Barbarian Beastmaster?

[TenaciousJ]

I am DMing for a fairly inexperienced roleplayer.  He came to me with a character concept of a half orc based on Hulk Hogan because doing coked up 80s wrestling promos would help him loosen up and talk at the table in ways besides telling me what he's attacking.  He wants snake companions so he can make more literal claims about his 24 inch pythons.

I am a fairly lenient DM with regard to what is allowable in builds.  I ok just about anything that does not abuse wishes or miracles or drastically manipulate time.  The group already has a summoner and an artificer, they want a beatstick, and the last player wants to play a beatstick because he got decision paralysis a lot when playing a wizard before.

The only parameters I have that the the player absolutely does not want to change are:
-half orc
-wants to be able to hulk up
-wants a large snake pet, preferably 2
-wants to be able to knock someone down and do the big leg drop

Starting stats are 18 16 15 14 13 11 before racial adjustment.  We are using Pathfinder base races so half-orc does not come with negatives. 

Power Attack is a freebie since I tend to think beatsticks need all the help they can get in 3.5, so that does not need to be included as a spent feat.  We are also using Pathfinder feat progression.  Beastmaster with Natural Bond looks like a good way to get him his 2 pythons.  I allow the most beneficial ruling to the player with regard to Natural Bond and the first level of beastmaster.  Barbarian would let him easily acquire the skills necessary for beastmaster, and he can get Lion Spirit Totem at 1 to effectively charge in with his pets and Wolf Totem at level 2 so he can effectively trip and follow up with an attack (the leg drop obviously!)  Beyond those 2 starting levels, I'm not sure what to suggest to him.  I houserule rangers to have the same animal companion progression as a druid, but I'm hoping there are better suggestions that I have not thought of.

[Jackinthegreen]

Have you looked through the ACF handbook yet?

[TenaciousJ]

Yes, but nothing is jumping out at me besides what I already mentioned that will synergize with the build.  Am I missing something?  I've never tried to minmax an animal companion except on a Druid, and that was "select Fleshraker, share spells with it."

[Cyrocloud]

Maybe a Dungeon Crashing Fighter/Barbarian with either a level of animal lord and the wild cohort feat, or maybe even taking the wild cohort feat twice I don't think there is anything against that.

[Unbeliever]

Ahworm Dragoon (Sandstorm)? 

I think it depends how much effort you want to put on either side of the equation.  He can put a lot of chips down on the animal companion(s).  Or, he can be big and wrastley.  Or, some combination therein. 

Bear Warrior, Primeval, Warshaper, and Nature's Warrior are all pretty good for "hulking up."  As is a dungeoncrasher as mentioned above.  I also happen to like Beastmaster and various flavors of supermount, but that makes the snakes more of a focus than they maybe ought to be.

[ksbsnowowl]

Maybe a Dungeon Crashing Fighter/Barbarian with either a level of animal lord and the wild cohort feat, or maybe even taking the wild cohort feat twice I don't think there is anything against that.

Dungeon Crasher would probably be a good way to represent the body-slams.

As for "Hulking Up"... can the Stoneblessed PrC get someone to count as a Goliath for the purposes of the Barbarian 1 racial class level?  Mountain Rage sure is "hulking up."

Dungeoncrasher Fighter 2/Stoneblessed 3/Barbarian 1... whatever after that.

[Yirrare]

The ranger style "bear-wrestling" (from DR326, p. 97) gives improved unarmed strike at level 2 and improved grapple at level 6. Should not even need alot to convert to Pathfinder. This will also help with the progression of his snake companion before he gets into Beastmaster.
Changing grappling fluff from bear to constrictor shouldn't be so hard either.

Best Regards
Yirrare

Edit: Just looked it up, and it was actually called Beast-wrestler. Hope it helps.

[TenaciousJ]

I think tripping is more appropriate than bull rush or grapple for what we're aiming for (and it's easier).  The Hulkster booted people in the face to knock them down for the leg drop with no throwing involved 99% of the time.  Tripping will be easy enough to do with a couple of feats, the right gear, and maybe a late dip into Crusader.*  If he ends up wanting to bull rush, I'll probably just suggest Shock Trooper.

I do like mixing in Animal Lord to the build.  I had not looked at that prestige class since the 3.0 version in Master's of the Wild.

Is the beast-wrestler giving out Improved Unarmed Strike as the combat style without giving anything else up?  I do not have access to Dragon Mag 326 but I am not opposed to using that.  That might give a little flavor to the build and let the animal companions progress more.  We're not playing Pathfinder, just stealing some of what I consider to be the better parts like base races and combat maneuvers.

