So I can't fight with two weapons? :(

[Terraism]

[Edit] Screwed up again. I thought I was in the rules forum; my bad. Could some friendly passer-by mod move it?

[Edit again] Now moved. Thanks, mods!

Ok - I screwed up. I'm currently running a second level (probably third, as soon as the DM hands out xp for the last two sessions) fighter who I wanted to wear big armor, and weapon he could get his hands on, and a nice shield. Twist being that he would use the shield as a weapon as often as possible, as well. Problem is, I just realized that I can't take two-weapon fighting, because I don't have a high enough dexterity. Any suggestions for what I can do to maintain some semblance of "uniqueness" in the fighting style (we've got two other fighters in the party, so I don't want to be just "same old, same old")?

Stats:

Str 14
Dex 13
Con 16
Int 12
Wis 14
Cha 12

Feats:
Toughness
Iron Will
Great Fortitude
Shield Expert

Any ideas? For reference, we've already got a "hit with the biggest thing possible" fighter and an archer, so I was trying to focus on being able to take a hit and still deal out damage - as is, I've got more hitpoints than anyone in the party, including the other fighters (one of whom is already 3rd level.)

 

[Tilla the Hun (work)]

[Edit] Screwed up again. I thought I was in the rules forum; my bad. Could some friendly passer-by mod move it?

Ok - I screwed up. I'm currently running a second level (probably third, as soon as the DM hands out xp for the last two sessions) fighter who I wanted to wear big armor, and weapon he could get his hands on, and a nice shield. Twist being that he would use the shield as a weapon as often as possible, as well. Problem is, I just realized that I can't take two-weapon fighting, because I don't have a high enough dexterity. Any suggestions for what I can do to maintain some semblance of "uniqueness" in the fighting style (we've got two other fighters in the party, so I don't want to be just "same old, same old")?

[...snip]

Why not go for the true tank of the party? It's a concept that needs a PrC as almost everything else has one now

Go with Full Plate or Field Plate + Tower Shield + amulet of NA or health.

Go with any con boosting device you can find.

Choose a con boost enchantment on your weapon (should lower cost)

Give up dishing out tremendous damage - instead, triple or quadruple your hit points and raise your AC as high as possible.

In any given combat, advance to melee range with the enemy, shouting taunts at all around you.

I doubt you have the dex for it, but if you can build up feats to whirlwind, it'd be kinda cool. PA seems like a better bet though.


But seriously - become the armored tank that waddles out in front of the party and takes on all comers Shout challenges for single combat, or get cocky and shout how you'll take 'em all on.

Go for a CON of like 30, instead of Str 25-30 or Dex 25-30. +10 hp/level is nice, add in items to pump up HP, CON, or AC. It won't really matter if you have a longsword that only does d8+1... When you can survive anything the enemy throws at you for however many rounds it takes you to kill them. I'd say in theory, you should be able to chase your CON all the way up to close to 40. If the wizard in the party is agreeable, maybe you could even get a ring of regeneration or shapechanged into like, a troll or something with fast heal.

Yikes - Con 40 = +15/lvl hp - +150 hp at lvl 10, +300 at lvl 20... Might be interesting to actually have MORE hit points than the dragon you're fighting .

Oh yea - and get as much DR built in as you can, so you can take more damage.

But you get the idea - it's an extremely unique approach to fighter - damage absorption. Potentially, you could even talk to your GM and party wizard and get an item that'll absorb damage by converting some of it to healing magic . Vampiric weaponry would also rock.


Call yourself the Survivor

 

[Greatwyrm]

Heck, if you're going with the tank approach, try this. Full plate, reach weapon (longspear), Combat Expertise, Combat Reflexes, and lots of fighting defensively. Let the spellcasters hang out around you while you protect them in melee. If you've already got two solid fighters, a rear guard couldn't hurt.

 

[CRGreathouse]

If you want two weapons, try to getyour hands on gloves of Dexerity.

 

[Terraism]

If you want two weapons, try to getyour hands on gloves of Dexerity.

Not too likely - we're playing in the Scarred Lands, but the DM has decided that item creation is iffy, at best, and we can't buy magic items. (That last bit isn't something I begrudge him; I agree, really.) The big annoyance is that we need a more dedicated caster to do our own magic items, and he's now ruled - after we've been playing for a few months - that multiclassing into a new class requires an extended (read, years) apprentice period. [Grump.] So multiclassing is no longer an option.

 

[Silveras]

Well, just because you can't take Two-Weapon Fighting doesn't mean you can't use the shield as you intended.

Two Weapon Fighting reduces the penalties; it is not an "on/off" for being able to use the style at all.

You can go ahead and use the shield as you intended, and work your way up to Dex 13 (maybe ?) with the every-4-levels stat increase.

Maybe your DM would let you trade some other magic item for the gauntlets of Dexterity... making that the focus of an adventure.

 

[Ridley's Cohort]

It seems to me that your main character strength/theme is defense. Multiclassing with Cleric is a natural fit. The Luck, Travel, and War domains are the most obvious fits for a grunt. Magic domain is useful if you might like to use wizard wands.

(Having just noticed your post above...) Maybe not.

 

[FireLance]

How about playing a smart, tricky fighter? You need just one 4th level stat bump to get your Int up to 13, which will open up the Combat Expertise, Improved Disarm, and Improved Trip line of feats for you. A flail is a one-handed melee weapon, and you can use it to get +2 to disarm checks and to make trip attacks. And, if you're disarmed, or if your opponent resists your trip attempt and tries to trip you in return, you can drop your weapon and switch to hammering him with a shield without losing its bonus to your AC.

 

[Li Shenron]

[Edit] Screwed up again. I thought I was in the rules forum; my bad. Could some friendly passer-by mod move it?

[Edit again] Now moved. Thanks, mods!

Ok - I screwed up. I'm currently running a second level (probably third, as soon as the DM hands out xp for the last two sessions) fighter who I wanted to wear big armor, and weapon he could get his hands on, and a nice shield. Twist being that he would use the shield as a weapon as often as possible, as well. Problem is, I just realized that I can't take two-weapon fighting, because I don't have a high enough dexterity. Any suggestions for what I can do to maintain some semblance of "uniqueness" in the fighting style (we've got two other fighters in the party, so I don't want to be just "same old, same old

You can of course attack with the Shield in some round and the Sword in some others, without 2WF you just can't have the extra off-hand attack per round unless you take the huge penalties. Once you are 5th level you will be able to do attack with both with a full-attack action. Yeah, 2WF would have made it better but still you can bash effectively and often. You are left with a MEA which you can think of using for something else...

 

[GiantInThePlayground]

I think the "defensive fighter" idea is a good one, considering you already spent feats in that direction. Raise your Int at 4th level and take Combat Expertise, letting you boost your AC when needed and spend some ranks cross-class in Tumble to enhance your ability to Fight Defensively and take a Total Defense. A tower shield might be good, but you already spent a feat on Shield Expert, and you can't bash with a tower shield. Eventually get yourself some adamantine full plate: it's not magical, so no problems with magic item creation, and it gives you a huge DR 3/-.

And try this: Buy a spiked shield and use a weapon you can throw, like a short spear. If you hurl the weapon, you are still armed with the shield. This gives you a "softening up" ranged attack at the start of the combat, and then you fight the rest of the time with the spiked shield. Alternately, for extra "surprise factor", learn the Throw Anything feat and hurl your longsword when needed!