New Expose Weakness and Bear Warrior (and other shapes)

[Rudolph]

I have noticed that Expose Weakness does not switch off with every weapon change now but stays nicely switched on. Does this mean it could be used in Bear Shape by Bear Warriors that manage to get it? What about other shapes? E.g. from Shapechange.

[KOPOJIbPAKOB]

Does this work with Northlander hewing too? I mean, NH + Bear warrior, it would turn BW gameplay upside down and finally solve its damage issues.

[Rudolph]

Northlander Hewing is deactivated on a weapon or shield switch and has a cooldown of 6 seconds to be switched on again. It is also deactivated on item switches, like switching rings.

NH still deactivates with every weapon switch (as spelled out on the wiki in the quote above). I doubt Bear Warrior will ever get a damage boost like that.

[Akroma666]

It is my understanding as the self appointed bear warrior expert that no modes will be available in shapechange. Vale or QC can correct me if I'm wrong, but the QC team has decided that this would make the class too powerful and that Northlander Hewing would be too much damage for bear warrior per this thread:
viewtopic.php?f=446&t=64549

I've tried to fight for you boys to get the damage boosted, through modes, or a new ability that boosts damage while lowering defense. Or even a rend ability that would bleed through DR. And lastly the ability to have weapon material properties transfer over to beat DR. It appears QC is not having any of it, so we need to find another solution. My original suggestions:
viewtopic.php?f=443&t=58306

For now, my suggestion is this: pick up a damage bonus class like anointed knight, fist of the forest, or dragon warrior. This bonus 1d4 is a little umph it needs combined with power attack. You can also dip into frenzied berserker to improve that power attack. Remember, that +6 modifier also adds to your hit, so drop some of that for damage!

Another suggestion is to make use of the rage timer. You can easily get above 3 minutes with another extended rage III and getting the helmet or necklace with extra rage gives you another couple transformations. In total, you could be adding 6-9 minutes of rage time which allows you to not be garbage in your fragile human form.

Hope these help boys!

[Valefort]

Only vanilla combat modes are supposed to work while polymorphed/shapechanged.

[mrm3ntalist]

It is my understanding as the self appointed bear warrior expert that no modes will be available in shapechange. Vale or QC can correct me if I'm wrong, but the QC team has decided that this would make the class too powerful and that Northlander Hewing would be too much damage for bear warrior per this thread:
viewtopic.php?f=446&t=64549

I've tried to fight for you boys to get the damage boosted, through modes, or a new ability that boosts damage while lowering defense. Or even a rend ability that would bleed through DR. And lastly the ability to have weapon material properties transfer over to beat DR. It appears QC is not having any of it, so we need to find another solution. My original suggestions:
viewtopic.php?f=443&t=58306

For now, my suggestion is this: pick up a damage bonus class like anointed knight, fist of the forest, or dragon warrior. This bonus 1d4 is a little umph it needs combined with power attack. You can also dip into frenzied berserker to improve that power attack. Remember, that +6 modifier also adds to your hit, so drop some of that for damage!

Another suggestion is to make use of the rage timer. You can easily get above 3 minutes with another extended rage III and getting the helmet or necklace with extra rage gives you another couple transformations. In total, you could be adding 6-9 minutes of rage time which allows you to not be garbage in your fragile human form.

Hope these help boys!

How much more "umph" you need? Like i explained to you in the reply of your pm, the stats for this basic builds are already high. 59AC, 44AB, +4regen, 6(?)DR, 19 +d10-12 damage + any elemental, 570hp, IKD with a +15 modifier etc

Again, this build can be easily adjusted for at least another +2AC, +1d6 damage and various sources of elemental damage. This PRC is very very powerful.

[electric mayhem]

That certainly looks good. Almost... as good as the druid dragon.

Then again... if this is apparently underpowered... what is it being compared against?

[Rudolph]

I think Akroma's point of comparison is with what can be done with non-shifting Barbarian builds. It's not so much the overall power of the PrC that is at issue, but the lack of options if one wants to build for damage. I think the idea of a bear wearing a high-DR opponent down with mere scratches (damage in the low 30s with no special material option) goes slightly against the image - no matter how good its defense.

[Nemni]

Few classes can be built to be top-tier in any role. I don't think it's strange to think of a bear as hitting weaker than a humanoid warrior with a sharp weapon, but also being harder to kill. Which is basically where it's at.

[RagingPeace]

It is my understanding as the self appointed bear warrior expert that no modes will be available in shapechange. Vale or QC can correct me if I'm wrong, but the QC team has decided that this would make the class too powerful and that Northlander Hewing would be too much damage for bear warrior per this thread:
viewtopic.php?f=446&t=64549

I've tried to fight for you boys to get the damage boosted, through modes, or a new ability that boosts damage while lowering defense. Or even a rend ability that would bleed through DR. And lastly the ability to have weapon material properties transfer over to beat DR. It appears QC is not having any of it, so we need to find another solution. My original suggestions:
viewtopic.php?f=443&t=58306

For now, my suggestion is this: pick up a damage bonus class like anointed knight, fist of the forest, or dragon warrior. This bonus 1d4 is a little umph it needs combined with power attack. You can also dip into frenzied berserker to improve that power attack. Remember, that +6 modifier also adds to your hit, so drop some of that for damage!

