D&D 3.x Good Melee Builds For Low-Wealth 3.5 Campaigns?

[brehobit]

nm...skip right over this

Edit: My vote definately goes for one of the Tome of Battle classes. Warblade is a solid option, but don't overlook the crusader. They are great at shrugging off and healing damage, so while they lack some of the flare of the other two classes, they seem much more durable, which can make a big difference in a campaign where you don't get to rely on a bunch of magic items.

And actually a swordsage is a darn good warrior, even without magic items. But that depends on the point-buy level. At 28, iffy. At 32 ok, higher==great.

But Tome of battle, at least in part, for certain.

 

[Iku Rex]

For a nice change of pace, and to fill the now-empty role of front-line tank, I'd like to build a front-line meleeist of some kind -- a fighter, warblade, barbarian, whatever.

So my question is: what are my options for a front-line melee fighting build that will hold its own at such a low level of wealth?

Is a front-line melee fighting build using full (or near full) spellcasting progression acceptable?

Are you making a new 14th level character?

(And why don't/didn't your artificer make more magic items?)

 

[Patlin]

If you're not going to get much by way of magic items, you better bring some magic (or psionics) to the table yourself.

Psychic Warrior, Cleric, or Artificer could all make good builds. Greater Magic Weapon or Metaphysical Weapon can help you compensate for a lack of decent equipment.

 

[javcs]

Kensai! Make your weapon magical yourself.
What'sitcalled .. something like Anointed Knight from BoED (IIRC) use magical oils to make you/your weapon magical.

Kensai's better though.

 

[Question]

Hello, ENWorld!

So, my DM runs a (very) low-wealth Eberron campaign. When I say very low wealth, I mean that in our current campaign, not a single one of our five level 14 characters has magic armor, and the warforged fighter was using a +1 Keen Greatsword until level 12. My Fighter 2/Artificer 12 has no magic gear other than a ring of Featherfall, a ring of Warmth, and his self-crafted Animated Tower Shield. (Well, and his Packmate and Dedicated Wright homonculi.)

Now, the entire group in this campaign went for full spellcasters or psions with the exception of the Fighter (who later went Draconic Shaman), and in the next campaign this DM runs, even she's going for a full spellcaster. For a nice change of pace, and to fill the now-empty role of front-line tank, I'd like to build a front-line meleeist of some kind -- a fighter, warblade, barbarian, whatever.

So my question is: what are my options for a front-line melee fighting build that will hold its own at such a low level of wealth?

All Eberron and WotC core books (Complete Warrior, Tome of Battle, PHB 2) are allowed, but the Vows (including Vow of Poverty) are explicitly off-limits. Right now I'm looking pretty hard at the Warblade because of the offensive potential of the maneuvers combined with the d12 hit die, but I would love to hear any other options.

-Albert

Alarm bells are going off. This sounds like one of those campaigns where the DM tries to make it more "gritty" or "realistic", runs low wealth.......and just completely unbalances everything in favor of the spellcasters. In such a campaign there really is no incentive to be a straight melee fighter because spellcasting is a lot more rare, and valuable........a level 12 artificer can probably start a massive bidding frenzy among the dragonmarked houses for his services and have more money for the rest of his life.

A straight melee fighter in such a campaign setting just isnt that effective, a lot of their effectiveness depends on normal access to magic weapons and armor. With that out you need to look at non-wealth dependant methods to raise your damage and defense. If your DM isnt allowing VoP but is allowing the ToB maneveours, he hasnt really stopped to think about what those mean in a low wealth setting.

 

[Tessarael]

Dwarven Monk 2/Fighter 8/Kensai 10

32 point buy: STR 16, DEX 14, CON 16+2=18, INT 14, WIS 8, CHA 8-2=6
Put all ability increases into Strength.

