Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 mattaddhall Oct 22, 2014 5:42:17	I have been playing the starter set as the Dex based fighter Folk Hero. I start off with a longbow and a Greatsword. since the Greatsword uses strength not Dex, i have a lower chance to hit with my Greatsword than i would with a finesse weapon (+4 attack bonus vs +5 attack bonus, soon to be +6 when i level up and have 18 Dex) I know the Rapier does 1d8+3 vs the 2d6+2 for the Greatsword, but i think the added hit rate and +2 to my AC might be worth the reduced damage. What do you guys think?
#2 mellored Oct 22, 2014 5:53:17	Depends on the rest of your party.   If your the only guy in melee, you want a shield. If you have other people taking some heat, like a barbarian, mood druid, and war cleric, then bring the damage.
#3 Coredump00 Oct 22, 2014 6:38:51	When you get that bump, you will be hitting much more often with the rapier, and doing 8.5 damage, the greatsword will not hit quite as often, and do  9 danage,    (Crits not included, which does favor the GS a bit.)   You will do more damage with the rapier than the GS. *And* be harder to hit.
#4 mattaddhall Oct 22, 2014 7:15:31	My party consists of characters of the 5e starter set, the cleric, the noble fighter, the rouge (being role-played as a stealthy thief who doesn’t understand the intricacies of stealth, such as throwing a burning goblin body into the mouth of a cave isn’t consistent with stealth) and myself.   The noble fighter used her axe most often but once I reach level 4 and buy a shield and leather amour (55gp), i will have a higher AC then her of 18 unless she buys herself better amour too (200gp) or uses a shield and one handed weapon instead.   I mostly want to be a ranged fighter but I know that won’t always be my choice, like if we are ambushed.
#5 mellored Oct 22, 2014 7:26:23	The i'd stick with a longbow + greatsword.  You can't easily swap a shield on or off.   Once you get to level 4 and if you increase Dexterity to 18, then what coredump said.  Raiper will do more.   Also consider crossbow expertise as your feat.
#6 Uthrac Oct 22, 2014 8:16:29	You'll also have a hand free to do other stuff (providing you and your group enjoy a more creative game).   Using a longbow in melee just means attacking with Disadvantage. Against low-AC foes (like zombies), you're pretty good at just shooting them in the face.
#7 mattaddhall Oct 22, 2014 8:25:11	Mellowred: I was going to ask about equipping a shield. The beginners guide does say that it takes an action to put on a shield but I was unsure if you could just strap it to your arm and when using my longbow just not gain the benefit of it. It seems strange to me that I can draw my sword as part of my action but not grab my shield from being slung on my back.   What does the crossbow expertise feat give me? I like using the longbow for the range it covers and the =7 attack bonus is massive (+2 proficiency, +2 archery fighting style, +3 Dex).   Uthrac:   That is true but I can’t guarantee I will be fighting low AC enemies
#8 mellored Oct 22, 2014 8:32:16	mattaddhall wrote:
(Reply to #7) Timborama	mattaddhall wrote:
#10 mattaddhall Oct 22, 2014 13:32:48	I think it will be better to use the Rapier and shield. I'm also thinking of taking the Dueling fighting style at level 10 which, with two ability score increases before then, would mean i would have +5 to hit and +7 on my damage role. I will consider the crossbow expertise feat, but I think I would prefer to increase my stats as soon as possible, especially since Dex increases my AC, my attack rolls and damage rolls, and saving throws
#11 Corran21 Oct 22, 2014 18:47:14	Shiels and bows don't get along really well, meaning it's very difficult to swap styles during combat. If you mainly want to be an archer, you have 2 options about when changing in melee. A. You take the crossbow expert feat and use a shield with a hand crossbow always... or B. You use the longbow, and when you want to change in melee, you use 2 shortswords/scimitars with TWF. It all depends on how your DM let's you use the crossbow expert feat really... (although it's pretty clear, a lot of people have a real problem accepting how it works)
(Reply to #11) mattaddhall	Corran21 wrote:
#13 Timborama Oct 23, 2014 6:52:31	Well, no, Corran said you can just use 2 shortswords and pick up the TWF Style (not the feat) at level 10 instead of Duelist. It's a trade-off because your AC goes down by 2 (vs. Rapier+Shield) but your damage increases! But it's at the expense of using a bonus action, so there's that to consider (though Fighters don't need to use Bonus actions very often).   Fighters are all about customizing, which is what makes them great.
(Reply to #13) Ghost_Gallus	I find the TWF style to be...underwhelming to say the least. A (generally) maximum +5 to damage doesn't seem as good as even +1 AC when armored. Take Defensive and Duel wielder and you got you +2 AC from you sheild back plus better weapon options. Though if you are a Champion you can get both.