A professional wrestler isn't someone who goes down into a dungeon and fights each opponent to the death.
How do you marry the concept of someone who's basically a professional performer into a dungeon crawler?
If it's about grappling, that's not exactly a new form of combat that's not covered several different existing ways from monk, brawler, or even staff magus.
If you can do 3rd party, there is the Luchador (Masked wrestler) Vigilante archetype as well.
I would think Vigilante would be the natural way to do this, since "you're El Santo when you wear the mask and Rodolfo Huerta when it's off" is as sensible a dual-identity as you're going to get the class. Plus you can invert the traditional concept of the class: the guy with the mask (who must not break kayfabe in public) is the social identity, the guy without the mask is the vigilante identity.
I think you can put together a reasonable grappling build with an Avenger Vigilante. Take Fist of the Avenger, Improved Maneuver, and Signature Weapon (Unarmed Strike) as your first three Vig talents and then you can play around with fun stuff like Living Shield, Brutal Maneuver, Mad Rush, and Close the Gap with your last two. This gives you a functional punching/grappling chassis and leaves all your feats free.
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Maybe a warpriest, unarmed grappler, who was a gladiatorial fighter who preformed for his god.
There are blessing that "inspire" allies like the community level 10 ability, the nobility domain has 2 abilities.
Your character could be looking for fulfilment beyond preforming and has taken up adventuring.
Normal stuff on the build Unarmed strike, twf, improved grapple, dragon style dragon's ferocity. Fate's favoured trait.
Well. It's for PFS, and a lot of the characters have day jobs to supplement their Pathfinding. This character's day job is as a professional wrestler, and he uses the skills from his day job in his pathfinding.
For Day Job money, you'd need to take a Perform skill no matter which road you travel on, class wise.
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The second tought I had was a skald You could one level tip in Scaled Fist if you want or just use your raging song for rage powers for things like knockdown, knockback, raging grappler. It's going to be tight on feats.
Third option is just make a CMB brawler. Take the pre-reqs for combat maneuvers. Grapple, trip and dirty trick seem like they fit well. Focus on one and use martial flexibility to pick op the others as needed. Then just keep your charisma high enough for style reasons.
Forth option is Monk as you said
I would recommend a scaled fist so you have the high charisma of a performer and you get dragon style earlier for damage.
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Are you going to wear a mask with a "5" on it, and go by the name "Numero Cinco"?I don't get the reference...
Not a fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spinoff series, I'm guessing.
Not a fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spinoff series, I'm guessing.Are you going to wear a mask with a "5" on it, and go by the name "Numero Cinco"?I don't get the reference...
I am, and I still don't get it.
Tetori Monk gets a lot of very nice abilities for this sort of thing including the capacity to prevent enemies from teleporting out of their hands. I've played this twice and had a blast each time. One was even a Luchador.
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Hint: My last post had a link in it. Numero Cinco was one of the more memorable guest characters in the final season of Angel. It's an entire episode about a lucador family that fights evil monsters.
For more on Lucha Libre and the supernatural, I *strongly* recommend Lucha Underground whenever it ends up on Netflix (should be next month?). It's essentially a Telenovella about a Lucha Libre that features Aztec Gods, anthropomorphic personifications of Death, Reincarnated Dragons, Time traveling astronauts, pissed off ninja skeletons et al. all played with deadly seriousness. It's fantastic.
On the original build - deadly grappler is a bad idea compared to rapid grappler. An extra attack is going to be more useful than a small damage increase. You seem to be getting improved bull rush purely for flavour given there's no other support for it. Is it that important, or could you use martial flexibility? Also while you mention wresting this seems to be built primarily as a boxer. Intentional or not?
I'm surprised that the Vigilante hasn't been suggested yet, it is the perfect match for a masked wrestler.
You have Expose Weakness for being a Heel and using the environment against your target, Favored Maneuver for maneuver feats, Lethal Grace and Fist of the Avenger for static bonus damage, and the ability to wear armor.
Instead of focusing on grapples (though they are an option) I would instead focus on slapping together a Dirty Trick build because Expose Weakness is sooo good. Especially if you combine this with Kitsune Style, with Kitsune Tricks you can apply 2 dirty tricks to the opponent in place of a single melee attack once you have Quick Dirty Trick. This will let you Expose Weakness to slash 10 DR or hardness off something before you punch it.
Alternatively, you could just focus on damage, trips, or grapples. I just like the dirty trick build.
Brawler 1/Vigilante 6
1: IUS, Martial Flexibility
1: Dirty Fighting
2:
3: Kitsune Style, Favored Maneuver (Dirty Trick)
4:
5: Expose Weakness, Kitsune Tricks
6:
7: Quick Dirty Trick, Greater Dirty Trick
For a high-dex character grabbing style is probably better than either chokehold or deadly grappler, even if you need a swift action to switch out of jabbing style. Though, remember martial flex - you're perfectly able to get any of these when you need them.
