Fighter Build help

Ftr17 help

Hrm. Well, I usually don't take more than 8 Levels of Ftr in my builds, but with the right kind of party support (mindblank, (2) gmw, (2) gmv, etc), a Ftr17 can be quite formidable.

Since you have already taken 2 steps down the spring attack route, you may as well finish it. That route results in longer but more strategic combats and shifts some of the damage burden to the casters in the party. Spring attack fighters do well to maximize their damage in the single attack, so two handed power attacking is the way to go. Reach may not seem like such a big issue since you won't usually provoke AOOs from your intended target, but a reach weapon effectively adds 10' (30' if you are enlarged) to your movement since you don't have to go as far to make your strike.

Here is my proposed feat selection. Two of them are old style sword & fist, so they may not be allowed in your game. Alterates are listed in parenthesis.

H Dodge
1 Improved Initiative
F1 Weapon Focus(Longsword)
F2 Mobility
3 Weapon Focus(Guisarme)
F4 Spring Attack
6 Weapon Specialization(Guisarme)
F6 Quickdraw
F8 Power Attack
9 Cleave
F10 Greater Weapon Focus(Guisarme)
12 Combat Reflexes
F12 Combat Expertise
F14 Improved Trip
15 Knockdown (Improved Sunder)
F16 Hold the Line (Improved Disarm)

Major magic items to acquire:

Vest of Resistance +5
Belt of Giant Strength+6
Gloves of Dexterity +6
Amulet of Health +6
Mithril Chain Shirt of Heavy Fortification +1
Ring of Protection +5
Keen, Ghost Touch, Fierce(Arms & Equipment Guide) Adamantine Guisarme +1... sub a burst or bane property or none at all if Fierce is not allowed
Keen Adamantine Longsword +1... add properties as desired, backup weapon
Boots of Speed
Animated Adamantine Large Shield +1... add properties as funds allow, death ward is a good choice

You should end up with F:21 R:16 W:11 for saves, 208hp, +32 Attack Bonus (factoring a GMW at +5) for 2d4+19 19-20 x2 crit, 32AC (factoring 2 gmv) with plenty of room to grow, and a +10 init mod.

Your minimum damage allows you to always make a knockdown check. With spring attack and hold the line, you should be able to stay out of most enemies' reach as well. Look for enlarge person buffs to extend your range, reach, and improve your trip/knockdown checks at the cost of only 2 AC. The guisarme is a great (and often overlooked weapon) that gives 95% of the utility of the spiked chain without the feat expenditure. It is really fun in a Monk4, FtrX build, when you can simply drop the guisarme and go for hand to hand.

Other than a futile exercise, why would anyone take 17 levels of fighter?
Multiclassing is a core mechanic - use it to create the interesting characters your party yearns for.

Straight Fighters' class features ARE boring. Face it, Fighters don't have much to bring to the table, for your friend. Why fight it?
There have been tons of threads on this.

MULTICLASS.

reapersaurus said:

Other than a futile exercise, why would anyone take 17 levels of fighter?
Multiclassing is a core mechanic - use it to create the interesting characters your party yearns for.

Straight Fighters' class features ARE boring. Face it, Fighters don't have much to bring to the table, for your friend. Why fight it?
There have been tons of threads on this.

MULTICLASS.

Click to expand...

Just because there have been tons of threadsdoesn't mean its true. I've got a player in my group that plays fighters almost exclusively. The number of feats you get allows for a customized build that is hard to mirror with any other warrior class.

Then tell him to look for a good Prestige Class. The advantage of Fighter over the otehr full-BAB classes is, they only give up a handful of feats, to go with a Prestige Class.

Fighter/Disciple of Dispater (BoVD)
Fighter/Dragonslayer (Draconomicon)
Fighter/Annointed Knight (BoED)
Fighter/Weaponmaster (S&F)/ Steel Legionnaire (Dragonlance)

...

With a PrC or two, any fighter-based build can be given plenty of "special trick" flavor. And the advantage of aiming for those PrC's with b]fighter[/b] builds is, you only surrender yoru bonus feats,in order to get their special-trick goodness.

reapersaurus said:

Other than a futile exercise, why would anyone take 17 levels of fighter?
Multiclassing is a core mechanic - use it to create the interesting characters your party yearns for.

Straight Fighters' class features ARE boring. Face it, Fighters don't have much to bring to the table, for your friend. Why fight it?
There have been tons of threads on this.

MULTICLASS.

Click to expand...

I disagree with that assertion.

First of all, interesting characters are based around personality, not mechanics. Interesting options for your character to use in game are based on mechanics.

Second of all, with the selection of feats available to a fighter, I think there must be plenty of ways to create interesting mechanical advantages. I _could_ come up with them myself, but I am always bragging how cool the people on EN World are so I thought I would ask around and look for different perspectives.

Pax said:

Then tell him to look for a good Prestige Class. The advantage of Fighter over the otehr full-BAB classes is, they only give up a handful of feats, to go with a Prestige Class.

Fighter/Disciple of Dispater (BoVD)
Fighter/Dragonslayer (Draconomicon)
Fighter/Annointed Knight (BoED)
Fighter/Weaponmaster (S&F)/ Steel Legionnaire (Dragonlance)

...

With a PrC or two, any fighter-based build can be given plenty of "special trick" flavor. And the advantage of aiming for those PrC's with b]fighter[/b] builds is, you only surrender yoru bonus feats,in order to get their special-trick goodness.

Click to expand...

PrC's are nice and all that, but it kind of defeats what I am trying to achieve. If I were to go the PrC route, there are plenty that I would have an interesting time with.

One of the good things about fighters is that you get enugh feats to be really good at two things: melee and missile combat. Generally the other classes have to focus on one or the other.

That means you can be the enlarged spiked chain wielding melee machine when necessary, and still switch over to long distance longbow blaster when you need to.

BSF,

My advice, use the rule for stapling, and improvised weapon fighting. The latter does come from PG: Fighters and Barbarians, but allows you to almost completely imbolize your opponent by taking a piercing weapon and "stapling' their foot/limb to the ground/wall. You take a -4 to use this, BUT you gain a lot. Improvised weaponry, either PG: Fighters and Barbarians OR just use Complete Warrior. Both work for me. Add in some Gladitorial feats, you have one REALLY show and decent fighter. Not sure about other feats but with improved stapling and Improvised Weaponry feat, you have some room to make an impression on your friend.

And if your DM doesn't allow the book that stapling is from, you can get a similar effect from Ranged Pin in Complete Warrior. Between Ranged Pin, Ranged Disarm, and Ranged Sunder, you can make a for a truly funny scene: shooting an arrow through someone's lapel to stick them into the wall, then shooting their sword out of their hands and their belt off of their pants.

If that doesn't shame your enemies to death, nothing will.

Yeah those ranged pinning/sundering are fun. I certainly think either a ranger OR a fighter should take them.