Critique this build: Bear Warrior

I wanted to make a barbarian who didn't use a two-handed weapon or charge all of the time, but was still competitive. I tried for a progression that would be playable at all levels.

I'd appreciate your feedback; tell me how you think I did. I welcome suggestions and criticism.

The build use the Bear Totem Barbarian variant from UA, combined with the City Brawler alternate class features from Dragon 349. (Since none of the abilities replace the same class feature and there is no "multiclassing" between Barbarian variants involved, I'm assuming that they can be combined.)

Here are the basic class abilities and feat choices; magic items to follow.

EDIT: swapped out Multiattack and Improved Multiattack for Multigrab and Improved Multigrab, and moved Improved Natural Attack (Claw) to 18th.

Baerun Tree-Hugger
Human Bear Totem Barbarian 2/Fighter 2/Bear Totem Barbarian 3/Bear Warrior 5/
Warshaper 3/Bear Warrior 5
32-point buy: 16 Str, 14 Dex, 16 Con, 10 Int, 8 Wis, 12 Cha


1st Barbarian 1:
Illiteracy
Rage, 1/day
Feat: Toughness
Feat: Improved Unarmed Strike
Feat: Two-Weapon Fighting (with Unarmed Strike only)
Only take a –2 penalty on Attack rolls with Improvised weapons
Human Bonus Feat: Extra Rage (+2/day)
Bonus Feat: Extend Rage (+5 rounds)
Flaw: Shaky (-2 to ranged attack rolls)
Bonus Feat: Endurance
Flaw: Inattentive (-4 to Listen and Spot Checks)
Bonus Feat: Steadfast Determination (use Con instead of Wis on Will Saves;
1 not auto-failure)

2nd Barbarian 2:
Feat: Improved Grapple (+4 to grapple checks)

3rd Fighter 1:
Fighter Bonus Feat: Versatile Unarmed Strike
Bonus Feat: Superior Unarmed Strike (3rd - 1d4, 4th - 1d6, 8th - 1d8, 12th - 1d10, 16th - 2d6)

4th Fighter 2:
Fighter Bonus Feat: Power Attack
+1 to Strength

5th Barbarian 3:
Feat: Great Fortitude

6th Barbarian 4:
Rage, 2/day
Bonus Feat: Extra Rage

7th Barbarian 5:
+4 bonus on Grapple checks when Raging

8th Bear Warrior 1:
Bear Form (black, +8 Str, +2 Dex, +4 Con, Medium Animal, Speed 40 ft.,
+2 natural armor, Space/Reach: 5’/5’, Claw 1d4 or
2 Claws 1d4 + Bite 1d6)
+1 to Strength

9th Bear Warrior 2
Bonus Feat: Multigrab

10th Bear Warrior 3:
Scent

11th Bear Warrior 4

12th Bear Warrior 5:
Bear Form (brown, +16 Str, +2 Dex, +8 Con, Large Animal, Speed 40 ft.,
+5 natural armor [-1 size], Space/Reach: 10’/5’, Claw 1d8
or 2 Claws 1d8 + Bite 2d6, SA: Improved Grab with Claw attacks)
Bonus Feat: Greater Multigrab
+1 to Strength

13th Warshaper 1:
Morphic Immunities (immune to stunning & critical hits)
Morphic Weapons

14th Warshaper 2:
Morphic Body (+4 Str & +4 Con)

15th Warshaper 3
Morphic Reach (+5’ with natural weapons)
Bonus Feat: Combat Reflexes

16th Bear Warrior 6
+1 to Strength

17th Bear Warrior 7
Rage +1/day

18th Bear Warrior 8
Bonus Feat: Improved Natural Attack (Claw)

19th Bear Warrior 9

20th Bear Warrior 10
Bear Form (Dire, +20 Str, +2 Dex, +8 Con, Large Animal, Speed 40 ft.,
+7 natural armor [-1 size], Space/Reach: 10’/5’, Claw 2d4
or 2 Claws 2d4 + Bite 2d8, SA: Improved Grab with Claw attacks)
+1 to Strength

1st Level

Items (100 gp.)
set of Studded Leather Armor (+3 armor bonus to AC) - 25gp.
pair of Cold Iron Gauntlets (lethal damage w/ unarmed strikes, bypass some DR)- 16gp.
Longspear (reach weapon, set vs. charge for x2 damage) - 5gp.
Dagger - 5gp.
Explorer's Outfit - 10gp.
Standard Adventurer's kit - 15gp.
24gp. in miscellaneous equipment or small coin

Stats:
HP: 18 (20*) (12 Barbarian + 3 Toughness + 3 Constitution)
AC: 15 (13*) (+ 3 armor + 2 Dexterity)
Saves: Fort +5 (+7*) Reflex +2 Will +3 (+5*)
Attack: Longspear +4 (+6*) (1d8 + 5 (+8*), x2 set for charge) at reach
Full Attack: 1 Gauntlet +2 (+4*) (1d3 + 3 (+5*)) and 1 Gauntlet +2 (+4*) (1d3 + 2 (+3*))

*when raging

Tactics: Use Longspear at reach and vs. charging opponents, shift to unarmed
strikes when target closes.

