D&D 5E Please evaluate my fighter build OR: help me fit a square peg in a round hole

[AtG]

Background:

I'm joining a 5e game that's just starting up. I mostly have experience with 4e. The DM has asked people to please "munchkin as little as possible (I'm under no illusions you'll avoid it altogether)". I trust the group to follow this, although it has several mathy compulsive optimizer types (including me).

Creation rules:

• Starting at 2nd level
• Custom setting (some of the other players are familiar with this, it's set several hundred years after their last campaign)
• Races available: Humans, Elves, Gnomes, Half-Elves, Dragonborn, or Tieflings
• No chaotic evil characters
• Noble/Knight backgrounds forbidden
• All characters ought to be either poor or have some sort of criminal past
• Rolled stats (ugh, yeah, I know), replace lowest score with 18

I rolled 17 15 13 12 11 9 (which becomes 18 17 15 13 12 11).

Personal character goals (non-"optimal" constraints I'd like to impose on myself)

• Fighter, no spellcasting
• Human
• Warlordy action-granting/etc. (don't care about healing)
• Functional defender mechanics
• High Int, ability to at least thematically emulate the Str/Int tactician warlord even where I can't do so mechanically
• Ability to use Stealth effectively
• Kind of prefer Str fighter to Dex fighter, but at this point I feel like that's just being difficult

This is what I've put together so far:

Class: Fighter
Race: Human (standard, not variant)
Starting stats: Str 18 Dex 14 Con 16 Int 19 Wis 13 Cha 12
Background: Thief-taker (homebrew variant Criminal I've asked my DM to allow, gets Investigation/Stealth as skills)
Skills: Athletics, Perception
Fighting Style: Dueling (for sword-and-board)
Planned Martial Archetype: Battle Master
Planned Maneuvers: contingent on party makeup, which I don't know yet. Hoping we have a solid rogue so I can take Commander's Strike.
Planned Feats:
4: Sentinel
6: +2 Strength
8: Medium Armor Mastery
12: +2 Dexterity
14: Resilient: Wisdom
16: Observant (+1 Int)
19: ???? Shield Master or +2 to something, probably

I care more about getting myself functional and fun ASAP than about theoretical level-20 power.

The thing that's bothering me about this build is that I spent ages trying to work out this build with Great Weapon Fighting as the style and Polearm Master and Great Weapon Master as feats alongside Sentinel. The PM/Sentinel synergies look neat and both PM and GWM seem like they are huge damage boosts to have to give up, but I couldn't figure out how to get a decent AC with those without wearing heavy armor which kills stealth.

Will I be OK with just Sentinel? Is there anything obvious I've missed?

 

[Herobizkit]

5e has what's called 'bounded accuracy' built in to the math. What this means for you is that AC of both heroes and opponents stays pretty static through your whole career and that the "to hit" of enemies seldom gets super-high. Most players won't get above a 20 AC without magical assistance through their entire careers and can start as high as 18 at level 1.

Stealth really isn't that big a deal. Just wear the heaviest medium armor you can with no Disadvantage, pump your Dex to +3 (the max armor bonus for med armor, I believe?) and have a shield. Done. Your whole career non-magical AC.

If you prefer to use a Polearm, Sentinel is a solid choice for defender-y goodness - especially since you can use a Quarterstaff with it if you like (since you can also wield a staff in one hand)

 

[mellored]

One of the complaints about 5e is that there isn't a good warlord yet. The battlemaster fighter is more like a fighter who takes a few warlord feats. It's kinda there, but in a rather limited fashion, particularly the Int kind.

Taking 1 level of rogue gives you expertise. Which can let you stealth to some degree even without high dex. Though given then 5e numbers, 14 dex and medium armor, and a little luck can let you sneak past many things as well.

 

[AtG]

Turns out the party is an illusion wizard, a healy druid, and a bard. The wizard and the druid are novice players to TTRPG as a whole. So I'm going to drop the enabling plan and just be defendery.

They also are all about my level of competence in Stealth which means I'm happy with my investment and not going to do anything to push it further - the idea was more to not be the plate-armor-clanging-dude who prevents the rest of the party from sneaking around.

Ultimately this means no real change to my build or my planned feat progression (although I'm going to move resilient: wisdom to 8 from 14). Once I can afford a breastplate I'll be at 18 AC. Combined with THP from the bard's Heroism and I feel pretty tanky.

 

[Zaruthustran]

As an alternative, I suggest: Eldritch Knight. This is all predicated on your statements that you want to be stealthy, and want to use polearms.

Here's why:

1. If you want to be stealthy, you probably shouldn't be carrying around a polearm. Sure there's no mechanical rules impact but c'mon. It's a 6-10' pole with a big shiny metal blade. Weapon Bond lets you shunt that stab-stick to another dimension when it's not needed. Since you can bond two weapons, this is also a good place to store your longbow.

2. Mage Armor. You can wear a ninja suit (or a birthday suit!) and have the same AC as if you were wearing a chain shirt. And yes, mechanically a Breastplate is 1 point of AC better. But ask yourself: when you picture a Spanish Conquistador, do you think "that guy sure is stealthy!"? No.

