Best race overall for a fighter

[Henry]

Since I see little defense of the half-orc, I will add my own:

Half-orcs make the best melee fighters of all.

+2 to STR
Darkvision
The penalties to Charisma and Intelligence mean little to a half-orc fighter: they affect neither Fort, nor Will, nor Reflex saves, and a fighter usually does not depend on any of his skills anyway, particularly when wearing heavy armor.

A high STR is everything to a melee fighter.

I have known very useful Half-orc rangers put into play in the past. For a really fun experience, take a half-orc, and devote roughly 20% of his levels into Ranger, then 20% of his levels into Rogue, 10% of his levels into Barbarian, and the other 50% into the Tempest class from Masters of the Wild. Fight with either Long/short sword, or two short swords(saves a feat), and you make one of the nastiest fighters in the land. If paired with a partner to get flanking (which is very doable with a barbarian's speed and the rogue's tumble), you can Rage if you need to, STILL get the Rogue's sneak attack damage (anywhere from +1d6 per hit to +3d6 per hit), and at high levels have something like 8 attacks with no penalty from 2-weapon use. Now imagine something like 8 attacks, all with the potential for sneak attack damage, and backed by rage and an already high strength to offset the -5 iterative penalty from attacks!

This guy doesn't quote Shakespeare (or Alaundo of Candlekeep), but he can defend a territory very well, and he does a GREAT Tasmanian Devil Impersonation.

 

[Vaxalon]

Depends...

Human

Best for many multiclass fighters, and for those where the extra feat comes in handy, such as double-headed weapons.

Dwarf

The CON bonus is best for the 'never say die' fighter that just keeps on going. "Meat Shield".

Elf

Hard to beat the dex bonus for archers or finesse-based fighters.

Gnome

If you're up against giants, gnomes have some nice bennies. Overall though, weaker than the other races.

Half-elf

Most of the benefits here, compared to the human, are not combat-related. I wouldn't take this race for pure fighting gusto.

Half-orc

Great for a very high strength two-handed-weapon powerhitter. Power attack!

Halfling

For a stealthy skirmisher, halflings are pretty good.

 

[buzzard]

Humans are IMHO best. The extra feat and extra skill points are extremely important. A fighter is a feat machine and every feat counts.
Also unless you are going to be just a side of beef swinging a weapon, you better get that skill point bonus or you will be useless outside of combat. Sure a 1/2 Orc will hit hard, but between combats he will be dead weight. He won't see anything comming, and had better keep his trap shut because he can't talk his way out of a wet paper sack. He won't even have a dream of getting enough sense motive to not be raped by feinting. Skills are far to important to live with only 2 points per level when most skills are going to cost 2x.

Buzzard

 

[Henry]

the only problem with trying to bulk up your skill points as a fighter is that the fighter will NEVER be good at skills, except for the class skills, which do not include sense motive, bluff, spot, listen, etc. Even if you are a human with an 18 INT. 2+1+4 = 7 points? and you've sacrificed your best score for improving one of the fighter's weakest areas. For RP purposes, it's dandy, but for being effective in the field you have chosen, it is a gross underutilization of your chosen path.

However, adding levels in classes that contain those needed skills (such as ranger, rogue, and barbarian), will net you far more in those needed skills than bolstering your intelligence. Is it really going to matter if the Half-orc has 1 or 2 skill points?

If you play a ranged fighter, halflings and elves (elves especially) will excel at it. If you wish to be a stone statue and a pretty good fighter, Dwarf is the choice. Humans and H-orcs make the best straight-up melee fighters, with humans being better for "finesse" fighters.

 

[Wild Karrde]

I'm also a fan of the human fighter. Extra Feat really tips the scale early on. And while it's true that perhaps later on in their adventuring career that extra feat isn't as important, I have a hard time dealing with the slower movement of a Dwarf.

In my group we have only one fighter and it is a dwarf. Whenever there is distance to be covered to get into melee the Monk and Barbarian are always there way ahead of everyone with the ranger close behind and anyone with ranged weapons firing from a distance. That stubby Dwarf gets there eventually bus sometimes it's over before he even gets started. Unless he runs or double moves and then just stands there to get whacked.

 

[Nail]

We're talkin' about core races, I suppose. PH only, eh?

For an all-'round fighter, one that can use th' ole boot leather an' still be versitile enough t' be called an' "adventurer", I'd have t' go wit' th' human. Don' like 'em, personally, but the extra skill points an' feat, combined wit' their multi-class prowess, makes 'em th' best.

.....'Course, they're even better slow-roasted........

-Nail

 

[Ridley's Cohort]

I am with Elder-Basilisk on this one.

At very low levels, there is something to be said for that extra feat. But in the long haul, Darkvision and +2 against magic is better than just one feat.

If you wear armor, both humans and dwarves are going to need magic to boost their movement in the long run anyway.

Giants do appear, at every level of play.

And the Con +2 will help you live.

Humans are better for some concept Fighters. The extra feat and skill points are useful, say, if you are trying to put together a 5th level knight who is both deadly on a horse and still useful in a dungeon.

The extra feat starts looking good when you are multiclassing. It is not important for someone picking up mostly Fighter levels.

 

[Ace]

Actually all races are good in one or more ways as fighters.
I can't choose.

A tip though, if you are playing a Dwarf a wonderfull Min Max is to take a level or two of Barbarian.

The increased speed is a huge asset and will work with tanks as long as the full plate is magic.
Move 25 in full plate, not bad

If you arent going with tank then go with two levels for that awesome uncanny dodge.

The extra fortitude save ,an extra +2 or +3 right of the bat, is really nice a third level Dwarf with a +11 Fortitude save is pretty easy to get .

Oh yeah and two extra hitpoints and rage and well.....

 

[Rashak Mani]

Give your Dwarf a level of Barbarian and he will go much faster... or Boots of Springin and Striding. Or like myself get mounted and barbaric at the same time... Warpony good to go faster.

 

[Number47]

I voted halfling as well. Tough to hit, tough to magic, hard to defend against. Oh, and can anybody say "mounted indoors"? The human may have an extra feat, but that is never going to equal extra AC plus extra to-hit bonuses.