Dwarf or human fighter help.........

[Clangador]

I am making dwarf fighter (for myself) & a human fighter (for my son) for a PF game this weekend.

What are some good builds for these two race and class combos.

We are starting at 1st level.

[VRMH]

If the two of you are going to work together, then the teamwork feats might be very interesting.

[Bertious]

I'd consider a dwarven reach/trip fighter (combat reflexes) with a horsechopper ("I took me a trophy from the biggest darn goblin you've ever seen!") and a human archer that way the archer can sit just behind the dwarf and be protected by his AoO radius.

[Truesight]

20 point buys:
Dwarf:
Strength 16
Dexterity 14
Constitution 16
Intelligence 10
Wisdom 12
Charisma 8

Feats: Power attack, Steel soul

Traits: Glory of Old.

Get a warhammer/ dwarven waraxe and shield, enjoy your +5 to saves against spells/ spell like abilities and poisons. You will be impossible to deal with at level 1, and very hard even in later levels.

Human:
Strength 14
Dexterity 18
Constitution 14
Intelligence 10
Wisdom 12
Charisma 8

Feats: Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Rapid Shot.
Traits: Reactive

Get a Masterwork Composite +2 Longbow if you can, and Rapid shot everything every round every combat.

Honestly just with those two on the field alone you just beat any 1st level module combats out there.

[Bertious]

Truesight's builds look good to me although i would take Phalanx Soldier on the dwarf so at level 3 you can use a polearm and shield.

[sunbeam]

Is this for a long term game? I ask this, because I personally tend to want to take these feats, which are not fighter feats. That makes it necessary to plan ahead.

Iron Will
Improved Iron Will
Toughness

With a dwarf I really like these feats:

Steel Soul (+4 instead of +2 against spells and spell like abilities)
Improved Stonecunning (prereq for Stone Sense)
Stone Sense (Tremorsense 10 feet)

That is a lot of feats devoted to saves, and one to hp's. In my experience it is worth it in the long haul. Even with the good save I might take Great Fortitude too.

The Improved Stonecunning/Tremorsense thing takes a long time, but I think it is worth it. Someone could make a case you could spend the feats more wisely, or get the benefit by multiclassing, which is true.

If you are using traits I really like these:

Indomitable Faith

and either Dangerously Curious or Reactionary

(Will eventually take Improved Initiative with Fighter feats or general feats)

As far as fighter go, personally unless you have a specific thing in mind the regular Fighter or Two Handed Fighter is the way to go all round.

If your son doesn't have a lot of experience, might I suggest you make him a barbarian? If you do a search for AM Barbarian you will find a build that is really god at high levels, and good at low levels. You don't have to follow what he did religiously, though it is pretty obvious any barbarian is going to take a lot of the same feats.

If you go that way I'd have the human be the barbarian, and use the Invulnerable Rager archetype. You'll be beast totem, and use your human class bonus on the superstition bonus.

Hope this wasn't too long winded. Not much to say about combat, as a fighter you can be good melee and either ranged or charging (Rough Rider might be interesting with some of the regional traits if you go that way). Barbarian will be a melee for the most part, but a very good one. There are some good two weapon builds out there, but I tend not to spend feats on that and go with a two handed weapon.

[Telvent the Tame]

If you two have a shared backstory and you are looking to have some fun role playing consider playing the same “type” of fighter and competing.

My PFS char is a dwarf fighter specializing in range attacks with a bow. My friend is playing his brother, a ranger specializing in ranged attacks with a crossbow. The two are competing to see who is the better “death from afar” warrior.

The role play is a lot of fun and we have a rounded group with two other tanks up front so the overall impact to survivability was fairly low, which is why we felt ok with this choice.

I have to say it is one of the most fun relationships I have ever role played due in huge part to the group being encouraging and enjoying the exchanges. Sometimes when in a fight, and not at legitimate risk of someone dying, one of us will delay until the other is attacking and CMB bump to him to make him miss. We as players never do this when it may result in the group being at risk, but it is a mechanic that adds to the role play and the entire tables enjoys watching us go after each other from time to time.

[Thalin]

My favorite is the "trip monkey"
Dwarf polearm fighter
Str: 16
Int: 14
Wis: 14
Dex: 14
Con: 14
Chr: 5 (if you're opposed to stat dump, 13 int 12 Wis).

1) Combat Reflexes, Dodge
2) Combat Expertise
3) Mobility
4) Switch Combat Reflex for Spring attack, Whirlwind
5) Combat Reflexes
6) Improves Trip
7) Greater
8) Lunge
9) Steely Soul

Makes an amazing tank, and the one specialist straight-fighters do best. Dwarf shores up the fighter weakness of saves.

Sword-and-board is done better as a ranger 6 / fighter 1. Archery is done better by Zen Archers, and rangers. Damage output Barbarians tend to be best.

[Dragonchess Player]

For some good synergies, I'd look at a dwarf phalanx soldier fighter (as a tank and tripper using a hooked lance, with javelins/amenta as a ranged option; possibly looking to prestige into stalwart defender) and human tactician fighter (as a switch-hitter archer/two-handed weapon type) combo. The phalanx soldier (especially with a reach weapon and levels in stalwart defender) can do pretty well at non-magical battlefield control and decent damage, while the tactician takes advantage of the situation and has more options outside of combat. I'll have to play around with the concepts a bit (work out 1st level choices and progression), but there seem to be a lot of possibilities.

