character plan-up. (Fighters. so many feats, what to choose...)

[DanGwancie]

So.. I'm planning a secondary character in case the current one dies(and i feel death coming soon... dunno why). and since we don't really have resurrection sold in stores like you buy bread, (pretty rare actually..) i'm going to plan him out

So, if he dies, i'll need a back up. and i was thinking of a greatsword-oriented fighter, but i've been thinking: " two-handed fighter variant seems very good. and so does Weapon Master, but losing the armor training sounded terrible to me..

i was planning on focusing on greatsword for combat feats, but i'd have a tower shield and a heavy pick alternate set for a more defensive change, if i needed to block a path or something like that.

-can anyone give me a few pointers into what feats i should use for greatsword combat? the shield/pick combination

Also, what is good against touch attacks. our DM likes to screw our high AC that way , xD.

Apreciate any help.
take care!

PS: it's gonna be a DM made Race. Below are the stats:

[h=3]Charr as playable characters[/h]

• +2 Str, +2 Wis, -2 Cha (Males-only): Male charr have strong muscles and keen senses, but are not the best diplomats.
• +2 Dex, +2 Wis, -2 Cha (Females-only): Female charr are nimble and have keen senses, but are not the best diplomats.
• Medium: Charr are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
• Normal Speed: Charr have a base speed of 30 ft.
• Battle-Hardened: Charr gain a +1 bonus to CMD.
• Stalker: Perception and Stealth are always class skills for charr.
• Bite: Charr gain a natural bite attack, dealing 1d3 damage.
• Claws: Charr receive two claw attacks. These claws are primary attacks that deal 1d4 points of damage.
• Darkvision: Charr can see in the dark up to 60 feet.
• Languages: Charr begin play speaking Common and Charr. Charr with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: Draconic, Dwarven, Giant, Gnoll, and Goblin.

By the way, i'll begin play at lvl 8.

with the associated gold according to that level. 30k ish gold

 

[Daniel Runge]

Reading the fluff on the Charr, I thought: "Ok, so you might not be a diplomat, but with strong muscles and keen senses, you could very well be the diplomat's bodyguard?"

I would say both male and female could work, but with a tendency to male for 2-handed focus and a lean towards female for the sword-and-board style.

Feats to consider:
Combat Reflexes - Bodyguard - In harm's way
Shield Focus - Covering Defense
Step Up - Following Step - Step Up and Strike
Swap Places (Teamwork feat - 1 or more of your teammates need to take this as well if you do)
Alertness

Feats too good not to take:
Power Attack

While I was initially against the idea of using intimidate to pacify opponents, the feat: "Fearsome Barricade" works relatively well with Bodyguard. this would have to be coupled with intimiating prowess, otherwise you'd suck at it ^^, and even then, you're not amazing - This is simply an option if you feel this would be a character fitting way to handle combat situations.
Essentially, there are 2 ways for a bodyguard to handle this:
#1 Pacify the opponents by killing them or using force to reduce their threat level to 0
#2 Make the opponents not want to fight

So I'm curious - Why a Heavy Pick as your weapon of choice? It has a high crit damage modifier, but it's reeally difficult to put a focus on that, even more so if it's not even your main style of fighting.
Personally I would probably go with a flail, or a weapon in the blade group, and then proceed to take Stand Still, Steady Engagement, and either Improved Disarm / Improved Trip depending on what I felt fit the best.

Seeing as your DM uses home-brew races, you might also be allowed to use archetypes from other races. Specifically I'm thinking about the Dirty Fighter Archetype of the Orc, combining it with the feat Dirty Trick Master. This way you could gain some battlefield control, even while using a pick Perhaps follow it up with the Low Templar prestige class.
You could also consider the Tactitian archetype, and then get some intelligence. If you do this, I think you should consider a sort of strange build, going for the Student of War prestige class, and making it a high intelligence build.

Skills:
Sense motive & Perception would be the 2 default ones for an insightful bodyguard. You would keep an eye out, and if you sense danger, you can prepare for it.
Intimidate if you go that route. If you only have 2 skill points, swap perception out for this.

