dex fighter?

[mkill]

I second all the previous ideas and add another one: Reinterpret what Str 18 means.

A high Strength score doesn't have to mean the character is a hulking bodybuilder. He could be built like Husain Bolt, or a circus performer, or a greek statue, or a basketball player. Muscular, but only where it counts. Rather than a six-pack and broad shoulders, the muscles are distributed all over tge body.

 

[Celestian]

How much of your problem is about requiring Strength for attack rolls, and how much of it is about the role that the fighter is designed to fill?

I don't think I have an issue with the role of the fighter, I just wanted to go the dex/con route instead of the str/con route. I didn't have an issue with shields either though with the dual weapon feats you could make up an additional AC from that...

I just think of elven fighters as grace and accuracy and not so much strength and brawn. Previous editions seemed to allow for it a little easier. If only the feat that allowed you to change to melee hit from dex was more than just melee basic it would solve my problem though many other powers depend on it as well.

I had no intention of trying to make a dex fighter that did a lot of damage, I just was hoping to make a defender character a lot like one I had before.

I appreciate all the ideas given and will be pondering them all Worse comes to worse I can probably make a ranger/fighter and with a lot of work get it there.

 

[mneme]

It's worth noting that Con isn't nearly as important to fighters as it was in previous editions. You don't have a "ranged fighter" build like you did in 3e, but the Str/Dex fighter is pretty nice -- and can get a very high AC as well as do decent damage.

Personally, I'd say grace + accuracy is str/dex. There are non-Str defenders (though as above -- Str = grace and power), but the Fighter is the only defender that uses dex as a secondary or primary stat.

 

[Jools]

I'll post an exceedingly kick ass Elven Fighter here when I get home from work.

 

[mkill]

I had no intention of trying to make a dex fighter that did a lot of damage, I just was hoping to make a defender character a lot like one I had before.

If you're trying to emulate a 3rd edition fighter, I definitely recommend the Dex-based hunter ranger from Martial Power 2. (Write "fighting man" as class on the character sheet if it bothers you.) First of all, 3rd edition Fighters don't mark anyway. You don't even need to mark - you're on the front line and you're a threat, monsters will attack you.
Second, you'll have the ability to switch between ranged and melee that is typical of 3rd edition fighters.
Third, hunters get a lot of effects like slow, which will make you an excellent support for the primary defender even if you don't draw that many attacks yourself. The hunter build also has a lot of shifting, which fits the nimble and agile archetype.

Or if absolutely nothing else works, ask the DM if you can houserule a fighter to use Dex instead of Str.

 

[Jools]

I'll post an exceedingly kick ass Elven Fighter here when I get home from work.

Here it is. Has a truly absurd accuracy for its Dual Strike from the Midnight Blade Student feat and does great damage when you consider it'll be attacking twice a round. Works just as well with a Half-Orc too.

====== Created Using Wizards of the Coast D&D Character Builder ======
level 1
Elf, Fighter
Fighter: Combat Superiority
Fighter Talents: Tempest Technique

FINAL ABILITY SCORES
Str 16, Con 12, Dex 18, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 8.

STARTING ABILITY SCORES
Str 16, Con 12, Dex 16, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 8.


AC: 18 Fort: 15 Reflex: 15 Will: 12
HP: 27 Surges: 10 Surge Value: 6

TRAINED SKILLS
Endurance +5, Heal +7, Athletics +7

UNTRAINED SKILLS
Acrobatics +5, Arcana, Bluff -1, Diplomacy -1, Dungeoneering +2, History, Insight +2, Intimidate -1, Nature +4, Perception +4, Religion, Stealth +3, Streetwise -1, Thievery +3

FEATS
Level 1: Midnight Blade Student

POWERS
Fighter at-will 1: Footwork Lure
Fighter at-will 1: Dual Strike
Fighter encounter 1: Surprising Stab
Fighter daily 1: Lasting Threat

ITEMS
Hide Armor, Short sword (2), Adventurer's Kit, Longbow, Arrows (60)
====== Copy to Clipboard and Press the Import Button on the Summary Tab ======

 

[Garthanos]

A duelist build rogue is very much the picture of a pure dexterity fighter it is very fun to play.

