Bear Warrior PrC question

[RUMBLETiGER]

I'm finding myself confused with the text of the Bear Warrior PrC from Complete Warrior, p.16.

First it says, in part: "A bear warrior can transform into a bear (similar to the polymorph spell) while in a rage or frenzy. His only limit on the number of times per day he can assume a bear form is the number of times per day he enters a rage or frenzy, and the bear warrior returns to his own form once the rage or frenzy ends."

Than it says: "Any bear warrior can assume the form of a black bear once per day." and goes on to list increacing-but-set number of times you can assume bear from, maxing at 3 times at PrC level 10.

Could someone please help me make sense of this, or point me to some errata?

 

[TwoSix]

Complete Warrior errata says to ignore the paragraphs referring to the "black bear once per day". The only limit on the bear form is your number of rages/frenzies.

 

[RUMBLETiGER]

Complete Warrior errata says to ignore the paragraphs referring to the "black bear once per day". The only limit on the bear form is your number of rages/frenzies.

Ah, good, thank you.

 

[Nezkrul]

just wanted to add that this class is awesomely fun (even if it isn't optimizable)

 

[Dandu]

just wanted to add that this class is awesomely fun (even if it isn't optimizable)

Says who?

 

[Nezkrul]

can't use weapons or shields while in bear form because you are a bear, not a person who looks like a bear. can't add your con modifier to ac more than once, it is the same bonus. can't power attack with unarmed strikes because you don't have the monk's unarmed strike special ability. all your magic items morph into your body and stop functioning when you rage/polymoprh into bear form (this is in the polymorph rules). con mod to armor class is not dex mod to armor class therefore the character has a terribly low touch ac (this is in the touch attack rules, touch attacks don't ignore dex but you aren't using dex, so no problems).

all this being said, I'm still sure you could work around these build-destroying hiccups I presented and make a better optimized build for bear warrior (like druid-halforc paragon-natures warrior-bear warrior-warshaper)

 

[Jackinthegreen]

can't use weapons or shields while in bear form because you are a bear, not a person who looks like a bear. can't add your con modifier to ac more than once, it is the same bonus. can't power attack with unarmed strikes because you don't have the monk's unarmed strike special ability. all your magic items morph into your body and stop functioning when you rage/polymoprh into bear form (this is in the polymorph rules). con mod to armor class is not dex mod to armor class therefore the character has a terribly low touch ac (this is in the touch attack rules, touch attacks don't ignore dex but you aren't using dex, so no problems).

all this being said, I'm still sure you could work around these build-destroying hiccups I presented and make a better optimized build for bear warrior (like druid-halforc paragon-natures warrior-bear warrior-warshaper)

Deepwarden and FotF do stack actually since they are different kinds of bonuses. Deepwarden's Con to AC explicitly replaces Dex to AC (check RoS page 105), which means it functions the same and would end up adding to touch. The entire point of the feature is to use Con instead of Dex after all, so not being able to do that is essentially a useless feature which no reasonable person would go along with, RAW or RAI. Fist of the Forest functions the same as a Monk's Wisdom to AC and is a general AC bonus. It doesn't matter if they use the same ability so long as they are different effects, and they are.

Power Attack can explicitly be used with unarmed strikes and natural weapons: "You can’t add the bonus from Power Attack to the damage dealt with a light weapon (except with unarmed strikes or natural weapon attacks)..." It says nothing about monks only being able to have that option. Plus the FotF PrC requires Power Attack and Imprved Unarmed Strike and the fluff says several barbarians and other wild characters end up becoming a Fist. By your claim, anyone without a monk level wouldn't be able to effectively use the PrC.

The weapons and shield and such are for those times not in bear form. Of course they can't be used while bear raging. As for the other items that do seem to be used while bear raging like the boots of speed, you seem to have a legitimate point. A wilding clasp (Magic of Faerun 167-168) would work to secure the amulet (and potential vest) since it works with polymorph and wild shape effects, but it wouldn't work on the boots or any other clothing item.