D&D 3E/3.5 Why be a 3.5 fighter?

[Dandu]

I saw your post before the edit. Glad you edited. It's much more polite and to the point than ""Go yourself."

Anyways, how do you solve the problem of not being able to initiate more than one special attack per round?

Power Attack, Improved Sunder, Improved Bull Rush, Combat Brute and Shock Trooper. You'd have to be a Fighter Level 8 to take all of those (and still have several feats to spare) or Level 9 anything else with a full BAB.

What spider is the fighter taking on at level 8, Small, Medium, Large, Huge, Gargantuan, or Colossal?

And don't tell me we're talking about the corebook only. The OP meant "fighter from the corebook", not "using the corebook as your only resource for building a fighter". The only restraint he gave to the discussion is leave out the Bo9S.

I know, that's why I edited my post a few minutes ago.

I meant to say "Fighter without Dungeoncrasher".

 

[Fajita McJones]

I saw your post before the edit. Glad you edited. It's much more polite and to the point than ""Go yourself."

Anyways, how do you solve the problem of not being able to initiate more than one special attack per round?

Again with trying to stir stuff up that isn't there, good grief. The tactical feats give benefits with verbage along the lines of "if you succeed on *blank*, you may make a *blank* attack as an immediate action" and so forth. So it'd look like running up to the spider, bull rushing him, directing the way you move him so that you slam him into his buddy and then leaving them both prone and getting an attack of opportunity when that succeeds. It doesn't seem like it'd succeed often, but it does and it's awesome.

 

[Fajita McJones]

What spider is the fighter taking on at level 8, Small, Medium, Large, Huge, Gargantuan, or Colossal?

I threw "spider" out there as an example because they're multi-legged and hard to trip and bull rush. At level 8 I ran a Fighter who did this to a CR9 Drider with PC levels.

Huge and Gargantuan (so long as they're not solitary) spiders are decent CRs for a party of 4 8th level characters.

 

[Summer-Knight925]

Im pretty sure I can say whatever and no one will listen...

so bannana

once upon a time there was a thread about playing fighters, and people started fighting, the irony is none of them called themselves fighters, some said they were rangers and paladins and barbarians and monks and a whole list of other things, but they still fought

then they fought about who said what and how many of X it takes to produce Y effect

then a dragon came, this dragon was so big and mean it said "enough of this arguing! I am a great wyrm! run in fear!" and they, still arguing amongst themselves rebuddled with "hey! we're busy here reptar, come back in a week"

this made the dragon mad, his name was not reptar, he didnt have a name, the lazy DM just wanted a dragon at the end, his hoard was detailed though, not a good ego boost at all. This dragon being mad huffed and puffed and sneezed a large cone of fire, burning everyone up. From here a lone rider charged the dragon screaming "THIS IS SPARTAN LIKE!" and spilled his pepsi, but no time, he rolled his D20s and behold! his amazing luck paid off and the dragon was mortally wounded. As the dragon lay dying on his now blood covered hoard of treasure the largest this side of the Castle Caldwell, he asked this rider "Who be thee warrior? a paladin from the order? a hunter of the wood? a barbarian from the west?" he pulled off his totally cool helmet and let his plain pale face with short matted hair and blood shot left eye say "I am no paladin, no ranger, no barbarian, I am a fighter, it is what I do"
the dragon laughed "the irony of this is they all fought about who was better, rather than speaking, you fought, actions speak louder than words, your blade the loudest of voices"

the dragon died there shortly, natural causes, as natural as having a sword driven into your heart and then his head cut off, natural for a dragon of course. the horde was claimed by this fighter, who became powerful indeed, and a bard wrote an epic about him, but it was lost in a fire from the great dragons cousin Leeroy, not leeroy jenkins, but Leeroy...the other dragon. What little is known is that this fighter was a normal human being, or elven being, or dwarven being, orcish being? no one really knows, that too was lost, but the normality of this lone sword inspired an age unseen by records past, teh age of adventure

this caused Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson to create the amazing game DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS with such classes as the fighter and monsters like a dragon where this epic battle can continue throughout time itself, that was ofcourse until the creation of 4th edition where fighters no longer were normal people, but that too is a story for another time...in a galaxy far fary away






thank you for reading this tale, totally made up and really not important tale, and if you saw this before the edit, let the gods damn my delete button, it chooses bad times to hate on me

 

[Dandu]

Again with trying to stir stuff up that isn't there, good grief.

