Help me build a bada$$ fighter

Something slightly more mainstream..

This is from an idea I had for a high level campaign.
Not sure if this is going to fit but;

Astral Stalker (I think this is from the planar handbook, manual of the planes or MM3)
which is 18 levels worth, then 1 monk and 1 pious templar.

Think of the character as a religious hit-man, with the belief his inner power was granted by his deity, and you'll get the idea.

Fantastic saves (with mettle, and evasion should you buy the ring), reasonable AC (with no direct AC enhancers .e.g bracers, with them it can become obscene), surprisingly mobile (using skills though) and a nice set of attacks-go down the two weapon fighting route, upto improved.
Granted you don't have that many feats to play with but hey so what.

The money you save on buying AC items can be spent on +5 Amulet of Mighty Fists and a couple of +1 Brilliant Energy Kamas, for tin opening. Buy +6 enhancement bonuses for all your stats, if you can afford it. If not concentrate on Charisma, Strength and Constitution.
Should work a treat.

As to how the guy would progress from level 1-that's the DM's job

Gaiden said:

No restrictions - this is an NPC that I'd have in a game of mine. I always plan out all NPC's the full 20 levels so that I can bring them in at any point in the game. Moreover, I distinguish between two types of NPC's - those that are like PC's and those that aren't. This would be like a PC and so would have the same wealth as any other PC for his level. I prefer standard races, so would ignore anything involving half ogres and what not (like the stupid whale creature thing).

EDIT: no disrespect intended DM Matt. Those builds are certainly powerful and if used against my PC's would probably destroy them . But I am more interested in something a little more main stream. The point is not just to be mechanically powerful but integrated into society and for the reputation to precede the NPC. Also, I am more interested in versatility and expanded combat options than pure raw damage - hence the lack of weapon focus, weapon specialization, etc. It seems from your posts that what I should be focusing on mechanically is str and size. If I am limiting myself to medium size creatures (all the standard races are), size may be moot - I am not aware of anything that can increase a size category virtually or physically that is not a spell. For str, there is really just two options - a high score to begin with and rage (not including spells and items). So it really comes down to starting ability score. I suppose the character will have to invest in the +6 str item as soon as possible.

Click to expand...

No offense taken. I would NEVER throw an HH at my PCs. A hogre battlefield controller, yes, an HH no.

A hogre of a similar build, however, is an important and renowned NPC IMC who runs a combat school (a subsidiary of the L17 PC groups mercenary company) that focuses on techniques to capitalize on being bigger and stronger than your opponents. He is quite integrated into society, but then again IMC is highly cosmopolitan and biodiverse and as such unusual races are not looked at that oddly. This guy is essentially a leveled-up and more minmaxed version of that guy.

Just be aware of your guy's trip and grapple checks, since just about all of his versailitity abilities depend on him being able to win those rolls pretty often. IMC we had a well-optimized VoP monk who spcialized in battlefield control and after peaking around L12 he started being a mook-smasher but no match for strongish opponents.

I found it: Pebble Underfoot

Prereq: Int 13+, Expertise, Improved Trip
Benefit: When fighting a creature at least two size categories larger than you, you gain a +4 bonus on opposed checks when you try to trip your opponent. If you fail to trip the creature, it cannot immediately attempt to trip you.

EDIT: Source: Dragon 279

EDIT: I think I would houserule this feat to function like clever wrestling such that a cumultive +2 was gained for every size category above medium. It would have the same effect against huge creatures, but would grant a +2 against large creatures and greater bonuses against even larger foes. Basically, it would cause the feat to function like clever wrestling.

Here is the final version. Opinions welcome.

Monk 3, Exotic Weapon Master 1, Fighter 16

Feats: Weapon Focus: kusari-gama, Combat Expertise, Improved Trip, Dodge, Mobility, Improved Unarmed Strike, Stunning Fist, Spring Attack, Combat Reflexes, Defensive Throw, Deft Opportunist, Hold the Line, Power Attack, Improved Overrun, Expert Tactician (CAd version), Mage Slayer, Close Quarters Combat, Sidestep, Pebble Underfoot, Weapon Specialization: kusari-gama.

The kusari gama allows me to use flurry with the kama end (monk weapon), allows trip attacks with a +2 with the exotic weapon master. I get rid of Hurling Charge and Cleave in favor of increasing attack power with the kusari-gama and taking Pebble Underfoot (useful against larger foes). Ignoring any additional benefits (str, increased size from spells, etc.), the trip bonus will be at +6 base with an additional +2 per size category of the foe. So long as I can maintain a high str (17 base) I will dominate tripping (barring very large and very strong creatures). Fortunately, if face with untrippable foes, I still have a bunch of other options - full attacking with flurry, spring attacking with power attack, or going full expertise in hopes of getting an AoO from grapples, charges, or attacks that would normally provoke AoO's and using Deft Opportunist and Expert Tactician to deliver powerful (+6) counterstrikes. I am unsure about whether defensive strike would be more useful than expert tactician. Taking full defense I am thinking is too limiting because of the lack of movement. I might take it instead of pebble undefoot assuming that larger than medium creatures are pretty much not going to be able to be tripped anyway because of their far superior strengths...What say you?

You interested in OGL sources?

Defensive preparation: allows you to sac your AC bonus from using Expertise to gain immediate actions against an attacker (provided you used a full attack ation earlier). This is actually a pre requisite feat for other skill (sunder the attacking weapon, attack the attacker, etc)

Flexible grip: allows you to switch between using a reach weapon as a double weapon w/o reach. Choose at thye begining of your action.

AVoid Shield (I think this is the name): allows chain weapons to ignore shields.


There is a Kasarigama Master PrC that gives some interesting abilities...

You might want to invest in a Spiked Chain...

Remember, you can not make AoOs with your unarmed strike in the same round you used your Reach weapon in. You can only make AoOs with the same weapon you used to attack with that round.