Please help review my firsrt character build

[DwarvenMongoose]

I know a polearm build could have been nice, but that is what I played in our last 3.5 game(human fighter/priest halberdier, with lot of mobility feats and spells, reach, and trip attacks), and I wanted some change.

So I tried to give him a lot of push/pull powers, and the ability not to be moved or passed by easily. I see him more as a linebacker - if a striker gets to my striker or mage, I want to be able to push him away or pull it to me and I want for him not be able to get away easily (knoking him prone, stopping his movement, killing him quickly with a triple blow.)

I also need to be resistant, because we don't have any leader - that is why I chose a thought dwarf - I need to be able to sustain a lot of dammage from strikers, as I will mostly be facing quick skirmishers aiming for the backline. As for mobility, the damned archer and mage are better stay behind me - if they move away, they are acting stupid and responsible for their own death - I'll warn them to never be more that 5 squares apart from one another and from me... and if they don't listen, what can you do?

But again, maybe I am totaly wrong and this is impossible to pull out with my current build?

 

[DwarvenMongoose]

Sorry, double post...

 

[Herschel]

Another way to go might be to play a strength/battle cleric. You can build to bash, still have the healing and multiclass for some fun tricks. That would play in to teh Dwarf's Wis/Con bumps a bit more too.

 

[Samir]

I'm only somewhat familiar with Fighter builds since I've never played one myself, but it looks good so far.

Something I'd highly recommend is to check out Lordduskblade's Fighter Handbook. It's a huge help when trying to decide between certain options.

 

[jbear]

This is actually not a bad suggestion, ideally maybe even a hybrid str cleric/fighter so you could still be quite sticky with your marking ... but that option is out unfortunately as you aren't doing PHB3.

Also the kind of defender you wish to play would fit fantastically with how a shielding swordmage plays... but that is FR book so also scratched.

You definitely want to stagger WIS and CON bumps and always pump STR... you won't defend much if you can't hit anything. Dwarven Weapon Training opens up proficiency with all Axes and Hammers, including superior ones. Unfortunately I believe the war axe and other relevant superior weapons are from AV (1 handed versatile axe that deals 1d10 dmg)... so not really worth mentioning either.

Lets not even get into how durable you'd become as a Battlerager, because martial power is not elegible either....

Hmmm, lets see if I can come up with any useful suggestions given the restrictions...
Ok, how about this: How about multiclassing into Avenger instead of Barbarian. You could take a Background (say Forest...) that lets you train Perception which seems to be important to you (and rightly so). Being Avenger would allow you to roll 2d20s on all your attacks against the cad who slipped through the first line of defence for two rounds ... taking your accuracy through the roof. Especially when you need to hit with you big Comeback Strike... yeah training Religion is crappy especially as INT is an obvious dump stat ... but something to consider. Missing really sucks! Missing and then rolling again and hitting is awesome!

With the play style you describe you are unlikely to make much use of Spinning Blow, which is best when you are in the thick of battle, surrounded. Crushing Blow is an option instead, over twice the damage to a single target.

Also if your not rushing into the front line of battle why wpuld you need Battle Awareness? If you have a low Initiative you can sit back and see where your efforts are most needed (as you kind of described yourself this way). Unbreakable is per encounter and effectively gives you 8 hp more, more than you get from the durable feat.

Anyway, they are only minor suggestions. I would post you some alternative builds but I find it somewhat soul crushingly frustrating being limited to only two source books... especially as there are so many awesome options out there for a fighter.
I'm sure your fighter will be fine, although you'd probably serve your team better ensuring they never reached your back line by standing in the middle of things and making sure your enemies stay there with you. Your rogue will appreciate it I'm sure!

Good luck and I hope you have a blast!

 

[DwarvenMongoose]

Thanks a lot all for your comments - This forum is really friendly!