Edit: Definitely grabbing style first IMO, an immediate action to use martial flex plays poorly with the swift action needed to start the style.
Hint: My last post had a link in it. Numero Cinco was one of the more memorable guest characters in the final season of Angel. It's an entire episode about a lucador family that fights evil monsters.For more on Lucha Libre and the supernatural, I *strongly* recommend Lucha Underground whenever it ends up on Netflix (should be next month?). It's essentially a Telenovella about a Lucha Libre that features Aztec Gods, anthropomorphic personifications of Death, Reincarnated Dragons, Time traveling astronauts, pissed off ninja skeletons et al. all played with deadly seriousness. It's fantastic.
March 15th, if anyone at home is following along.
Well I've named the character Tyler Black, which is Seth Rollins' real name. He's a former WWE Champion, don'tcha know?So what you're telling me is he's a cruiser weight? :-P
A note about the brawler: keeping a list of feats you may want to use on-hand when you're playing will help immensely when you want to use Martial Flexibility. Has helped me a lot in playing my brawler
Tyler Black is his former character name. Colby Lopez is his government.
For a high-dex character grabbing style is probably better than either chokehold or deadly grappler, even if you need a swift action to switch out of jabbing style. Though, remember martial flex - you're perfectly able to get any of these when you need them.
Edit: Definitely grabbing style first IMO, an immediate action to use martial flex plays poorly with the swift action needed to start the style.
The problem I'm running into is there are so many feats I need early in the build: Weapon Finesse, Agile Maneuvers, Improved Grapple, Grabbing Style, Combat Expertise, Combat Reflexes.
Maybe dip a level or 2 of fighter after 2 levels of brawler?
If possible you want to get to brawler 6 fast so that you can get 2 feats at a time so no more than 1 level of fighter IMO. Are combat expertise and combat reflexes on the early feat list purely for their use as prereqs for flexed feats? The other 4 could all be obtained by 3rd level anyway as a brawler, and option paralysis is a problem for many brawler players.
You're right, my bad. It's funny that nobody ever refers to him as Colby Lopez. Dude didn't even get to use his real name on the indies.Tyler Black is his former character name. Colby Lopez is his government.Well I've named the character Tyler Black, which is Seth Rollins' real name. He's a former WWE Champion, don'tcha know?So what you're telling me is he's a cruiser weight? :-P
A note about the brawler: keeping a list of feats you may want to use on-hand when you're playing will help immensely when you want to use Martial Flexibility. Has helped me a lot in playing my brawler
Well, you also have to remember that a lot of guys don't. Styles, Daniels, Kazarian, etc. There are [u]still[/u] people that don't know Hogan's real name. At least with Flair, his is just a variation on his real name (Fliehr.)
I know a good bit more about wrestling than I do about some of the intricacies of PF, it seems.
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Are you using Combat Expertise for anything except being a prereq to Improved Trip? If not, then consider taking Dirty Fighting instead. ShroudedInLight recommended this without explaining why. It acts as Combat Expertise for prereqs for Improved Maneuver feats. When you flank with it and DON'T have the Improved Maneuver feat, you can trade the flank bonus to not provoke. When you flank with it and DO have the Improved Maneuver feat, you get a +4 from the flank instead of +2.
Check out the Snapping Turtle Style chain. Snapping Turtle Clutch lets you grapple someone as an immediate action when they miss you.
I've been working on a grappler build to use with my Dhampir boon. He's not a wrestler. More of The Phantom of the Opera, using Hangman Vigilante and Strangler Brawler. I keep going back and forth on whether to make him more Brawler or more Vigilante, and I've even been considering a Bard dip for flavor. Someone recommended Masked Performer Bard to me as well. Currently, I'm leaning toward more Brawler, less Vigilante.
CG/CN Dhampir Moroi-born
STR 22 (+2, +1 4th, +1 8th, +2 belt) DEX 14 CON 14 (-2 +2 ioun stone) INT 10 WIS 10 CHA 12 (+2)
HP: 96
Traits: Final Embrace (Race) (+2 grapple checks to pin), Extremely Fashionable (Equipment)
Alternate Racial Traits: Fangs (1d3 bite when dealing damage as part of a grapple)
1 V1) ST:Guise of Life, F:Improved Unarmed Strike
2 V2) Hangman’s Noose
3 B1) F: Improved Grapple, Strangle +1d6, Martial Flexibility 4/day, Martial Training, Brawler’s Cunning
4 B2) BF: Snapping Turtle Style, Strangle +2d6, Practiced Strangler
5 V3) F: Snapping Turtle Clutch, Bound to Truth, Hidden Strike 1D4/1D8, ST: Social Grace (Diplomacy)
6 B3) Maneuver Training +1 Grapple
7 B4) F: Greater Grapple, Sleeper Hold 1/day
8 B5) BF: Power Attack, Close Weapon Mastery (1d6), Brawler’s Strike (magic)
9 B6) F: Body Shield, Martial Flexibility (swift)
10 B7) Maneuver Training +2 Grapple, +1 Trip
11 B8) BF: Rapid Grappler, F: Dirty Fighting, Strangle +3d6, Close Weapon Mastery (1d8)
Equipment: +2 whip, Gauntlets of the Skilled Maneuver (+2 grapple), Anaconda's Coils (+2 STR and +2 competence to grapple), Ioun Stone +2 CON, Amulet of Mighty Fists +1.
