Grapplemancer (3.5e Optimized Build)

Author's Note: "Who wants a hug?"

Author: Ghostwheel (talk) Date Created: Not by me originally, but should be on the wiki Status: Complete Editing: Clarity edits only please

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Introduction

A wizard that's so much better at grappling than any "traditional" grappler it blows them out of the water.

References

• Races of Faerun
• Spell Compendium
• Stormwrack
• Expanded Psionics Handbook

Spells

• Enlarge Person
• Fearsome Grapple
• Babau Slime
• Balor Nimbus (Optional)
• Bladeweave (Optional)
• Polymorph (Later on)

Progression

Starting Ability Scores (Before Racial Adjustments): (Assuming 32 Point Buy) 16 14 14 16 8 8

Race (Templates): Human

ECL	Class/HD/LA	Base Attack Bonus	Saving Throws			Feats	Class Features	Special
			Fort	Ref	Will
1st	Wizard 1	+0	+0	+0	+2	Improved Unarmed Strike, Jotunbrud	Summon Familiar: Octopus
2nd	Wizard 2	+1	+0	+0	+3
3rd	Wizard 3	+1	+1	+1	+3	Improved Grapple

Items

• Psionic Tattoo of Grip of Iron

Highlights

Grapple Check

3 (Strength) + 1 (BAB) + 3 (Octopus Familiar) + 4 + 1 (Enlarge Person, Str bonus) + 4 (Jotunbrud) + 4 (Fearsome Grapple) + 4 (Improved Grapple) + 4 (Grip of Iron) = +28

Tactics

Use Babau Slime and Balor Nimbus, both in Spell Compendium, to deal damage. Bladeweave will daze your grappled opponents (also Spell Compendium). Bladeweave and Fearsome Grapple are swift action spells, which basically means you go nuts.

Further Optimization

• Lords of Madness: Take Aberration Blood (Flexible Limbs) to get another +2 to grapple checks.
• Magic of Incarnum: Be an Azurin instead (all you lose is the bonus skill points) and pick up Shape Soulmeld (Girallon Arms) for +4 to grapple checks. Take Bonus Essentia to eventually get an extra +4 to grapple checks.
• Once you hit level 7, you can polymorph into a Remorhaz to increase your grapple bonus further while maintaining all the other modifiers you normally get.
• If you are an Elf instead, you can pick up the Elvish alternate racial wizard variant in Races of the Wild to double the bonus that Octopus gives you to grapple checks.
• Be a goliath to get Powerful Build instead of Jotunbrud, as well as a +4 racial bonus to Strength.

Limitations

• Low HP
• You set a couple feats on fire.

DM Counters

• Ranged attacks
• Multiple attackers
• Sneak attackers

It's important to note that none of these are really counters to the build because you can just change your spell configuration around, or prepare a few different spells or scrolls each day, and be a normal wizard that powers through all the opposition anyway.

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