Trying to make Spartacus - Opinions on this build?

[Zark]

I agree with synjon and Mike Schneider. He has barbarian levels.
I would say he started out as a barbarian then got some fighter levels.

Edit:
I think 15 con is enough so you can get ranging vitality.
Char 12 or 13, but 12 is enough. The reason why people listen to him and why girls like him is not only his charisma, but his fame. He is famous and a skilled at killing people.

Int and wis, I agree with synjon:
"INT of maybe 12 - he's reasonably intelligent, but there's nothing to indicate anything extraordinary; WIS only 9 or 10 - he may have decent ranks in perception, but he clearly doesn't know how to read people or make smart decisions"

I would however say, he can make smart decisions. Smart as in intelligent, but he doesn't make many wise decisions. Wise as in as in Wisdom.

So
int: 10 - 13, probably 12.
Wis: 8- 10, You could drop it to 7 but you have a game to play. If you do pick a trait that gives yo a bonus vs. fear. If is now coward.
Con 14 or 15 if you want ranging vitality. I wouldn't go higher than 16 con.

The rest to str and dex as you like. I probably boost str more than dex. He does get beat up often.
At level 4 you can boost dex and pick TWF as a bonus fighter feat.

I wouldn't specialize in one weapon. He seems to be able to use any light or one handed weapon. So I wouldn't pick weapon specialization. If you do pick weapon specialization pick a light weapon and dual wield two light weapons of the same kind.

[Riku Riekkinen]

I could also buy Spartacus as Ranger/Paladin. I mean he had to disobey the law by escaping or continue killing for the regiment (law or good).

Also his main opponent was clearly evil. Crassus reinvented decimation (killing every tenth of own soldiers to keep them in the line) and them crucified thousands of slaves after the war. Also he was so famously greedy that Parthians molded gold to his mouth after his death (which inspired the Mammon ritual for Pathfinder I think). Well in fact most adventure paths don't have as evil BBEG IMHO.

Haven't watched the series in the question though...

[STR Ranger]

Mike Schneider wrote:

*Jeez*

Watch the show, guys.

He rages.

I agree, but the OP stated he prefers pure fighter.

Using touch of Rage on himself could be seen as a rage ability.

To properly do a Level 20 Progression
I'd probably do a Barbarian/Lore Warden Multiclass

Maybe
Human, Heart of The Wilderness (add 1/2 Char level to determine negative.HP to kill him)
Str 14
Dex 15 (17)
Con 17 (20)
Int 10
Wis 9
Cha 12
Traits- Indomidable Will (+1 Will save)
Optimistic Gambler (Morale Bonuses persist for 1d4 rounds- I.E. rage)
Invulnerable Rager H- [Racial Heritage, Power Attack
Invulnerable Rager 2 - Reckless Abandon
Lore Warden- Raging Vitality, B- TWF
Lore Warden- Combat Expertise, Improved Trip
Lore Warden

[STR Ranger]

Mike Schneider wrote:

*Jeez*

Watch the show, guys.

He rages.

I agree, but the OP stated he prefers pure fighter.

Using touch of Rage on himself could be seen as a rage ability.

To properly do a Level 20 Progression
I'd probably do a Barbarian/Lore Warden Multiclass

Maybe
Human, Heart of The Wilderness (add 1/2 Char level to determine negative.HP to kill him)
Str 14
Dex 15 (17)
Con 17 (20)
Int 10
Wis 9
Cha 12
Traits-
Indomidable Will (+1 Will save)He's not perceptive but stubborn

Optimistic Gambler (Morale Bonuses persist for 1d4 rounds- I.E. this grants 1-4 free rage rounds everytime you dismiss rage)

The Build:(Current Style Sword and Board)
1Invulnerable Rager-Rage, Fast MovtH-Racial Heritage (orc), Power Attack
2Invulnerable Rager 2 - DR1/-Knockdown
The First 2 levels are Before He was Captured. The Rest Is him gaining more skill at the Ludas.

3Lore Warden1- B- TWF, Endurance
4Lore Warden2- Combat Expertise, Diehard
5Lore Warden3- Maneuver Mastery (Ex) +2, Weapon Focus: Gladius
6Lore Warden4- Improved Disarm
7Lore Warden5- Weapon Training- Light Blades, Deathless Initiate
8Lore Warden6- ITWF
9Lore Warden7- Maneuver Mastery (Ex) +4, Know thy Enemy, Breakguard
10Lore Warden8- Weapon Specialisation-Gladius
11Lore Warden9- Weapon Training- Bows, Dazing Assault
12Lore Warden10-Gtr Weapon Focus-Gladuis
13Lore Warden11- Hair's Breath, Maneuver Mastery (Ex) +6, Extra Rage
14Lore Warden12- Pindown

This is a far as I reckon he'd could be at the end of the season. More likely around level 10.