I'm pretty sure you said what you said regarding what I should do with myself. (Also, I believe that the moderators can track the history of your edits.)

If you're referring to the tactical feats, I assure you it's because I haven't read all of them.

The tactical feats give benefits with verbage along the lines of "if you succeed on *blank*, you may make a *blank* attack as an immediate action" and so forth. So it'd look like running up to the spider, bull rushing him, directing the way you move him so that you slam him into his buddy and then leaving them both prone and getting an attack of opportunity when that succeeds.

Thank you for explaining that in a clear manner.

Here is something I am wondering: being able to go at it in melee is good, but previously it was mentioned (I don't think it was by you) that fighters can be very versatile. If the Driders don't come down to play (say, by hanging on cavern walls) that would necessitate archery. How well would a fighter cope with this change?

 

[Fajita McJones]

Thank you for explaining that in a clear manner.

What's really fun is when you use that technique combined with the Mageslayer feats that prevent spellcasters from casting defensively when you threaten them. Visualize running up to an enemy spellcaster, grabbing him by the scruff of his neck, throwing him into the corner and telling him to sit still or else.

 

[radmod]

One thing I have noted is that most people who are comparing FTR vs. BARB usually say "at low and mid" levels the BARB is better. IMO, that points to a plus for the FTR. While it's been years since I've done it, my own calculations indicate that around 9th, Fighters tend to get better and better. Especially since many feats require Fighter level x.
Fighter continues to get better while many straight progressions peter out. For example, I've seen many straight Ranger PCs complain that after 11 (12?) they don't get that much comparatively.
One of the chief things (if not the chief) is simply the bonus feats (as has been pointed out). You get them and they keep coming. With them, you have more opportunity to 'flavorize' your character. A fighter can be multi-weaponed, a power attacker, etc.; even a ranged attacker. Many classes simply don't have that option. IIRC, a TW Fighter outstrips a Ranger because of his feats. A Powered FTR, with PA, Cleave, Weap Spec, etc. outstrips a BB. And, of course, everything outstrips a Pally for straight melee. (NB: I'm tough on my Pallys so many people don't play them so I will admit my experience on people playing them is limited.)

 

[Fajita McJones]

Here is something I am wondering: being able to go at it in melee is good, but previously it was mentioned (I don't think it was by you) that fighters can be very versatile. If the Driders don't come down to play (say, by hanging on cavern walls) that would necessitate archery. How well would a fighter cope with this change?

You'd be able to do some archery if you wanted to, there's plenty of room for that. If the ceiling was low enough, I'd perform a charging leap at the Drider using a charge, Power Attack, Leap Attack (double your damage on a charge if you jump at the end of it) and Shock Trooper's "Heedless Charge" feature (it's the part of the feat that lets you trade AC instead of attack bonus on a charging power attack, yes it is that awesome). Granted, by that point your Fighter would probably need to be 9th level to meet the prereqs for all of those feats, but removing Leap Attack would still be effective.

 

[Dandu]

What's really fun is when you use that technique combined with the Mageslayer feats that prevent spellcasters from casting defensively when you threaten them. Visualize running up to an enemy spellcaster, grabbing him by the scruff of his neck, throwing him into the corner and telling him to sit still or else.

I've seen the mage slayer feat in action before. It didn't work out very well. The spellcaster involved was played very well and really kicked my team's ass.

I'd perform a charging leap at the Drider using a charge

Here's the concern: armor. Full plate reduces speed (-4 to jump) and has a hefty ACP. Lighter/less armor solves that problem but makes you more vulnerable.

 

[Fajita McJones]

I've seen the mage slayer feat in action before. It didn't work out very well. The spellcaster involved was played very well and really kicked my team's ass.

Moving the spellcaster into the right spot is key (up against a wall, or even better is into a corner) and that requires being able to direct a bull rush. Also, readied actions are completely necessary if the spellcaster takes a 5 foot step you can smack him hard.