Hi all!
Just wanted to start with I am very new to D&D and am still learning the basics and all that jazz. I am making a Thri-Kreen Fighter and am going pretty much strictly damage output. The part where I'm torn is the weapon. I'm trying to choose between a Greatsword and a Carrikal.
Greatsword:
Strength vs. AC 9
Minimum dmg 10
Maximimum dmg 19
Carrikal:
Strength vs. AC 8
Minimum dmg 12 (Brutal 2)
Maximum dmg 17
Is the one point vs AC worth the 2 extra minimum damage? I know rolls are random, but I get terrible rolls on most any game I play. Just curious what some veteran opinions are on this topic. Thanks so much for your time!
-Fuer
Actually there is a lot more to it than the damage on the weapon when looking at what you want. Most builds play with their ability to have certain weapons do certain things for them. The fact that one of them is an axe and one is a sword makes a pretty big difference.
In strict damage here is what you get from the two:
Carrikal
1d8b2 = 1d6+2 ~ 5.5 average damage
Greatsword
1d10 ~ 5.5 average damage
Note that there are a lot of differences in the weapon though. One is two handed, one is one handed. One of them is an axe one is a sword. Those things make a pretty big impact on weapon choice.
Let me give an example:
If you are a level 1 dwarf one of the first feats you should take if you want to deal damage is Dwarven Weapon Training. That will give you profeciency with all axes and hammers and a +2 to damage rolls with those weapons. Of the weapons provided that makes Carrikal much better (as there is no sword version for dwarves). Granted it is still worse than the other options that feat opens up (Mordenkraad and Gouge for 2 handers and Craghammer and Waraxe for 1 handers), but in the above discussion Carrikal pulls ahead.
If you are Githzerai on the other hand you have access to Githzerai Blade Master as a feat which gives you a similar bonus but only to swords. Obviously in this case the points are reversed (although you really should take the Fullblade over the greatsword on that list).
So what are you doing with your fighter? I'll be Johnny 5 for a moment and say "need more input".
17 AC (scale armor)
17 Fort
14 Ref
10 Will
Fuerutar wrote:
Get a gouge. If you want the single best weapon for DPR, get a gouge.
crimsyn wrote:
Fuerutar wrote:
... and rolled stats? Can you chooce where to put em? Because some Wisdom or Charisma (ideally Wisdom) would be a lot better for you in the long run than high Constitution. Not to mention Intelligence does absolutely nothing for you.
baldhermit wrote:
Well, he's apparently a new player Matyr, so I didn't want to pile on with the rolled stats criticism. I think neither of us would even play with a DM that suggested em.
baldhermit wrote:
Fuerutar wrote:
crimsyn wrote:
This is currently what I have with the tweaks to abilities that Matyr suggested. The DM said we could roll them, or do any of the ones the insider allows us to do, I figured I'd roll to see how my numbers were and go from there. Yes we can choose where to put said rolls.
====== Created Using Wizards of the Coast D&D Character Builder ======
Pa'Cha, level 1
Thri-Kreen, Fighter (Slayer)
Wandering Mercenary (Wandering Mercenary Benefit)
Theme: Ironwrought
FINAL ABILITY SCORES
STR 20, CON 13, DEX 19, INT 10, WIS 15, CHA 9
STARTING ABILITY SCORES
STR 18, CON 13, DEX 17, INT 10, WIS 15, CHA 9
AC: 17 Fort: 17 Ref: 14 Will: 12
HP: 28 Surges: 10 Surge Value: 7
TRAINED SKILLS
Athletics +13, Endurance +7, Intimidate +4
UNTRAINED SKILLS
Acrobatics +4, Arcana +0, Bluff –1, Diplomacy –1, Dungeoneering +2, Heal +2, History +0, Insight +2, Nature +4, Perception +2, Religion +0, Stealth +4, Streetwise –1, Thievery +4
POWERS
Basic Attack: Melee Basic Attack
Basic Attack: Ranged Basic Attack
Ironwrought Attack: Inevitable Strike
Thri-Kreen Racial Power: Thri-kreen Claws
Multiple Class Attack: Power Strike
Fighter Utility: Berserker's Charge
Fighter Utility: Mobile Blade
FEATS
Level 1: Weapon Expertise (Flail)
ITEMS
Scale Armor x1
Adventurer's Kit
Flail x1
Hand crossbow
Crossbow Bolt
====== End ======
1) Don't go Weapon Expertise (Flail). If you want to use a flail (I recommend strongly against it. Spears > Lightblades > Hammers > Everything else) use Flail Expertise.
