Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 wild_cat May 04, 2008 5:08:48	Hello folks, I'm playing a dwarven warrior in a campaign that takes place in Cormyr (Forgotten Realms) My dwarven warrior is currently a level 5 (dwarven fighter 1 & level 4 fighter) but close to level 6. From ground up, I've focused creating a warrior that is wel protected and hard to take down. In combat enemies waist a lot of time trying to hit me and bring me down. So when ever I can, I'll try to position my self between the enemies and my allies. In my party I've a Human Cleric who also can take a beating and a Gnome Wizard (Alchimist) who is most of the time cracked up on speed and keeps on talking until your ears bleed. Are party size is a total of three and where facing encounters build for a part size of 4. Our battles are hard and long, but where having a blast doing it. Any way, like I said I'm close to level 6. I'm planning on staying a pure fighter as much as possible. Level 6 allows me to pick up two feats, I was planning on taking Fast Healing and Power Attack. Fast Healing will allow me to heal more or less constantly and replace a lot of my lost hit points and don't have to trouble the healer all the time nor consume healing postions to keep my health near max. Currently, by the end of the day, the cleric has cast almost every spell he could and healing potions I will only use when in dire need of hitpoints. Power attack, so I can take cleave later on. But I'm having doubts that I might be better off with some thing els, so I'm posting here and have other talking me out of it and guide me towards an other better feat choice. Stats: Str 14, Dex 13, Con 20, Int 13, Wis 10 and Cha 7 57 Hit points, AC 24 (base 10, shield 3, armor 10 Dex 1) Attacks: Dwarven Waraxe: Attack 9, 1d10+5 Feats: Axe Focus, Heavy Armor Optimalization, Improved Thoughness, Shield Specialization, Weapon Specialization (Dwarven Axe)
#2 wwad_dup May 04, 2008 8:11:48	Get the required feats for Dwarven Defender. Better saves, better AC, great class abilities, better HP, same BAB--you really can't say no.
#3 argaud May 04, 2008 9:05:02	Combat Reflexes and Power Attack, because they are among the best feats ever. Ask the DM if you can retrain Improved Toughness into Improved Initiative, going first is very important if you can intercept enemies, and you already have a huge amount of hp. As soon as possible get an Animated Shield and wield the axe two-handed. Or even better, retrain your feats to have specialization in a two-handed weapon with reach. And try to be large all the time. Use potions or the belt from the Magic Item Compendium (it is really cheap). In a few levels you will be facing a majority of foes that can fly, or teleport, or have considerable reach (sometimes all the three at the same time) so plan accordingly. Fortunately, by then your teammates won't be needing much protection, but you need to be able to pull your weight in a fight. If your alignment allows, pick a level of barbarian (and the Extra Rage feat). If ToB is used, pick a level or two of warblade. You can even do both, since fighter is your favored class.
#4 Xeraph May 04, 2008 9:21:37	Hello Wild Cat See if you can redo that last level, Fighter beyond level 4 is really redundant. I know it might not fit the flavor really well, but see if you could enter Ranger, to get ahold of the right skills and Endurance, so you can enter this Deepwarden: http://wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ex/20040807a&page=4 If this is not your style, you should atleast get ahold of Steadfast Determination from Players Handbook 2, to bump your Will save. Trust me, this is soooo worth while. Exotic Weapon Master will add damage if you dip it for the Uncanny Blow ability. You almost fulfill the prerequisites, so you might aswell. I would suggest a myriad of broken prestige classes, but lets face it, Frezied Berserker and so isnt practical. But what about Kensai? It is strong prestige class throughout your 10 levels, it has great flavor that fits well with dwaven pride and honor, and your great constitution adds to its concentration based abilities. http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=934172 Also, adding Tome of Battle