is 2d6+2, plus no instadeath.
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The hybrid form doesn't lose the armor bonus.
So it's really +2 Str and +2 AC. Which may or may not be better than the +10 hp you are getting at 5th level. You can also use the greatsword then too, while keeping the bite as a secondary attack. You have more movement and more AC at the cost of slightly less Str.
It's painful until you unlock the hybrid form, but it has the potential to be very good indeed.
You could consider a race that already has easy access to natural attacks, like Skinshaper. Then you wouldn't have to wait until hybrid form to have a focus on natural attacks, and feats that apply to natural attacks will be useful regardless of form. Then you could pick up the right totems and be a veritable natural-attack blender. Beast totem is an obvious choice, though claws are a bit redundant. Fiend totem is another strong one.
Personally, I like the idea of a Coldborn barbarian who's capable of shifting into various levels of bear, including an actual bear. Besides, there's nothing saying he can't be culturally Ulfen, even if he's not strictly human.