Optimizing (sort of) a fighter

[motteditor]

Just trying to come up with some type of combat style (i.e. feats to aim for) for a fighter (a class I rarely play) for a two-player campaign.

The other PC is a witch, which means I kind of want my fighter to be an up-front combat character.

Ellyria is a half-elf whose parents were fairly successful adventurers until they went off with some companions to Chult and never came back. She didn't have her father's arcane skills, but learned swordplay from her mother. She grew up around adventurers, drinking in tales of derring-do and is now off to forge her own legacy.

We started at third-level (and are still there, having only played twice), so she's fighter 3 (though as her character developed, I realized she probably would have some bardic qualities -- mostly bardic knowledge -- so I'll probably have her next level be in that before returning to fighter).

As far as combat goes, she's pretty vanilla, with a long sword and shield. Stats are str 15, dex 16, con 15, int 13, wis 12, cha 15.

Her initial feats are dodge, weapon focus, power attack and -- for lack of anything else that appealed to me -- dazzling display. I think that somewhat fits the character, but I'm rarely going to exchange a full attack action for it; I don't think the DM would care if I change, since I've not actually used it yet.

Any thoughts on what to do with her. I'm also trying to avoid two-weapon fighting, since my character in our other campaign uses a pair of short swords. I've debated having her just be a jack of all trades -- focused a bit (i.e. weapon specialization) on long sword, but also having a couple archery feats, etc.

[Kingbreaker]

My only piece of optimization advice is to boost all of your ability scores to even levels - all bonuses (boni?) from abilities come on even numbers, and right now you've got a lot of ability points tied up in odd numbers not doing you any good. Did you roll these numbers or point-buy?

Other than that, it seems like RP flavor is fairly important to you - go with that!

[motteditor]

Kingbreaker wrote:

Did you roll these numbers or point-buy?

Rolled, hence all the odd numbers. Sometimes you get lucky, and sometimes you get Ellyria. : )

[MicMan]

For a quickfix I would drop Dazzling Display and take Cleave.

In a two party game with one squishy char and no healing a Fighter should not go the all out damage route but rather the protection route.

For this I suggest either sword and board to boost your own ac and make use of the shield feats or go with a tripping weapon (spike chain is nice) and specialize in that.

Tripping indeed can be great battlefield control if used with a reach weapon like a guisarme, but the downside is that for quite some time you can't use this against adjacent opponents, so it's best to avoid such an option for you because you can't hope to have a flanker ready that peels the mobs off you.

For a tripping build Improved Trip is a no-brainer and also anything that gives you additional attacks without worsening your BAB (two-weapon fighting therefore is not advised).

[Caineach]

Dazzling display is fun, especially with a witch friend. You can stack debuffs pretty solidly with evil eye and the witch will love the save penalties. If you take 2 levels of Barbarian, pick up intimidating glare, then you can get Deadly Stroke. Its not for everybody though.

If you replace Dazzling Display, I would not personally go for cleave because I don't care for the feat that much. I find I'm rarely in a situation to use it, bot others seem to disagree.

You do have the stats to do a tripping build. Combat expertise, imrpoved trip, and a guisarm would be pretty nice. Doesn't work too well with a longsword though, so those would be wasted feats.

A two weapon fighting sword and board character is what I would go for personally.

4th: improved shield bash
5th: TWF
6th: Shield Slam
7th: Improved Bull Rush
...

Annother option is to split your feats and pick up some ranged capabilities. You have decent stats for a bow user. Pick up PBS, Rapid Shot, Multishot, and Deadly Aim and you will be a solid switch hitter. I don't have the APG, but there are also some good options in there.

[motteditor]

Thanks, guys. Sword and shield does indeed sound like the way to go, though I might consider the trip (I think the guy who's DMing this campaign is working on a trip fighter in our other campaign, though).

I've also never been a big fan of cleave, since I just don't think it comes up that often (though I sort of remember it was tweaked in Pathfinder from 3.x, so maybe I should doublecheck that).

[S]

motteditor wrote:

I've also never been a big fan of cleave, since I just don't think it comes up that often (though I sort of remember it was tweaked in Pathfinder from 3.x, so maybe I should doublecheck that).

Pathfinder OGL wrote:

Cleave (Combat) - You can strike two adjacent foes with a single swing.
Prerequisites: Str 13, Power Attack, base attack bonus +1.

Benefit: As a standard action, you can make a single attack at your full base attack bonus against a foe within reach. If you hit, you deal damage normally and can make an additional attack (using your full base attack bonus) against a foe that is adjacent to the first and also within reach. You can only make one additional attack per round with this feat. When you use this feat, you take a –2 penalty to your Armor Class until your next turn.

So now Cleave comes up whenever you want to make a single attack vs multiple targets. The 3.5 version was better in certain circumstances, like when you had a large number of relatively weak opponents ganging up on you and the ability to make a full attack, but I prefer this version. It gives you an additional combat action to choose from, rather than an ability that only triggers when you get lucky. (Not that you can set yourself up for that kind of luck.)