2) For background take Born Under a Bad Sign or Auspicious Birth. That will do much more for your health than Wandering Mercenary's 4 death save benefit.
3) Ranged Weapons. While your dex is only 1 less than your str you probably want to stick with heavy thrown.
4) For Armor, with high dex your armor at level 1 is going to be the same in Hide as it will be in Scale. You also won't take a speed penalty for the hide. At level 4 when you give yourself a bump to dex/str your armor will be better in hide than in scale. In addition your class gets better item enchants from being in hide. So wear hide.
5) Take all my advice with a grain of salt. I'm telling you how to mathematically be the hardest hitting, hardest to kill, pain in the enemy's backside. If you want to do something else that is pefectly fine, just showing the math side of things.
6) Below is an example character and explanaition for why.
====== Created Using Wizards of the Coast D&D Character Builder ======
Pa'Cha, level 1
Thri-Kreen, Fighter (Slayer)
Born Under a Bad Sign (Born Under a Bad Sign Benefit)
Theme: Ironwrought / Fey Beast Tamer
FINAL ABILITY SCORES
STR 20, CON 13, DEX 19, INT 10, WIS 15, CHA 9
STARTING ABILITY SCORES
STR 18, CON 13, DEX 17, INT 10, WIS 15, CHA 9
AC: 17 Fort: 17 Ref: 14 Will: 12
HP: 35 Surges: 10 Surge Value: 8
TRAINED SKILLS
Athletics +12, Endurance +6, Intimidate +4
UNTRAINED SKILLS
Acrobatics +3, Arcana +0, Bluff –1, Diplomacy –1, Dungeoneering +2, Heal +2, History +0, Insight +2, Nature +4, Perception +2, Religion +0, Stealth +3, Streetwise –1, Thievery +3
POWERS
Basic Attack: Melee Basic Attack
Basic Attack: Ranged Basic Attack
Ironwrought Attack: Inevitable Strike
Thri-Kreen Racial Power: Thri-kreen Claws
Multiple Class Attack: Power Strike
Fighter Utility: Berserker's Charge
Fighter Utility: Battle Wrath
FEATS
Level 1: Weapon Proficiency (Gouge) / Two-Handed Weapon Expertise / Surprising Charge
ITEMS
Hide Armor x1
Gouge x1
Longspear
====== End ======
Thanks for all the info! Definitely something to mull over and I greatly appreciate the time you've put into this for me.
Fuerutar wrote:
Would you recommend the displacer beast for the +1 to the defenses while in the aura? Or just the straight +2 dmg from the owlbear. I definitely like the idea of being able to create my own CA with the beast.
Fuerutar wrote:
Current Build
Pa'Cha, level 1
Thri-Kreen, Fighter (Slayer)
Associate: Trained Young Owlbear
Born Under a Bad Sign (Born Under a Bad Sign Benefit)
Theme: Fey Beast Tamer
FINAL ABILITY SCORES
STR 20, CON 13, DEX 19, INT 10, WIS 15, CHA 9
STARTING ABILITY SCORES
STR 18, CON 13, DEX 17, INT 10, WIS 15, CHA 9
AC: 17 Fort: 17 Ref: 14 Will: 12
HP: 35 Surges: 10 Surge Value: 8
TRAINED SKILLS
Athletics +11, Endurance +5, Intimidate +4
UNTRAINED SKILLS
Acrobatics +3, Arcana +0, Bluff –1, Diplomacy –1, Dungeoneering +2, Heal +2, History +0, Insight +2, Nature +4, Perception +2, Religion +0, Stealth +3, Streetwise –1, Thievery +3
POWERS
Basic Attack: Melee Basic Attack
Basic Attack: Ranged Basic Attack
Thri-Kreen Racial Power: Thri-kreen Claws
Multiple Class Attack: Power Strike
Fighter Utility: Berserker's Charge
Fighter Utility: Mobile Blade
FEATS
Level 1: Weapon Proficiency (Gouge)
ITEMS
Adventurer's Kit
Gouge x1
Hide Armor x1
Looks good to me 
. Hope you enjoy it. If you get into it enough to be playing it a long time my wife has some really cool dice for brutal that she uses (1d10 with 1-5 twice on it).
After my first play session, initial thoughts are as follows. Damn this guy is fun to play.
Fuerutar wrote: