Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Slim-the-sneaky 07-21-04, 02:44 AM	Okay can any one help me create a fighter(ish) build that can wield the best and largest weapon possible? I would perfer a core race if i can but, if there is no other way then i guess i'll have to deal. Well thanks in advance for the help ;)
TheOneRonin 07-21-04, 10:49 AM	Seeing as how Fighters are my specialty, I can help, but I need some more details. What level Fighter do you need? What books are you restricted to? (Core, specific Campaign Setting, splat books) What's your goal? (Highest damage, best tank, tactical fighter, etc.) It also helps to know what sort of role your Fighter will be playing in your party. For example, building a high damage dealer fighter won't benefit the party as much if there is already a barbarian in the group. Fill in those blanks for me, and I can help you put together the Fighter you need.
MetalGemini 07-21-04, 01:02 PM	Try a this: Character Optimization Boards (http://boards1.wizards.com/forumdisplay.php?forumid=339)
Slim-the-sneaky 07-22-04, 12:23 AM	The party level is about 6 and as for books it does not matter which ones we use my DM is super easy-going about stuff like that. In our party we have a half-celestial nymph bard, a tiefling paladin, and myself which is a young adult white dragon cleric of Tiamat. ( i need the fighter build if my dragon is killed we happen to be in Celelstia so the chance is rather high.) And as for my character goal i just would prefer a cool powerful fighter who specialises with a larger than normal weapon. so basically anything is great by me. and i will be a up in the fray with the paladin.
Burky 07-22-04, 12:44 AM	you probably already know to do this, but if you want to wield a larger than normal weapon, make sure its balanced. (as long as you have enough gold, that is)
TheOneRonin 07-22-04, 08:40 AM	Well...that helps a bit. First off, when you say "larger than normal" do you mean "larger than medium size" or "larger than a medium size creature can usually weild"? Personally, I think it's a waste to try and equip a medium sized fighter with a huge size weapon...with the feats and penalties you take for usually just one die increase in damage, it's flat not worth it. Of course, if you can get away with playing a white dragon, your DM obviously doesn't have any problem with letting you use monster races. Concept-wise, if you want a fighter who will use a single, large weapon, there's a few things you should keep in mind. #1: Max your Strength if you can. I know, "common sense" you say. But it is very important for this type of character. #2: Power attack is your friend. With a 2-for-1 trade off for using a weapon in two hands, you can really make a mess of things that are easy to hit. #3: Since you will have a high strengh and be using (at least) a large weapon, there are certain feats that will work really well for you. Improved Disarm is a must, as well as improved trip. Keep in mind that Combat Expertise is a pre-req for these feats, so you'll need at least a 13 INT. #4: Speaking of Combat Expertise, it's a good choice for this fighter beyond the other feats it unlocks. Since you will be using a weapon with two hands, your AC will be a little lower because of no shield. You should use expertise to offset this...espeically when you end up confronting a skilled (read: high BAB) opponent. #5: If you play a 0-level adjustment race, you'll end up with 7 feats (8 if human). That should give you plenty of flexibility, and give you all the feats you need. However, if you play a monsterous race, be aware of what you will be giving up. A race with a +1 LA will end up costing you 2 feats beause you will only be 5th level. Also make sure that for each +1 LA of the race you decide to play, you get at least 2 more points of STR or one more point of BAB. Otherwise, you will be losing out on some of your Fighter's capability. Here are my suggested Feats for a 6th level, +0 LA race Fighter. -Weapon Focus: Greatsword -Weapon Spec.: Greatsword -Expertise -Improved Disarm -Improved Trip -Improved Sunder -Combat Brute (From Complete Warrior) (if Human) -Rapid Metabolism (from Expanded Psionic Handbook, lets you heal # of HP/day = to level + double Con mod, even if you don't rest) That last feat will give you some staying power. If you have at least a 14 Con (13 is a pre-req for that feat), that's 10 HP you heal every day. Not a bad benefit. At any rate, that should get you what you need. When I have more time today, I post some suggestions for a Long Spear fighter who might fit your build too.
Slim-the-sneaky 07-22-04, 11:31 AM	Thanks Theoneronin that really helps. as for the weapon size i'm not sure myself exactly i guess i'm just trying different things to do with a fighter than just a straight up fighter thanks, Slim:D
TheOneRonin 07-22-04, 01:31 PM	Yeah, a straight up fighter, while terribly effective, can get a little boring. If you want to be a really effective fighter (tactically), but not use the same old two-handed-power-attacking-greatsword-weilder, might I suggest a "Reach" build. A Glaive is a good reach weapon if all you are concerned about it damage, Guisarme if you have improved trip, or the Ranseur if you wish to disarm. Personally, I favor the Guisarme, combined with Combat Reflexes, Improved Trip, and a good Dex. You can trip them when they move through your threatened squares, get a free attack, then AoO them again as they stand up, then on your turn get a full attack. Of course, if you are going to be tripping, you need a high strength too. Just make sure you don't get surrounded. The fact that you can attack adjacent foes with this weapon really isn't a problem as long as you can take a 5' step back. But when you are flanked, you really can't.
trapspringer 07-22-04, 01:32 PM	Ok, if all you want is a lot of steel, take the following feats: proficiency: bastard sword TWF Monkey grip You will need the following items: x2: mw, bronzewood, +1, balnced bastard swords. Now, I beleive that this means you can have two bastard swords two size catagories larger than normal, each dealing a total of 3d6 on a hit. Your gunna need a really good strength score, 'casue these things weigh a ton, even with the weight reduction from the bronze-wood. Weapon focus would be a realy good idea. Now, just hook them together with a chain...
TheOneRonin 07-22-04, 02:24 PM	Originally posted by trapspringer Ok, if all you want is a lot of steel, take the following feats: proficiency: bastard sword TWF Monkey grip You will need the following items: x2: mw, bronzewood, +1, balnced bastard swords. Now, I beleive that this means you can have two bastard swords two size catagories larger than normal, each dealing a total of 3d6 on a hit. Your gunna need a really good strength score, 'casue these things weigh a ton, even with the weight reduction from the bronze-wood. Weapon focus would be a realy good idea. Now, just hook them together with a chain... I'm not so sure you'd really have that much of an advantage with the two bastard swords over a single greatsword. Let's do the math. Character #1 (Medium Sized Fighter 6) Strength: 18 Feats: EWP B. SWORD WP FOCUS B.SWORD WP SPEC B. SWORD TWF IMP TWF MONKEY GRIP Okay so let's see what we are dealing with. BAB +6, +4 from Str, +1 from WP Focus. That's a totall of +11. Now, with MonkeyGrip you can wield that B.sword in one hand, but with a -2 penalty. Then with two of them, because neither of them are light weapons, that's ANOTHER -4. THEN, if you add in the penalties for them being two size categories larger than you, that's another -4. Altogether, that's -10. So, this character will be making 4 attacks per round with the following bonuses: Primary Hand: +1/-4 Off Hand: +1 /-4 Assuming that all those rolls are good enough to hit, he will be doing an average of 17 points of damage (11[base]+2[wp spec]+4[STR]) with his primary hand, and 15 (11[base]+2[wp spec]+2[STR]) with his off hand, per attack. That comes out to 64 points of damage per round (IF you can make a full attack). Not too shabby. Character #2 (Medium Sized Fighter 6) Strength: 18 Feats: WF GREATSWORD WP SPEC GREATSWORD POWER ATTACK POWERFUL CHARGE GREATER POWERFUL CHARGE BAB +6, +4 from STR, +1 from WF. Total of +11. No penalties, however, so he attacks at +11/+6. Now dump ALL of his BAB into Power attack. That's a -6 penalty to hit, but +12 to damage. So his Attack Bonuses become +5/+0. Still better than the Attack bonuses of the B.Sword guy. Now just like with the BSword guy, let's assume both attacks hit. The damage should be 27 (7[base]+6[STRx1.5]+2[WP SPEC]+12[power attack]) per hit. That's 54 per round with a full attack. Only 10 points less than the double-oversized bastard sword guy, and with a 4 point better attack bonus. If you ask me, the GS guy has the over all average. And if you happen to not be able to get a full attack, the Greatsword guy really rules, because he gets an EXTRA 2D6 damage from G.Power Charge. That makes his average 33 for that single attack...almost DOUBLE what the b.sword guy would get with a single attack. As these fighters go up in levels, the Greatsword guy is still going to win out because he will be able to dump more and more BAB into Power Attack. At 11th level, that's three attacks with a +22 to damage on each attack if he wants. The B.sword guy is never going to be able to get rid of those penalties. One way to think of weapons and damage is like this. If a for every -1 penalty my fighter takes to hit, he automatically gets a +2 to damage. So if your weapon is so large or exotic that you get a penalty to hit, it might not be able to do better damage for the same attack bonus as my fighter can do. You rapidly approach a point of diminishing returns when you do this.
trapspringer 07-22-04, 05:44 PM	2 things: 1: They should be balanced bastard sword 2: The idea wan't to be effective, just to have a huge weapon.
Slim-the-sneaky 07-22-04, 11:15 PM	Everyone keep's refering to Balanced.I'm not sure what that is could some one explain what that is for me. thanks, Slim.