D&D 3E/3.5 In what ways can a 3.5 or Pathfinder PC get the swallow whole ability?

[Roadie]

This is an odd question, but I'm sure it must be doable in at least a few ways. I'm intentionally avoiding the "10th level rogue with Gape of the Serpent" trick, as well as just assigning LA to a creature that already has swallow whole but no listed level adjustment (that's just too easy). The main ways I've found so far are:

1. using polymorph, shapechange, etc to directly turn into something that has the swallow whole ability.
2. having the anthropomorphic animal template from Savage Species. This only has level adjustment given for a preset list of animal types, but this seems to be only a space-requirements limit (e.g. an appropriate LA could be eyeballed for others). The (non-dire) animals that have the swallow whole ability that I can find are:
   • 3.0: giant toad (Oriental Adventures), poisonous toad (Oriental Adventures)
   • 3.5: allosaurus (Monster Manual II), battletitan (Monster Manual III), cave tyrannosaurus (Miniatures Handbook), cryptoclidus (Monster Manual II), forest sloth (Monster Manual II), legendary shark (Monster Manual II), megalodon (Monster Manual II), mosasaur (Stormwrack), spinosaurus (Monster Manual II), tyrannosaurus, quetzalcoatlus (Monster Manual II)
   • Pathfinder: giant frog, giant snapping turtle, giant toad, megalania, tyrannosaurus
   • Pathfinder, third party: giant chameleon, giant frog, giant pike, giant snapping turtle, giant toad, gulper eel
3. being a dragon of Huge size with the Snatch and Swallow feat. You might qualify for this by:
   • being a kobold with the Dragonwrought feat, and somehow permanently becoming Huge size.
   • repeatedly changing into a Huge dragon (via polymorph effects, Draconic Wild Shape feat, or the Master of Many Forms class), allowing you to gain the feat but it only working while you're a Huge dragon (depending on the DM).
4. being a 9th-level synthesist summoner with the swallow whole, grab, and bite evolutions.
5. playing an amphi dragon, wyrmling (Tiny, 1 HD, LA +2), very young (Tiny, 4 HD, LA +3), young (Small, 7 HD, LA +4) or juvenile (Medium, 10 HD, LA +5), from Dragonlance: Bestiary of Krynn Revised. This is less of an option if you don't want to be covered in warts, constantly produce a repulsive smell, and naturally generate enough acid to put holes in even stone floors.
6. using the 8th-level spell bite of the king (Spell Compendium) for a single pseudo-swallow whole attack. This is only available with the Gluttony and Hunger domains.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

You have GOT to tell us more about the concept for this character.

 

[Will]

Have a succubus give you special training.

 

[Roadie]

You have GOT to tell us more about the concept for this character.

I don't have a particular one at the moment, but a yaun-ti alike could use it as a fun party trick. Or a changeling cabinet trickster fluffed as an occasionally carnivorous super-mimic.

Or, for something less serious, a half-golem (insert whatever qualifies here) monk with Gape of the Serpent and Versatile Unarmed Strike. Call him Mr. Blender.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Tangentially, once you find your method of achieving this, you might want to consider the Scavenging Gullet feat:
Scavenging Gullet Feat

 

[Roadie]

Added a couple more to the first post. (Man, who would ever actually play an amphi dragon? They're not even useful for optimization purposes.)

Tangentially, once you find your method of achieving this, you might want to consider the Scavenging Gullet feat:
Scavenging Gullet Feat

Oh, good one.

 

[RUMBLETiGER]

Bite of the King Spell.
Hoard Gullet Spell.