Athos, level 1
Human, Rogue
Build: Aerialist Rogue
Rogue Tactics: Artful Dodger
Rogue: Sharpshooter Talent
Sharpshooter Talent: Sharpshooter Talent (Crossbow)
Background: Wandering Duelist (Wandering Duelist Benefit)

FINAL ABILITY SCORES
Str 13, Con 11, Dex 18, Int 10, Wis 8, Cha 16.

STARTING ABILITY SCORES
Str 13, Con 11, Dex 16, Int 10, Wis 8, Cha 16.


AC: 16 Fort: 12 Reflex: 17 Will: 14
HP: 28 Surges: 6 Surge Value: 7

TRAINED SKILLS
Bluff +8, Stealth +9, Thievery +9, Acrobatics +9, Athletics +6, Perception +4, Intimidate +11

UNTRAINED SKILLS
Arcana, Diplomacy +3, Dungeoneering -1, Endurance, Heal -1, History, Insight -1, Nature -1, Religion, Streetwise +3

FEATS
Human: Weapon Proficiency (Rapier)
Level 1: Toughness

POWERS
Bonus At-Will Power: Duelist's Flurry
Rogue at-will 1: Riposte Strike
Rogue at-will 1: Sly Flourish
Rogue encounter 1: Positioning Strike
Rogue daily 1: Duelist's Prowess

 

[Mengu]

You want a Dex/Con character, Bleak Disciple Assassin fits that stat pair.

[sblock=Human Assassin 1]====== Created Using Wizards of the Coast D&D Character Builder ======
level 1
Human, Assassin
Build: Bleak Disciple Assassin
Guild Training: Bleak Disciple

FINAL ABILITY SCORES
Str 13, Con 16, Dex 18, Int 8, Wis 10, Cha 11.

STARTING ABILITY SCORES
Str 13, Con 16, Dex 16, Int 8, Wis 10, Cha 11.


AC: 17 Fort: 15 Reflex: 16 Will: 12
HP: 31 Surges: 9 Surge Value: 7

TRAINED SKILLS
Streetwise +5, Stealth +9, Perception +5, Endurance +8, Acrobatics +9, Athletics +6

UNTRAINED SKILLS
Arcana -1, Bluff, Diplomacy, Dungeoneering, Heal, History -1, Insight, Intimidate, Nature, Religion -1, Thievery +4

FEATS
Human: Weapon Proficiency (Bastard sword)
Level 1: Toughness

POWERS
Assassin at-will 1: Shadow Storm
Assassin at-will 1: Executioner's Noose
Bonus At-Will Power: Inescapable Blade
Assassin encounter 1: Gloom Thief
Assassin daily 1: Targeted for Death

ITEMS
Leather Armor, Light Shield, Bastard sword, Crossbow, Crossbow Bolts (20)
====== Copy to Clipboard and Press the Import Button on the Summary Tab ======
[/sblock]

You can pick up hide armor proficiency for a bit of extra defense down the road. Get an Ironbody Ki Focus, and defensively, you're in good shape. Lots of MC options are available to change functionality toward what you want. Defender of the Wild can give you some marking, combined with Shadeform, gives the enemy no good choices. Student of Battle can help you get through those difficult encounters. You can change your equipment around from buckler and bastard sword to fullblade and MC Barbarian, or to buckler and rapier and MC Rogue.

 

[Droogie128]

Your best bet is to think of what it is you want, and then find a class that fits. "Fighter" is just a class name. Concept before class. If it bothers you that much, erase whatever is on your character sheet and write "Fighter".

 

[Klaus]

Is it possible to make a dex fighter? I've been poking around trying to figure out how to make one but it all comes back to his "to hit" which requires strength.

Maybe I'm missing something so I'm asking here. Is it possible to make a "viable" dex fighter these days? I've always preferred the agil/quick "fighter" who dodges/parries over the big tank that gets hit a lot and just takes it.

Anyone have any tips?

An agile combatant? It's called a "rogue".

If you want a Dex-heavy "fighter" (as in the class), you'd have to go with a Tempest fighter, possibly wielding two short swords (using the high Dex to increase the static damage).