Help make a spiked-chain wielding pit-fighter

[GodPhoenix]

Ok...so not being wealthy enough to go buy 3.5 straight away...I just read most of the SRD. (it's free when you print from work)

I'd like some advice in making a spiked chain wielding pit-fighter. I'm thinking of a guy/girl captured young and forced to fight for the entertainment of the nobility in the gladiator pits. He/she earns her freedom and strikes out to make a name.

I really want to disarm well b/c I think that's fun. I'm thinking mostly fighter, but I'd like to multiclass in something to give the character a little more flava. Suggestions? Level/feat progressions would really help. Thanks!

 

[Hypersmurf]

I'd think a guy/girl captured young would be more likely forced to work in some exotic brothel than an arena...

There're all sorts of rich sickos'd pay well for something like that...

-Hyp.

 

[Particle_Man]

Well, if you change to 3.5, then as a human you could get Exotic Weapon: Spiked Chain, Improved Trip, and Combat Expertise at 1st Level. Then get Combat Reflexes at 2nd level.

The boards have been going on about this being a dangerous (and possibly broken) combination, since by 3.5 rules you can makes more than one Aoo on the same opponent, if you have Combat Reflexes, and an opponent that either tries to stand from prone, or tries to crawl away while prone (even if only 5'), will draw an Aoo, which means another trip attempt and (if successful) an extra attack, by virture of Improved Trip.

After 2nd level, go bard for 2 levels, and barbarian for 2 levels, and ranger for two levels (take favoured enemy: human, which is available to non-evil human rangers in 3.5) for flava. The idea of an enraged self-loathing operatic spiked chain wielding pit fighter just does it for me, somehow.

 

[Mahali]

Psychic Warrior all the way.

 

[CyberSpyder]

Spiked chain-wielding pitfighter, eh? That's pretty close to what I was planning for my cohort. I haven't worked it all out yet (specifically, the abilities) but I do have a feat chain planned.

Planning fighter all the way, for the record.

1st:
EWP (Spiked Chain)
Weapon Focus (Spiked Chain)
Dodge
2nd:
Power Attack
3rd:
Combat Expertise
4th:
Weapon Specialization (Spiked Chain)
6th:
Mobility
Cleave
8th:
Improved Trip
9th:
Spring Attack
10th:
Greater Weapon Focus (Spiked Chain)
12th:
Whirlwind Attack
Great Cleave
14th:
Greater Weapon Specialization (Spiked Chain)

After 14th level, I've got everything I had planned out...note, though, that one might want to substitute the Improved Trip for Improved Disarm, to take advantage of the +2 bonus on disarm attempts made with a spiked chain. I'm somewhat torn on that one myself...the whirlwind attack though, with a spiked chain, is just nasty. 20 threatened squares, unless my calculations are off, so up to 20 attacks at the full base attack bonus.

Edit: Oops. Probably wouldn't hurt to stick combat reflexes in there...not really sure where, though...

 

[Hypersmurf]

Combat Reflexes is more important that GWF for that build.

If you're allowed to use Kalamar feats, look at Movement Check as well.

Push GWF and GWS back a couple of levels.

-Hyp.

 

[CyberSpyder]

Combat Reflexes is more important that GWF for that build.

If you're allowed to use Kalamar feats, look at Movement Check as well.

Push GWF and GWS back a couple of levels.

-Hyp.

Yeah, probably couldn't hurt...fairly minor bonuses from those, comparatively speaking.

I don't think I have Kalamar - what does Movement Check give you?

 

[Hypersmurf]

Movement Check: If you hit someone with a movement-provoked AoO, they stop moving.

(The flavour text suggests that it may only apply to opponents who are running or chargng, but the benefit text makes no such distinction.)

-Hyp.

 

[Vysirez]

That is something I have been thinking about as well. I am designing a 12th lvl character for a possible campaign. I had decided to go with a spiked chain fighter. With a human fighter 12 I was able to get up to whirlwind, improved trip, up to greater weapon spec and EWP: spiked chain. All those feats left 2 other feats. I couldnt decide what I wanted to do with the last 2 feats. I am interested in power attack, cleave, knockdown, and iron will. So not sure which of those I want. Any thoughts?

 

[Kodam]

How about a (human) master of chains (from sword and fist)? Take 2 levels of rogue and 4 of fighter. By that time you could have the following feats: ewp(spiked chain), combat reflexes, weapon focus (sc), combat expertise, power attack (sweet with your two-handed weapon!), improved trip, improved disarm, and weaopn spec. (sc). Additionally you'd have sneak attack and evasion, which comes in handy because the master of chains has a good ref save. I like it to use my chain alternativly as a reach or as a doubble-weapon. He also gets to do additional damage an can make the waepon "wounding" with little cost and NO MAGIC.

Two-weapon fighting is needed to use the chain as doubble weapon so this feat should be taken. I'd go for Iron Will as well, because of your weak will-save.

By the way: what would you count as one "use" of the modified chain? 5 Strikes? 5 successful Hits? 5 fights???