1 Monk 1: Dodge, Improved Grapple, Improved Unarmed Strike
2 Fighter 1: Weapon Focus (Guisarme)
3 Fighter 2: Combat Expertise, Improved Trip
4 Monk 2: Combat Reflexes, Evasion
5 Fighter 3
6 Fighter 4: Power Attack, Weapon Specialization (Guisarme)
7 Kensai 1: Signature Weapon
8 Kensai 2: Power Surge
9 Kensai 3: Melee Weapon Mastery (Slashing)
10 Kensai 4:
11 Kensai 5: Withstand
12 Kensai 6: Improved Combat Expertise
13 Kensai 7
14 Kensai 8
15 Kensai 9: Improved Critical
16 Kensai 10
17 Fighter 5
18 Fighter 6: Cleave, Improved Initiative
19 Fighter 7
20 Fighter 8: Greater Weapon Focus (Guisarme)

At 20th, saves will be +16/+10/+11. Dwarf gives +2 to saves vs. poison, spells, and spell-like effects. AC in mithral full plate can be raised to 45 with Improved Combat Expertise and Fighting Defensively (5 ranks in Tumble). Average HP will be 191.5. BAB will be +19.

Guisarme is useful as a reach weapon that can trip, with Combat Reflexes control some area around the warrior while the spellcasters throw spells. Kensai is great for the signature weapon, something like a Cold Iron Guisarme +5 with Holy and Speed properties at level 16.

Attacks are at: +33/+33/+28/+23/+18. Damage is 2d4+21 with +2d6 vs. evil. Power Surge boosts Strength by +8, give +4 to attack and +6 to damage with the two-handed weapon.

 

[pawsplay]

How's wealth in general? Because it seems to me that item crafters would be the way to go. If the campaign is that radically low magic, I think even a melee combatant could spare 5 levels of Cleric or Wizard at some point to get Craft Magic Arms and Armor, and sponge off other party members for higher caster levels and prereq spells.

 

[iceifur]

My vote's for Warblade or Crusader. Solid hp, attack, and defense combined with enough useful bennies to make your playtime enjoyable. You shouldn't get stuck in the "attack-attack-attack-move-rinse-repeat" rut with the available class features.

As a side question, how are your attributes determined? Rolled? Point-buy? Other? Any house rules we should know about?

 

[Magesmiley]

One feat you might consider looking very hard at is the ancestral weapon feat from BoED. It allows you to sacrifice gold/treasure to enhance your ancestral weapon. This will probably help considerably given the lack of magic items and wealth in the campaign - you can get full gpv for items you sacrifice as opposed to getting half for sold items. Pile up all your opponent's valuables which you're currently planning to sell for half value and sacrifice them to get full gpv added to your item.

Another observation is that AC is going to be a lot less powerful as you don't have access to magic enhancements (its overall going to be lower for everyone). I'd either go for a high-damage fighter-type or a character built around DR.

I'd opt for the latter myself. As it sounds like you've got numerous spellcasters, dishing out a lot of damage sounds well covered, so its probably more important to be able to take lots of damage. Sink an 18 into CON and play a dwarf to get a 20 CON and repeatedly take the Roll With It feat from Savage Species. If your DM allows flaws (from UA) take 2 and start with DR 4/- at first level. Keep increasing this every 3rd level and use your fighter bonus feats for combat related improvements.

 

[Tantalus]

Dwarven Monk 2/Fighter 8/Kensai 10

At 20th, saves will be +16/+10/+11. Dwarf gives +2 to saves vs. poison, spells, and spell-like effects. AC in mithral full plate can be raised to 45 with Improved Combat Expertise and Fighting Defensively (5 ranks in Tumble). Average HP will be 191.5. BAB will be +19.

Attacks are at: +33/+33/+28/+23/+18. Damage is 2d4+21 with +2d6 vs. evil. Power Surge boosts Strength by +8, give +4 to attack and +6 to damage with the two-handed weapon.

Kensai is actually not a full BAB class so the BAB for that build would be +16 and the attack progression would be +30/+28/+23/+18 (2 lower with flurry). Also you seem to be flurrying with a guisarme which is not a monk weapon. I don't think that's possible.

Tantalus