Feedback appreciated for my FoF/Bear Warrior Build

[Kalleo]

Hello everyone. Currently working on a character for a new campaign, and was wondering if anyone was inclined to give some feedback on my character design. Here's the basic layout:

Monstrous Humanoid 1/LA +1/Barbarian 1/Fighter2/Ranger2/Fist of the Forest 3/Bear Warrior5/War Shaper 4

Feats:

1: ExRage
Hum: PowAtt
Fgtr1: ImpUn
3: Great Fortitude
Fgtr2: Improved Bull Rush
6: Shock Trooper
Rgr2: TWF
9: Leap Attack
12: Multi-Attack
15: ITWF
18: GTWF

Now, to explain a few things: the "Monstrous Humanoid" level is a DM requirement, ruled that I don't get any of the benefits of the Feral template without having at least one monstrous HD. The reason I'm going for the two-weapon fighting route is that the group has a Dragonfire Inspiration Bard, and I will be the primary damage dealer, so maximizing my number of attacks will really use his buffing to its full potential. With full BAB, full TWF tree and my 3 natural attacks as a bear, I'll have 10 total attacks. The Leap Attack/Shock Trooper combo is obvious, just a classic charger setup, taking advantage of the Pounce gotten from being a Lion Totem Barbarian.

Any thoughts? Suggestions for switching feats, variants, etc? It's missing a level, so I could use a good 1 level dip. Also, is there anything I can do to take advantage of the fact that I'm a Monstrous Humanoid? Buff spells that should be essential to this guy?

Any and all feedback appreciated - thanks in advance. All books, including Dragon Magazine, are allowed.

[Kremti]

1 level dips...a few things comes to my mind:

Psychic Warrior: 1 feat, and possibility of grabbing an Expansion?  Granted, not sure if that's any good without much source of power points...

Feat Rogue 1: 1 feat.

Cloistered Cleric: 3 Domans are kind of like 3 Devotion Feats!

Monk?  You are using Imp Unarmed with Fighter 1...this will free up a feat slot there.

ToB 1 level dip will give some maneuvers and a stance too...

-K

[dman11235]

One level of monk (two would be best, that second level is nice too) would also get you massive US damage, especially since you're using FotF.  You don't need either Fighter level for this.  See the Monk Handbook for some ideas (this build is actually similar to a build I made in that thing, the crazy kung fu bear).  And with the Overwhelming Attack ACF you get Power Attack and Improved Bull Rush as your two monk bonus feats, which actually frees up a feat slot from your Human feat.

And if alignment restrictions are a problem, start with the two monk levels.  If you ever go non-lawful, you don't LOSE monk abilities, you can just never take monk again.  Although, I don't play with those on base classes, so see if you can get your DM to waive those on MOnk and Barbarian.

EDIT: okay, so I didn't post my kung fu bear in it, but I did make one once.....monk/barbarian/bear warrior/fist of the forest/warshaper

[Kremti]

Or, Unarmed Swordsage?

-K

[dman11235]

Works for the unarmed damage, but Monk gives feats.

[X-Codes]

Hmm...

Don't bother with the full TWF tree, just go for the first feat and use Gloves of the Balanced Hand to get ITWF.  You'll lose one attack, but it's at -10 and you're saving two feats.  It's more than worthwhile.

Given your DM's requirement that you have a Monstrous HD on top of Feral, I'm thinking you should just ditch it altogether.  All it gives is Pounce, which you can grab from Spirit Totem Barbarian, and the rest you pretty much get from being a bear.  If you want Claws 24/7, then consider the Draconic template, but grafts are probably a better solution.

[dman11235]

Now, feral still has some good stat boosts, that STACK with being a bear.  Remember: Bear Warrior shapechange is a bonus similar to Rage, it's untyped bonus, not an altering of your score.  It might have other abilities, I am away from books at the moment, and can't remember what it gets.  I just know that it's ridiculously overpowered for its LA.

Actually, if you want 24/7 c;aws, I'd recommend just changing base race to Changeling.  That way you can use Warshaper to build yourself any number of natural attacks, and you can have your unamred strike be the one size larger constantly, and not have to spend an action at the begining of Rage to grow it.  You no longer need taht human feat anyways, with my first post here.

[Kalleo]

I don't think Feral is all that bad, even with the Monstrous HD requirement. Stat bonuses and Fast Healing 2 are both pretty nice. Though I do think it's less than 100% optimal, my DM is actually really pushing for me to be Feral, as it fits insanely well with the campaign he has in mind. After seeing that monk ACF and noticing how the feats were freed up, plus taking into account the gloves of the balanced hand, I realized something...this build could actually come up with enough feats to incorporate 5 levels of Frenzied Berserker, to get the first Power Attack bonus (and Frenzy, of course).

Monstrous Humanoid 1/LA +1/Barbarian 1/Monk 2/Fighter 1/FoF 1/Fighter 2/FoF 3/Bear Warrior 5/Frenzied Berserker 5

ACF: Chaos Monk (Dragon 335), Overwhelming Attack fighting style (UA, SRD), Lion Totem Barbarian.

1: Extra Rage
1: Hum: Greater Fortitude
Monk:Improved Unarmed
Monk: Power Attack
3: Intimidating Rage
Monk: Improved Bull Rush
Fighter: TWF
6: Leap Attack
Fighter: Shock Trooper
9: Cleave
12: Destructive Rage
15: Multi-Attack
18: Improved Initiative

Picking up Gloves of the Balanced Hand for ITWF, and just skipping out on GTWF.

Any thoughts on this? It's certainly a playable character, it comes into the Shock Trooper/Leap Attack combo by ECL 8, and by the time he gets the Gloves of the Balanced Hand, he'll be making 5 unarmed strikes and 3 natural attacks. When he frenzies and rages, he'll be Large and assuming a starting strength of 18 (+4 for feral) and a belt of giant strength, he'd hit 50 STR unbuffed.

[Kalleo]

Oh, and of course I'd get to refer to myself as a Frenzied Bear-serker. 

[dman11235]

See if there's a way to do it without being a human, and try to be a changeling.  That way, you can have your washaper weapons up all the time (since they can only exist when in a different form).  Otherwise, you'll be doing a decent it less damage on the first round.  If that's not a problem, then that's not a problem though.  I'm all for eliminating rocket tag.

[Kalleo]

See if there's a way to do it without being a human, and try to be a changeling.  That way, you can have your washaper weapons up all the time (since they can only exist when in a different form).  Otherwise, you'll be doing a decent it less damage on the first round.  If that's not a problem, then that's not a problem though.  I'm all for eliminating rocket tag.

I'm assuming you're referring to the original build, since the one I just posted replaced Warshaper with Frenzied Berserker. But yeah, that does actually seem like a good idea - hadn't thought of the fact that being a bear doesn't last that long, and doesn't give me all that much time to have more appendages. Though rocket tag isn't actually the biggest problem in my campaign.

What do you think of my revision, incorporating Berserker?

[dman11235]

Yes, I missed that you replaced that with the berserker.  Someone else will have to help you there.  I think it would be better to have the Warshaper instead though, I'm not a fan of Frenzied Berserker.  The penalties from Frenzy are not something I like risking, and I've never been a big fan of the charging thing.  But it's a trade off: massive power attack damage, massive unarmed strike damage.  The thing with Warshaper is that it also gets you +5' reach, so there's that (that can make you good at battlefield control too, if you pick up Imp Trip or something).  And a slew of nice special qualities.  frenzied Berserker makes PA ridiculous, and gives you a higher str based damage/attack.  Both nice.  But I prefer Warshaper personally.