Another suggestion is to make use of the rage timer. You can easily get above 3 minutes with another extended rage III and getting the helmet or necklace with extra rage gives you another couple transformations. In total, you could be adding 6-9 minutes of rage time which allows you to not be garbage in your fragile human form.

Hope these help boys!

How much more "umph" you need? Like i explained to you in the reply of your pm, the stats for this basic builds are already high. 59AC, 44AB, +4regen, 6(?)DR, 19 +d10-12 damage + any elemental, 570hp, IKD with a +15 modifier etc

Again, this build can be easily adjusted for at least another +2AC, +1d6 damage and various sources of elemental damage. This PRC is very very powerful.

Could you provide item bonuses and number of rages for this build?

[Akroma666]

Boys, let's give mrm3ntalist praise for actually replying and giving this topic the time of day.. it's been beaten to death. Feel free to plead your case and as to why gents. This was my PM back. I believe the class is fine from a power gaming standpoint, bit i understand if you guys just wantore options, and if one of those options is dropping your AC, to do more damage, that's fine, we need to make it so it hurts and is risky. The class can't have everything, but i agree, another wreckless damage "button" would be a nice boon.

Hey mrm3ntalist,

I cannot stress this enough, since my last request, i truly feel the class is fine. Although I am curious where you are getting your damage and AC numbers from. Currently, I am using a mace that gives me +1d4 +1, with FoF finally fixed +1d4, with unarmed mastery and spec +4, power attack +3, and the base str of 34 so +12. So a total of 2d6+20+2d4. (I'm probably missing something.)

I think that's pleanty in my case, considering my AC is 53 all of this without any magic. Magic I can easily get another +1d8 damage and 6 AC.

The problem is DR and the average person is not a power gamer like me. My whole reason for bringing up this dead horse is because two separate people in the last two weeks brought up the lacking damage of the class. They told me they are going anointed knight and similar classes and using flame weapon wands just to compensate the damage "problem." They want that Northlander Hewing to work. If it doesn't work mechanically, so be it, let that be known that using fighting style modes that aren't vanilla can cause issues. But i think the real reason for bringing it up is allowing them to try new playstyles.

I think as stated in my original post, this class needs more options while transformed like a normal martial class can get via feats. My suggestion was originally the roar and a maul attack. Roar was imppamented, it's not a Swift action which makes it pretty worthless. It also doesn't give the boost to other allies damage which i think is a bummer. I originally requested a simple +2 attack and damage for the duration to anyone else and not the bear warrior itself. The other suggestion was the maul, which has changed multiple times.. point is, class needs a way to overcome the DR. If it's allowing weapon material properties to transfer over to claws, or it's a temporary ability, I can't tell you that. What i know people want is a way to lower their AC to get more damage. My suggestion was the drop the shield, but if that isn't enough, make it a toggle button or a single round button click. Go back to maul suggestion, -X AC to gain Y damage for Z rounds. Make it hurt.. make this be a wreckless attack.. idk.. you're the QC team. I'd love to see a daze effect on it if you did this.. for a single round or something. It would give the class a niche as a disabler beast with the knockdown and the daze.

Frankly I've tossed pleanty of ideas, I know your stance is the hill you will die on. I only bring this up because since I've returned the last 3 weeks I noticed more bear Bros out there and they all have the same complaint.. my original complaint.. so being the bear warrior champion, I'd address it again. The fact the numbers are increasing is great news as the class is becoming more desirable!

Thanks for your response,
-Akroma

And yess, I hit equally as hard as a dragon druid who is level 30. I think that's the primary concern, 10 levels of a PRC vs 30 of a base class with epic feats, and i already hit equally as hard (both of us with his buffs or course).

[Akroma666]

Proposal #26

Maul
Specifics: The Bear Warrior mauls his victim in an all out assault, ignoring his defenses while increasing the ferocity of his attacks. As a full round action, the bear warrior makes two attacks each with it's strength modifier as additional bonus damage. If successful, the target must roll a Fortitude save DC equal to your 10 + your bear warrior level or become Dazed for one round. These attacks cause wounding based on your bear warrior shape (+1 for black bear, +2 for brown bear, +3 for dire bear). Your AC is reduced by your current bear warrior level for 2 rounds after using this wreckless attack
Duration: Instant
Cooldown: 30 Seconds
Rational: 2 times strength damage for only 2 attacks. There's your damage boost, with a potential daze (isn't going to work on higher moved) and a slight bleed for trash mobs which won't Pierce DR, so it's pointless on bosses again. Also a heavy AC penality makes it a wreckless manuver. Long CD makes it not spamable, but enough to get out more than once. Each attack is a separate source so two potential chances to daze and wound.

This came to me while i was thinking about this just now.. figured I'd share.