Dragonborn Fighter looking for Tips and Tricks

[Baumi]

We created a small crew of Mercenaries (1 Fighter, 1 Rogue, 1 Archer-Ranger, 1 Wizard and 1 Ranged-Cleric) and playtestet it but without real ropleplaying since the real campaign starts next week. I play the Dragonborn Fighter.

Now I am looking for two things:

1) How to best use the Fighter Marking and OA Features
Marking worked quite fine, even though I often forgot to use my bonus attack, but the theoretically awesome OA Features never came up (move stopping, Wis-Bonus). So are there any Fighters out there who can help me to maximize their benefit?

2) Any interesting Tips for Roleplaying a Dragonborn?
It's obvious that they are obsessed with honor and Fighting (Dragon-Klingons? ) but I want to add some small unusual details/habbits that really seperates them from humans....

 

[greyscale1]

Ecology of the Dragonborn is coming out this month - woo.

I would try to cultivate a guttural voice or something similar. Perhaps you speak very harshly to the party, but is very protective, like a gruff father who expects a lot.

As for marking and being a good fighter, sure it means protecting your party, but that basically just means stopping and soaking major damage dealers. It doesn't have to mean being a literal wall between enemies and them. In that respect, fighters are best at shutting down big single threats like elites or solos, however, in a fight with tons of little guys, especially minions, you will be at your least effective as a wall. My recommendation: in these fights it is your job to charge the rear and harry the artillery and leaders. Ranged opponents get locked down super easy no matter their move abilities (except teleport *shakes fist*) and by killing artillery and leaders you soak quite a bit of damage and status impairments from the party, despite not really keeping them directly protected.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

We created a small crew of Mercenaries (1 Fighter, 1 Rogue, 1 Archer-Ranger, 1 Wizard and 1 Ranged-Cleric) and playtestet it but without real ropleplaying since the real campaign starts next week. I play the Dragonborn Fighter.

Now I am looking for two things:

1) How to best use the Fighter Marking and OA Features
Marking worked quite fine, even though I often forgot to use my bonus attack, but the theoretically awesome OA Features never came up (move stopping, Wis-Bonus). So are there any Fighters out there who can help me to maximize their benefit?

If you don't forget your abilities and still don't come up often, you might be doing something right - the opponents fear your abilities so much that they avoid it.
Be sure to keep in the thick of things.

2) Any interesting Tips for Roleplaying a Dragonborn?
It's obvious that they are obsessed with honor and Fighting (Dragon-Klingons? ) but I want to add some small unusual details/habbits that really seperates them from humans....

Maybe think about unique aspects of Dragon personality - a strong belief in superiority and individuality, a knack for manipulation of "lesser" people, patience or Greed. Maybe your character likes to hoard his wealth or spends money on luxury items and art? Maybe he's stingy with his money?

 

[ProfessorCirno]

You'd probably get better responses on the 4e mechanics forum, to be honest.

 

[lior_shapira]

I'm playing the pre-gen Dragonborn paladin from KoTS. We started playing before 4e came out and I had very little information on the Dragonborn. I play him as a proud holy warrior of Coaxoch, god of the Dragonborn. In my concept Dragonborn are a very closed society who don't mingle too well with the warm blooded races. They are a very spiritual people, seeking Nochtli (enlightment) wherever they can.
I also play Dragonborn as a sexless race who pro-create by laying eggs in other creatures (like a cuckoo bird), but that's another story

 

[Cirex]

About roleplaying a Dragonborn, a very specifical character comes to my mind. Wrex from Mass Effect (X360 and PC game by Bioware). At first glance, he appears to be the typical stupid brutish mercenary type, but with time, you discover he's very clever, honourable, loyal and fierce.

Which kind of breath type did you pick? That could help you too. Maybe it's fire? Like the old good (bad) red dragons. You like to be feared and even if you feel honourable, you know that greed is your main motivator.

 

[Bagpuss]

Probably want to keep an eye out for the Ecology of the Dragonborn in next months Dragon.

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/drtoc/365

 

[DeusExMachina]

I'm making a Dragonborn Cleric of Kord/ranger, with too much of a temper problem to start leading the clan he was supposed to from birth.
So a higher up in the religious order has send him on a quest to learn something about the world, find his destiny and all that jazz, so he can become a good leader.
He'll be an honorable fighter, but with the tendency to overreact to personal insults and such. So he often wants to fight, but must learn to keep himself in check every onc ein a while. A little inner conflict always does well for me...

Furthermore he's going to be dualwielding two obsidian sickles. The unusual material and weapons I selected to make them stand apart from the standard metal weapon choices, giving him a little exotic touch. All I need to do is find some cool monster he can have killed and make some hide armor out of. Maybe a polar bear...

 

[AtomicPope]

We created a small crew of Mercenaries (1 Fighter, 1 Rogue, 1 Archer-Ranger, 1 Wizard and 1 Ranged-Cleric) and playtestet it but without real ropleplaying since the real campaign starts next week. I play the Dragonborn Fighter.

Now I am looking for two things:

1) How to best use the Fighter Marking and OA Features
Marking worked quite fine, even though I often forgot to use my bonus attack, but the theoretically awesome OA Features never came up (move stopping, Wis-Bonus). So are there any Fighters out there who can help me to maximize their benefit?

If you go "sword and board" then you'll probably want to use a Long Sword. The heavy blade option (Long Sword or Bastard Sword) for Fighters is best when you're talking pure defender. There are several feats that improve Attacks of Opportunity with a Hvy Blade (such as using At Will powers and untyped bonuses). You'll do slightly less damage with a Hvy Blade than you would with a Battle Axe but you'll be a better defender for it. Since you have two, possibly three, ranged attackers you should consider looking into wielding a hvy blade and building your fighter accordingly.

2) Any interesting Tips for Roleplaying a Dragonborn?
It's obvious that they are obsessed with honor and Fighting (Dragon-Klingons? ) but I want to add some small unusual details/habbits that really seperates them from humans....

I imagine Dragonborn would play like the Scarrans from Farscape (best show ever cancelled). Then again, I enjoy playing halfing wizards like Rygel Scarrans are militant, passionate, and power hungry. What I like about Scarrans as a role-playing model for Dragonborns is they illustrate the necessity for temperance. Dragonborns have within them the blood of dragons. They're capable of performs acts of great honor and compassion (bahamut) but also treachery (tiamat). The dichotomy of power within Dragonborns provides a great foundation for character complexity.

Here's a pic of a Scarran:
http://images.wikia.com/farscape/images/d/dd/Staleek_2.jpg

 

[Baumi]

Wow you guys are quick

I really like some of the roleplaying suggestions. I think greedy and a bit Scarran-Evil would make him interesting (not my usual Roleplayingtraits).

As for Weapons and Breath ... I think I made him a bit unoptimal since my battleaxe is not exactly a defenderish Weapon (but work quite well with my high Con for my Dragonborn-Advantages) use fire for my breath (simply because it's a classic) and I only use a light shield (I really don't like the -2 to my Skills), but I think that's all not a big deal.

What I really don't get I can use my OA Advantages since OA is so seldom in effect. If I would have used the typical heavy blade, it would be even worse since most of the weaponfeats adds in OA's.