*That makes me think Crusader with a fair number of White Raven maneuvers and Wild Cohort could work decently too, especially if we start with a 1 level dip in Bard for Song of the White Raven.  Inspire Courage would definitely help the pets remain relevant as combatants, especially since the combat maneuver system we're ripping off from Pathfinder improves grapple chance for the pets and trip chance for the player.

[Yirrare]

Oh. It seems my small knowledge in wrestling led me down the wrong path.   

I would just like to point out that Animal Lord is also in Complete Adventurer. You post made me unsure if you were aware that there was a 3.5 version.

Dragon Mag 326 has some alternative combat styles for those who want something else than TWF or archery. This is one of them. So you would sacrifice TWF or Rapid shot at level 2 etc. This website has the gist of it summarized in its base class section. If you have any specific question I am sure I and many other people on this board can check it in the magazine for you. 

Best Regards
Yirrare

[DeclineToDisclose]

If you're not adverse to some minor refluffing, Fist of the Forest (CC) and Bear Warrior (CW) complement an unarmed Barbarian quite well. Just say that he hulks out and gains the strength and stamina of a bear, rather than actually turning into one. End with levels in Swordsage for the Setting Sun '* Throw' strikes, Crusader for the ability to heal yourself by hurting others and the Stone Dragon maneuvers, or Warblade for Iron Heart Surge. As for feats, Supreme Unarmed Strike (ToB) synergizes with Fist of the Forest to essentially give you full monk unarmed strike progression. Steadfast Determination (PHB2) substitutes Con for Wis to Will saves. Snap Kick (ToB) gives him another attack but imposes a -2 penalty on all attacks. If you allow 3.0 material, Knock-down (Sword and Fist) allows a free-action trip whenever you deal more than 10 damage.

Consider the following:
Barbarian 4 / Fist of the Forest 3 / Bear Warrior 5 / Crusader 8
Key feats: Power Attack, Improved Unarmed Attack, Great Fortitude (these three are needed to qualify for Fist of the Forest), Extra Rage (CW), Supreme Unarmed Strike, Knock-down, Wild Cohort, Steadfast Determination, Snap Kick, Extra Granted Maneuver (ToB).
This build gets most of what he's asking for by 8th level, but really get's going around 12th. The Crusader levels are just icing, making sure he stays relevant at higher levels.
Have the summoner (assuming it's based on a wizard or sorcerer, not a cleric or the PF class, otherwise consider having the artificer craft a CL8 wand of it and a wand of Animal Growth) cast Greater Mighty Wallop (RotD). This will make his unarmed attacks do up to 12d8 + Str damage (4d6 at level 8, 8d8 at level 12, 12d8 at level 16) triggering a free action trip attempt. When he rages he turns into a bear and gains +16 Str, +8 Con and +2 Dex, as well as all of the goodies from polymorphing into a bear (depending on how you refluff it). He gets level 7 maneuvers with an Initiator Level of 14, with 8 maneuvers and 3 stances drawn from Devoted Spirit, Stone Dragon or White Raven.
One downside to this build is that he only gets a Python from Wild Cohort, so it may not be as effective in battle as one would like.

Barbarian 3 / Bard 3 / Fist of the Forest 3 / Bear Warrior 5 / Crusader 6 also gets level 7 maneuvers, but will only get 3 rages per day, and only 1 until he takes the Extra Rage feat. It also only ends up with 19 BAB. This build will also take Multiclassing XP penalties unless Crusader is your favored class (which means not being a Half-Orc). Consider adding Song of the White raven and Words of Creation (possibly ditching Snap Kick to make room), as well as giving him a Vest of Legends. His Inspire Courage costs him 3d4 non-lethal damage, but gives +6 at level 20. If you allow prefight theatrics as his perform skill, it even fits his character. Words of Creation does require him to be exalted, though, so perhaps that may need to be cut.

[Lunarambling]

If PF Material is allowed, and you want to be a little lenient, you could allow him to take the Eldritch Lineage feat for the Sylvan Bloodline. Normally, I don't believe that you are allowed to take Eldritch Heritage for Wildblooded Bloodlines, but like I said, leniency. This would give him a Druid Companion equal to Character Level -2. Take Natural Bond, and you are at full level.

[muktidata]

Wild Cohort, rearing an animal via Handle Animal, and Leadership seem like the easiest ways. For wrestling think about the street whatever barbarian (twf unarmed one), advise a skarn, dip a level in scaled horror, etc. Someone has a black blood cultist mini handbook.