Madness Log Update: I'm finished? I... all dragons have been added, the Draconomicon's draconic gods (except the willful exclusion of Io) and Sardior have been added, Ashardalon has been added, my own homebrew trio of draconic gods have been added, Gestalt/higher powered version, Epic Progression, as many feats as I can think of to make, and Dwarven Racial Substitution levels... I'm... there's nothing left to do

So it's time to exchanged fruits (PEACHes naturally, got a bit of a monkey in me), exchange NPCs, and I guess I'm taking requests for races to make more substitution levels for

Also Elegrin the Blackened; no fluff yet for this Elven Aspect of the Dracolich (waiting for the class to have fluff for that), but he's completed. Going the Claws + Body route he's fairly similar to a fighter, with some added DR, a list of immunities (although can't be revived if he dies and no unconscious buffer ), at-will out of combat healing, and natural armor to help make up for his worsened armor proficiencies. +12 to hit and 16 damage/hit on average. Not particularly optimized (thrown together gear), but something I could see one of my RL players building with this class.

A Stag Beetle (CR 4) is a nasty opponent (23 damage/hit overcomes DR and needs a 13 to hit; while having more hit points) and would be a close fight (both will kill the other in 5 rounds on average); he has a slight advantage due to better initiative and power attack but it's still about a coin flip. Looking at this I swap Cleave for Combat Expertise which allows for a 5 point AC shift; he now needs a 12 to hit (7.92 dpr with crits; 8 rounds) but it needs a 18 (3.45 with crits; 12 rounds) a much better chance and full out of combat healing.

Now let's look at a troll. CR 5; he needs a 4 to hit, giving him 14.96 damage/round (9.96 after regen); it needs 14, 14, 19 and deals ~7/round on average. This gives it the advantage (6 round KO versus 7 round) but only a slight one which a lucky crit could change. By using PA he can get +1.5 dpr (enough to make it 6 rounds) or by using Combat Expertise he can drop to 5.56 DPR and drop its DPR to ~2.1 DPR which he then readily defeats after a long dragged out fight.

Advanced Megaraptor Skeleton (CR 6). He needs a 2 to hit, it needs a 14/19/19/19. He deals 10.45 DPR it deals 6.35. Of course again it has massively more hit points (78 to 43) it takes him 8 rounds on average to kill it and it only 7; their initiatives are equal. PAing for full gives him 14.7 DPR which will let him bring it down in 6 rounds on average (decent chance of 5), Combat Expertise for 1 and full PAing reduces its damage to ~5.7 while still allowing him 13.65 DRP (6 rounds vs 8). So he still has the advantage actually.

Fighting 2 ogres they average less than 2 damage/round if he uses full Combat Expertise, he averages 9.68; takes them ~22 rounds to kill him, he kills one in 3.

Lv 6 sees a big improvement; a ~66% increase to DPR with a full attack, the ability to perform a paralyzing touch (i.e. at-will Fort save or lose), and DR 3/MAGIC and bludgeoning. It'd also give him Shock Trooper which would have allowed for powerful charges; in a solo scenario Shock Trooper is a very bad idea on him and he'd have been better served with a feat other than Shock Trooper (even Weapon Specialization if he could take it as a fighter), but in a party situation it means he'd be able to deal a third or a half of a creature's health in an opening charge and he'd then be able to survive the return volley and switch to defense with a hurt enemy. Not great but something offensive.

Overall, though, he has the same problems as a fighter. He can get the defenses to survive combat, but no way to force the foe to target him. He's contributing (all of these were full encounters for 5th level characters multiple of them ones that a solo character is supposed to have a 50/50 chance of death on), and with a party it's be more of "I'm getting swamped I use Combat Expertise" then a go to constant strategy; coupled with free out of combat healing it makes him a decent front-liner and you have the caster aspect for more varied/strategic play. That said I'd say make the DR start out as X/bludgeoning and magic, and give them Medium Armor proficiency at least by rank 3 or 4 of claws. I'd also give them Intimidate as a class skill, and choices for their weapons from Claws; I'd actually say just let them pick any 1-handed martial (or simple) weapon + shield or any 2-handed martial (or simple) weapon.