Advice on building a Battlerager

[Mistwell]

The battlerager is broken because all he gives up for tons and tons of THP is +1 to hit. A +1 to hit is big, but not as big as the insane amount of THP you end up with from battlerager. Also, the enemy has no way to tell without the DM metagaming that ranged attacks work much better against the battlerager. There is no PC knowledge check and THP has no visible effect unless the PC wants thje flavor text of his THP to be visible.

Let me put it another way.

I asked for advice on a single one-shot encounter character. Instead of offering advice, you've decided to lecture people on why in your game you do not like the battlerager. Despite many other threads that are about that topic.

Unless you have advice on how to build an effective battlerager for this kind of scenario, I fail to see why you continue to go on about the topic. What is your point, to make sure nobody ever plays one because you don't like them? To dive bomb any discussion of them because you don't like them?

 

[Matey]

Let me put it another way.

I asked for advice on a single one-shot encounter character. Instead of offering advice, you've decided to lecture people on why in your game you do not like the battlerager. Despite many other threads that are about that topic.

Unless you have advice on how to build an effective battlerager for this kind of scenario, I fail to see why you continue to go on about the topic. What is your point, to make sure nobody ever plays one because you don't like them? To dive bomb any discussion of them because you don't like them?

Relax, man. The discussion did not veer far from the OP, and the observations were valid. So much anger around here.

 

[Rechan]

Feats: Devoted Challenge (MP)

Your basic melee attack is only a +6, but your Opportunity Attacks, Brash Strike, and Challenge Attacks are all at +8 to hit.

Moreover, your Challenge Attacks have +2 damage and your Brash Strike deals 1d10+7 damage, or +9 when you have any Temp HP.

Not to discourage you, and your build is solid (especially, I suppose, for the long haul), but in my experience, fighters rarely get to make opportunity attacks.

The challenge attack, on occasion (especially versus kobolds, even dragonshields, who like to shift away), but I wouldn't necessarily try and trick it out too much, especially for a one-shot.

Since this character is a one-use guy, I would either build him full offense or full defense, sense he's expendable.

 

[Eldorian]

Not to discourage you, and your build is solid (especially, I suppose, for the long haul), but in my experience, fighters rarely get to make opportunity attacks.

The challenge attack, on occasion (especially versus kobolds, even dragonshields, who like to shift away), but I wouldn't necessarily try and trick it out too much, especially for a one-shot.

Since this character is a one-use guy, I would either build him full offense or full defense, sense he's expendable.

I suppose this all depends heavily on the DM, but in the game I play in, opportunity attacks seldom come into play as well, but the challenge attacks happen all the time. Mostly when the other players provoke OAs from the marked monster so they can maneuver into a better spot. The dwarf feat that adds wis mod to challenge attacks is awesome. Our dwarf had it for one fight so far, and it came up like 3 times.

 

[Mal Malenkirk]

Also, the enemy has no way to tell without the DM metagaming that ranged attacks work much better against the battlerager. There is no PC knowledge check and THP has no visible effect unless the PC wants thje flavor text of his THP to be visible.

Just do what's sensible and then make up the fluff to match.

If my monsters face a battlerager and they have decent ranged actions, you better bet they'll use them. It shouldn't be too hard to justify why they try to stay out of reach of a maniac who thrives on pain and wields a giant axe.

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It's not too hard to build a battlerager. Just give him your favorite between a axe and a hammer and choose as many invigorating power as possible.

Incidently, I can't understand why mlund didn't propose crushing surge. It's an automatic choice IMO.

Bell Ringer (encounter power) is pretty good despite low damage (just your CON bonus). It is invigorating and it dazes the target. If you have a rogue in your team, it should be picked since the easy sneak attack will compensate lost damage. And if you remember to shift away from the target it might make him lose an entire round.

 

[Nail]

Not to discourage you, and your build is solid (especially, I suppose, for the long haul), but in my experience, fighters rarely get to make opportunity attacks.

Right; me too.

Dwarvish BRV fighters have several serious advantages: those feats, the minor action heal, and that tasty 18 Con. That said, BRV fighters don't hit very often (since they lose Weapon Talent and favor low prof bonus hammers), so you might consider the Warforged instead for the bonus to Str.

For the long term I went with a Human BRV Ftr, as I wanted the higher defences, the Str, (and warforged wasn't available).

I agree with mlund that you'll want a Heavy Shield, chain, and a warhammer. If you can squeeze it in, consider Toughness; it's one of the best feats of the game in Heroic tier.