Light-armored fighter advice

[not_me]

In a campaign to start up soon I have a a flowing-style polearm-wielding light fighter type, using a Guan Do-like weapon (more in the northern Shaolin style than the Hung Gar style of fighting), and who is unarmored. Think fluid movement and fighting motions accross the battlefield, using skill and grace over armor and power.

What I've noticed is that there seems to be a dearth of feats or options for the non-armor wearing or the tricky-style fighter. Bluff as a skill seems mostly useless unless you have sneak attack (denying their dex bonus, esp at higher levels, not really as worth it for a single attack)... and I've found hardly any feats for improving AC above and beyond Dodge and Combat Expertise if you're not wearing a shield.

What might I have missed in my quick looking? What feats can improve AC? What feats open up options for using various skills and abilities to gain advantages in combat, be it bluff, intimidate, tumble, perform (dance), etc? What might I be able to steal from a class somewhere? I'm looking for something that will keep my combats from being straightforward ones -- I'll have tumble for mobility accross the battlefield, I'll have Improved Trip soon enough, but what other options are there for the slick fighter who fakes out their opponents and strikes with skill?

thanks!

not_me

 

[Klaus]

Be a monk, take the feats Simple Weapon Proficiency, Weapon Focus (longspear) and Serpent Strike (Eberron Campaign Setting). That allows you to treat a longspear as a special monk weapons, allowing you to flurry with it, or to mix unarmed strikes (mainly kicks, since your hands are full) and spear lunges in a flurry.

 

[Corsair]

Also consider ninja. Bluff + sudden strike is almost as good as bluff + sneak attack. It won't be a lot of damage, but if you're power attacking too, you'll do a decent amount.

 

[shilsen]

You could pull off that concept very well with a swordsage from Book of Nine Swords and the right choices of maneuvers/stances.

 

[Legildur]

You could pull off that concept very well with a swordsage from Book of Nine Swords and the right choices of maneuvers/stances.

I've seen a lot of 'swordsage this' and swordsage that' threads and responses. Is there anything this new class can't do? (I'm completely ignorant on the details/abilities of the class)

But why aren't spears part of the monk proficiencies? It's such a classical weapon for oriental martial arts (upon which a monk is so clearly based).

Otherwise, I like Klaus' suggestions, except that it is incredibly feat intensive for a monk.

 

[Jarrod]

Well, there kinda isn't anything a Swordsage can't do... much in the same way there's nothing that a Wizard (with spell prep) can't do.

It's a class that lets you choose your class abilities, and therefore is very flexible in terms of what you want to emulate. A sneaky fighter, a martial artist, a beat-down machine - you can do any one of them, but you certainly can't do it all.

That, and they finally got useful class abilities going. Wisdom to AC in light armor is _useful_, unlike Wis to AC in no armor (which is going to get you killed).

I love ToB. Is it overpowered? I'd say no... almost everything is focused on a single attack, and while the damage for that single attack will be high it would get swamped by a full-attacking fighter. They are fun classes, though.

 

[gardengoth]

"Players Guide to Fighters and Barbarians" by Swords & Sorcery has a couple of feats that would help your AC if it's permissable.

Cloth Dancing (with a prereq. or Dodge) allows you to add +1 dodge bonus to AC, relying on flowing clothing and motion (i.e. not whilst bound or grappled) and wearing light or no armour.

Whirling Defense (prereqs. Dodge, Cloth Dancing and Combat Expertise) - replaces Combat Expertise, conditions for use are the same as Cloth Dancing plus you must make an attack or full attack. You may subtract up to -5 from attack rolls which may exceed your BAB, and add twice this penalty as a dodge bonus to AC.

 

[starwed]

I wrote up a tactical feat called Tricky Combatant that tried to make feinting in combat happen a little bit more often.

In addition to the ToB stuff, you might take a look at psionics if it's allowed. A dip into psychic warrior or another psionic class can give you some neat abilities, as well as feats like Up the Walls. And the elocator prestige class is good for a highly mobile fighter.

You should also consider a dip into scout, since that gets you both a bonus to damage and a better AC when you move, and apparantly there are some really nice feats in Complete Scoundrel for a multi-classed scout.

 

[jasin]

Otherwise, I like Klaus' suggestions, except that it is incredibly feat intensive for a monk.

It helps that in Eberron a monk can take Serpent Strike as one of his monk bonus feats. (It doesn't help that you need BAB +1 for Weapon Focus, which means you have to wait until 6th to take Serpent Strike.)

 

[blargney the second]

I've seen a lot of 'swordsage this' and swordsage that' threads and responses. Is there anything this new class can't do? (I'm completely ignorant on the details/abilities of the class)

But why aren't spears part of the monk proficiencies? It's such a classical weapon for oriental martial arts (upon which a monk is so clearly based).

Otherwise, I like Klaus' suggestions, except that it is incredibly feat intensive for a monk.

Swordsage is a tremendously fun class to play with lots of build-time flexibility. Highly recommended for the lightly-armoured melee fighter with a two-handed weapon. (Reach is good too.)

As for the issues with the monk, those are nothing a couple levels in fighter won't fix.
-blarg