Grapple CMB: +10BAB +7STR +2MT +2IG +2enhancement +2gauntlets +2coils = +27 (+24 w/power attack) (+29/+26 to Pin)
Grapple Damage: 1d8unarmed +3d6sneak +7STR +6PA +1enhancement +1d6constrict+7STR+6PA+1enhancement = Avg 46.5 twice on 1st round (93 dmg), three times on subsequent rounds (139.5 dmg)
+4 to CMB when Flanking, plus 1d4 Hidden Strike when Flanking or when target is Pinned.
CMD against Grapple: 10+10BAB+7STR+2DEX+2MT+2IG +1STC = 34
So he uses his whip as a noose through Hangman, then can either Unarmed Strike or Bite targets until they're down. I'm iffy on Dirty Fighting, as there might be something better. I looked at Pinning Knockout, which is an option at 11. i don't think it doubles the sneak attack damage, and limiting it to nonlethal is a concern for as late as it comes online. I'd start picking up Rapid Grappler at 10th using Martial Flexibility. I just couldn't get the bonus feat to line up with BAB +9 because of the delay from Vigilante.
Also, this is assuming Close Weapon Mastery applies to unarmed strike, so he gets Brawler Unarmed Strike Damage progression at level-4. If it doesn't apply, it lowers base damage to 1d3 for 3 less on average.
Anyway, there are issues with the Strangler Archetype (losing Improved Unarmed Strike), but I think it will be fun combined with hangman. And he'll need to carry a two-handed weapon to really be effective when he can't grapple, since he doesn't have flurry. Either that or pick up Weapon Focus (Whip) and Whip Mastery using Martial Flexibility.
Two more characters we need to get at the same table!
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I designed a pro-wrestler encounter for my Skull & Shackles campaign.
It was a tremendous success. Maybe you can use some of what I came up with for your PC.
Beef Supreme:
Brawler 10 / Swashbuckler 1
Stat importance: Str>Con>Cha>Dex>Wis>Int
Feats:
1h: Dirty Fighting
1: Extra Panache
3: Improved Dirty Trick
3b: Dastardly Trick
5: Improved Trip
6b: Quick Dirty Trick
7: Mocking Dance (for performance combat, maybe Lunge instead?)
9: Improved Disarm
9b: Greater Dirty Trick
11: Improved Grapple
He used Opportune Parry and Riposte to Trip, then followed up with a wide variety of Dirty Tricks. His Tricks would land debuffs for a minimum of 1d4 rounds, could be used during a full attack/flurry, and required a standard action + successful Will save to remove. With Brawler's Flurry, he could do 4 Dirty Tricks to anyone in range per round.
With Brawler's Fury, he could do some lethal/nonlethal damage, and with Brawler's Strike he could overcome most Damage Reduction.
(as a PC, he probably would've needed Adamantine Brass Knuckles)
Use Martial Flexibility to get whatever combat feats you need to do the wrestling move you have in mind each round. Bull Rush is handy when there's a rope or other obstacle to knock an enemy towards to set up a do-si-do or a flying kick or something cool like that.
He had a +1 Brawling mithral chain shirt that was styled like a sparkly sequined vest with his name embossed on the back in semi-precious stones. The Brawling enchantment on armor is essential for this type of character.
Sample Dirty Tricks:
blow powder in the face = dazzled
pull down pants = entangled
crotch-kick = sickened
eye-poke = blinded
fish hook = shaken
box ears = deafened
stomach-kick = fatigued
Other thoughts:
Dirty Trick Master is the capstone feat, but it requires BAB +11.
Superior Dirty Trick probably isn't worth it.
Dirty Fighting is a very strong and effective feat, especially for this type of character. Don't overlook it.
Without Quick Dirty Trick, you will probably be frustrated.
Your Will save will be terrible. Plan on addressing that with gear/buffs.
Beef Supreme
Sound like a guy I would love to fight on rehabilitation!
Brought to you by Carl's Jr.