Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 winrod Aug 04, 2009 14:58:16	Hello all, I am working on a low level melee for a 3.5 campaign. All books except psionics are legal. I am looking for feat progression and effectiveness as I level up. The campaign will likely end in the mid teens. Race is limited to no LA. Currently planning on half orc or mountain orc. Current rolls for stats are 18 18 16 16 12 12 I am going to be the main tank for the group but I am wanting a high damage 2h build. I was leaning towards warblade but, I am open to other options. Please list build and why feats are taken to optimize damage output. The rest of the group consists of a druid, cleric, rogue and one unknown. Just to reiterate I am looking for a high damage build. I prefer 2h for the flavor. Thanks in advance.
#2 dandu Aug 04, 2009 15:18:40	Power Attack, Improved Bull Rush, Shock Trooper, Leap Attack, Improved Sunder, Combat Brute, Battle Jump for charging damage. Pick up Combat Reflexes and Stand Still for some control. Endurance + Steadfast Determination for Con to will saves. The Barbarian's Spirit Lion Totem variant from the Complete Champion gives you Pounce at first level for the Barbarian speed bonus. The Unearthed Arcana's Wolf Totem Barbarian takes away trap sense at level 2 for Improved Trip. Synergises well with Knock Down, which allows you a free trip attempt whenever you deal 10 or more damage to an enemy. Improved Trip gives you a free attack every time you trip someone. Ranger1/Barbarian2/Ranger2/Fighter10 gets you 6 feats 6 Fighter bonus feats Improved Trip Pounce Two Weapon Fighting (Light Armor) so you can TWF with a THW and Armor Spikes Endurance This leaves you free to take all Power Attack, Improved Bull Rush, Shock Trooper, Leap Attack, Improved Sunder, Combat Brute, Battle Jump, Knock Down, Combat Reflexes, Stand Still, and Steadfast Determination by level 15.
#3 winrod Aug 04, 2009 15:29:10	what do you mean by 'Two Weapon Fighting (Light Armor) so you can TWF with a THW and Armor Spikes' ? Would it be more advantagous to take warblade and use maneuvers and stances to get extra damage? or are the larger number of feats from fighter and barb more useful?
#4 dandu Aug 04, 2009 15:33:53	Well, you can Two Weapon Fight while holding a Two Handed Weapon in your main hand and using Armor Spikes as an offhand weapon. If you don't want to do this, we can have you be this charging monster by level 12. We can go level 10 if you don't want Improved Sunder + Combat Brute The feats from Fighter are useful if you want to get certain feat chains like the charging feat chain, and the bonus feats/abilities from barbarian are good because you don't have to afford the prerequisites for them. Oh, and I forgot Knockdown, which lets you make a free trip attempt every time you hit someone. Synergises well with Improved Trip, which gives you a free attack every time you trip someone. You can get so much extra damage off of charging that Warblade manuvers aren't necessary for damage*, though I think after a certain point, you stop needing the feats from the fighter and should focus on Warblade. Gotta watch that multiclassing XP penalty though I don't think 5 levels of Warblade is going to cause you too many problems. * You make a full round action's worth of attacks on a charge. Leap Attack allows you to double the damage you do on a normal Power Attack, so you've got either a 1:3 or 1:4 ratio depending on how you interpret it. Battle Jump allows you to jump above an enemy and allows you to deal double damage. Congradulations, you now Power Attack on a jumping charge for either a 1:6 or 1:8 damage ratio. Combat Brute allows you to use Momentum Swing the round after you charge. Momentum Swing Show Momentum Swing: To use this maneuver, you must charge a foe in the first round, and you must make an attack using your Power Attack feat in the second round. The penalty you take on your attack roll must be -5 or worse. Your attacks during the second round gain a bonus equal to your attack roll penalty x 1-1/2, or x3 if you're using a two-handed weapon or a one-handed weapon wielded in two hands. For instance, if you choose to take a -6 penalty on your attack roll, you can deal an extra 9 points of damage, or an extra 18 points if you're using a two-handed weapon or a one-handed weapon wielded in two hands.
#5 winrod Aug 04, 2009 16:22:50	Battle jump says you have to jump 10ft for a medium opponent. Does that mean I need to make a 10ft vertical leap (DC 40) (4xvertical distance) in order to make the battle jump attempt? or am i over complicating things? regardless of that, let me make sure I have this right. At level 8 with a +8 BaB I use Leap attack in conjunction with battle jump and power attack. With power attack I take a -8 to hit with a 2h weapon making my bonus to damage 16 then leap attack doubles that to 32 and battle jump doubles that to 64? I would get +2 to atk for it being a charge but lose my entire BaB since i used it to increase damage. but i have to make a jump check to get the 10ft vertical for a med creature?
#6 dandu Aug 04, 2009 18:11:57	Don't forget you assign the AB penalty to your AC if you take Shock Trooper. You'd have to make a jump check, but jump is a class skill for all your classes, and you're going to be a very strength oriented character. Buy a Ring of Jumping or Boots of Speed if you feel the need for a higher jump.
#7 jmacc Aug 04, 2009 18:13:25	Would that chain still work if he used a heavier armor? Like banded mail or something? Or do you basically have to be a barbarian to really use it efficiently?
#8 dandu Aug 04, 2009 18:15:40	It would work in heavier armor, but you'd lose Pounce and your ability to TWF iirc.
#9 tethlis Aug 04, 2009 18:19:45	To renforce what Dandu has stated, a Pouncing / Headlong Charge / Battle Jump / Leap Attack / Power Attack / Shocktrooper / Knockdown / Improved trip charge with a valorous reach weapon will deal more damage on average then your foes have HP.
#10 jmacc Aug 04, 2009 19:36:10	Would taking a level in Scout be beneficial ? I know your already doing a LOT of damage but if your going to be running at least 10' wouldn't and extra 1d6 be nice to have?
#11 Endarire Aug 04, 2009 19:37:48	Hood.
#12 tethlis Aug 04, 2009 19:39:48	For skills it might be worth it, but usually an average increase of 3dmg isn't worth an entire class level.