Lets say I don't like to play religious character for fluff reasons. I already have a good background story, and would like to stick to fighter. So, no avenger, nor priest. I know I could play an elven bard, but let's stay focused on a Dwarf Fighter build - I'm stubborn : that is what I want to play (been 15 years since I played a purely martial character, and I want to feel the fun of crushing skulls with a big hammer)

Thanks for pointing out unbreakable, I'll look it up.

And no, no superior weapons - I would love to get my hands on a Craghammer, but it's a no go.

Battle awareness, I saw as a way to get initiative only when I need it most - I like to have an option in that regard. I like to have that bit of flexibility too, if I need to get the drop one someone. Still, I will look if I can get anything better at that level - it may effectively be a waste.

I think Comeback Strike is already "reliable" - not as powerfull as a reroll, but still.
I'll look for an alternative for sweeping blow - but again, I may find myself surounded. I'll play in the back, but I will probably often need to deal with more than one critter, as I suspect the pally and the rogue will go for a flank on the big bad one and I'll have to deal with the rest for a while.

As I see it :


Front line
X X Paladin and Rogue Drop some critters, quickly try to drop the big guy/mage/etc

X Me Manage to stop the other critter/strikers before reach the back

X X Mage and Ranger Help us do our job by killing fast small things and/or slowing them

The plan is to move between the front line and back line as needed - I will have the though decision to decide who I let pass (because Mage and Ranger can deal with them) and who I stop - and when to release the pression on the front line or when to get more active at the back. I'll need to keep track of everybody's HP and surges and manage to minimize the damage dealt to the group as a whole. This position also allows me to be the effective "medic" of the group with my heal skill.

 

[Mengu]

As I see it :


Front line
X X Paladin and Rogue Drop some critters, quickly try to drop the big guy/mage/etc

X Me Manage to stop the other critter/strikers before reach the back

X X Mage and Ranger Help us do our job by killing fast small things and/or slowing them

I'm sure experience will tell you after a few encounters, but this is not a good plan. A front line rogue is going to quickly run out of surges. It needs to be the fighter and paladin pushing through enemy lines, "allowing" a few enemies to get by them only to be caught in the rogue's trap. Defenders need to hold the attention of the enemy up front, the rogue will cherry pick enemies on flanks, or whatever you toss his way. Otherwise, after two encounters your rogue will be out of healing surges, unable to continue his job. And a rogue who tries to push through the enemy line to get to an enemy controller, will get caught between enemy lines and quickly becomes a dead rogue.

 

[DwarvenMongoose]

Ok - seems I'll have to get back to my workbench!

 

[Herschel]

I was going to point out what Mengu said, but figured you'd find that out as you played through it to learn tactics and how the system works. As for Martial vs. Divine, it's all on how you build it and flavor it. The old classes don't necessarily translate the same, especially with all the build options even in just the first two PHBs..

 

[DwarvenMongoose]

So I would be better as a front line man, letting the rogue in between the front and the back? Ok, I can live with that. I can always fall back to the middle if the rogue is under too much pressure. I'll just have to be carefull not to mark the same targets the Pally does, and I'll let him fight the glorious fights against the big guys and will take care of the mob and the controllers.

X X - Me and Pally

X - Rogue

X X - Ranger and Mage

As for Divine Characters - nah - fluff reasons. I really don't picture this one as a religious man. In fact, I'll play him as a anathema, in rupture with his clan, who just excaped a life in the galleys by mutiny and by becoming a pirate for a few years - cynical and not really in good terms with the gods who abandoned him. We are playing mercenaries, not the typical "band of glorious heroes" - Even the Dragonborn Pally is praying a neutral and greedy dragon god, might makes right style. We were all tired of the heroic type, and agreed to be anti-heroes for this one.

Well, thanks again for all the comments! I'm learning a lot. I will keep all of what you said in mind, and just enjoy the ride and adapt as the game unfold. Now I get a better idea of what this kind of character is good for, and a few good ideas for feats and ability scores.

Next time, I think I'll try a bard - they seem cool (finally!) I had an Idea for a cunning bard based on the "Samuel" character in the last season of Heroes, and I guess if the dwarf dies, I'll get to play it.