Fighter build advice

[Solandros]

So the party just reached level 4 and I'm caught between three choices I'm hoping to get some advice on.

First of all it's important to clarify the party's composition as it's a little unorthodox: we have a rogue (arcane trickster) bard (knowledge) sorcerer (draconic origin) monk (shadow path) and finally my character, fighter (battle master).

We used point buy and my chars stats are: 16 str, 14 con, 12 dex, 8 int, 8 wis and 16 cha (dragonborn race), AC is 20 (splint mail+shield+defensive fighting style)

My characters role in the party is to soak up the damage and agro (since we have no barbarian). My characters maneuvers reflect this, he has parry, rally and maneuvering strike.
Usually my character will be the only one on the frontlines of a fight, with the rogue and monk doing hit and runs.
I intend to multiclass heavily into paladin after lvl 4, this was not planned when I made the character but is steadily becoming more and more beneficial and fitting for my character rpwise

Keeping this role in mind I'm now having trouble making up my mind regarding the following three options:

1. Take the Heavy Armor Mastery feat for the -3 damage reduction and +1 STR
2. Take the Lucky feat, our table still employes 'critical failures' which can be painful, this feat would allow me to stay off my critical failures and enemy critical hits (considering the 20 AC, and current level, when my char gets hit it's a 20-25% chance it's a crit)
3. Multiclass into paladin already instead of taking a feat. (going all in on paladin at this point would still give me the use of lvl 5 spells, whereas if I take a feat from fighter before going into paladin I'll only have level 4 spells)

Any advice would be more then welcome, feel free to present your own suggestions as well if you have an idea I havn't considered yet!

 

[bid]

The bard should take inspiring leader, you should grab shield master.

Commander's strike would help the rogue land a second SA every round.

Can you wait until level 8 to get extra attack?
Don't sweat the 5th spells, you'll probably get more from fighter 6 feat.


The alternative is to rebuild your character as allowed by Adventurers League. If they can do it, maybe your DM will allow you too. Then you can drop your battlemaster levels and be paladin 4.

 

[Herobizkit]

Is there anything specific from Paladin you want? If you want spell-casting, I'd suggest going some kind of Cleric over Paladin.

That said, I'd also likely just take Heavy Armor Mastery. DR is great if you're the one deliberately taking all the hits, then perhaps Sentinel at 8.

 

[Solandros]

Commander's strike would help the rogue land a second SA every round.

Can you wait until level 8 to get extra attack?

Don't sweat the 5th spells, you'll probably get more from fighter 6 feat.


The alternative is to rebuild your character as allowed by Adventurers League. If they can do it, maybe your DM will allow you too. Then you can drop your battlemaster levels and be paladin 4.

Extra attacks for the rogue wouldn't be that effective, he moves in, attacks and moves back again. So he'd be out of range already, not to mention he's limited to only one sneak attack per turn.
Waiting till level 8 for extra attack would be okay in all honesty, my role isn't to dish out damage but to support the rest while soaking up the agro.

I'm honestly not all that thrilled for lvl 5 spells, I can see the feat being more beneficial for my character.

I'd rather not simply swap my characters class and drop the battlemaster levels, I'm relatively confident my DM would allow it but this is about character progression as much as it is optimalization; my character is only now starting to think about oath of the crown related stuff.

Is there anything specific from Paladin you want? If you want spell-casting, I'd suggest going some kind of Cleric over Paladin.


That said, I'd also likely just take Heavy Armor Mastery. DR is great if you're the one deliberately taking all the hits, then perhaps Sentinel at 8.

Cleric isn't an option due to my character only having 8 wisdom. 13 is required to multiclass into a cleric, though paladin does give some unique abilities I can see my character making use of. As early as lvl 2 paladin I could pick up the dueling fighting style in addition to the +1AC from my fighter fighting style, which would give me a +5 to damage rolls. This effect would be similair to having 20 strength as far as damage goes.

Also, lvl 2 paladin would give my char access to bless, a spell the party currently does not have access to.

At lvl 6 paladin, my char would get his cha mod (+3) on top of all saving throws, meaning a total of +9 at lvl 10 (lvl 4 fighter/lvl 10 pala, +2 con, +4 prof, +3 cha), giving him a very strong concentration saving throw for spells like bless, shield of faith or higher tier spells.

The main reason I'm hesitant about Heavy Armor Mastery is because I'm not sure it'll hold up its usefulness in the later levels; yes a gargantuan dragons claws still count as non magical, but is a 3 damage reduction off of 40 damage really that big a game changer?

 

[mellored]

Extra attacks for the rogue wouldn't be that effective, he moves in, attacks and moves back again. So he'd be out of range already, not to mention he's limited to only one sneak attack per turn.

Commander's strike works fine for ranged attacks. Give him a hand-bow or a few daggers.

Waiting till level 8 for extra attack would be okay in all honesty, my role isn't to dish out damage but to support the rest while soaking up the agro.

Barbarians are better tanks, and paladins are better support.

Battlemaster is pretty front loaded though, and yes, Con saves are a good thing for bless.

The main reason I'm hesitant about Heavy Armor Mastery is because I'm not sure it'll hold up its usefulness in the later levels; yes a gargantuan dragons claws still count as non magical, but is a 3 damage reduction off of 40 damage really that big a game changer?

The ancient red dragon hits for ~20 damage * 3 attacks.

= 15% damage reduction. Not as overpowered as lower levels, but still significant.

 

[bid]

Extra attacks for the rogue wouldn't be that effective, he moves in, attacks and moves back again. So he'd be out of range already, not to mention he's limited to only one sneak attack per turn.

Yeah, if he's not a ranged rogue I can see.

Point of rule though, the rogue can't get a second SA on *his* turn, but *your* turn is a different turn.

 

[Solandros]

Point of rule though, the rogue can't get a second SA on *his* turn, but *your* turn is a different turn.

This is a very good point..I could go for the Heavy Armor Master feat and swap out the parry maneuver with commanders strike (since I'd get damage reduction from the feat), thereby boosting my chars ability as a tank cause he can reduce damage more then four times, and boosting the parties dps at the same time

 

[Grimace59]

I have fighter at lvl 5, and made the same decision about Heavy Armor Master and lvl4 and love it. I would wait until lvl 6 to multiclass. The Extra attack is so good

 

[mellored]

I have fighter at lvl 5, and made the same decision about Heavy Armor Master and lvl4 and love it. I would wait until lvl 6 to multiclass. The Extra attack is so good

It depends on how far your going up in paladin though.

To get to paladin 6, you need to get multi-attack anyways.

 

[Solandros]

I currently intend to switch to paladin entirely, it's why I'm rather reluctant to get lvl 5 fighter because I'd get that anyway from paladin.