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Okay so my main goal here is to make a character that isn't going to die. In the last 2 weeks both of my characters have died so i gotta come up with a concept. I was thinking Dwarf Fighter lvl 2 since I have GM credits saved up.
Dwarf Fighter Tower Shield Specialist LvL 2:
Stats (After Dwarf Mods)
Str:16
Dex:14
Con:16
Int:10
Wis:12
Cha:8
Feats: Dodge, Toughness, Shield Focus
Going into Combat Reflexes/Step Up/power Attack/Cleave
Equipment: Tower Shield,Banded Mail, Dwarven, Double Waraxe
Gonna save for masterwork Fullplate + Masterwork Tower Shield of course
AC: 25 = 5(Tower Shield and Shield Focus)+ 7(Banded Mail) + 1(Dex) + 1 Dodge + 1 for trait. 27 if fighting Defensively
Attack: Double Waraxe +3 (1d10+3) x3
Whole idea is basically to Plant The Shield and Make attacks of opportunity when they have to go around to hit you. Any ideas or suggestions please help
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When it comes to survivability I don't think anyone can argue with a Paladin. (Yes the internet will always argue with X no matter what X is.)
So let me make my case for a Paladin. Archer Paladin or otherwise. At level 2 you get Lay on Hands which is plus d6 hit points Cha mod all the time and you can help others. You get huge save bonuses. Also a pretty decent damage dealer.
Just my 2 cents. I don't really do the flat fighter. Good luck.
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Max dex on Banded mail is +1 and the same with Full plate. You are putting a lot into dex which is only going to help you with ranged and skills which you are already eating because of your ACP.
Toughness is OK. Dodge and shield focus I am unsure on. Generally speaking offensive feats are better than defensive. I think this is either on purpose. If you were impossible to hit it makes the game just drag. By forcing PC's and antagonists be offensive it speeds things up.
I would go power attack and weapon focus.
My level 3 archer Paladin is almost untouchable at 20 AC. Of course the tactics are different.
Hope that helps.
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bobox if you want a high ac fighter, go phalanx fighter. they gain access to reach weapons at 3rd while holding onto a tower shield. taking stand still and combat reflexes you can be a pretty bad ass main-liner. also i would go with a 16 strength and a 16 dex and have your racial bring up your con to a 16.
but if you really want to play a towershield specailist, ignore cleave and take combat expertise and disarm, dirty trick, trip or bull rush. play more of a utility character, and dont try to hit really hard.
RPG Superstar 2013 Top 32
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As a PFS GM, the most survivable characters I've seen tend to be summoners and archers. People in melee, even with high ACs, tend to get squished because of things like flanking and color spray.
I have never seen a Tower Shield Specialist played before. I'll be curious to see how that works out for you!
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I'd forego the tower shield thing(sorry, if you are hellbent on it), since it takes so long to get on the road and in the meantime you are making a disservice to the party by being a slow meatshield who rarely gets a hit in. If you want to go for survivability, I suggest getting a good starting Constitution(17-18), Toughness and Weapon Focus and picking Unbreakable Fighter from Ultimate Combat as an archetype. By level 5, get Steel Soul and your saves against most things will be massive, your hit point pool huge and your ability to outlast things remarkable and since Unbreakables never get Weapon Training, going for Stalwart Defender is a natural fit.
Now, I'm aware that Stalwart Defender is not at the top of the combat food chain by any stretch, but it does its job, staying alive and denying an enemy a strategic spot(a bridge, a hallway, maybe more with a reach weapon) darn well. You'll hit all the requirements easily by 7th level. Might be cool!
Another idea I had was to go with the Armored Hulk archetype. Prioritize Constitution here as well and go with pure barbarian all the way. The beauty of the barbarian is that you don't need to pick up fancy feats or a even invest in Str that much in order to hit and end things. Rage takes care of that and there's always Reckless Abandon for more accuracy to boot. This archetype has the potential for pretty massive health reserves and rages in heavy armor with a heavy shield in tow. Very surviveable.
Anyhow, if you don't want to go full barbarian, Armored Hulk lends itself well to a fighter dip - the Brawler archetype specifically. Brawler gives the character +1 to hit and +3 to damage with weapons in the close weapon group, namely shields and armor spikes. Then the feller starts grappling! Why? Well, grapple makes your foes resort to what's usually their worst weapon comparatively(player discretion applies, naturally), while you'll be both hard to kill and still just as, if not more, dangerous than in regular melee. Not many people, including GMs, seem to know that Armor Spikes allow for a free hit when starting a grapple. It's a nasty weapon made even nastier by Brawler. And you'll live to tell about it, unlike the party's monk.
