I showed that that fight doesn't challenge the most basic of fighters - they can't even get the fighter to half health, even when given the most optimal circumstances.
"I've used all my resources and am almost at 50% hp" isn't a challenge to you? What would be a challenge then? Dying?
Why should that fight have stopped being a serious challenge ten levels ago? 10 CR2 opponents is a tough fight!
For a level 20 group? Then what is 10 CR 5's? Death? Can then even possibly take on 10 CR 10's?
In fact, according to the DMG that fight has a rating of "deadly" for a single level 20 character.
Interesting fact. Wanna bet that evocation wizard I made to deal with the Sphinx can handle it much easier?
And "sudden panic"? Actually doing the math, while giving your scenario every advantage, indicates "sudden panic"? Hate to break it to you, but your math was obviously wrong, I just spelled it out. No, the fighter doesn't die, as you alleged, they easily triumph. It isn't close.
You didn't do actual math, you started changing things. You demanded they use resources, you demanded they have a higher con, you wanted them to have feats. Sure, all reasonable things, but it was because without those things, it was obvious what was going to happen.
Also, "need" to take a sub-class? Taking a sub-class is mandatory - every level 20 character has a sub-class. But to give your scenario the benefit of the doubt I chose the most basic sub-class. As noted. Also, I didn't have them take toughness or raise their con past 16, even though a level 20 tanky fighter would probably do both those things. But no, I made the fighter about as bad as I could, just to give your scenario the best chance possible. And left them standing in the centre of the room (though I knew it wouldn't make a difference).
yes, taking a subclass is mandatory. But which subclass isn't. I don't know why people keep thinking that not having a subclass ability used in a fight suddenly means I'm breaking the rules. You chose the weakest one? Why not the Banneret which has zero abilities that could activate in that scenario? Or the Cavalier who only has a random AC increasing ability that would activate?
And again. All uses of Action surge. All uses of Second Wind. And 50% of their hp. Not what I would call an "easy" victory.
But yeah, they used second wind and action surge, because those are a basic part of the fighter package. However, even without those, the fighter sill wins and is not in danger - it just takes two more rounds and they finish with 56 HP instead of 94 HP (unless they are smart and toy with that last orog for a bit to let themselves heal back up to 92 HP, but I think we've established that this fighter is an idiot). And what is the point of this hypothesis, again - are we comparing how different classes do against trash mobs while not using core class features? Okay, so should we compare to a paladin who refuses to do smites and a druid who doesn't shapeshift?
The point was that it was claimed that fighter's don't even struggle to handle "trash mobs", never. Not even once. Being at 56 hp is losing 67% of their health. Again, in what world is that not a struggle? Remember, I was assuming that the fighter never missed a single attack, in 40 attacks they never rolled less than a 7. Does that sound realistic to you?
A paladin will be in much the same situation with or without spells and smiting. The druid without shapeshift though? They are likely fine. They may struggle, as Druid's have a hard time with direct damage spells, but they do have many options.
Does it? Your point was that they couldn't do it.
No, my point was that they couldn't do it
without a struggle
But no - that fighter easily tanked a deadly encounter by themselves, even though they have minimal gear, a lousy build, and zero tactical sense.
Minimal gear? Do you think that there is some gear you could give them that would let them get through that fight with more than 70% of their hit points?
So what is your argument - that that isn't good enough? Now you are shifting goalposts, to argue that (apparently) it should have been even easier for them than it actually is. They shouldn't even have to take a short rest after single-handled stomping a platoon of orogs! (I mean, if played with any sense this guy wouldn't actually need a rest, but, again, we seem to be assuming this is the worst fighter in the world...and he still easily wins).
Edit: and, again, this is a crappy level 20 fighter. Imagine what a normally built and geared fighter does in that scenario, if the crappy fighter handles it no problem.
What world do you live in that 50% down on hp and with no abilities left, the fighter won't even need to rest? Seriously, you are acting like being half dead from a single fight against low level enemies isn't a big deal. Yes, it shouldn't be that CR 2 enemies nearly killed my level 20 character, even if they are crappily built.
Like, I'm honestly flabberghasted. What state do you expect a PC to be in after a hard fight? 3 hp and a lingering curse of death on their bloodline?