Build help, mobile warrior with halberd

[Latsu]

Looking for help with a mobile/lightly armored warrior type with a halberd

Problems;
1. Reading posts by other people seems to suggest that this is hard to do
2. I want to have him be effective at all levels, maybe more so at some but not too much of a difference
3. Mobile classes aren't resonating with me and don't like halberds, rogues have to waste a feat, rangers don't use two handed weapons as well as others, monks are monks, swashbucklers don't use non spiked chain two handed weapons, scouts have to waste a feat
4. Barbarian isn't quite what I'm looking for since DM said he probably won't allow the whirling frenzy alternate class ability, otherwise I'd be doing that
5. I haven't decided where I would like the damage to actually come from (sheer number of attacks. sneak attack, power attack, etc.)

I would like to go the combat reflexes, weapon focus, two weapon fighting, spinning halberd track as early as possible, problem being the feat tax for spinning halberd bars me from the dodge, mobility, spring attack feat tree except at high levels unless I go fighter which has it's own handicaps

We use 4d6-drop one method for abilities and we can use a DM owned books, of which I can name a few but not all; all the complete except mage and champion, core books, MM II and III, dragon compendium or something like that, unearthed arcana, phb2, seawrack, ebberon campaign setting, and a few others, if you ask if ones available I'll probably know I just can't list them all
oh and I know he does not have the ToB so none of that shenanigans, from what I've read it seems... broken

If anyone has ever used the racial paragon classes I'm interested in the human one primarily for the MAD (hopefully slightly offset by the additional +2 the class gets me) and the bonus feat of course

Please no munkining, my usual group is not a bunch of optimizers (no offense), try to keep the cheese reasonable
also sorry about the no stats to provide for the purpose of what feats he may qualify for, I don't know if there is a average that you attain using that method

with human paragon 3/fighter 2 I would have 6 feats by 5th level, which is how I'm thinking about doing the first 5, after that maybe doing the feat rogue variant but trying to get out of fighter for sure
Feats by level would be;
1st combat reflexes and two weapon fighting (bonus) h
2nd weapon focus (halberd) (bonus) rp
3rd spinning halberd
4th dodge (bonus) f
5th power attack and quick draw (bonus)f - I intend to open combat with two or more thrown weapons

glad to finally be posting here, not just fishing for what I need

sorry I know I put this in the Character Build forum originally but then it gave a the 'you are not logged in' message when I tried to post and I had to redo it and put it in the wrong one the second time, tried to change it and could not find a way to

 

[Dandu]

If you don't want to waste a feat, you should be a Cleric with the War domain.

 

[Grogg of the North]

What do you want exactly by being mobile? Being able to move about the battlefield easily? Bonus damage? Pounce? Turning your halberd into a broom of flying? Actually, that last one is an awesome idea.... *Scribbles note to self*

The halberd has a few things going for it. First, you can set to receive a charge with it. Second, it's a tripping weapon. Unfortunately, you don't have reach with a halberd so to really get the most out of tripping, you need to either get a magic item to give you reach or to have a friendly mage enlarge you. That being said, if you charge into a large group of enemies you'll probably have their attention and can start tripping.

I would go all out fighter. Go for Spinning Halberd, Improved Trip, and Power Attack. If you're looking to do massive damage on charging, see if you can grab Shock Trooper.

In dragon mag, somewhere, there's an alternate fighting style for the ranger that specializes in THF. I think it's called Strongarm Style or something like that. Ask your DM if you can use that for a fighting style instead of archery or TWF.

With regards to dandu's suggestion, the only deity I could find that had a halberd as a favored weapon was in the ebberon setting. Luckily, it also offers the war domain. I don't know if your DM would allow that if you want to go the cleric route.

I think you've told us a lot about what you don't want to do. Is there more information that you can give us about what you WANT to do?

 

[Latsu]

I'm leaning towards trying to obtain pounce and getting improved trip, it's my understanding that tripping is one attack so could you not pounce, trip with the first attack, and then wail on the poor guy underneath you? also doesn't combat expertise require INT 13 or 15? not too much of a gripe but I'm trying to minimize the MAD
I want to be able to move quickly or at least base speed although I would like better, also cleric BaB isn't phenomenal so wouldn't that hurt a tripper/pouncer? I know that with he right buffs a cleric always outshines the fighter but then I'd be starved for feats to make the build, and at low level it wouldn't be that good (trying to have it be consistent)

So 30' or more speed with anything above 50' probably unnecessary, pounce, spinning halberd with trip attack on the first attack, attack of opportunity when the poor sap stands up, full attack with -5 power attack and +unnecessary damage, repeat on his buddies