So I'd get Duelist Gloves ASAP. to make Weapon Training go to +4 with Gladius and +3With Bows.
You'll not I did not take Doubleslice Early. That's cause it's a crap feat that only applies damage to offhand attacks. Weapon Spec is Better.
Take it as a preq for Two Weapon Rend.

Now Moving sucks for you, Damage wise.
So when you close I'd use Knockdown to trip them (Manuver Mastery works here, have Dazing Assault on, now they have to Beat a CM AND save or be Dazed) and then Full Attack TWF on your next Turn, with a disarm on your First OFFHAND attack (Because the attack roll is the same as the primary, but your main hand does more damage.) and Breakguard gives you the attack back. If they were initially tripped they are at -4AC. Have Dazing Assault on. If they beat the trip and saved they can stand, Don't Forget standing up provokes. Dazing AOO.

As you level the most important things to pump up are STR and CON. Str for Damage and Con for HP and Rage Rounds. When you are negative HP you get +2 attack and Damage and add 1/2 your level to the damage needed to kill you.

AT 15 go:
15Lore Warden13- Weapon Training- Close, Raging Brutality
16Lore Warden14- Doubleslice
17Lore Warden15- SWIFT LORE!!, Maneuver Mastery (Ex) +8, Two Weapon Rend

This will let you blow Rage Rounds to add your CON Bonus to all Attacks!!! I'd stop at Lore Warden 15 since it has no more abilities to Offer, except weapon training at Char level 19.
Switch Back to Barbarain for levels 18,19,20

Now the question? WHY didn't you take Raging Vitality.
The Answer: Optimistic Gambler
Now when you get knocked to 0, roll a D4
Your Rage will persist for 1to 4 rounds and Deathless Initiate Kicked in
(+2Attack and Damage). You keep full attacking and kindly ask Mister Cleric to Heal you. Heart of the Wilderness gives you some Padding when you temp HP go away and you won't die (yet)

[Midnight-Gamer]

I think you original build could work if you add in Toughness and favored class hp bonuses. I agree with others in that I think if you have to dump a stat, it would be wisdom.

Toughness, Iron Will, Improved Iron Will could shore those up without hurting your offense too badly, that is, if you go straight fighter. I could see mixing in Barbarian though. If you take Barbarian, go for the trait that allows knocks downs, that could save you a feat.

[synjon]

I'm not going to mess with all the numbers and details - it's way to late for me, and I need to get to bed soon.

If you're looking for a Spartacus character true to the Starz! tv show, I would say you go with 2 lvls or so of barbarian (in the first couple episodes, he wasn't a total wuss, just not as good as a well-trained soldier or gladiator). After that, you look for a fighter with TWF and build from there, keeping in mind that he started out with sword and shield training (shield bash for 2nd attack), and moved onto the two swords after becoming champion. By the end of season 1, I'm guessing you've got a human barbarian 2/ fighter 6-8.

If you just want a min/max power dump (not that I'm necessarily against that), then many of the ideas above would work fine.

BTW, such a shame that Andy Whitfield passed... RIP.

[lwfloranzo]

I was actually looking for a Spartacus-based RPG game my group and I could try when I stumbled across your post. I've looked at the Gladiator from Pathfinder (both ones that Paizo made, and ones other users have made) and found it lacking in historical (or even show) accuracy. For example, most have a lack of mentioning the different fighting styles that gladiators could be assigned to learn by their Dominus or Doctore. As such, I've elected to create my own gladiator class (likely to be used only by my group) but will happily post it here if anyone else wants to use it. For clarification, the fighting style that Spartacus (and Gannicus) uses is called dimachaerus, one of the forms my build of a gladiator class will feature as an option (to be selected or "assigned" by DM at level 1). I featured fast progressions for fort, ref, and base attack, as the show shows a LOT of people dodging things that would require a high reflex save (and possibly evasion?). Unfortunately, not everyone in my group has as much knowledge as I do about gladiators, and I fully intend to run a gladiator campaign at some point, so it's taking me some time to go through the class abilities, making sure that I include enough information that even a new player who has perhaps never heard of gladiators before can pick up the class and have a basic concept of what the character is capable of.