3. Cantrips. Prestidigitation and Minor Illusion are the thief's best friends. Snuff out torches to create darkness. Create whiffs of smoke to draw away guards. Create an instant shrub or tapestry to hide behind when no other cover is available.

Choose Great Weapon Fighter style for this build. The order of your feat chain would be:
1. Polearm Master. Take this first, because the bonus action attack is useful always, while Sentinel is situational.
2. Sentinel.
3. +2 Dex.

Alt build would be to go with Protector style, and use a shield. Still choose Eldritch Knight and convince your DM to allow you to bond your shield. Feat chain would be:
1. Shield Master. This feat is amazing.
2. Magic Initiate (see below).
3. +2 Str or Dex.

Other feats to consider:
1. Martial Adept, to get that Warlord flavor.
2. Magic Initiate. Hex is AMAZING for a character with multiple attacks per round. And don't forget that it also lets you designate one of the target's ability checks to be rolled with disadvantage. Choose Wisdom to aid your party's stealth. Choose Str (or Dex) to assist your push & prone attempts from Shield Master.

 

[pdegan2814]

Other feats to consider:
1. Martial Adept, to get that Warlord flavor. If you take this, take it twice.
2. Magic Initiate. Hex is AMAZING for a character with multiple attacks per round. And don't forget that it also lets you designate one of the target's ability checks to be rolled with disadvantage. Choose Wisdom to aid your party's stealth. Choose Str (or Dex) to assist your push & prone attempts from Shield Master.

Actually, you can't take Martial Adept more than once. So far, I believe the only Feat that you can officially take multiple times is Elemental Adept. Of course, your DM could override that, but it's up to him/her.

 

[994125010]

17 15 13 12 11 9 Variant Human Defender/Fighter

I would go with a Shield and Quarterstaff

18 STR 14 DEX 12 CON 15 INT 11 WIS 9 CHA
OR
18 STR 14 DEX 12 CON 11 INT 15 WIS 9 CHA (If you don't mind being WIS smart instead of INT smart. This will also help with saving throws more)

Wear medium armour for an AC of 14 + 2 + 2 (shield) = 18

1. Take the Polearm Mastery Feat at 1st level (Variant Human)

2. Take the Dueling > Protector > Defensive Fighting Style
Dueling adds that +2 to your bonus action attack and opportunity attacks. Isn't it great that a quarterstaff works
with the polearm master feat? It's like you're wielding a 1d10 weapon (1d6+2) with a shield.

3. Become a Battle Master at 3rd Level
Disarm, Goading, Shove, Distracting are probably your best bet for manoeuvers.
The first three are good defensive ones to protect your party. Distracting helps their attacks
Be aware that your allies will have disadvantage attacking prone enemies so consider that.

4. +2 STR at 4th level
This is +1 damage to attack and bonus action attack and opportunity attack for a total of +3 per
round. It becomes +4 at 5th level compared to not raising it)

5. Take Shield Master at 6th level
Now you have +4 to DEX saves and Evasion-esque reactions as well as 5+prof Athletics
checks to shove

6. Take Martial Adept at 8th level
You now have 25% more dice per short rest and probably all the manoeuvers you want.

After 8th level, unless you really, really, really, like Extra Attack (3), I'd recommend multi-classing into something else.
The 10th level features for Battle Master is more manoeuvers and d10 SD but you already got some manoeuvers at 8th
level and an extra die. 9th level Indomitable is just a poor feature honestly.

Personally, I'd go with Rogue 2 instead of taking those levels. With that you get 1d6 Sneak attack (which can apply to
opportunity attacks as well), Expertise (Athletics so you can really shove when you need to), Cunning Action (for when
you need to Disengage and shove someone off your wizard). At 11th level, I would continue with Rogue since 2d6 SA
is nice compensation for not getting that third attack from Fighter (yes it's less than another 1d6 + 7 but the SA can
be applied to opportunity attacks too).

Alternatively, if you know that you'll be going to 11+ levels with this character, consider going with the Hunter Ranger
after Fighter 8. You'll probably need to play with the array to allow you to multiclass but going this route would be good
too as you get:
1. Another Fighting Style
2. Hunter's Mark (1d6 to your 2-4 attacks each round? yes)
3. Horde Breaker giving you a 4th attack for free OR Colossus Slayer giving you 1d8 damage per turn (it's like SA in
that it works on opportunity attacks.

At 12th level, both of these routes will still let you get Resilient (WIS).

If you went with the Rogue route, at 16th level you could still take Observant for a potential 28 Passive Perception if
you also took Expertise in Perception and used the second Ability Score array I suggested above. (+3 WIS +10 from
Expertise Perception at 16th level, +5 bonus from Observant Feat and base of 10)

 

[Zaruthustran]

Good point. I'll edit the post.

 

[Zaruthustran]

Personally, I'd go with Rogue 2 instead of taking those levels. With that you get 1d6 Sneak attack (which can apply to
opportunity attacks as well),

Sneak Attack only works with finesse or ranged weapons. So alas, does not work with Quarterstaff (or any of the other weapons that work with Polearm Master).

 

[994125010]

Sneak Attack only works with finesse or ranged weapons. So alas, does not work with Quarterstaff (or any of the other weapons that work with Polearm Master).

drat you're right. Vote goes in favour of ranger then. I just really don't like Indomitable lol.