For basics, Beguiler 1/Wizard 4/Ultimate Magus 10 (or however far you get) is by-far the best choice. Beguiler 2/Wizard 3 as entry is not going to get you killed or anything, but it is a dramatic loss of power relative to only a single lost wizard level.
Cloaked Casting
From an optimization perspective, Cloaked Casting isn’t nearly worth what you lose in terms of wizard spellcasting.
Unfortunately, Cloaked Casting is rather minor in general. There’s no reason you can’t surprise your opponents with your spells, and just not get the +1 DC bonus. Surprising people is usually a pretty good idea anyway (though feinting in combat is not). You will be better off doing things this way.
But feel free if you really want Cloaked Casting to get it. Just be aware that it will cost you more than it ought to.
You don’t have to ban Illusion if you don’t want to
Wizards get illusions that beguilers don’t, and your wizard spellcasting will be superior to your beguiler spellcasting. If illusions are important to you, keep it on your wizard; having it on both classes will really play up its importance to your character.
So illusion could be very valuable to you; don’t ban it just because you think it will be redundant. It won’t be if you use it right.
You really don’t need area-damage
Conjuration and illusion are excellent at battlefield control, which means rather than simply damaging people in areas, you’re hitting people in areas with nastier effects, and stuff that warriors cannot do. Damage is easy, and lots of classes do it as well, if not better, than spellcasters. In a lot of cases, though, that’s all they can do. So let them do it.
And ban evocation.
Metamagic
Go for it! Ultimate magus gives you powerful abilities that allow you to use your second class to power metamagic for the first, which works very well. Definitely a good choice.
Shadow Spells
Ideally, you do not want to use shadow evocation or shadow conjuration offensively, because you give the enemy two chances to save, which is bad. As such, I don’t really suggest relying on them for that; they’re massively better as buffs or what have you. Spell Focus (Illusion) is still a solid idea though.
If unconcerned with enhancement bonuses and only needing the weapon special abilities, the 1st-level artificer infusions personal weapon augmentation [trans] (Eberron Campaign Setting 117) et al. and personal natural weapon augmentation [trans] (Races of Eberron 188) et al. grant weapon special abilities to one of the creature's weapons or natural weapons.1 A wand of personal weapon augmentation (1st-level spell at caster level 1) (15 gp/charge) is inexpensive enough that even if adding the magic weapon special ability brash (MIC 30) to one's unarmed strike every encounter, that will still be cheaper than having such as permanent magic weapon special ability using the methods below. The magic weapon special ability furious (OA 125) is in a similar but worse position, as such an effect can only be granted by a wand of weapon augmentation [trans] (ECS 117) (4th-level spell at caster level 7) (420 gp/charge), likely making long-term use too expensive to use such an item to consistently have, for example, furious fists.
If the enhancement bonus is desired, an alternative is finding a way to cast the 4th-level Drd spell superior magic fang [trans] (SpC 136). This is a very expensive wand (a wand of a 4th-level spell at caster level 20 costs 1,200/charge), but that 60,000 gp item grants all of the creature's natural attacks a +5 enhancement bonus and, by the time such a wand can be afforded, the character probably won't be participating in 50 more fights during his career.2 Note that this also assumes the spell superior magic fang can affect unarmed strikes. (While the spell magic fang implies that spell can, the spell superior magic fang lacks such language.)
However, all these all run afoul of the opportunity cost needed to activate them, so I understand why you'd avoid them. Attempting to generate such effects faster makes the price higher and makes the options below even more appealing.
Let's do some math!
Amulet of Mighty Fists (DMG 246)
The amulet of mighty fists specifically improves both the wearer's unarmed strikes and the wearer's natural attacks, but only grants both enhancement bonuses on attack rolls and damage rolls.
Amulet of Mighty Fists
Enhancement Bonus Cost
+1 6,000 gp
+2 24,000 gp
+3 54,000 gp
+4 96,000 gp
+5 150,000 gp
Unfortunately, the amulet of mighty fists apparently can't grant the wearer's unarmed strikes and natural weapons magic weapon special abilities (that is, at least it can't without DM permission).
Bracers of Striking (Magic of Faerûn 155-6)
These cost 1,310 gp, weigh 1 lb., occupy the bracers slot, and grant the wearer the ability to make unarmed strikes as if the wearer possessed the feat Improved Unarmed Strike (very carefully not granting the actual feat). They can be made magical as if they were a blunt double weapon (hence any magical enhancement bonus or special ability costs double, the text implying that each "fist" (or head, I guess?) can't be magicked separately).
