I'm playing a Goliath Barbarian, totem of the bear. My DM is letting me sacrifice Stone's endurance to get the Tavern Brawler feat. I rolled a 17 for strength, so combined with my racial bonus and TB I'm starting with 20 strength at level 3.
Took TB for the ability to grapple as a bonus action after an unarmed attack, plus the extra strength.
When I hit level four, I'm torn between taking skills expert for expertise in Athletics, making it a +9 instead of a +7, (evening out my CON to a 16 doesn't hurt either), or taking fighting initiate and the unarmed style, so my fists are d8s and I can apply steady, free damage to keep my rage going.
Which would you recommend, or would you pick another choice?
Go for Unarmed Fighting style. You've already got Rage to get advantage on STR checks, so getting expertise in Athletics on top of that is just kind of putting a hat on a hat... it's a boost you'll almost never need. Keep in mind that Unarmed Fighting doesn't just make your Unarmed Strikes more deadly... it also lets you deal out passive damage to any creature you have grappled.
I played a grapple-focused Barbarian for a campaign, and one thing I've learned is that it's worth getting one less attack per round to shove an enemy prone. Grappling a Prone enemy is amazing... while prone the only way to get up is to spend half your movement, but if you're grappled your movement is zero. So in that case the only option is to break the grapple itself, which is a full action. So then if they do manage to wiggle out of your grip they still have to spend half their movement getting up... even if they're willing to risk an attack of opportunity, odds are they're not getting very far away before you're on them and able to shove/grapple again.
An alternative to being a Barbarian is being a Rune Knight Fighter. Giants Might gives advantage to Strength checks as well as some unarmed strike damage.
An alternative to being a Barbarian is being a Rune Knight Fighter. Giants Might gives advantage to Strength checks as well as some unarmed strike damage.
Rune Knight is great for a grappler not just for that reason, but also being able to grow to Large size drastically increases the types of creatures you can grapple. OP did mention that they're already playing as a Bear Totem Barbarian... although a Barbarian/Rune Knight multiclass seems really cool, ultimately it's a little hampered by the fact that they're both bonus-action-activated features with limited uses that are kind of redundant when paired together.
... My DM is letting me sacrifice Stone's endurance ...
When I hit level four, I'm torn between taking skills expert .., or taking fighting initiate and the unarmed style, so my fists are d8s and I can apply steady, free damage to keep my rage going.
If your DM allows multiclassing I'd leave the feat for level 5 and take at least one level in fighter. One level in fighter would give second wind (a poor man's stone's endurance) and a fighting style for those unarmed strikes. For the feat other considerations might include lucky, mobile, resilient (wisdom?) and tough.
If you had gone rune knight from the start (as an odd quazi-magical fighter), going further with magic might work with magic initiate. You'd be good with concentration checks and create bonfire could provide an option to add damage to a grappled opponent. (I like the idea of mage hand as the other cantrip to ~feed you grapes while you're grappling - and you get a spell).
As barbarian 5 you get fast movement on top of any other mobility but even before this, if you had a lev 3 druid or dau genie warlock in the party and they could cast spike growth and your DM allows you to hold grappled opponents to the side when you drag them along, you could achieve what's argued as a cheese grater effect.
I went Loxadon Beast Barb / Rune Knight. Large with advantage on grapples. 3 appendages to grapple with and can grow a tail to beat them with and apply fire shackles.
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I'm playing a Goliath Barbarian, totem of the bear. My DM is letting me sacrifice Stone's endurance to get the Tavern Brawler feat. I rolled a 17 for strength, so combined with my racial bonus and TB I'm starting with 20 strength at level 3.
Took TB for the ability to grapple as a bonus action after an unarmed attack, plus the extra strength.
When I hit level four, I'm torn between taking skills expert for expertise in Athletics, making it a +9 instead of a +7, (evening out my CON to a 16 doesn't hurt either), or taking fighting initiate and the unarmed style, so my fists are d8s and I can apply steady, free damage to keep my rage going.
Which would you recommend, or would you pick another choice?
Go for Unarmed Fighting style. You've already got Rage to get advantage on STR checks, so getting expertise in Athletics on top of that is just kind of putting a hat on a hat... it's a boost you'll almost never need. Keep in mind that Unarmed Fighting doesn't just make your Unarmed Strikes more deadly... it also lets you deal out passive damage to any creature you have grappled.
I played a grapple-focused Barbarian for a campaign, and one thing I've learned is that it's worth getting one less attack per round to shove an enemy prone. Grappling a Prone enemy is amazing... while prone the only way to get up is to spend half your movement, but if you're grappled your movement is zero. So in that case the only option is to break the grapple itself, which is a full action. So then if they do manage to wiggle out of your grip they still have to spend half their movement getting up... even if they're willing to risk an attack of opportunity, odds are they're not getting very far away before you're on them and able to shove/grapple again.
Watch Crits for Breakfast, an adults-only RP-Heavy Roll20 Livestream at twitch.tv/afterdisbooty
And now you too can play with the amazing art and assets we use in Roll20 for our campaign at Hazel's Emporium
An alternative to being a Barbarian is being a Rune Knight Fighter. Giants Might gives advantage to Strength checks as well as some unarmed strike damage.
Rune Knight is great for a grappler not just for that reason, but also being able to grow to Large size drastically increases the types of creatures you can grapple. OP did mention that they're already playing as a Bear Totem Barbarian... although a Barbarian/Rune Knight multiclass seems really cool, ultimately it's a little hampered by the fact that they're both bonus-action-activated features with limited uses that are kind of redundant when paired together.
Watch Crits for Breakfast, an adults-only RP-Heavy Roll20 Livestream at twitch.tv/afterdisbooty
And now you too can play with the amazing art and assets we use in Roll20 for our campaign at Hazel's Emporium
If your DM allows multiclassing I'd leave the feat for level 5 and take at least one level in fighter.
One level in fighter would give second wind (a poor man's stone's endurance) and a fighting style for those unarmed strikes.
For the feat other considerations might include lucky, mobile, resilient (wisdom?) and tough.
If you had gone rune knight from the start (as an odd quazi-magical fighter), going further with magic might work with magic initiate. You'd be good with concentration checks and create bonfire could provide an option to add damage to a grappled opponent. (I like the idea of mage hand as the other cantrip to ~feed you grapes while you're grappling - and you get a spell).
As barbarian 5 you get fast movement on top of any other mobility but even before this, if you had a lev 3 druid or dau genie warlock in the party and they could cast spike growth and your DM allows you to hold grappled opponents to the side when you drag them along, you could achieve what's argued as a cheese grater effect.
I went Loxadon Beast Barb / Rune Knight. Large with advantage on grapples. 3 appendages to grapple with and can grow a tail to beat them with and apply fire shackles.