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OK this will be a brand new campaign that I FINALLY got into after a long wait. We are playing a party of 3 and I am unsure as to what the other PCs will be but the GM said not to worry about balance he will help provide what we are short on.
I've never played a melee combatant before (it has always been a Ranger or Caster). Give my build and ideas a look over and offer some advice to help make my character a melee monster.
Level 1 Half-Orc Fighter
Chaotic Neutral
25 point buy
Str=16+2=18
Dex=16
Con=14
Int=13
Wis=11
Cha=7
Fort=+4
Reflex=+3
Will=0
BAB=+1
CMB=+5
Initiative=+3
AC=20=10+6(Breastplate)+1(Light Steel Shield)+3(Dex)
Touch=13
Flat-Footed=17
CMD=+18
Feats:
Two Weapon Fighting
Improved Shield Bash
Equipment:
Flail +3 1d8+4
Heavy Flail +5 1d10+6
QD Light Steel Shield w/Spikes +3 1d4+4
Breastplate w/Spikes 1d6+4 (on Grapple)
Javalin x5 +4 1d6+4
The goal here is for this character to be as big of a threat as possible. I am going to focus on largely using Flail+Shield but I have the Heavy Flail if I'm fighting something that may not hit as hard. I guess as I advance I will more than likely take Combat Expertise, Shield Focus, the Shield Bash chain, Improved Trip chain, Two Weapon Fighting chain (not sure if 2WD stacks with the shield), etc. I'd like this character to dish out pain while also having the capability of playing some crowd control with trip and some Combat Maneuvers.
Can you guys recommend something/anything to help accomplish this goal?
Thanks in advance!
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Is there a flavor/Char Dev reason to take all of the shield feats? If so, stay with the shield; however, I would think Two-Weapon Defense would be a better choice. You could use a Orc Double Axe and still get a +1 shield bonus to AC. Alternately, for a feat, you could go Dire Flail. You keep the Disarm and Trip ability, but get the added bonus of two handed weapon damage.
You can take 2WD with the shield. Atleast that is the common belief here. The shield feats are one of the best ways to build a fighter I think...with the flail and shield I get attacks, trip, disarm and then the shield bash/overrun/bullrush option along the way. In all honesty I could go double weapon, but I don't think the damage I would do with the double weapon would be worth it in the long run.
I believe (and others can tell me if I am wrong) that because 2WD gives a shield bonus:
(Gain +1 shield bonus when fighting with two weapons
Prequisitites: Two-Weapon Fighting
Benefit: When wielding a double weapon or two weapons (not including natural weapons or unarmed strikes), you gain a +1 shield bonus to your AC.)
You cannot use it with a shield. It is doubling up on shield bonus which you cannot do.
Also look at Phalanx fighter builder. The reach and shield is nice with trip and combat reflexes, especially since nothing says you cannot use your shield as main hand when the target is next to you.
I think the core rulebook says that shield bash attacks are always off hand so add half damage. This is in the shildbash rules.
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I believe (and others can tell me if I am wrong) that because 2WD gives a shield bonus:
(Gain +1 shield bonus when fighting with two weapons
Prequisitites: Two-Weapon Fighting
Benefit: When wielding a double weapon or two weapons (not including natural weapons or unarmed strikes), you gain a +1 shield bonus to your AC.)You cannot use it with a shield. It is doubling up on shield bonus which you cannot do.
Also look at Phalanx fighter builder. The reach and shield is nice with trip and combat reflexes, especially since nothing says you cannot use your shield as main hand when the target is next to you.
I looked at the Phalanx Fighter build but I just didn't think it was up to par with building a Fighter myself. The loss of Armor training for the Phalanx alternatives seem kinda meh.
the ability to trade reach for armor training is stylistic i understad, but When you wear a mithril BP instead of fullplate have a shield, able to make huge amounts of AoO, it comes down to style. you lose 3 ac from plate if you were a standard polearm wielder, the fact that you can do both polearm and shield is where the value lies here. I use them as NPC guards as a DM but love the hoplite or Troy/300 feel of them. it is more a control build then anything else for the fighter.
doctor_wu, Yesterday, 05:18 PM
I think the core rulebook says that shield bash attacks are always off hand so add half damage. This is in the shildbash rules.
I looked through the rules and did not find anything that specifically said it could only be offend, it was mostly mentioned in cases of dealing with shield bash and keeping ac. Shields can be made into magical weapons, and thus be considers a weapon so no reason it cannot be a primary weapon if you wanted it be.
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the ability to trade reach for armor training is stylistic i understad, but When you wear a mithril BP instead of fullplate have a shield, able to make huge amounts of AoO, it comes down to style. you lose 3 ac from plate if you were a standard polearm wielder, the fact that you can do both polearm and shield is where the value lies here. I use them as NPC guards as a DM but love the hoplite or Troy/300 feel of them. it is more a control build then anything else for the fighter.
doctor_wu, Yesterday, 05:18 PM
I think the core rulebook says that shield bash attacks are always off hand so add half damage. This is in the shildbash rules.
I looked through the rules and did not find anything that specifically said it could only be offend, it was mostly mentioned in cases of dealing with shield bash and keeping ac. Shields can be made into magical weapons, and thus be considers a weapon so no reason it cannot be a primary weapon if you wanted it be.
Yea the offhand debate is a good one because more than once I've seen it pop up in regards to asking if you could dual wield two shields and make a 100% shieldbash/overrun/bullrush fighter. Its a fun concept but I don't see how it would work (and obviously you wouldn't get armor from both).
I like the idea of the Phalanx, but seeing as I don't know how long this campaign will last I really want my character to be good from level 1. The Phalanx suffers until it can use polearms with one hand and I think that is level 3.
The other post you are in summed it up...if you like romans hehe...I play with a group where we are more storyline centric on our character builds than minmax so stylized shield fighter at some losses by specializing is how we play.