Bracers of Striking Cost
Enhancement Bonus (1,310 gp)+
+1 4,000 gp
+2 16,000 gp
+3 36,000 gp
+4 64,000 gp
+5 100,000 gp
+6 144,000 gp
+7 196,000 gp
+8 256,000 gp
+9 324,000 gp
+10 400,000 gp
The item is not as explicit as it could be (the bracers can be modified with additional magic weapon special abilities but don't say those affect the wearer's unarmed strike, and I've read at least one argument wherein it was said seriously that the bracers' themselves must be used to beat a fool to employ their weapon special abilities), but if one assumes the enhancement bonuses apply to unarmed strikes and one's only making unarmed strikes, the bracers are a better deal than the amulet of mighty fists.
Necklace of Natural Weapons (Savage Species 58)
This item affects but a lone natural weapon unless more cash is paid. It's acknowledge that unarmed strikes are not natural weapons (but there's a counterargument couched in the fanged ring, below), so this probably doesn't do you any good, but it's included for completeness because you asked. The cost is multiplied by the number of natural weapons the amulet affects.
Necklace of Natural Weapons Cost to affects natural weapons numbering...
Enhancement Bonus One Two Three Four Five
+1 2 4 6 8 10
+2 8 16 24 32 40
+3 18 36 54 72 90
+4 32 64 96 128 160
+5 50 100 150 200 250
+6 72 144 216 288 360
+7 98 196 294 392 490
+8 128 256 384 512 640
+9 162 324 486 648 810
+10 200 400 600 800 1,000
Costs are in 1,000s of gp. Also add to the cost
+(600 gp × the number of natural weapon affected).
This makes the necklace of natural weapons a better deal than the amulet of mighty fists only if the wearer has but one or two natural weapons, except that the necklace explicitly can have magic weapon special abilities, and the DM must approve the idea that magic weapon special abilities can be added via the amulet.
Other Options
Below are a few options unmentioned by your question.
- The fanged ring (Dragon Magic 101) (10,000 gp; 0 lbs.) doesn't say it can be further magicked to grant unarmed strikes enhancement bonuses or weapon special abilities, but a generous DM may allow it. Further, the fanged ring implies that an unarmed strike is a natural attack, so it's useful for attempting to convince the DM that a necklace of natural weapons really can affect one's unarmed strike.
- The ward cestus (Arms and Equipment Guide 6, 10) (10 gp; 4 lbs), an exotic weapon, says that attacking with it "is considered an unarmed attack," and attacks with it deal the same damage as the wielder's unarmed strike. If the DM permits the alternative class feature city brawler to fight with a ward cestus yet still be considered unarmed, this is a viable alternative.
- Just in case you later become concerned with enhancement bonuses, a Drd20 charges 600 gp to cast the 3rd-level spell greater magic fang [trans] (PH 250) on an unarmed strike (possible according to the 1st-level Drd spell magic fang [trans] (PH 250)). A Sor20 charges 8,500 gp to cast the 5th-level Sor/Wiz spell permanency [univ] (PH 259-60) on that greater magic fang spell. Although vulnerable to dispel magic effects, this combination is inexpensive enough to get done several times over the course of an adventurer's career before acquiring +5 enhancement in some other fashion is more prudent. (Costs are according to Spellcasting and Services (PH 129), but actually locating such powerful casters is campaign-dependent.)
"So what do I buy?"
If you're using only unarmed strikes, you'll need the bracers. Fortunately, some of the weapon special abilities you want only require the weapon to be wielded, so, for example, you could get the following:
- brash (MIC 30) (+1 bonus; 0 lbs.) furious (OA 125) (+2 bonus; 0 lbs.) fury (HB 130) (+1 bonus; 0 lbs.) bracers of striking (Mag 155-6) (65,310 gp; 1 lbs.). Note: The bracers' description says that they "may be modified with special weapon abilities as if they were a blunt weapon." Ask the DM if that means the bracers need a +1 magical enhancement bonus before they can have further magic weapon special abilities.
- +1 brash (MIC 30) (+1 bonus; 0 lbs.) furious (OA 125) (+2 bonus; 0 lbs.) fury (HB 130) (+1 bonus; 0 lbs.) ward cestus (AE 6, 10) (50,310 gp; 4 lbs.). Note: As an exotic weapon, the cash saved from buying a ward cestus will probably spent overcoming the −4 penalty for nonproficiency.
