[PF] The Best Grappler You'll Ever Play

[Skandranonsg]

In my relentless pursuit of all things grapple related, I've come up with the best possible grappling character in Pathfinder. While grappling itself is quite weak in the damage department, you have the option to Tie Up, which immediately removes creature from combat regardless of their HP. So I set about finding the best possible way to accomplish this.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1K356_GfIp4y3S29epR_2ZDMA9GhNanNnc8ruigVY7D4/edit#gid=0

Core Concept

The all-stars of this build are the feat Final Embrace (for Grab) and the White Hair ability of the White-haired Witch. The White Hair ability is worded almost exactly the same as Grab, but it's not the same as Grab so the abilities stack. Every time you hit with an attack, you can initiate a grapple with Grab and make a grapple check to tie someone up. Once they're tied up, they need to make an escape artist check equal to 20 + your CMB or snap the ropes. Bloodvine ropes have a break DC of 30, so that's probably not going to happen. The rest of the build is increasing your grapple check to astronomical levels.

Once tied up they are either completely removed from combat or vulnerable to a coup-de-grace. Use a 4x crit weapon for a guaranteed kill against anything that can be crit.

Build by Level

Level 1-4 is basically just grabbing Constrict from White Haired Witch 2 to qualify for Final Embrace, and the Expert Captor from Order of the Penitent Cavalier 2 to reduce the penalty for tying up non-pinned creatures by -10.

Level 5+ Final Embrace and a level of Bloodrager give you the keystone of the build and a huge boost in strength. While raging and enlarged, you'll have a grapple check of +26 before items. The only other level of significance after level 5 is when you get Spell Sunder at level 10, right around when creatures with Freedom of Movement become more common. This allows you to use your full attack, once to Spell Sunder and once to attack and get off your grapple combo.

Strengths

Anything that can be tied up. The fact that your combo only takes a single turn means they don't really have an option to defend themselves. The fact that it's non-lethal removal means you'll have the opportunity to interrogate, turn in bounties, etc.

Weaknesses

Anything that can't be grappled, like Oozes or creatures with Freedom of Movement. Most demons have Greater Teleport as an at-will, which can throw a wrench in your grappling plans. Just be sure to have an ally finish the job before they can blip away on their turn.

Oh, and you'll also be weak to pissed off GMs who've had their game ruined by this totally OP character.

[Amechra]

Did PF remove the cap on the size you can Grapple?

[stanprollyright]

Did PF remove the cap on the size you can Grapple?

The Grab ability is only usable on creatures your size or smaller, Grapple has no cap that I can find.

EDIT: WHOO 100th post!

[Triskavanski]

Basically lets put it this way..

They released an archtype for brawler that has the primary focus of wrestling linnorms


Now in Heroes of the Streets, they've also released a feat that allows out to coup de grace pinned enemies as a standard action.

[Amechra]

Basically lets put it this way..

They released an archtype for brawler that has the primary focus of wrestling linnorms


Now in Heroes of the Streets, they've also released a feat that allows out to coup de grace pinned enemies as a standard action.

Not sure how much that helps, really. All it really gives you is CMB +10 vs. one specific set of creatures. However, a two level dip into Brawler with the Strangler archetype lets you keep your Dexterity to AC and prevents the Dexterity penalty from being grappled, as well as giving you Sneak Attack +2d6 against any creatures you grapple.

So a Brawler dip might be in order.

[Triskavanski]

Well my point there was that hopefully, there isn't a limit on the size of what you can and cannot grapple. Cause they made an archetype specifically to grapple really big things.