Light-armored fighter advice

[jasin]

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.

The scout is perhaps a non-obvious choice, but if you focus on the mobility aspect rather than the actual scouting, it makes for a pretty neat wuxia longspear warrior.

You have proficiency with simple weapons, but not many martial weapons which means you won't need to feel bad about using the longspear rather than a better, martial weapon.

Moving around = bonuses to damage and AC, so you're encouraged to move around.

Longspear = reach, so you get an AoO on people trying to close in. Extra attacks are always nice, but they're especially nice when you're usually limited to a single one (because of moving) and when you have bonuses to damage (again because of moving).

Snap Kick (a feat from Tome of Battle) gives you an additional unarmed attack (all attacks at -2) on a full attack or a standard attack.

Combat Reflexes and Spring Attack is of obvious benefit to this type of character.

That's a lot of feats, to be sure, but a human could have them all by 9th level. You could approach, poke one guy with the spear, kick another guy in the head, spring away, and wait for each of them to close and get poked again. All with bonuses to damage and AC.

 

[rgard]

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

You might want to look at the Complete Warrior's Swashbuckler. I don't have it in front of me, but you could take what you want in mind for your fighter and create a prestige class.

 

[shilsen]

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)

The advantage with the maneuvers/stances system used in Bo9S is that you can really do a great job, both mechanically and flavorwise, of replicating various types of warriors with a judicious choice of them. So it's not as if the class or a single PC with the class can do everything, but with the right choices you can do a finesse fighter, a weapon master (Warblade does this better), a wrestler, a heavily armored tank (Crusader does this better), a ninja, etc.

 

[Legildur]

The advantage with the maneuvers/stances system used in Bo9S is that you can really do a great job, both mechanically and flavorwise, of replicating various types of warriors with a judicious choice of them. So it's not as if the class or a single PC with the class can do everything, but with the right choices you can do a finesse fighter, a weapon master (Warblade does this better), a wrestler, a heavily armored tank (Crusader does this better), a ninja, etc.

Sounds good. How does the Bo9S mix with standard 3.5E? would it lead to accusations of power creep?

 

[Mann Gegen Mann]

If you don't have a good weapon, strong weapon, or you are in a group that is of higher LVL, fighting higher LVL nonsters, you shoud (if this is the case and you are in a party) stay back with a ranged weapon (obvously only if you have one)

 

[Klaus]

Monk 1 - Bonus feat: Stunning Strike. 1st level Feat: Simple Weapon Proficiency
Monk 2: Bonus feat: Combat Reflexes
Monk 3: Weapon Focus (longspear)
Monk 6: Bonus Feat: Improved Trip, Feat: Serpent Strike.

 

[shilsen]

Sounds good. How does the Bo9S mix with standard 3.5E? would it lead to accusations of power creep?

Not really, IMO, but you'll get very differing opinions on these boards. You should search for some of the threads that have come up or start one. On the whole, I think the Bo9S classes can exist just fine in a campaign with the PHB classes. They do also work well for single-classed use through all 20 levels, which I think is a very positive thing.

 

[Raspen]

if you what movement and AC with no armor use the monk class to lvl 2 then fighter to get you to the duelest class. you wont get any better AC without armor

you wont be able to use precise strike with that pole arm but you can get the virsatle striker feat and use your finger jabs when you wish too you will need to get weopen finess for duelest so i would just put it in unarmed stk

going this way you get

dex to ac
wis to ac
int to ac
dodge feat to ac
mobility and imp moblilty to ac
combat exp and imp combat exp to ac
and elaborate parry to ac

no armor and good BAB with CRAZY AC

 

[szilard]

Monk 1 - Bonus feat: Stunning Strike. 1st level Feat: Simple Weapon Proficiency
Monk 2: Bonus feat: Combat Reflexes
Monk 3: Weapon Focus (longspear)
Monk 6: Bonus Feat: Improved Trip, Feat: Serpent Strike.

How about:

Monk 1: Stunning (B), something else
Fighter 1: Weapon Focus (longspear)
Monk 2: Combat Reflexes (B), Serpent Strike



-Stuart

 

[Darklone]

Another vote for the light armored Scout/Swashbuckler combo going for Spring Attack. Too bad there's no scout/monk multiclass feat, just a rogue/monk feat.