And if, for example, you bind the soulmeld girallon arms (Magic of Incarnum 68) to your totem chakra and want magic weapon special abilities for that soulmeld's four claw attacks, you'll need the necklace.
- fury (HB 130) (+1 bonus; 0 lbs.) necklace of four natural weapons (SS 58) (10,400 gp; 0 lbs.). Note: See the bracers Note, above, the necklace description containing similar vague language.
Note: The magic weapon special ability fury (HB 130) (+1 bonus; 0 lbs.) needs to apply to every natural weapon and unarmed strike for it to be worthwhile, yet the special ability deals but an extra +1d6 points of damage (albeit untyped) each and only while raging, so, really, I suggest just skipping that magic weapon special ability. The same and more goes for the weapon special ability berserker (MIC 29) (+1 bonus), and more being that the weapon special ability is limited to two-handed weapons (which, with an inappropriately large magical ward cestus, is a possibility but a silly and impractical one).
Other Useful Items
- The beast claws (SS 49) (9,610 gp; 1 lbs.) are a pair of +1 spiked gauntlets (PH 117, 118) that grant the wearer 2 claw attacks with a +1 enhancement bonus and, if the wearer already has claws, the enhancement bonus increases to +2 and the wearer's claws deal an extra +1d6 points of damage. Note: Combined with the soulmeld girallon arms, these are pretty spiffy, but, given the item's age (and provenance!), the DM will likely update the description for a contemporary campaign. However, any DM that allows these into the campaign may also allow them to be further magicked.
- The collar of venom (BV 114) (50,000 gp; 3 lbs.) causes the wearer's natural attacks to become poisonous (Fort DC 14, primary damage 1d10 Con, secondary damage 1d10 Con).
- The demonhair shirt (Dragon #356 69) (26,000 gp; 3 lbs.) grants the wearer immunity to fear, and the wearer can spend 2 rages simultaneously to enter a demonic fury that, among other effects, grants the wearer impressive bonuses that explicitly stack with rage and frenzy (!) and makes all the wearer's weapons (including natural weapons) chaotic for overcoming aligned DR.
- The gauntlets of ghost fighting (MIC 216) (4,000 gp; 1 lbs.), among other effects, causes the wearer's melee attacks to affect incorporeal creatures normally.
- The ghoul gauntlets (MIC 104-5) (10,000 gp; 1 lbs.) grant the wearer, before making an attack, the ability, once per round, to declare one natural or unarmed attack as capable of paralyzing a hit foe (Fort DC 13 negates).
- The ring of adamantine touch (MIC 121) (6,000 gp; 0 lbs.) causes the wearers weapons (including natural weapons) to overcome DR X/adamantine as if they were adamantine. Given its rarity, this is likely a late-game purchase if at all.
- The tentacle extension (illithid) (Und 75) (32,000 gp; 2 lbs.) grant a lone tentacle a +2 enhancement bonus on attack and damage rolls, a 1-step size increase to damage, and an extra 5 ft. of reach. Note: The soulmeld displacer mantle (Magic of Incarnum 64) bound to your totem chakra grants 2 tentacle attacks. However, that doesn't make this a good deal.
- The wyrmfang amulet (MIC 148) (1,350 gp; 0 lbs.) causes the wearer's natural attacks and unarmed strikes to overcome DR X/magic as if they were magic weapons. Given how frequently this arises, this is likely an early-game purchase, later sold when better options become available.
1 Fortunately, the infusion personal weapon augmentation targets but a weapon and its description only mandates it affect a weapon, saying nothing about the weapon being manufactured, so affecting an unarmed strike should be a thing even if not a monk.
2 This overstates things a little. The character'll probably need to buy two or even three eventually. Each wand contains sufficient charges to use 1 charge per encounter for about 3 levels worth of encounters. A third wand tips things in favor of the amulet over the course of the character's career.
Best Answer
So barbarian gives you Strength and Constitution; bear warrior gives you both but more. Assuming you still want to avoid multiclassing, feats are your only real options. Those probably should look something like this:
City Brawler bonus feats: Improved Unarmed Strike, Two-Weapon Fighting
Human bonus feat: Improved Grapple
1 These feats require a lot of Dexterity. It’s entirely possible that you won’t have and won’t want that much Dexterity. In that case... more Extra Rage, I guess.
