Gotta get Grabs

[AmyGames]

I'm planning on playing a very grappley monk rather soon and I was wondering if there was a way to get the grab monster ability. Assume no class or book limitations, but try and stay away from third party plz. Gestalt and templates are available, though not required.

[ginganinja]

Tetori Monk?

[supervillan]

8 levels of tetori monk, yes. Or 6 levels of Druid using wildshape. Or any class that can cast Beast Shape 2.

Monk/Druid is an effective multiclass, although Feral Combat Training no longer lets you use your unarmed damage on natural attacks.

[avr]

One level of synthesist summoner can get you the grab ability on one type of natural attack while merged. Only works on creatures smaller than the eidolon, though you can get large or huge at 8th/13th summoner level.

If you can get an anaconda's coils belt (& so constrict) you then qualify to get the final embrace feat, which gives you grab

[The Archive]

Two levels of alchemist can get you the Tentacle discovery. The tentacle has grab.

[EvilMinion]

avr wrote:

If you can get an anaconda's coils belt (& so constrict) you then qualify to get the final embrace feat, which gives you grab

Anaconda Coils do not qualify you for Final Embrace. They were errataed a year ago.

[Scott Wilhelm]

The Archive wrote:

Two levels of alchemist can get you the Tentacle discovery. The tentacle has grab.

That.

Then take 2 more levels in Alchemist, and get a King Crab Tumor Familiar.

[Scott Wilhelm]

Take a level in White Haired Witch. White Hair has an ability that is not unlike Grab. It doesn't give you the +4 bonus, but it will let you Grapple your opponent as a Free Action after a successful White Hair attack. But when you Grapple someone with your White Hair, your opponent is Grappled, and you are not, and you don't take that -20 Penalty to achieve this that Grab imposes.

Take the Hamatula Strike Feat. That is Grab-like. Again, no +4, but every time you hit someone with a Piercing Weapon, you get a Free Grapple Check.

Take levels in Druid and/or the Shaping Focus Feat. Wildshape into a Giant Octopus. That'll give you Grab and Constrict, and 8 Tentacles to do it with!

Be a Beast-Bonded Witch with a Crab Familiar. You will be able to Polymorph into a Crab yourself and have the Grab Ability.

Acquire a Tentacle Cloak: Grab.

[Johnnycat93]

2 levels of white-haired witch and you also qualify for Final Embrace which gives you constrict and grab with your other attacks too.

[Atarlost]

Tetori Monk is probably the way to do this since it's already the default for grapply monks.

If you can gestalt and it doesn't cost you something like a slower XP track, I'd go Lore Warden Fighter or Druid. Druid will get you size bonuses and slightly earlier grab but polymorph may clash with your character concept. Lore Warden will get you very large CMB bonuses and weapon training.

I don't think there are any templates that would help much.

You don't really have to do anything but be a pure classed Tetori Monk, though.

[supervillan]

The final embrace feat line has been placed firmly in the realm of monster feats. (Whilst still technically a legal choice in PFS, the prerequisites are, as far as I can tell, impossible to meet.)

Ultimate Combat errata 2015 wrote:

In the Final Embrace feat, in the Prerequisites

entry, after “special attack” add “as a racial ability”.

Meaning that you can only take this feat (and the rest of the feat line) if you have Constrict as a racial ability.