Making my first character

[burntgerbil]

What you described just now sounds much more like a ranger or rogue in this setting - clearly a striker, not a defender. Any character can charge into any fray or bull rush - but some characters have encounter or even at will powers (rogue & ranger) that gives you more mobility.

We have found that for friends with their first experience with 4e, we tell them to play a stereotype character - see where the strengths lie and roll with it.

Every character has a single chance to attack - that attack usually has some other rider effect on it - as you are probably already aware of. Combat gets really boring if you hit 33% of the time. Whatever class you decide to make, I would not have their primary attack stat lower than a 16 - I played a character to lvl 5 like that and it was very boring. Good characters die in 4e. More than I have seen in 2nd or 3rd.

You certainly could play an elf fighter - as wisdom is a secondary bonus for some fighter powers, I think. My character in our new campaign acts along the same strategy you mention and hits most frequently and deals a good portion of damage - as a halfling rogue.

Whew - I think I am rambling, so let me wrap it up :

Play whatever you want in 4e, but I would say to be most effective and to make combat a little more enjoyable, play to what your race and class are best suited for.


EDIT : yeah, the elven accuracy works on any attack, be it cleave or magic missle.

 

[Kordeth]

Does the elven ability work on just ranged or any weapon?

Elven Accuracy Elf Racial Power
With an instant of focus, you take careful aim at your foe and strike with the legendary accuracy of the elves.
Encounter
Free Action Personal
Effect: Reroll an attack roll. Use the second roll, even if it’s lower.

Elven accuracy does not have the Ranged keyword, nor does it specify ranged attacks. For that matter, it doesn't even have the Weapon keyword. Any power that uses an attack roll can benefit from the power.

 

[Ourph]

I guess I will go with something like a flail. I want something that is not too big and can have a little more versatility then just killing.

When you drop an opponent to zero, you decide whether he dies or is just knocked unconscious (at least, that is the suggested way to handle it). So all weapons are capable of "more versatility than just killing".

An Elf with high Dex and Initiative who charges into combat with good defenses sounds like a good fit for a sword and shield-using Fighter or a two-weapon fighting Ranger who focuses on upping his defenses (Two Weapon Defense feat & etc.).

 

[Crothian]

The shield and spear is a very good suggestion. I might go that wat and abondon my weaker idea of using a Katar. THe only reason I'm thinking Katar is it is close to a punching weapon and fits with that origanl concept I was trying for.

burntgerbil, thanks for the post. I am an odd gamer that can have fun with an ineffective character. Granted, they do tend to die a little more often,

I want the fighter because of the Pit Fighter. Thanks guys, you are very helpful.

 

[Crothian]

Elven accuracy does not have the Ranged keyword, nor does it specify ranged attacks. For that matter, it doesn't even have the Weapon keyword. Any power that uses an attack roll can benefit from the power.

Thanks, as this is my first real dive into the game I imagine I'll be asking some really basic questions.

 

[garyh]

I want the fighter because of the Pit Fighter. Thanks guys, you are very helpful.

You could go ranger for the mobility, take Student of the Sword to multi into fighter, and then take Pit Fighter, as multi-classing allows you to take paragon paths as if you were that class (you still have to meet other pre-req's, which is a problem if you multi into ranger or warlock, as those classes require fighting style and curse, respectively, which the multi doesn't give you. But I digress...)

A melee ranger/pit fighter works really well, actually, as they both key off Str, then Wis.

 

[Kordeth]

I want the fighter because of the Pit Fighter.

Remember that the fighter multiclass feat allows you to qualify for any fighter paragon path. You can play a ranger, and as long as you take Student of the Sword sometime before 11th level, you can take the pit fighter PP.

EDIT: Curse you, garyh!!!

 

[blargney the second]

A Str/Wis elf fighter is certainly doable. Since you'll be great at opportunity attacks, consider specializing in heavy blades and take Heavy Blade Opportunity down the line to allow you to use at-will powers on OAs. You'll just need a bit of Dex to meet the prereqs, and elf helps with that. Everything else you can put into Con will be worthwhile.

One quick note: charging in 4e is a standard action. It makes it a LOT easier to pull off than in 3e.
-blarg

 

[Crothian]

He's coming together. He's a spear fighter. In a perfect combat he throws a javelin first and then will charge in with the spear and shield. I like a variety of powers so I went with Sure Strike, Cleave, Passing Attack, and Brutal Strike. Feat is Improved Iniatitive.

 

[Kordeth]

He's coming together. He's a spear fighter. In a perfect combat he throws a javelin first and then will charge in with the spear and shield. I like a variety of powers so I went with Sure Strike, Cleave, Passing Attack, and Brutal Strike. Feat is Improved Iniatitive.

Sure Strike is...really not good. It's less terrible for the fighter than its equivalent, Careful Strike, is for a ranger, since fighters don't have Twin Strike, but Sure Strike is still one of the worst at-wills in the game. IMHO, if you're using a shield, you can't do much better than Tide of Iron as one of your at-wills. It will match up nicely with Spear Push at the paragon tier, too.

Also, if you're going to be leading off with javelins and then switching to spear, you might want to consider Quick Draw instead of Improved Initiative. It's only half the init bonus, it's true, but it will save you an action to unsling your spear as you move into melee.