2 Or anytime earlier if you feel you’re running into a lot of such DR.
That gets you five rages per day, your unarmed strikes can deal a variety of damage types, and at the end you get a lot of attacks in a grapple. But your grappling will be only mediocre, your attacks are not going to do particularly high damage, and Shock Trooper is only thrown in there because it’s a decent feat that will make you at least not entirely useless when you can’t grapple.
Some multiclassing options
If you can multiclass, you should. Barbarian does not offer much at all from 3rd to 7th level. If nothing else, you can take fighter levels to free up more feats to take Extra Rage, so the one significant bonus at Barbarian 4 can actually be done better without barbarian levels.
Fighter
You don’t really need feats all that badly, but several of the feats you’re taking are fighter bonus feats, which means you can take them with a couple levels of fighter and take Extra Rage instead. You can also snag Combat Reflexes if your Dexterity isn’t awful, so you can take an attack of opportunity, and with Improved Grab, start a grapple then-and-there.
But fighter should really never be taken for more than two levels. A feat per level is OK, a feat every other level is awful.
Ranger
The advantage of ranger is that you can get Improved Two-Weapon Fighting as a bonus feat (ignoring the Dex requirement, even!), and then take Favored Power Attack from Complete Warrior, which at least makes your Power Attack useful against a couple of types of foe, and the Distracting Attack variant from Player’s Handbook II, to help the rogue out against enemies you can’t grapple. You also get a lot of skill points and a couple of spells, to make you less of a one-trick pony. The idea here would be Barbarian 1/Ranger 6/Bear Warrior.
Horizon Walker
Horizon walker is a core prestige class (i.e. technically it’s from Dungeon Master’s Guide not Player’s Handbook), but you can squeeze two levels of it in before qualifying for bear warrior. It requires Endurance and 8 ranks of Knowledge (geography), so it works best with at least three levels of ranger.
The big advantage of horizon walker is the desert terrain mastery. That gets you immunity to Fatigue, which means you can end your rage early without becoming fatigued until the end of the fight. Plus you’re immune to other sources of fatigue and exhaustion results in fatigue, instead, which is nice because fatigue is bad and exhaustion is awful.
For the second level, underground’s 60-ft. darkvision is almost certainly your best choice; a +4 competence bonus to a skill is just not all that exciting.
After you finish bear warrior, returning to horizon walker long enough to get a planar terrain mastery means you can take the shifting mastery, i.e. the ability to use dimension door once every 1d4 rounds. Dimension door is far from a great spell, but it is teleportation which can be difficult to come by for a martial character. The cavernous mastery’s 30-ft. tremorsense isn’t bad either, though by that level you really need to have gotten into the air.
Ideal build is probably just Barbarian 2/Ranger 3/Horizon Walker 2/Bear Warrior 10.
Hexblade
This class from Complete Warrior is not great. Its curse is Charisma-based, which is fairly awkward for you (could try to be intimidating, I guess), and what it does isn’t all that great. But it is full-BAB, has a good Will save which is useful to you, and the arcane resistance and mettle class features are decent. But what really makes this worth even considering is Player’s Handbook II, which offers one variant on it that makes it useful to you: the dark companion.
The dark companion replaces the familiar, and provides a 3×3 square area of −2 to AC and −2 to saves. It’s just an illusion, and it’s painfully vulnerable to dispel magic, but those penalties are pretty significant. It can move independently of you, and has pretty big range.
Effectively, it allows you to serve two roles for your party: locking one enemy down with your grapple, while making another enemy vulnerable to attacks and spells.
That takes four levels, barbarian takes two. The last level should be fighter for feats or ranger for skills.
Ex-Knight
This is a weird option, but I kind of like the story it tells: a knight who lost his civility and nobility, becoming savage and warmongering. Sounds neat, anyway. You start as a knight from Player’s Handbook II, take it for three levels to get bulwark of defense, and then change alignment, forsake knight, and go to barbarian. You lose the knight’s challenge features, but you maintain the Mounted Combat bonus feat (though you’ll probably never use it), shield block +1 (which you’ll definitely never use), and bulwark of defense (which you definitely will use).
Bulwark of defense makes you “sticky”—people next to you will have a hard time becoming not next to you. Less useful since presumably you’ll be grabbing them, but your grappling won’t exactly be stellar so this provides a decent back-up for things you can’t grapple.
Three levels of knight and two levels of barbarian still leaves two levels. Ranger remains probably the best option, just for the skill points (Favored Power Attack maybe if you can pick a foe you really will see all the time), though fighter could work for feats. A fourth level of knight gets you armor mastery (medium), which is OK if you want to go with mithral full-plate as your armor.