I'd like to keep full base attack except the hit I take at first level for tripping and getting the most out of pouncing, what about racial paragon 3 fighter 2 with sneak attack variant? the racial paragon bonus feat would help to offset those from lost from using the variant, for my adaptive skill I could take tumble and max it so I can take the skill trick Acrobatic Backstab at 9th level? it allows you to tumble through an enemy square and treat him a flatfooted for one attack, combined with pounce, this would also make me slightly les of a one trick pony as I could flank with another character when charging isn't an option

first attack gets sneak attack, second attack trips, third attack with haft

also dodge bonuses stack and I'd be going light armor then onto mithral medium, dodge bonuses stack so I'm considering trying to get those somehow, spinning halberd and dodge get me +1 each and if I get hasted armor I could get another, is trying to get a lot of these a waste of time? I know AC is only important to an extent but it is important

oh and please explain to me shock trooper, I know it gives you 2 trips for free when you bull rush one guy into another but how situational is the feat? it seems like its for fighters who want a trip ability but don't want improved trip

 

[Latsu]

Also I forgot, isn't there a magic item that grants you x number of enlarge persons per day? I could've sworn the magic item compendium had one and it was somewhere around three which seems like enough for the day, can't remember price.. if it doesn't exist how much would it cost? I could probably get it house ruled in also, potions are also an option

And would a second level dip into rogue be useful? if I'm wearing light armor I may as well have evasion and it wouldn't stunt sneak attack anymore then it is already, I'm not in love with the idea but it occurred to me as I was responding

 

[Grogg of the North]

Alright, I'll try and go through all the points in your replies.

There's a belt in the MIC that grants enlarge person 1/day for a couple minutes, iirc.

The reason to take shocktrooper is for headless charge. Combine with leap attack and power attack for full. Since you're not suffering a penalty to hit, because of headless charge, you can hit for obscene damage.

Combat Expertise requires Int 13, but you might as well try to get a 14 for the skill points and language. But that's just me.

To move around the field at speed, there's light armor and the boots of striding and springing. Also, in the MIC are a bunch of short range teleport items.

Perhaps the easiest way to get Pounce is to play a barbarian and trade fast movement for pounce.

If you're looking to get Tumble, ask the DM if you can use the rules in Cityscape to swap ride for tumble.

 

[Latsu]

so I have this so far
Human Paragon 3, Fighter 6, Barbarian 1 (spirit totem lion)
HP1 1st combat reflexes and two weapon fighting-b
HP2 2nd weapon focus halberd-b
Hp3 3rd spinning halberd
Ftr1 4th dodge-b
Ftr2 5th power attack-b
Brb1 6th improved bull rush
Ftr3 7th
Ftr4 8th shock trooper-b
Ftr5 9th combat expertise
Ftr6 10th improved trip-b

that's the baseline for the build to work

don't know what to take after that other then leap attack (obviously), still wouldn't mind another tactic to use like sneak attack or skirmish, also his will save would be +5 as opposed to his +10 fortitude and the gap would only widen if he stayed fighter and I don't want to end up hacking up a party member because of an abysmal will save, cloak of resistance would help but it gets costly quickly and iron will is only a temporary fix

I've been looking online and people seem to think that 16, 14, 13, 12, 10, 9 are the average abilities you get with this method so I'd go;
strength 16 +1 at 8th level =17 (+3)
dexterity 14 + 2 for human =16 (+3)
constitution 13 + 1 at 4th level =14 (+2)
intelligence 12 +2 for racial paragon =14 (+2)
wisdom10 =10 (+0)
charisma9 =9 (-1)
all before magic items, strength isn't stellar and neither is constitution but magic can fix that and he isn't a tank anyway

It isn't the best build but it came out ok, thanks for the spirit totem barbarian by the way, now if I could just get whirling frenzy allowed.. from what I've heard it looks really good on paper but isn't actually any better then rage, is this true? would it be more useful because of the fighting style that this character uses?

I know it would work to stay barbarian but I hate the AC penalty and with the penalties from heedless charge I can see combat going like this, I kill first guy, I die by arrows fired from mooks since my AC is taking like a -7 penalty, whirling frenzy once again offsets this and improves the build every other way

so questions, am I right that whirling frenzy helps the build a lot, would spinning halberd + whirling frenzy + haste all stack, and what classes to take next assuming whirling frenzy wouldn't be allowed and I would have no other reason to stay barbarian and I want to even out saves which are +5 Will +7 Reflex +10 Fortitude, as a side note was it ever decided whether or not the bonus attack from spinning halberd get the enchantments of the halberd? like an actual official ruling not a player consensus