Lightly Armored and with not-so-light weapon?

[Shin Okada]

Most of the D&D melee classes (and prestige classes) favor the combination of heavy armor and not-so-light weapon. Then there are classes which favor light armor (or no armor) and light/finesse weapons (say, Swashbuckler). Are there any melee combat class which favor the combination of light/no armor and not-so-light weapon (I mean not a light weapon nor finesse weapon)? Actually, many fantasy heros, especially those in movie or comic, do not wear heavy armor and yet they tend to use big swords (at least not short sword nor rapier).

 

[hong]

http://www.zipworld.com.au/~hong/dnd/martialartist.htm

Notice that Martial Finesse works nicely with a katana bastard sword.

 

[Quasqueton]

Barbarian. Ranger. Fighter.

In my previous campaign, the main fighter [fighter class] of the party wore chain shirt, weilded a great sword, and used her mobility to good effect.

Quasqueton

 

[Aust Diamondew]

Barbarians and rangers paticuarly are encouraged to do so. They both have no heavy armor proficiency and both have special abilities (paticuarly the ranger) that don't function in heavier armor. The barbarian in one game I ran wore either his andamantine chain shirt or his mythral breatsplate. One fighter I played wielded a falchion (a 2 handed weapon) and never wore anything heavier than a chainshirt.

 

[Henrix]

We've seen a couple of heavily armed fighter/rogues, fighter/monks and barbarian/rogues in our games. Tumbling in and sneak attacking with a greatsword can be rather effective.

 

[Shin Okada]

Hmm.

I have played Barbarian/Rogue in 3.0e and surely that character was effective. But the image of Barbarian combat style is rather crude and I want something more stylish. Better if not relying on flanking as it is very situational (and cannot be a combat style for a duelist as it need cooperation with others).

And, ranger is not a melee class. They are paying defensive quality for other cool and useful abilities but as a melee combatant, they are not the first class.

 

[pbd]

Dervish

The dervish PrC has many special abilities that are allowable only in light armor. I am currently playing a elven fighter/dervish that uses a faclhion (2 handed slashing weapon) as opposed to something lighter and he is very effective in combat.

The dervish gets a to treat scimitars as light weapons for use in TWF and Finesse. I instead opted for the big two-handed version (a falchion isn't actually the two-handed scimitar it is described as in DnD, it is a one-handed europeon weapon more like a cleaver, but I will play it that way if they say so...).

The prerequesite for the class is specialization in any slashing weapon (grab your greataxe..), you get a special ability with the scimitar, but don't have to use it.

Using a large slashing weapon with the class allows for some deadly cominations (derish dance gives plusses to hit and damage, combine this with power attack for a two-handed weapon and he fachions great critical rang and you have a very potent offense) and most of the special abilities require light armor; you get a bonus to AC to make up for this too, by the way.

All in all, from my experience the derish, which is designed for light amor, works really well with large two-handed weapons.

pbd

 

[Wolf72]

my first though was a barbarian in Hide armor (medium armor) and a great club.

 

[Particle_Man]

Well, the picture of the Hexblade shows light armour and a pretty big sword (a falchion, I believe).

The spring attack model prohibits heavy armor and favors a big weapon, since you only get one attack. So any warrior that uses that would fit, I guess. Power Attack is often used with this as well.

 

[LostSoul]

But the image of Barbarian combat style is rather crude and I want something more stylish.

You can change the image of the Barbarian's fighting style to whatever you want. Maybe you want to have some kind of "whirling dance of death" instead of Rage. Tell your DM that your character isn't just a Barbarian; he's a (insert whatever flavour name you want). Use the alternate name for Rage and describe it differently. And there you go - totally different feel for the class, using the exact same mechanics.