or Expanded Psionics Handbook would greatly increases your tanking options. But since it isn't given, I won't go into deatils with that. Redo character build: 1 - Ranger (strong arm variant) 1 Improved Thoughness 2 - Ranger (strong arm variant) 2 Power Attack 3 - Ranger (strong arm variant) 3 Endurance, Steadfast Determination 4 - Fighter 1 Weapon Focus Dwarven Waraxe 5 - Fighter 2 Cleave 6 - Deepwarden 1 Track, Combat Expertise 7 - Deepwarden 2 8 - Exotic Weapon Master 1 Uncanny Blow 9 - Kensai 1 Great Cleave 10 - Exotic Weapon Master 2 Improved Trip, Trip Attack 11 - Kensai 2 12 - Kensai 3 Feat 13 - Kensai 4 14 - Kensai 5 15 - Kensai 6 Feat 16 - Kensai 7 17 - Kensai 8 18 - Kensai 9 Feat 19 - Kensai 10 20 - Something From where you are now build: 1 - Fighter 1 Weapon Focus Dwarven Waraxe, Heavy Armor Optimalization 2 - Fighter 2 Shield Specialization 3 - Fighter 3 Improved Thoughness 4 - Fighter 4 Weapon Specialization Focus Dwarven Waraxe 5 - Fighter 5 6 - Fighter 6 Combat Expertise, Improved Trip 7 - Exotic Weapon Master 1 Uncanny Blow 8 - Exotic Weapon Master 1 Trip Attack 9 - Kensai 1 Power Attack 10 - And so on, and so forth...
#5 wild_cat May 04, 2008 14:45:18	Get the required feats for Dwarven Defender. Better saves, better AC, great class abilities, better HP, same BAB--you really can't say no. I've considered the Dwarven defender before, but I move around constantly. And this Defensive Stance removes mobility to a certain point, if I read every thing correctly. Combat Reflexes and Power Attack, because they are among the best feats ever. Ask the DM if you can retrain Improved Toughness into Improved Initiative, going first is very important if you can intercept enemies, and you already have a huge amount of hp. Could you be a bit more detailed, why you consider Power Attack & Combat Reflexes to be one of the best feats? I've no option retain my feats so, I'm stuck with what I got. Hello Wild Cat See if you can redo that last level... What I am now, can't be undone. Unless I find a wish spell of some sort, but I doubt I will be that lucky. Whats this Exotic Weapon Master/Kensai Class/Prestege class? Or at least in what book can I find them in.
#6 22_Over_7 May 04, 2008 15:54:43	Its kinda late in the game to take Cleave since you won't likely be dropping enemies often (unless your DM likes throwing mobs at you), but Power Attack is still probably your best choice.
#7 Oha May 04, 2008 15:56:37	Kensai and EWM are both in Complete Warrior.
#8 smudgyhandsman May 04, 2008 16:01:02	Seeing as you've taken shield specialization, another good feat to take would be Shield Ward. Gives you a huge bonus to your touch AC as well as defense against tripping, bull rushing, etc...
#9 eldariel May 04, 2008 16:34:36	Important data lacking is the books available. Tome of Battle, Complete Warrior, Player's Handbook II and Dungeonscape would all be exceedingly helpful for a Fighter given availability, but not knowing which books you can use, making suggestions is nigh' impossible.
#10 wild_cat May 05, 2008 9:43:14	Its kinda late in the game to take Cleave since you won't likely be dropping enemies often (unless your DM likes throwing mobs at you), but Power Attack is still probably your best choice. Where facing all kinds of encounters. But my DM, is found of mixing big creatures with lesser ones. The big ones I might not take down with a single blow, but the lesser ones I can with 1 or 2 hits. And because my DM likes to make use of grapple alot, I prefer to kill the lesser ones a bit faster before I focus on the bigger ones. Kensai and EWM are both in Complete Warrior. Thanks, I'll have a look. Seeing as you've taken shield specialization, another good feat to take would be Shield Ward. Gives you a huge bonus to your touch AC as well as defense against tripping, bull rushing, etc... I've seen it, in one of my books. Will have an other look at it. Important data lacking is the books available. Tome of Battle, Complete Warrior, Player's Handbook II and Dungeonscape would all be exceedingly helpful for a Fighter given availability, but not knowing which books you can use, making suggestions is nigh' impossible. Valid point, I'll update my signature soon and add my book collection to it.