4th Level

Items (5,400gp.)
Cloak of Predatory Vigor (cures damage = to HD while raging, 2/day) - 1,400gp.
Wyrmfang Amulet (bypass DR magic w/unarmed strikes) - 1,350gp.
Masterwork Breastplate (+5 armor bonus to AC) - 350gp.
w/ Cold Iron Armor Spikes (+1d6 piercing damage when grappling) - +100gp.
pair of Masterwork Cold Iron Gauntlets (lethal damage w/ unarmed strikes, bypass
some DR, +1 masterwork bonus to hit)- 616gp.
pair of Masterwork Alchemical Silver Gauntlets (lethal damage w/ unarmed strikes,
bypass some DR, -1 penalty to damage, +1 masterwork bonus to hit)- 648gp.
Masterwork Cold Iron Longspear (reach weapon, set vs. charge for x2 damage) - 310gp.
Explorer's Outfit - 10gp.
Standard Adventurer's Kit - 15gp.
901gp. worth of minor magical items (potions, oils, augment crystals) and small coin

Stats:
HP: 44 (52*) (18 Barbarian + 11 Fighter + 3 Toughness + 12 Constitution)
AC: 17 (15*) (+ 5 armor + 2 Dexterity)
Saves: Fort +9 (+11*) Reflex +2 Will +3 (+5*)
Attack: Longspear +8 (+10*) (1d8 + 5 (+8*), x2 set for charge) at reach
Full Attack: 1 Gauntlet +6 (+8*) (1d6 + 3 (+5*)) and 1 Gauntlet +6 (+8*) (1d6 + 2 (+3*))
Grapple: +11 (+13*) (1d6 + 3 (+5*) + 1d6 piercing)

*when raging

Tactics: Use Longspear at reach and vs. charging opponents, perhaps Power Attacking for extra damage; shift to unarmed strikes when target closes, grappling foes who rely on one-handed or two-handed manufactured or natural weapons. Note that unarmed strike damage may be bludgeoning, slashing, or piercing (Versatile Unarmed Strike feat.)

Okay, 130+ views but no replies... Should I bother posting any more of this?

Is it just not interesting, too much to read through, or what? I was hoping for at least a few comments, criticisms, or suggestions.

http://boards1.wizards.com/forumdisplay.php?f=339 is a really good place for stuff like this, if noone here can/will help you.

I counted 7 feats at level 1, seemed quite a bit, but i must admit that i am not well versed in the flaw system, so could just be that.

Thanks, Jack!

Here is where the 1st level feats come from:

1. Bonus Feat every character gets at 1st level
2. Human Racial Bonus Feat
3.-4. Feats from flaws (get 1 extra feat for each flaw taken, maximum of two)
5. Variant Class Ability (Bear Totem Barbarian: gains feat: Toughness, loses Fast Movement)
6.-7. Alternate Class Feature (City Brawler: loses Medium Armor and Shield Proficiencies and Martial Weapon Proficiencies, gains feat: Improved Unarmed Strike, feat: Two-Weapon Fighting (with Unarmed Strike only) and only take a –2 penalty on Attack rolls with Improvised weapons)

So aside from the first two, there a definite trade-offs for the rest.

Dagredhel said:

So aside from the first two, there a definite trade-offs for the rest.

Click to expand...

If you consider those flaws trade-offs. Not really much of a trade-off when they're not your focus to begin with.

Dagredhel said:

Thanks, Jack!
6.-7. Alternate Class Feature (City Brawler: loses Medium Armor and Shield Proficiencies and Martial Weapon Proficiencies, gains feat: Improved Unarmed Strike, feat: Two-Weapon Fighting (with Unarmed Strike only) and only take a –2 penalty on Attack rolls with Improvised weapons)

Click to expand...

If you lose your ability to wear medium armor by taking that alternate class feature, havent you forgotten that you get -1 on to hit rolls in your combat calculations in the 4th level statblock?

This assumptions is based on your numbers being derived as outlined below
spear: 4 base + 3 str + 1 from masterwork = 8 total (10 if raging)
unarmed: +4 base +3 str +1 mwk gauntlets -2 twf = 6 total (8 raging)

Until post #4 where you asked for comments I wasn't going to post either.

The mechanics you use are from books that I don't own; also, I very much don't like flaw system mechanics where you "give up" stuff that you weren't planning on using to gain a benefit, often a nice one, in your specialty. For my characters I tend to prefer builds that minimize the use of alternative class features, if any at all.

It's possible that the lack of replies to your build has something to do with why I wasn't planning on responding: unfamiliar mechancis and un-preferred character creation philosophy.

Though I will say that if you're looking for a grappler, take a look at the Reaping Mauler PrC in Complete Warrior. It may do you one better than the Warshaper. Though I don't think much of the warshaper (for flavor reasons) so I may be biased there.

Jack99 said:

If you lose your ability to wear medium armor by taking that alternate class feature, havent you forgotten that you get -1 on to hit rolls in your combat calculations in the 4th level statblock?

This assumptions is based on your numbers being derived as outlined below
spear: 4 base + 3 str + 1 from masterwork = 8 total (10 if raging)
unarmed: +4 base +3 str +1 mwk gauntlets -2 twf = 6 total (8 raging)

Click to expand...

The character doesn't get Medium Armor Proficiency or Martial Weapon Proficiency from Barbarian. Multiclassing as a Fighter at 3rd level remedies those deficiencies.