Sword & Shield Fighter build

[nittanytbone]

Thanks again for the pointers. Right now I´m thinking that the most attractive thing could be an UA Variant: exchange bonus feats for sneak attack damage. Along with two flaws to buy the PHBII shield feats, I could be a nasty "Sword&Boarder". With the regular feats I´d be aiming for the spring attack and blitz tree.

I'd skip the Spring Attack tree. It has poor synergy with TWF.

To TWF effectively, you need to make a full attack. The basic premise of Spring Attack is to only make a standard action attack. Thus, your two feat intensive chains are mutually exclusive.

Also, you're focusing a lot on enhancing your defense through your shield. You don't need to focus even more resources into defense (spring attack).

Why not front load some levels of rogue? You'd get much better skills (including tumble), the sneak attack, and evasion, all at the cost of +1 BAB. Not bad, IMHO.

 

[frankthedm]

Shield ward as Klaus said above.

Really an excellent sword and board feat, nearly as required as Natural spell for a druid.

Then that is too good for a feat. While I will agree touch attacks, notably rays, hit way, way, way too often, something that changes the dynamics of the game that much should be a quality of shields, not a feat. If the user of the feat had to let the shield suffer the results of those touch attacks as an unattended object, it would be far more reasonable.

 

[EyeontheMountain]

Then that is too good for a feat. While I will agree touch attacks, notably rays, hit way, way, way too often, something that changes the dynamics of the game that much should be a quality of shields, not a feat. If the user of the feat had to let the shield suffer the results of those touch attacks as an unattended object, it would be far more reasonable.

Depends on how much you dislike the current touch spell mechanics. INHO, touch spells are out of hand, as it is very hard to get a touch ac in the high teens, let alone into the 20s where a medium level mage even has to worry about missing with a touch attack.

WOTC made the touch attack and ranged touch attack spells as a balancing mechanism (for both spells and some feats/special abilities), and except for the automatic 5% chance to miss, most touch attacks have a no greater chance of missing. I can actually live with that with spells, but with special combat abilities, (where Full-BAB is the norm), it is too easy. Fighters should have a decent chance of outright avoiding these abilities, rather than having to rely on opposed rolls to not be hosed (trip, grapple anyone?)

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

In our Shackled City Campaign, I play a Sword and Board fighter. Keep in mind that I "cheated" at higher levels and picked up an Animated Shield, so I could use my main weapon two-handed.

I did not pick up the Weapon Focus feat chain. Instead, I concentrated on getting basically all the other fighter bonus feats out there (with, naturally, a lot of exceptions).

Combat Expertise, Improved Trip, Combat Reflexes, Improved Unarmed, Improved Grapple (very useful under the right circumstances), Defensive Throw* (Complete Warrior), Dodge, Mobility, Blind Fight, Quick Draw, Defensive Sweep (PHB II, very recent addition to the character) and some none-fighter bonus feats: Run, Iron Will (with 25 point buy, I had to sacrifice wisdom and charisma)

The net result was that I was prepared for most types of enemies. I could run to catch enemy archers or wizards (without opening myself up to sneak attacks or other nasty effects). I can go into grapple against a lot of dangerous opponents (especially spellcasters).
I can always draw the weapon I need for the job (Holy Cold Iron Longsword +2 is my primary weapons, but if required, I can pick up my Admantite Battleaxe of Construct Bane or my Silver Guisarme of Undead Bane).

*For use of Defensive Throw, I suggest using a tripping weapon as primary weapon (Flail). Thanks to the Cheating, err Animated Shield, I can use my unarmed attack to trip missing opponents, but normally, you would (depending on your DM's interpretation) not allowed to make trip attack while wielding a weapon.

At this level, I am actually considering if I should try to pick up Weaon Focus, but I decided against it - it is against the concept of the fighter and it would also take to long to get a significant benefit from it. I instead picked up a home brew PrC, Master of Martial Arts (http://www.gweb.de/ttt/news/news.php?exns=1&xnsmid=7), which grants some nice benefits along the theme of my Fighter (1-3/day a bonus feat for one encounter, improved unarmed damage and combat speed, AC Bonus when fighting lightly armed - everything to be prepared in situations where you aren't actually prepared...)

So, my advice: If you want more than just hitting the hardest and instead want to experiment (and "win") with combat techniques available in D&D, ignore Weapon Focus and instead focus on all the nice Improved [Insert Combat Option here] feats. If you want to focus a bit more on your shield, the Shield Specialisation feat chain is certainly a good choice (and it can be combined with the combat technique feats, you just have to be a more picky)

 

[brendan candries]

Paladin (or Cleric for that matter) also opens up Divine Shield through turn undead.

Duration is half character level, so dipping in other classes is no real problem.

You do need a high cha though (for more uses and increasing the effect of the feat).

 

[Ryngard]

PH2 added a LOT of shield lovin. I'm playing a Knight who is awesome with his shield.

Also if you use Weapons of Legacy check out Quickspur's Ally. Its SWEET.