Interesting fighter builds

[der_kluge]

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.

 

[der_kluge]

Oh, I will also entertain barbarian builds.

 

[Henry]

A few I've both played and seen played in the past few years:

• Halfling Bow or missile expert. Add in one or two levels of rogue and you have someone who can tumble like a firecracker and pepper his kisses all over the battlefield. If the DM allows it, I think some of the splatbooks have some kind of master thrower class you could add. My little troublemaker was a scout for his hamlet before being forced into adventuring, and was exceptionally blunt and forthright when dealing with others, especially duplicitous people. He could smell a liar a mile away (Sense motive) but had little tact in calling them on it - the tumble was for getting the heck out of dodge before he got smashed.
• Human Fighter, but specializing in weapons derived from farm implements (Scythe, Sickle, Mace, Flail, etc.) He was the iconic farmboy done good. He wasn't a Gomer Pyle type, he was actually pretty mercenary when the situation called for it, but I gave him a VERY low Wisdom (something like a six). He always misread people badly, thinking the worst, or telegraphing a duplicity a mile away because of Freudian slips, etc. But was a strong fighter who used tactics and wit in a fight. (He was also one-quarter orc, and valued his half-orc grandmother highly, but you can leave that part out if you wish. )
• Equestrian Fighter?Barbarian type - focus a lot of feats and skills on horsemanship, it's not a common concept in most groups I've seen, and a horse and rider can be actually quite powerful in the game. The PC I've seen played was a tough, hard-drinking, hard-cussing, steel-souled Ex-soldier who'd seen it all and wanted to claim a fortune to settle down, but who couldn't settle and couldn't stop drinking. There's also nothing like seeing a Ftr/Barbarian's damage from a high-speed horse-charge with a lance and a full-on rage.

 

[der_kluge]

Nobody has any more interesting fighter builds? Are interesting fighters that rare?

 

[Henry]

What'm I? Chopped Liver?

Seriously, I'm surprised myself that there are no more responses than mine yet.

 

[Zephyrus]

One of my all-time favorites is my Great Axe weilding Wild Elf Fighter/Sorcerer/Dragon Disciple.
or more Specifically: Fighter4/Sorcerer1/DragonDisciple#. Its possible w/o having an insanly high INT score by taking the Education feat a 1st level, being a 'knowledgable fighter' taking Know:Arcane from 1st level and then take Sorcerer at 5th level to get your spellcasting requirement. This also allows you to get weapon focus & specialization in the weapon of your choice. I plotted a Gold Dwarf version at one point as well. With War Mage you could sub-out the Sorcerer level with War Mage instead and take the Battle Caster feat to wear medium armor (or heavy armor made of light materials like Mithril or darkwood) and not suffer arcane spell failure chance at all. Good protection, ability to cast some magic all of which combat related, strong and tough! Paired with a 2-handed weapon like a greatsword or greataxe its a beast (well a Dragon.. actually... only half adraong... but you get the idea)

Another of my favorites was a Human fighter w/ a good dex (+2 or +3 dex modifier) and a solid strength score. Take combat reflexes and weild a Glaive (or other 'reach' weapon). I think Hero's of Battle or one of the recent Dragon Magazines has a feat in their that makes it so you can use the butt end of a pole-arm as well if need be. Its an expecially powerful combo at low levels where Attacks of Oppertunity could kill or cripple an uncommoning attacker. I'm sure I could prolly do an even better build now than I had back in 3.0 when I played this guy.

And a character i'm designing for a friend is a Warforged Fighter/Juggernaught thats going to specialize in his Slam Attacks and bull-rushing. It looks like its going to be alot of fun for him to play what with the way Warforged are in the first place and all.

I'd suggest maybe trying to find a prestige class that apeals to you that is in the fighter theme and go with it or use the alternate core classes available. A Hex Blade or Scout could have a very interesting feel or flavor that might apeal to you. If you usually play spellcasters consider giving the Hex Blade a go as a hybrid character of sorts.

 

[Driddle]

If you don't care so much about efficiency or "min/maxing" the PC, almost anything is possible. Pick a weapon, any weapon. Become the guy who is known as the awl-pike(?) specialist, for example, just to get away from the traditional and staid concepts that adhere to swords, axes, daggers and bows. Take a look at maces, which aren't nearly as sexy -- but who cares? Scythes? Saps? Clubs? Whatever. The only big drawback is that you're unlikely to find many +3 versions of your odd weapon laying around the average dungeon.

Or, again, as long as you don't mind "wasting" feats that don't stack for maximum effect, try to learn every frippin' exotic weapon you can. Racial weapons, monk weapons, as esoteric as can be imagined. Design your PC as a connoisseur of fine weaponry -- "Mmmmm... These sai have a delightful balance. Circa 922 A.C., I believe, from the Shitzu Elven Dynasty."

If you want to be an elite battlemaster dealing mega-death damage with every die roll, you already know how to craft your PC. Instead, I say go into the merchant's closet of old, unsold stock and pick an item no one else cares about. A backstory will present itself once you cross that threshold.

 

[The Sigil]

Let's see... I tried making a dwarven alchemist "hurler" once... on the theory that acids and alchemist's fire, et al are kind of something a dwarf, who is in touch with minerals, could get into based on the fact that it's "chemistry." Rather than fight with axes or fire bows, he had a bandolier with all sorts of alchemical mixtures that he would hurl at opponents - and constantly spent his "down time" tinkering with and coming up with new ones.

One of the fun side effects about this, though, was that he knew that the only real effect he could have came from the alchemical substance itself - critical hits, weapon mastery, et al, weren't exactly applicable. So he became a master tactician and engineer and was, often as not, looking for ways to use his alchemical substances to control a battlefield (tanglefoot someone in place or use several thrown flasks of oil followed by an alchemist's fire to create a "wall of fire" to separate opponents from each other) and/or cause chain reactions that were more deleterious than the effects of (al)chemicals themselves - things like tossing a "rust potion" on a metal chain holding up a chandelier (and causing it to drop on those beneath it - old trick, I know) or firing off "bloat balls" at opponents' weapons to effectively disarm them without destroying the weapon (think of the black, expanding, sticky balls that are used to immobilize Mr. Incredible in Syndrome's fortress, if you will). Basically, my style was "I will throw everything I can think of at you to discombobulate and defeat you EXCEPT a direct frontal assault."

So I guess he was an "(al)chemical warfare" fighter. VERY unconventional - and loathe to use the same trick twice - but then, that's why he was so freakin' effective - I always had 2-3 "new moves" the DM hadn't anticipated. I loved him because he fought with smarts and tactics, not with brawn (high Int, high Dex, low Str, low Con). Fortunately, the rest of the party (more conventional hack-n-slashers) appreciated the sense of tactics I brought to the group, and more often than not I was back with the wizards working as a "field general" directing the front lines while lobbing alchemical substances here and there to help them out.

 

[der_kluge]

Interesting. Some of these are good. Unfortunately, this game will be using basically core rules, so all these weird PrCs, and racial variants aren't really open to me.

Still a fighter wielding a great pick would be interesting. Would love to see that x4 crit in action. Hmmm.

 

[Henry]

Interesting. Some of these are good. Unfortunately, this game will be using basically core rules, so all these weird PrCs, and racial variants aren't really open to me.

Still a fighter wielding a great pick would be interesting. Would love to see that x4 crit in action. Hmmm.

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...