D&D (2024) "Sword" and Board Build?

[mellored]

Wand and shield not so much. But you've got me intrigued so let's hear it.

Didn't have anything specific in mind. Just that all spells are 1 handed.

So a wizard starting fighter 1 gets Con saves, 21 AC, (26 with Shield), and Truestrike with push, topple, or sap.

Or just a straight light cleric running into melee with spirit guardians and their channel divinity.

 

[Zardnaar]

Didn't have anything specific in mind. Just that all spells are 1 handed.

So a wizard starting fighter 1 gets Con saves, 21 AC, (26 with Shield), and Truestrike with push, topple, or sap.

Or just a straight light cleric running into melee with spirit guardians and their channel divinity.

Ah rgr.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

There is a lot of white room talk about enemies ignoring PCs with high AC, but I don't see that happening very often in play

It certainly happens in CRPGs like BG3. Enemies almost always target whoever they have the highest probability of hitting.

In play, I generally don’t allow enemies to have that much metagame knowledge. Although they will certainly attack targets that appear easier, and spellcasters.

Wearing full plate and carrying a shield is a good way of getting monsters to leave you alone, even if your actual AC isn’t that good.

The best tanks are reckless barbarians wearing pointy hats.

 

[Zardnaar]

It certainly happens in CRPGs like BG3. Enemies almost always target whoever they have the highest probability of hitting.

In play, I generally don’t allow enemies to have that much metagame knowledge. Although they will certainly attack targets that appear easier, and spellcasters.

Wearing full plate and carrying a shield is a good way of getting monsters to leave you alone, even if your actual AC isn’t that good.

The best tanks are reckless barbarians wearing pointy hats.

Sentinel great feat for sword and board.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Sentinel great feat for sword and board.

Yes, especially if the DM takes into account that intelligent monsters have a sense of self-preservation, and will try to avoid triggering opportunity attacks, so the single reaction limit doesn’t stop it being effective,

Talking of reactions, I have seen a sword and board fighter deliberately triggering opportunity attacks from monsters to make it easier for other PCs to disengage.

 

[Zardnaar]

Yes, especially if the DM takes into account that intelligent monsters have a sense of self-preservation, and will try to avoid triggering opportunity attacks, so the single reaction limit doesn’t stop it being effective,

Talking of reactions, I have seen a sword and board fighter deliberately triggering opportunity attacks from monsters to make it easier for other PCs to disengage.

Sentinel was the gwm feat in our games for sword and board.

Also I tend to put in better magic weapons for 1 handed use and +1 shields fairly common.

 

[Zardnaar]

So we had a player leave as she had job offer+partner elsewhere in the country.

So her PAM fighter was replaced with a Sword+board champio fighter. Gave them a +1 sonic weapon from 3.5 (+1d6 thunder damage).

Sentinel+shield master. As a secondary character+tired as crap player forgot about weapon masteries and often shield push.

Had a guest observer for the session. She was cracking up laughing. BG3 player watching my BG3.5 themed game.

Now have a new player for next week.

 

[TorgoTheWhite]

Zealot '24 is a tank-king sword & board guy. Resistance to S/P/B, HD 12, bonus action 12HD healing, easy access to double HD healing from uncommon periapt of wound closure, advantage on dex saving throw + shield mastery for 0 dmg dex saving throw, + sap master. Then modal options if you want to flip-the-switch to Reckless and brutal attacks. Then high mobility if you are unarmored, solid attribute char.... Ah yes: Lastly, The Piss Badger is a thorn in the side of many-a-PC

 

[ECMO3]

After more experience in 2024, If you are looking at a single classed fighter Sword and Board, I think the best is an Eldritch Knight with Warcaster and Hex through Fey Touched.

I think this because with sword and board you want to really cash in on your high AC, so Warcaster with Shield spell gives you a very high AC. At 9th level you can use Sap with any weapon making this even better. Getting Hex and combining it with the Eldritch Knight 7th level feature means you will stay ahead of a basic PAM sword and board. Using two feats on Int/Wisdom/Cha can be tough, but you get the extra feat so it is workable.

If you are not going to play an EK, then I would look at getting Defensive Dualist, which is going to tie you to a finesse weapon, and probably piercer to go with it.

 

[Zardnaar]

After more experience in 2024, If you are looking at a single classed fighter Sword and Board, I think the best is an Eldritch Knight with Warcaster and Hex through Fey Touched.

I think this because with sword and board you want to really cash in on your high AC, so Warcaster with Shield spell gives you a very high AC. At 9th level you can use Sap with any weapon making this even better. Getting Hex and combining it with the Eldritch Knight 7th level feature means you will stay ahead of a basic PAM sword and board. Using two feats on Int/Wisdom/Cha can be tough, but you get the extra feat so it is workable.

If you are not going to play an EK, then I would look at getting Defensive Dualist, which is going to tie you to a finesse weapon, and probably piercer to go with it.

This is our build. Depending on how strict DM is on VSM casting you take hex level 4 or warcaster then the other at lvl 6 then probably shadow touched at 8. 20 mental stat 3 feats plus origins.