WANTED Melee Types that stand up longer Apply Within

[Anditch]

I have been playing DnD with a group of 5 others for a combined total of around 70 years of play and have only now under the 3rd edition rules noticed how hard it is to be a melee type. Our group are steering away from them vowing not to play melee types. We are choosing casters and archers to try and live longer. Has anyone got any ideas on a character that is hard to kill. That is a great all rounder. good defence and attack. i dont mind what race or what class a hybrid type is good too (Hybrid is a melee who dabbles like a ranger or Pally) Also any ideas on magical items might help too .
THANKS ALL for any iteas

 

[Caliban]

Here's my PC, who has achieved a reputation for being able to stand toe to toe with just about anything for at least 10 rounds:

28 point buy, HP = Max at 1st level, 1/2 max +1 + (con bonus) after that.
Dwarf
11th level: ftr8/wiz1/def1/dev1

Str 14
Dex 14
Con 20 (16 base, +2 from level increases, +2 from Toad)
Int 14
Wis 10
Cha 8

HP: 127

AC: 28 base (+1 Called Full Plate, +1 Dex, +2 Ring of Protection, +2 Lg. Steel Shield, +1 amulet of Nat. Armor, +1 Dwarven Defender bonus)

AC increases:

+1 Dodge (one opponent only)
+4 (Haste/Boots of Speed)
+7 (Shield spell - off of scroll)
+5 (Expertise)
_________________

45 AC by Round 2 of combat.

+4 AC when Moving (mobility Feat) or when in Dwarven Defender Defensive Stance.

49 AC when needed.

Plus another 4 AC when fighting giants brings me to 53 AC, or 55 AC if I'm fighting Defensively on top of everything else.

He doesn't do as much damage as other fighters of his level (1d8+6 with his battleaxe), but he can stand toe to toe with multiple larger foes for 10+ rounds, which gives everyone else time to get their act together.

 

[BiggusGeekus]

If you are a fighter, Iron Will is not really an option.

Most of the melees I have seen drop from spells, not so much from hit pont loss (level 1-3 excepted)

 

[MarauderX]

I gotta really disagree that the melee types fall quicker than all the others. It all has to do with who gets attacked and by what. It might be the style of play and how you deal with enemies and what the DM has critters focus on when they face the PCs.

IMO the casters are far inferior to any walking tank and can't think of a level below 10th that an arcane caster can compete with a fighter. Having a strong front line is necessary, but they should expect to go it alone or wade into battle without some serious support by those casters.

gotta go, rant more later...

 

[Videssian]

Anditch, what do you have to work with? In other words, are you starting out at 1st with the gp that a 1st level character has, or are you starting out at a higher level (and corresponding higher gp value of stuff). Also, are you using a specific point-buy (28? 32? something else?). This kind of information will help us figure out what works best..

Using the same ECL and 28 point buy as Caliban's example, a combination that I'd like to try sometime is this:

28 point buy, HP = Max at 1st level, 1/2 max +1 +(CON mod)
Deep Gnome
8th Level: ftr 6, ill 1, bgn 1

Str 12
Dex 24 (base 20 +1 (@lvl 4) +1 (@ lvl 8) +2 (gloves))
Con 16 (base 14 +2 (toad))
Int 14
Wis 10
Cha 4

HP 68

AC 10 base
1 small size
1 deep gnome dodge vs all
6 celestial armor
5 mithril large shield +3
7 dex (includes gloves of dex +2)
2 ring of protection +2
2 amulet of natural armor +2
4 boots of speed (haste for up to 10 rounds)
--
38

This leaves 4980 gp for other stuff. At the price of lowering your AC by 1, you'd have 11980 gp, which would be enough for a +2 wpn plus almost 4000 gp extra.

The AC can be further modified circumstantially by:

1 dodge feat
4 mobility feat
7 improved expertise feat
--
50

In addition, if he is adjacent to one solid object like a wall, he gets a +2 dodge bonus. If he's adjacent to two such objects, it's a +4 dodge bonus. In addition, he could cast/read from scroll the shield spell. This all yields:

4 breachgnome dodge between 2 med+ size objects
7 shield spell
--
61 !

And if we assume that he has the weapon finesse feat and an appropriate weapon, then discounting any possible magic bonuses, he would have a Melee Attack or Ranged attacks of +15/+10, and saves of Fort +11, Ref +13, Will +6, all those possibly modified by additional feats.

I've got to try this combo sometime!

 

[ShadowX]

A very simple build is a fighter10\weaponmaster 10, using any weapon you like, though greatsword is recommended. Get feats that improve your criticals and your set.

 

[Caliban]

Anditch, what do you have to work with? In other words, are you starting out at 1st with the gp that a 1st level character has, or are you starting out at a higher level (and corresponding higher gp value of stuff). Also, are you using a specific point-buy (28? 32? something else?). This kind of information will help us figure out what works best..

Using the same ECL and 28 point buy as Caliban's example, a combination that I'd like to try sometime is this:

28 point buy, HP = Max at 1st level, 1/2 max +1 +(CON mod)
Deep Gnome
8th Level: ftr 6, ill 1, bgn 1

Err.. What the heck is a "breachgnome" and how did you afford all that equipment at only level 8?

 

[Endur]

Endur Stonehelm

My character can hold his own defensively against anybody (especially giants).

Endur Stonehelm
28 point buy, HP = Max at 1st level, 1/2 max +1 + (con bonus) after that.
Dwarf
10th level: Paladin 6/Fighter 1/Dwarven Defender 3
Str 14 +2 level increases = 16 + bulls strength
Dex 14 (+2 gloves) = 16
Con 16 (+2 bracers) = 18
Int 8
Wis 12
Chr 12 (+2 cloak) = 14
hp: 110 (130 in defensive stance)
Base AC: 28 including dodge
+1 mithril full plate, +1 large shield, +1 ring of protection
dodge feat (+1), dwarven defender bonus ac +1, dex 16 = +3

Situational
+4 vs. giants
+4 while in defensive stance
+4 while hasted (boots of speed)

In tough combats, a friendly spell caster will cast:
Magic Vestment +4 on armor and shield (net +6 to ac)
Barkskin +5 ac
to make the base ac 39 plus situational modifiers (up to a total of 53)

Endur also has the Close Quarters Fighting feat to keep the nasty improved grab monsters away.

Thanks to a magic battleaxe and a friendly bulls strength, Endur usally dishes out enough damage to seriously threaten monsters. Particularly when he reads a scroll of Holy Sword before the combat.


Tom

 

[Videssian]

Err.. What the heck is a "breachgnome" and how did you afford all that equipment at only level 8?

Caliban,
The breachgnome is a prestige class from Races of Faerun.

Remember that he's effectively level 11 (like your example).. 8 from levels, and 3 from his race (ECL+3). And using the table in the DMG, that means 66000 gp starting money..

 

[Old Fezziwig]

Err.. What the heck is a "breachgnome"?

The breachgnome is a prestige class in Races of Faerûn.

Best,
tKL

Edit: Oops. Videssian got there first...