Interesting fighter builds

[Evilhalfling]

Speaking as a former Scythe specialist, prepare for some frustration, even with Improved Crit. In something like 20+ games, I NEVER got a single chance to strut my 8d4 + 24!

On the other hand, you could go with the whole "miner" motif, and crack "under age" jokes out of character part of the time...

I had a miner with a dire pick (as d8 x4 crit) and most the way through CoSQ the only crit he go was on the party archer - while dominated. At least he wasn't power attacking at the time. And she did make her massive damage save.
In the climax of the modual (after picking up improved crit) - he did 101 and 134 in sucessive rounds with confirmed crits. He was fighting a Balor, and the 2nd round left them both as small piles of ash.

He spoke Terran and put his PS: miner to good use with packs of dire badgers and earth elementals summoned by the party druid.

 

[Vymair]

Human Barbarian with

Combat Reflexes
Power Attack
Cleave
Great Cleave

Then wield a big polearm. Make sure you have a least a 14 dex and watch the extra attacks roll in...you could mix a few fighters level in for more feats and pickup Quick Draw (for when you have to switch weapons).

 

[Bront]

I actualy like the halfling outrider dog rider concept.

You get all the fun of mounted combat, plus your dog can fight by your side, and you can ride him a bit easier indoors, unlike a larger race riding a horse.

 

[the Jester]

I had a lot of fun with a dex-based fighter as my first 3.0 pc. Sigh... she had a wis of 5, so she didn't last long- she got into a fight that I knew she shouldn't, and that was it.

I dig the spearman concept. Use a longspear, with Power Attack and Cleave. If you drop an enemy, you have a very good chance of taking a shot on someone else- you have reach, after all. Throw in Quickdraw and a regular (non-reach) spear and you're ready for trouble at any distance.

I've thought for quite some time that it would be fun to play the greataxe-wielding dwarf tank, too... again, it's a cool (and archetypical) concept!

Then there's the archer- good fast damage, especially at low levels (when you can hit with a Rapid Shot and nobody else has much in the way of multiple attacks).

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

How about a prizefighter? Martial Arts instructor? Enforcer? Bodyguard? Bounty Hunter? Private Investigator? Street-tough/Urchin? Geisha?

Or use an unusual (not neccessarily exotic) weapon- one that players don't usually choose (esp. for fighters? Morningstar? Dwarven Urgosh? Kusari-Gama? Spear? Maul?

Then again, sometimes the best fighters to play aren't fighters. I like a sword & board clerics with Str/Destruction/or War domains, 1/2 Orc Monks & Paladins, Elvish Diviners or Sorcerers with bows and lots of True Strike...

 

[Testament]

For the master of a zillion weapons, the Player's Guide to Arcanis has a PrC that's right up that alley, the Weapon Savant. 5 levels, and by the end you can use anything at all, AND apply Weapon Focus, Improved Crit etc to 'em all. Of course, you aren't allowed to pick up any of those feats on the way to this final level.

I'm playing a halberd wielding skirmisher in Living Greyhawk, who uses Elusive Target and Improved Trip to hideous effect in combat, combined with Spring Attack. And it's loads of fun to play. I can run in between two opponents, provoking an attack of opportunity which promptly misses me and hits the flanking enemy, get my free trip attempt out from it, smack down with Improved Trip AND then deal my regular attack!

Complete Warrior helped make some 'lesser' weapons quite potent via the Combat Style feats. I know of at least one person pursuing the Lightning Mace (uses two light maces) style, and one friend of mine has his LG character taking up the Three Mountains style using a Heavy Mace. His character also happens to be a Wis 15 Half-Orc, and a Pious Templar of St Cuthbert to boot.

 

[the Jester]

As for background ideas:

The big man of a small village, forced to defend it from terrible monsters...

A serf conscripted into the army, uprooted from home and family (take some Profession or Craft skills)...

A spoiled noble girl who runs away when a marriage is arranged (this was my 3.0 dex-based fighter)...

A bully that works for the local thieves' guild (Improved Unarmed Strike, to beat people with)...

A circus strongman (high str, high con; possibly some very odd skill & feat choices!)...

 

[Hypersmurf]

I'm playing a halberd wielding skirmisher in Living Greyhawk, who uses Elusive Target and Improved Trip to hideous effect in combat, combined with Spring Attack. And it's loads of fun to play. I can run in between two opponents, provoking an attack of opportunity which promptly misses me and hits the flanking enemy, get my free trip attempt out from it, smack down with Improved Trip AND then deal my regular attack!

Not quite.

Elusive Target grants you a free trip attack. If you're successful, Improved Trip grants you an immediate melee attack as if you hadn't used your attack to trip. But since you can only use the free trip attack from Elusive Target to trip, an immediate melee attack as if you hadn't used your attack to trip is no attack at all. The only thing you can do with that particular attack is to trip... and the opponent is already prone, so that's no help.

-Hyp.

 

[Testament]

Not quite.

Elusive Target grants you a free trip attack. If you're successful, Improved Trip grants you an immediate melee attack as if you hadn't used your attack to trip. But since you can only use the free trip attack from Elusive Target to trip, an immediate melee attack as if you hadn't used your attack to trip is no attack at all. The only thing you can do with that particular attack is to trip... and the opponent is already prone, so that's no help.

-Hyp.

A-ha. Gotcha. Thankfully, it hasn't come up yet, since I only completed the feat combo when I levelled last game, and haven't had a chance to use it yet.

 

[S'mon]

So, there was a thread a while back about "bland" fighter builds. In a game I might be playing in, I'm thinking about making a fighter. It's not something I normally do, since I usually play spellcasters.

So, I'd like some ideas of interesting fighter characters you've either played, or seen played. It doesn't have to be from a rules perspective. Interesting role-playing aspects and good background stories are helpful as well.

I've never heard of a "role-playing build" before - I thought that was called 'personality'?

Good ones I've seen include a halberd-wielding Landsknechte with Improved Trip, a Byzanyine-style cavalry officer with lots of bow & mounted combat feats, which is pretty much an invincible combination on open terain, and a Ranger/Fighter ex-Legionary ex-mercenary sword & shield fighter now living with the Wolf Clan barbarians after her unit was destroyed, a mix of highly 'modern' and barbaric abilities.