Tarzan build

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Starting a new P&P character in a world where we are supposed to develop a character after someone literary. Wanting to stay away from the Gandolf, Elric, etc, I decided on Tarzan. Definately thinking monk/druid or monk/ ranger. Maybe druid1/monkX. High DEX, WIS, and CON, some STR, low but not stupid INT.
All thoughts welcome.

 

Except for the bare-handed fighting aspect, you could just go with a beastmaster (ranger kit in BG2). But the monk/ranger takes that into account very well; he still gets some nature spells, but he won't be drowning under them like a monk/druid would.

 

Since I assume you're talking about 3E, I think Barbarian or Ranger would both work pretty well. I don't know about the monk, since I've always thought of that as a "civlized" class. Also, thumbs up for the guts to play a low-Int character.

 

Taking the monk out of oriental settings, I think Tarzan would be a perfect example. Specializes in hand to hand combat, or hand to claw against crocodiles, no armor, wholeness of body, etc. Maybe one level of druid for speak with animals. Lotsa skill points in climb and swim, maybe specialized feat for vine swinging. Also may take illiteracy for extra feat.
This is a "League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" type campaign. I've been told 50% outdoor/crosscountry, 25% dungeon crawl, 25% city time, so I figue an outdoorsman would come in handy.

 

Well, he ertainly doesn't wear any armour so you'd have to have some monk in there somewhere, but one his main skills is animal summoning so i would have thought that you'd want Druid levels. Just because he has access to all Druid spells doesn't mean that your character has to use them all.

 

I think the problem is here is that the only real way to simulate Tarzan is with a PrC or maybe a hybrid Monk/Barbarian/Ranger made out of whole cloth.

 

Illiteracy cant be taken as a Fault. As Tarzan was the second book i read of my own will, i remember it quite well. He learned to read from the various books from his parent's cabin. He didnt know how to speak the letters though, so you could make something of that.

For class, i agree with Drew. Prc would be best, requirements for it fulfilled with monk/barbarian with a ranger level or two. Druid is a primarily a spellcasting class, and while it's clear he wasnt slinging spells around, he also didnt dabble with herbs and healing much. No mysticism anywhere with him.

 

I suggest using an barbarian and taking the Animal Lord PrC from Complete Adventurer. It lets you take an totem animal.
As an Apelord you get a bonus on climb checks, two claw attacks, Brachiation and a +2 strength bonus.

 

OK, starting play this weekend with a ranger2/monk1 LG human. Not allowed to see the other characters yet, but all were approved by the DM. Tarzan will equally level as ranger and druid. DM will allow chimpanzee animal companion in the future. It he levels high enough for spells, I will use only animal summoning with all vocal component (the tarzan yell).

Should be interesting.

 

The second edition rules had a ranger kit called the Forest master and another one entitled Beastlord. They were in the "Complete book of Rangers" and they were quite obviously inspired by Tarzan.

I really don't see Tarzan as a monk, though. I see him as a ranger who chooses not to wear armor -- maybe you could tweak the ranger class (as the 3.5 PHB and DMG illustrates) and give him a different ability in exchange for his light armour use. I know that the ranger's light armour use is a class feature, but perhaps you could just treat it as a feat and replace "armour use -- light" with something more nature-ish, like "animal affinity" or "Athletic".

I mean, a monk has skills with a lot of weapons that Tarzan would have no idea about -- kama, siangham, nunchakus, etc. Plus, at higher levels of monk you have all sorts of abilities that are not very Tarzan-ish.