Other fitting skills:
Appraise - Can tell if you're being swindled in a trade
Bluff - If confronted, hide just how much you know
Profession (Bodyguard/Mercenary) - This is what you do, might as well attempt to make some money off of it
Sleight of Hand - Drawing your weapon without being seen (Most likely your DM will make it a bit difficult to draw anything but a light weapon this way though)

Traits:
Suspicious - You need a trait that makes Sense Motive a class skill for you. Or multiclassing.
/ Survivor - Same as above, but gives a bonus to initiative as well. A bit more min-maxy, but in the end it depends on what kind of character you envision yourself playing
Looking for Work - You need a trait that makes Perception a class skill for you. Or multiclassing.
/ Conspiracy Hunter - Same as above

Trait are essentially just small bonuses that define your character, and therefore it is not unlikely you could talk to your DM and ask if you could collaborate to create your own trait. an example:
Hawk-eyed - You have keener eyes than most of your station. Perception and Sense Motive become class skills for you. If either of them already are, gain a +1 trait bonus to that skill.

Hope this helped you a little

 

[DanGwancie]

So I'm curious - Why a Heavy Pick as your weapon of choice? It has a high crit damage modifier, but it's reeally difficult to put a focus on that, even more so if it's not even your main style of fighting.
Personally I would probably go with a flail, or a weapon in the blade group, and then proceed to take Stand Still, Steady Engagement, and either Improved Disarm / Improved Trip depending on what I felt fit the best.

You did! gave me new ideas to think about. waiting for a few more, before i decide his/her fate.
I chose a heavy pick, due to race flavour. they are an industrious race, and the pick represents their steel, which is a secret "recipe". i also though of a bladed one-handed weapon, but i ended up chosing pick really just for that reason.

also. the pick and tower shield are not going to be the main set of "weapons". the greatsword is where the feats sre supposed to go.. if you get my meaning .

 

[Daniel Runge]

I can relate to using picks for flavor

I had a player in one of my games once playing a kobold cleric, who was wielding a pickaxe, and he got another player hooked on using the feat "Butterfly's sting" to try to abuse the x4 modifier of said weapon. Not optimal, but it worked fine enough, so fine that they became known collectively for an aphorism closely related to "Fly like a butterfly, sting like a bee", and because he had fluffed his character to look and act like a western anthropomorphic death (Pickaxe instead of scythe, but the rest fit rather well) they got related to death as well, sometimes even mistaken for him ^^

So I like it ^^

If picks and pickaxes are so important to the race, perhaps create some sort of bond between your character and his pick? Afterall, there must be a reason besides sentimentalality that he believes the pick is superior, or the pick might be superior because he believes so?

Example of flavor fitting, home-brewn, magic weapon:

The Trueshatterer

DESCRIPTION
The wielder of this +x Heavy Pick is treated as having the Improved Sunder feat against any equpiment made of steel or stone, and ignores the first 5 damage reduction or hardness when using this weapon to strike those materials. Additionally, twice each day as a free action, the wielder of the Trueshatterer can gain the effects of True strike (Like the spell). While under the effect of True strike, the Trueshatterer ignores up to 8 points of damage reduction or hardness when striking steel or stone.

CONSTRUCTION REQUIREMENTS
Craft Magic Arms and Armor, Improved Sunder, Power Attack, Shatter, True strike; Cost (Up to your DM and the enchantment bonus)

*Edit*
Alternative to the traits I suggested in my previous post, you could talk to your DM abouve "Backgrounds and Occupations" - A variant 3rd party rule of Pathfinder, essentially packages of variation to class skills, and some with bonus feats.
you can find them at the d20pfsrd. I would suggest either: Gladiator, Guardian, or Servant

The Feat Uncanny Alertness might also be worthwhile
*Edit over*

 

[Evilhalfling]

two handed fighter archtype - it looks better than weaponmaster
you still lose armor training for more damage, on both single attacks and secondary hits.


Feats:
vital strike when you can't make a full attack
power strike, weapon focus, specialization and greater focus = default for lvl 8 fighter.
Iron Will, improved initiative

improved crit when you can get it.