How can I build an unarmed fighting warrior with limited options?

[Chubbs McGee]

Hi,

Our current campaign is set during the Age of Darkness and our tribe is slowly unlocking class and technological advancements. I am looking to build an unarmed melee warrior though we currently do not have access to the fighter or monk classes and it will be a while before we do.

We can play adepts, barbarians, bards, druids, experts, hunters, oracles, rangers, skalds and warriors. Our race options are humans, halflings and half-elves.

I am looking for any tips on how to build an unarmed melee combatant out of these options. I know Improved Unarmed Strike is going to be one of my 1st-level feats.

Any advice is appreciated!

[Isaac Zephyr]

Hunters have a lot of natural weapon options, with spells like Magic Fang (I built one, Feral Hunter, wasn't so bad). Going Unarmed main wouldn't be so bad. Barbarian would be my close second, just because of the big Str and Con boosts from Rage.

Ask if you can use Boar Style as a feat. It adds a few cool options, and fluff-wise it's a primal orc fighting style. Just requires intimidate ranks.

[avr]

What archetypes, if any, are you allowed?

[Chubbs McGee]

Only archetypes that are allowed by the classes we have unlocked so far. For example, I could not take nature fang druid archetype as we have not yet unlocked the slayer class.

[AZGrowler]

Rangers could be an option. The natural weapon combat style can get you claws if that’s your thing. If your DM is okay with reflavoring the divine combat style, irori’s can get you Monastic Legacy to get some of a monk’s unarmed damage.

[avr]

An oracle who takes the revelation strike feat might be an option. I'm guessing the ascetic mystery is out, and many of the more civilised ones, but the lunar mystery should be possible. The moonbeam revelation is the one you'd use with the feat & you might also get touch of the moon if you're willing to cast inflict spells spontaneously. The wrecker curse should work well for an unarmed fighter.

If that's too magical then barbarians are the way to go IMO. There are some relevant rage powers (brawler, greater brawler, maybe raging grappler) and you might like the wildborn archetype to get IUS for free at 1st level.

[VoodistMonk]

Barbarian

Human
Bonus Feat: Improved Unarmed Strike

1. Fast Movement
1. Power Attack
2. Uncanny Dodge
2. Rage Power: Intimidating Glare
3. Trapsense +1
3. Hurtful
4. Rage Power: Savage Intuition
5. Improved Uncanny Dodge
5. Intimidating Prowess

It's a start.

[MageHunter]

There is a barbarian archetype that gives improved unarmed strike, but I can't remember what its called.

[bhampton]

Wildborn archetype for Barbarian gives unarmed strike as bonus feat. What about Brawler as a class? There are a few archetypes for fighters in Ultimate Wilderness that seem like they'd fit your campaign perfectly, namely Tribal Fighter.

[VoodistMonk]

Wildborn Barbarian isn't bad if you know that you will be multiclassing into a different class to get rid of illiteracy.

It gives you Improved Unarmed Strike and Catch Off Guard at level 1.

If you are still in Wildborn Barbarian at level 4, skip its bonus feat and grab another rage power, unless you want to also use improvised weapons, then Improvised Weapon Mastery might be of use.

But if you can take Unarmed Fighter archetype of Fighter, I think you will be much better off with all the bonus feats. Unarmed Fighter gives you Improved Unarmed Strike and any Style feat at level 1. And proficiency in all Monk weapons.

[Chubbs McGee]

Thank you for the advice guys.

[Scott Wilhelm]

I wouldn't go with Unarmed Strike. I'd go with Natural Attacks. I'd take levels in Barbarian and get Claws and Bite as Rage Powers. Then I'd take levels in Druid until I get Wild Shape, taking the Shaping Focus Feat so that I could Polymorph into Huge Animals as soon as possible. I'm thinking a Triceratops would be cool. As a Triceratops, you have a Gore Attack. Then you go into a Barbarian Rage, and you get Claws, a Bite, and Rage. The base damage for the Triceratops Gore is 2d10, iirc. For your Claws and Bite, it would be 1d6, but when you are a Triceratops, you are Size Huge, so that bumps up your Claws and Bite Base Damage to 2d6 each, 3d6 if you bump yourself up with Improved Natural Attack, 4d6 if you buff yourself with the Strong Jaw Spell.

As a Human or Half Half Elf, you might take Racial Heritage and take the Half Orc Feats Sympathetic Rage and Amplified Rage. Sypmathetic Rage makes your Allies Rage. Amplified Rage gives you and your Allies an extra +4 Strength. This idea is very Feat-intensive, and Amplified Rage is a Teamwork Feat, so this might not work.

When might you take levels in Witch or Warpriest or take those in Archetype form?