Interesting fighter builds

[Enkhidu]

Don't tie yourself down to one weapon, and instead spread the love around. Pride yourself on being able to turn anything into a weapon (and see if the DM is willing to work with you on it - feats and all). Then grab multi-purpose feats that you can use with all of them.

 

[John Morrow]

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'm playing a (currently 4th level) human spiked chain specialist Fighter in a 3.5 game. His background is pretty setting-specific so I'm not sure that will help you but mechanically, his Feat progression to 10th level (you can fiddle with the order a bit if you wan but the goal is to get Whirlwind Attack by 6th level) is:

1st: Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Spiked Chain), Combat Expertise, Combat Reflexes
2nd: Improved Disarm
3rd: Dodge
4th: Mobility
6th: Spring Attack, Whirlwind Attack (character also gets second attack here)
8th: Improved Trip
9th: Power Attack
10th: Improved Sunder

Just make sure the character has a reasonably high Strength and Dexterity.

The key things to remember for this character are (A) 24 squares are "in reach" for a spiked chain with respect to the Whirlwind Attack and (B) Attacks of Opportunity allow you to make a "single melee attack" and the description of Disarm states, "As a melee attack, you may attempt to disarm your opponent." Trips are described in much the same way as a "melee attack", which the 3.5 FAQ also confirms with, "You can also disarm, grapple, or trip as a melee attack (or attack of opportunity)." Use those Attacks of Opportunity to try to make sure that your opponents will either be without a weapon or prone before they reach you unless they have a reach weapon, too. Oh, and standing up or picking up a weapon in a threatened square provokes an attack of opportunity, too.

Tactically, I think this is a very interesting character to play in combat, though you have to watch out for those 5-Foot Steps. Oh, and make sure that the character also carries a ranged weapon for those situations when some range is needed. Get this fighter an adamantine spiked chain to go with that Improved Sunder and things could get even more interesting.

(Edit: minor typo and spelling mistake)

 

[focallength]

This is about the cheesiest fighter you could build, its gauranteed to piss of your DM, bore your fellow PCS and generally assure you of a quick death by a vengeful DM using multiple dragons.

Fighter 3+

feats

Monkey grip
TWF
Oversized TWF
Combat reflexes
Imp. Trip
Imp. Disarm

Now youll be threatening 5' and 10'
getting free attacks with every trip
tripping at a +4
Disarming at a +4
getting tons of AoO which you can use to trip and TADA! get a free attack with that trip
Basically just stand in the middle of tons of bad guys trip them at 10' +free attack trip them at 5' +free attack when they stand up trip them again +free attack when they try to leave the 5' sqaure trip them +free attack when they try to leave the 10' square trip them +free attack...Wash, Rinse, Repeat.

Its not fool proof, but its fun to see how many AoO trips and free attacks you can get.
Like I said the other players will get bored after the first 15 minutes of your first action and the DM will just generally hate you.

Another cool one is the 1/2 ling ooutrider
get all the benefits of mounted combat without having to ever leave your mount behind.
look into the PrC its awesome they can ignore hits on their mount, they can charge and change directions, you get to move at 50' a round...its too cool.

 

[Rel]

For the very first NC Game Day I made a 2nd level Half-Orc Ranger/Barbarian named Aggro the Axe. What goes good with an axe? Another AXE!

TWF with a hand axe in each hand (and several more tucked into the belt) meant that he could chop, throw or fight with both on any given round. An optimal build? No. But I had a ton of fun, especially when I critted and killed the bad guy in a single stroke. I commented that he appeared to have somewhat of an "Achilles Face".

Also that PC had no idea that the word "Justice" and the word "Death" had different meanings.

Good times...

 

[Particle_Man]

I am playing an intelligent dwarf fighter that favors the flail and is going for "maneuvers".

One of her feats is Jack of All Trades (which allows her to try any "trained skill" as if it were an "untrained skill"). Then the expertise, trip, disarm (going for elusive target eventually).

skills are spot, listen, search, use rope (cc, but no one else EVER takes it and I am sick of tied up prisoners escaping)

She has a tower shield. She is ng. She has a ton of weapons in case she has to drop her flail.

 

[Particle_Man]

For the very first NC Game Day I made a 2nd level Half-Orc Ranger/Barbarian named Aggro the Axe. What goes good with an axe? Another AXE!

that reminds me of my half-orc paragon "johnny the ax", a mafia type whose prized possesion was an orcish double-bladed ax (silver/cold iron). A mafia goon type.

 

[Imperialus]

I had a lot of fun playing a light cavalry fighter once. He had a light warhorse, a lightspear, 3 javalins, a longsword and a small shield. Only really works in a very specific campaign where there is lots of overland adventuring. He was teamed up with a ranger, a druid a paladin and a sorc. I admit he would suck in a dungon crawl but was nigh unstoppable by anything encountered above ground.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

By my count, that's 3 of us for shield-bashers!

 

[Templetroll]

The best paladin I ever played was superstitious. he had a small piece of wood hanging from his belt to rap his knuckles on, that kind of thing. He was LG but always paid homage to the god of luck.

I'm currently playing a dwarf monk who took the improved trip - his style is kinda like sumo wrestling. he doesn't trust weapons; that is why he took up wrestling.

Have you ever tried a fighter who used a quarterstaff? My dwarf wizard took one level of fighter and used a heavy magical staff for a while; it was -1 to hit but +5 on damage. That was great. Now he is using a dwarf waraxe, but I'm hoping to get a good staff soon. If he can't find one he'll make one, eventually.

My wife is playing a ghostwise halfling barbarian that is cool. It's great to see so much ragin' come out of such a small person. She just reminded me that she is a druid barbarian with wildshape so that adds to the fun.

 

[Arrgh! Mark!]

An interesting concept?

Hows about a fighter and devout follower of some god who always dreamed of being a paladin, but his weakness (lust) keeps defeating his every try?

Be interesting. My latest paladin had ranks in Perform (Sing) and was basically a pilgrim. People always expect the power-attack cleave routine from paladins. They didn't expect a grapple and eyegouge approach.

Don't neccesarily think the bastard sword power-attack routine is so bad, either. Think of an interesting story; thats far more important.