The Souljourner said:
I believe that means every feat from level 12 onward (besides greater weapon specialization) is crap.... which I believe is exactly what most people say about the fighter - above level 12, they suck.
That's the point though.
People say "hey, there are no uber feats left", so the fighter sucks at higher levels.
He does not suck. Give him ZERO feats from 12th level on and he still does not suck. He still deals death right and left to his foes.
Except for older dragons, there are few creatures in the various monster books that a high level (14+) fighter does not hit the vast majority of the time.
Granted, without magic armor, magic shields, and buff / protection spells from his spell casting allies, the fighter will be taking serious damage in return from powerful creatures, but that is part of the balance of the game.
Spell casters in the game assist in the defense of the combatant types. The combatant types either hold off and kill, or hold off until the spell casters can kill or assist to kill, the more powerful creatures.
It's a symbiosis and one which would not work except for the increased BAB and hit points of fighters, paladins, and rangers.
People are focusing on the feats as if the feats are the bread and butter of combatant type characters.
Feats definitely increase the potency of fighters and differentiate the fighter from other combatant classes like Paladins and Rangers, but they are not the mainstay of their effectiveness. BAB and hit points are the mainstay of their effectiveness.
Plus, it is very easy to get to 19 good feats for a fighter without using a single book other than the PHB.
1) Dodge
2) Mobility
3) Spring Attack (if the fighter has a 16 dex)
4) Exotic Weapon Proficiency (why use a martial weapon when you can use an exotic more damaging one)
5) Expertise
6) Improved Disarm
7) Improved Trip
8) Whirlwind Attack
9) Improved Critical
10) Improved Initiative
11) Point Blank Shot (why limit yourself to melee weapons? that's dumb)
12) Far Shot
13) Precise Shot (probably not needed, but useful when it is)
14) Rapid Shot
15) Shot on the Run
16) Power Attack
17) Cleave
18) Improved Bull Rush
19) Sunder
20) Great Cleave
21) Quick Draw (not as wonderful, but again, useful when it is needed)
22) Weapon Focus Melee Weapon
23) Weapon Focus Missile Weapon
24) Weapon Specialization Melee Weapon
25) Weapon Specialization Missile Weapon
Here are 25 feats from the core PHB which a fighter can choose from, depending on what he wants to do. Only 2 of them are really so so feats. The rest are solid.
This does not include the 20 or more other feats that are available and worthwhile to fighters in the various class books (e.g. the Dwarven Fighter in our group is planning on taking Monkey Grip so that he can use a medium sized weapon, just like a human, while retaining his darkvision, his Con bonus, etc.).