For a simpler pairing, you could go with a dwarf two-weapon warrior (waraxe/spiked shield for a tank/shield basher; waraxe/gladius or other weapon combination for straight damage) and human two-handed fighter (scythe for a tripper and critical damage; bardiche for straight damage and criticals) or thunderstriker (for a slightly more defensive style). There's a bit less teamwork involved, so they'd be rather more straightforward (which may be a benefit, depending on your son's play style).

[Orc Boyz]

you want the dwarven racial feat that increases your saves against spell and spelllike abilities by +2 more. then i would suggest iron will and improved iron will. they are very powerful feats that get over looked quite often.

[sunbeam]

I took a second look at the traits.

There was one trait I forgot, because the name is so similar to the elf one.

"Glory of Old (Dwarf)

In your veins flows the blood of dwarven heroes from Tar Taargadth.

Benefit: You receive a +1 trait bonus on saving throws against spells, spell-like abilities, and poison."

So with Steel Soul and this trait (if you use traits), you are +5 against spells and spell like abilities.

I believe in saves so strongly (particularly will), that I would probably take the Indomitable Faith too (maybe I love UMD though).

So relatively quickly if you took Steel Soul at level 1, and Iron Will later, you could be at (4 Steel Soul + 1 Glory of Old + 1 Indomitable Faith + 2 Iron Will + 1 Fighter Class = +9 on will saves as a dwarf fighter by level 3, not considering stat bonuses. Granted a lot of that only applies to spells and spell like abilities, but that is most instances where you make a will save.

[Dragonchess Player]

Dwarf Fighter (Phalanx Soldier) 1
15 Str, 14 Dex, 16 Con (+2 race), 13 Int, 12 Wis (+2 race), 8 Cha (-2 race)
Alternate Racial Traits: Craftsman (replaces Greed), Rock Stepper (Advanced Race Guide; ignore difficult terrain from rubble, broken ground, or steep stairs when taking a 5 ft step; replaces Stonecunning), Stubborn (replaces Hardy)
Skills: Craft (Armor) 1 (+7), Craft (Weapons) 1 (+7), Knowledge (Dungeoneering) 1 (+5)
Traits (if allowed): Courageous, Tunnel Fighter
Feats: Combat Expertise, Improved Trip
Gear (175 gp): Four-mirror Armor (Ultimate Combat; +6 Armor, +2 Max Dex; 45 gp), Heavy Wooden Shield (7 gp), 6 Amenta-wound Javelins (Ultimate Combat; 50 ft range increment; 6 gp), Hooked Lance (Ultimate Combat; 1d8 (P), x4, reach, trip; 3 gp), Gladius (Ultimate Combat; 1d6 (P or S), 19-20/x2, counts as short sword for feats; 15 gp), Dwarven Boulder Helmet (Advanced Race Guide; 1d4 (B), x2, +2 AC vs. critical hit confirmation rolls; 20 gp), 79 gp of other equipment (as desired)

Use javelins for ranged; switch to hooked lance for melee (use dwarven boulder helmet if opponents get inside reach), or heavy shield and gladius for higher AC. After 3rd level (when Phalanx Fighting is gained), switch to using the heavy shield at all times.

Suggested Progression:
2nd- Toughness
3rd- Combat Reflexes
4th- + 1 Str; Step Up
5th- Following Step
6th- Dodge
7th- Endurance
Stalwart Defender
1st- +1 Str
2nd- Step Up and Strike (take Bulwark as your Defensive Power)
4th- Greater Trip (take Halting Blow as your Defensive Power)

[Dragonchess Player]

Human Fighter (Tactician) 1
16 Str (+2 race), 15 Dex, 14 Con, 13 Int, 12 Wis, 8 Cha
Alternate Racial Trait: Adoptive Parentage (Advance Race Guide; start with another humanoid race's languages and weapon familiarity (dwarf of course); replaces bonus feat)
Skills: Climb 1 (+7), Diplomacy 1 (+3), Knowledge (Geography) 1 (+5), Knowledge (Dungeoneering) 1 (+5), Sense Motive 1 (+5), Swim 1 (+7)
Traits (if allowed): Adopted (Dwarf; Tunnel Fighter), Birthmark
Feats: Fast Learner (Advanced Race Guide; gain both +1 hp and +1 skill rank favored class bonus)
Gear: Kikko Armor (Ultimate Combat; +5 Armor, +4 Max Dex, -3 Armor Check; 30 gp), Short Bow (30 gp), 20 Arrows (1 gp), Dwarven Longhammer (Advanced Race Guide; 2d6 (B), x3, reach; 70 gp), Gladius (Ultimate Combat; 1d6 (P or S), 19-20/x2, counts as short sword for feats; 15 gp), 29 gp of other equipment (as desired)

Use short bow for ranged (upgrade to a composite longbow ASAP); switch to dwarven longhammer for melee (use gladius if opponents get inside reach; acquire a quickdraw shield and possibly a dwarven waraxe by 6th level). Stay close to dwarf phalanx soldier to double-team opponents. Upgrade armor to a mithral breastplate when you can afford it.

Suggested Progression:
2nd- Point Blank Shot
3rd- Power Attack
4th- +1 Dex; Rapid Shot
5th- Tandem Trip*
6th- Quick Draw
7th- Furious Focus
8th- +1 Str; Iron Will
9th- Pack Attack
10th- Heroic Will
11th- Paired Opportunists*

*- It may be worthwhile for the dwarf phalanx soldier to take one or both of these teamwork feats by taking an extra fighter level or two.