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As a PFS GM, the most survivable characters I've seen tend to be summoners and archers. People in melee, even with high ACs, tend to get squished because of things like flanking and color spray.
I have never seen a Tower Shield Specialist played before. I'll be curious to see how that works out for you!
I kinda wish I could do an archer, since being able to slink away quietly when the party starts their descend to doom, usually after one or two newbies draw out their wands of cure and proceed to zap themselves, is something I lack with my current characters, but local parties need muscle unfortunately.
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Basically my group ends up using the healbot cleric as the tank, but since he wasn't planning on it he almost dies every session. I'm considering dropping the tower Shield and going the Phalanx route, since that way I'll actually be able to hit things. I kinda wanna stick with the fighter though I havent actually ever made one and trying to make this work. Loved the Steel Soul feat btw it is awesome! Also Looking at the inquisitor route with antagonize. Thnx for all of the imput and keep it coming.
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My favorite weapon for a dwarf fighter (or barbarian) is the dorn-dergar. It is two-handed, so you get 1.5x STR, and you can use it as a reach weapon or adjacent. At first, it is a move action to switch, but you can get the "Darting Viper" feat and change as a swift action. If you have the DEX to get two-weapon fighting, you can take another feat to use the dorn-dergar one-handed, but then switching styles would be a move action.
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Just a couple of points I want to make. If your going for a front liner that can just suck it up and keep going.
1 : AC is only good for the first few levels.(1-6)
2 : HP Are the most important thing for survival. Because when you run out your down, or dead.
3 : How many times do you see AoE damage taking place. If you encounter this much. Evasion and a good Ref save is more important then AC. (This is more for levels 6+.)
4 : Saves are more important then AC. One failed save can end your characters career.
Moral of the story there are meny things more important then AC.
My standard for this type of character. Has not changed for a long time. The build looks messed up and it is. But the combination of ability's work.
Paladin 3 / Rogue 3 / Fighter (Lore Warden) 6
The Lore Warden was added much later. When I first made the character was just fighter.
The brake down of the main ability's your looking for.
Paladin (Cha to saves, immunity to fear, & dease, Wand usage.)
Rogue (Evasion, UMD class skill.)
Fighter (Damage)
Secondary ability's that are nice. They are not the main focus of what your looking for.
Paladin (Lay on Hands, Smite Evil.)
Rogue (Extra Skill points, 2D6 sneak attack damage.)
Fighter (Lore Warden) (Extra skill points, Higher CMB & CMD.)
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There is always the option of focusing on fighting with a Heavy Steel shield. With Improved Shield Bash, you will keep the AC bonus, and you can nab Shield Master to use the enhancement bonus to attacks.
You can also grip it with two hands to power attack with extra damage.
If go this path with Ranger, you can invest less in dex, and get Shield Master early.
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Improved Shield Bash (Combat)
You can protect yourself with your shield, even if you use it to attack.
Prerequisite: Shield Proficiency.
Benefit: When you perform a shield bash, you may still apply the shield's shield bonus to your AC.
Normal: Without this feat, a character that performs a shield bash loses the shield's shield bonus to AC until his next turn (see Equipment).
Shield of Swings (Combat)
A wild frenzy of attacks serves to bolster your defenses.
Prerequisites: Str 13, Power Attack, base attack bonus +1.
Benefit: When you take a full-attack action while wielding a two-handed weapon, you can choose to reduce the damage by 1/2 to gain a +4 shield bonus to AC and CMD until the beginning of your next turn. The reduction in damage applies until the beginning of your next turn.
Shield Slam (Combat)
In the right position, your shield can be used to send opponents flying.
Prerequisites: Improved Shield Bash, Shield Proficiency, Two-Weapon Fighting, base attack bonus +6.
Benefit: Any opponents hit by your shield bash are also hit with a free bull rush attack, substituting your attack roll for the combat maneuver check (see Combat). This bull rush does not provoke an attack of opportunity. Opponents who cannot move back due to a wall or other surface are knocked prone after moving the maximum possible distance. You may choose to move with your target if you are able to take a 5-foot step or to spend an action to move this turn.
Combine those three and you have some decent (IMO) field control without loosing AC.
