In the early game it appears the control aspect is key with feats such as snapping turtle, dodge, mobility. In the latter levels, which feats do you all recommend now since Final Embrace is no longer accessible.
What happened to final embrace?
Besides that, it's not straight damage that's the real benefit, but throat slicer let's you perform a coup de grace on a pinned opponent as a standard action. Auto full damage crit plus a save or die is pretty mean.
Snapping Turtle doesnt seem too good. Why not Kraken Style? Or Charging Stag Style?
I would go Kraken Style.
oh boy another errata my group is going to ignore cuz some erratas just kill the fun, some are justified and some are god sends but this one seems minor
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Snapping Turtle doesnt seem too good. Why not Kraken Style? Or Charging Stag Style?
Snapping Turtle is the feat tax for Snapping Turtle Clutch, which speeds up the grappling economy. Pre-Rapid Grappler feat, it helps a great deal. It also allows things like grappling one target, releasing one hand and grabbing a second target as an immediate action (if they miss) to grapple 2 folks at once. Once Greater Grapple is online, it's easy to control multiple folks. However Snapping Turtle is more reactive as you are expecting folks to attack you or you actively have to provoke AOOs to trigger. You can get STC online by L3 as it is only gated by a level restriction for monks.
Charging Stag Style is nice for the high mobility Tetori. The only issues are you would not be able to take Stag Horns--what you really want--until L5 as a Human monk or L7 as a non-human (so it's a late blooming feat). Tetoris get Grab at L8 so you'd have to weigh using Ki for a Grab vs how often you'd get to charge in combat--and both trigger off of a successful unarmed strike.*
(Sidebar: If you had Stag Horns AND Tetori Grab, could you Stag Horns free action grapple, fail, then spend a Ki point for a second free action grapple off the same unarmed strike?)
I've toyed around with Kraken Style on a Grappler. You can go HIGH STR/WIS (or DEX/WIS if that's your feat-intensive bag). It's OK when Greater Grapple is in play, but really shines when Rapid Grappler comes online at L9. So, the Kraken line's your L3, L5, L7 feat choices that may not feel satisfying till L7 and then truly worthwhile at L9.
They're all solid choices IMHO, it just depends on your playstyle and preferred tactics. If I had my druthers, I'd think about Snapping Turtle/Turtle Clutch until L7-ish and then retrain into the Kraken line when the Tetori can switch from control to offense. A one-level dip into Constable Cavalier for Apprehend (grapple at end of charge, no unarmed strike needed) is a sideways option to replace the 4-feat investment to get to Stag Horns...at the cost of the Charging Stag Style's awesome charge ability.
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oh boy another errata my group is going to ignore cuz some erratas just kill the fun, some are justified and some are god sends but this one seems minor
The sheer amount of damage a grappler with Grab, Rapid Grappler, Constrict, Pinning KO & Final Embrace Master while also pinning your foe was so beyond the pale at L9ish-or-so, it was understandable.