Bloody Roar character (Brawler / Feral Hunter)

[ChocRage]

As the title says, looking to make a character based on the fighters from the videogame Bloody Roar. Now I've done some digging and thought of a brawler (Monk was too...lawful for the character idea I had), crossclassed with the hunter (Feral Hunter archetype).

For those that don't know what Bloody Roar characters are like, they are fighters (Like street Fighter, Tekken, etc) that can transform into anthropomorphic animals. E.g. Tigers, Bears, Wolves, even a elephant!

The character was a student of a old/rare fighting style That harnesses the power of the spirits of his chosen animal (Or the spirit of the animal choose him). Or he has a rare form of Lycanthrope Disease that triggers when his adrenaline rises (I.e. enters combat).

Any advise, alternatives, comments?

[avr]

Maybe look up the skinwalker race.

What sort of animal or fighting style were you thinking of?

[ChocRage]

That part I'm undecided on, Bear offers more CON, Tiger offers more DEX, Bull offers more STR from the animal focuses. But the others do have their perks. Was thinking Wolf but not sure how good having Scent is?

[avr]

Scent's nice as an option but not as something to have on by default. You can switch animal focuses fairly easily.

If you take the skinwalker race you also choose an animal heritage (or possibly no definite animal heritage.) You might want to choose one which matches the animal focus you will use most, for flavour - or skip feral hunter entirely and just use the racial abilities for the animal flavour and by class stick with brawler.

Variant multiclass (barbarian) might fit well too.

But by fighting style I meant something else. Do you want to tear enemies up with claws and bite, or do you want to use unarmed strikes, great big weapons, or what?

[ChocRage]

For the style of combat, was thinking mostly unarmed in 'human' form and more claws and/or bites while in 'Beast' mode. Maybe a little in grapples too, but I guess having a high Str stat will help with grappling.

[ChocRage]

How ever, my GM may not like the use of SkinWalker race. Was gonna go Kitsune but he said no. To the race, not the idea.

Hence the use of human as said before...but, will ask him, you never know.

[Samasboy1]

Mooncursed Barbarian sounds like it would fit.

[Rosc]

Shame you can't go Kitsune. Playing as an Abyssal Bloodrager means your free Enlarge Person (while raging) overrides your human guise, allowing you to instantly transform into a hulking, clawing, biting, semidemonic fox creature.

Also, bonus points for reminding me of an old favorite. I need to track down a copy of BR2 sometime.

[BadBird]

The main issue with a 'transforming' build is that usually there's no reason to fight in man-form if the beast-form is better; and Brawler's Flurry is a waste if you're going to turn into a beast and not use it. There are also few partial polymorph effects; usually if you're going to start clawing and biting with a polymorph thing, you might as well be a beast (as in just turn into an animal completely).

Note that the bonus to ability scores from Animal Focus is an Enhancement bonus, so it's not going to stack with magic equipment, so it's not useful really for a primary ability. You can improve a secondary stat with it, like boosting your DEX when you're spending on a belt of STR, but that's about all it's good for really.

Wild Shape + Shaping Focus means that you can just straight turn into an animal; if that's not what you're interested in doing, I'm not sure Feral Hunter is exactly what you're looking for, since that's probably it's best ability (and as I mentioned, Animal Focus is more of a side-show).

I'd say a Barbarian or Primalist Bloodrager with the Beast Totem powers really fits the 'transform into a beast' angle mechanically, though it's not a polymorph.

The spell Aspect of the Wolf turns you into a wolf-man with the ability to swift-action trip; I've got a build specializing in it that I'm thinking of trying out, but it fights with a greatsword whether in wolf-form or not; and Aspect of the Wolf doesn't gain natural attacks. You could maybe use the Wolf Domain Cleric trick with a level of Barbarian to get Rage claws and bite though...

[avr]

Spreading feats or other resources between two fighting styles which do exactly the same thing can't be a good idea. You literally gain nothing from it.

I think the fighting with natural weapons in animal hybrid form is at the core of the concept? The feral hunter can't do that, they don't get natural attacks. Those that do include the mooncursed barbarian as mentioned by Samasboy, various animal shaman druids, or a synthesist summoner, or a wildsoul vigilante. An agathiel vigilante might fit since they keep their gear at least (though they do change into an animal) and they're a little more effective than the wildsoul.

[ChaiGuy]

There was a fairly recent thread listing the different ways to gain natural attacks, perhaps one of these methods will inspire this character here: Natural Attacks.