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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Edena_of_Neith" data-source="post: 2779853" data-attributes="member: 2020">The opinions of a Newbie (probably wrong, but here they are)  I am very rapidly coming to believe that any basic fighter worth her salt should have the following feats:  Combat Expertise  - Improved Disarm  - Improved Feint  - Improved Trip  Combat Reflexes  Dodge  Improved Unarmed Strike  - Improved Grapple  Power Attack  - Improved Bull Rush  - Improved Overrun  - Improved Sunder  Quickdraw  Weapon Finesse  This represents a fighter (IMO) who not only knows her armor, shield, and weapons, but actually knows how to fight, as in Fight fight.  She doesn't stand there fencing, she fights to win.  She can brawl, grapple, or do whatever dirty work it takes to win.  She's still not a specialist at anything.  She's just a good Fighter at fighting.  -  Why these feats first?  Consider:  Combat Expertise   You must have this Feat to take the Improved Disarm, Improved Feint, and Improved Trip Feats.  And being able to substitute a bonus to your AC from your BAB, up to + 5, can be useful ... especially if you're injured badly.  Most fighters, like Arilyn Moonblade (Arilyn Moonflower, really) tend to get injured badly.    - Improved Disarm  A disarmed opponent is in real trouble.  If he stoops to retrieve his weapon, Arilyn gets an immediate AOO against him.  If he draws another weapon, that's a move action expended by  him (no Full Round Attack is now possible for him, and a lot of other actions are now prohibited as well.)   If he runs out of weapons, he's got more trouble, since any unarmed attacks by him against Arilyn provoke AOOs from her.    - Improved Feint  If Arilyn can deny an opponent his Dexterity and Dodge bonuses, her love Danilo Thann can then easily succeed with a Touch Attack or Ranged Touch Attack spell.  Any other allies of Arilyn (especially those with Full Attack Rounds coming) are going to have a field day.  And, of course, Improved Feint is a move action, so Arilyn herself gets an attack immediately following the feint (or any other standard action she wants to take.)  - Improved Trip  Based on what I know of trip, it's really nice, but you provoke an AOO if you try it.  With this Feat, Arilyn don't provoke such an AOO.  A tripped opponent is prone, Arilyn gets + 4 to strike at him with her moonblade, he is at - 4 to strike back, and if he tries to stand she gets an AOO.  A tripped opponent is easily to disarm, since Arilyn is at + 4 to hit.  Yes, if Arilyn fails in her trip attempt, the opponent can try to trip her.  Arilyn isn't going to attempt it unless she thinks she can succeed!  Combat Reflexes  Who wouldn't want this one?  Arilyn can make AOO when flat-footed.  If she trips an opponent, and he tries to get up and then tries to run, she gets 2 AOOs against him just for that, in addition to her normal attacks.  This means, he isn't going anywhere.  If in a major melee, with many beings crammed together, jostling, confused, moving in and out, Arilyn is going to get multiple AOO against multiple foes.  Dodge  This feat isn't so impressive in itself, but it's bonus stacks with Dexterity and other Dodge bonuses.  And it must be taken to obtain more specialized Feats (I could be wrong, but Spring Attack seems like an very strong Feat.  The opponent doesn't get to strike back at all.)  Improved Unarmed Strike  This one speaks for itself.  No weapon?  No problem, because the foe does not get an AOO against Arilyn if she attacks by kicking the foe, chopping with her hands at the foe, trying to poke an eye out, or other similar attacks.  Arilyn can make unarmed strikes for lethal damage without the - 4 penalty.  And best of all, Arilyn is still considered Armed, when unarmed.  She can make AOOs normally, even without the moonblade, into adjoining 5 foot squares.  If her opponent is unarmed, she gets AOO against him every single time he attacks (if she has Combat Reflexes, which she should have.)  He dooms himself to oblivion if he tries multiple attacks against her unarmed.  Improved Grapple  Grappling is a part of combat, IMO, pure and simple.  Few fighters just fence, they struggle and brawl and duel and try to win!    If Arilyn has this Feat, she provokes no AOO for attempting to grapple (which means her opponent can't disrupt the grapple)  She gets a + 4 bonus to all grapple checks, sorta like she was a Large being.  If she grapples successfully, she can attempt a pin (also with the + 4) and a pinned opponent is doomed.  Power Attack  A favorite, apparently, of every fighter.  Substitute damage for your BAB, up to your BAB.  Arilyn gains double this bonus for wielding the moonblade in both hands.  And this extra damage is applied to each of her attacks, not just one (including her AOO.)  - Improved Bull Rush  This Feat allows Arilyn to move the opponent to where she wants him, which is nice if it's into quicksand, water, a hole in the ground, or the like.  But Bull Rush provokes an AOO;  with this Feat it does not.  And this Feat adds + 4 to the Bull Rush.  - Improved Overrun  No avoiding your overrun.  No blocking your overrun.  Arilyn slams right into the opponent regardless of what he does to avoid her.  + 4 to knock him down.  If he's knocked down, he's got a serious problem ...  - Improved Sunder  The opponent has one heck of a big two-handed sword, or one of those greataxes.  He's really, really, really good at wielding those weapons, too.  Arilyn doesn't wish to be struck by those weapons, so she attempts a sunder.  No AOO for the opponent.  The opponent also has a magical necklace or headband, and she can attempt to sunder those, also provoking no AOO.  Quickdraw  It takes a move action to draw a weapon normally.  No Full Round Attack for anyone who must draw weapons!  But Arilyn has quickdraw, so she can draw her moonblade and make a Full Round Attack with it in the same round.  Or draw a hidden dagger and attack once with it.    Weapon Finesse  If you are dextrous, this Feat allows flexibility.  If you do not have the Two-Weapon Proficiency Feat, this Feat helps with the penalties if you are dextrous.  If you like to pick up and use improvised weapons in your off-hand (anything from beer mugs to small rocks to sharpened sticks) then this Feat helps with the penalties.  Combine this Feat with Two-Weapon Proficiency, and you will be adept at picking up and using just about anything Light in your off-hand, if you're dextrous.  ...  Am I right on this?  What are your opinions?  <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f600.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":D" title="Big grin    :D"  data-smilie="8"data-shortname=":D" /> And, where/how do I get ALL of the above Feats as part of a 1st Level Starting Fighter Package?  <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f600.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":D" title="Big grin    :D"  data-smilie="8"data-shortname=":D" /></blockquote>

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