i think str fighters are much more effective. i wish fighters could do it well, but just seems like rogue is a better option for that sort of theme.
In combat, a fighter built swashbuckler could do just as well, but out of combat, the weaknesses of the build would become clear rather quickly. Swashbucklers almost always have far more out of combat skills and capabilities than the fighter class really allows for.
The lack of skill points and class skills would come back to bite the build hard. There are feats that can cover it to a point, but the fighter doesn't get anymore of those types of feats than anyone else; all of their bonus feats are combat feats. You could make it work for a level or two probably, but anything more than that, and the limitations of the skill points and class skills would become more than anything a few feats could cover. The fighter class is simply not built to even attempt to mimic a skill using class, and swashbucklers require skills as much as they do combat prowess.
If you want to start from a full BAB class, a ranger would be a far better fit. They have the class skills, skill points, and the combat style, so it can support the concept much better from the very start, and you can throw on an appropriate archetype to focus the class abilities even more.
I'm not really sure what's keeping people from making a Swashbuckler type character with the fighter?
Instead of focusing on strength just focus on Dex, Cha, and maybe a little bit of Intelligence so you can take the Expertise feats.
Swashbucklers bring to mind effortlessly swinging from boat lines with an expertly-wielded single light bladed weapon (rapier is the first weapon that pops into mind) in hand/teeth so they can rescue damsels (ever in distress, why oh why can you not solve your own problems damsels?) and woo them with their charm.
Let's imagine that the front runners are the fighter and rogue:
Rapier - Useable by both classes.
"Expertly-wielded" - The fighter gets the nod for being a full BAB class with weapon training.
Swinging about - Acrobatics would be needed here and it is a class skill for a rogue. Add in evasion and improved uncanny dodge and you're golden.
Skills - The rogue is king here both for number and for access to things like bluff, climb, and swim.
Traits - Rogue has some fun options here for different interpretations.
Armour/Shields - They can both don light armour.
Feats - Fighter are the kings of feats, which permits them to dance around any feat build one might imagine.
Archetypes - Some really nice options here. Rogue has a few obvious ones including pirate and swashbuckler.
* All in all I think they both have a great deal to offer, depending on one's interpretation of what is of utmost importance to solidify the build, and play style that fits in best with your group.
Or use the 3.5 swashbuckler to make a swashbuckler, and make alterations for balance as needed.
Reinventing the wheel, it does not have to be done.
If I was building a swashbuckler concept my base class would be:
Gunslinger!
- Full BAB.
- DEX fixated more than any class in the game, ever was or will be. Add to that nimble and higher reflex save and this is a hard class to tag.
- Sexy hit points.
- Decent skill points.
- Great saves for dodging catapults, drinking grog and avoiding angry husbands.
- Class skills: Acrobatics, Bluff, Climb, Swim.
- Proficient with rapiers.
- Proficient with light armour.
- Undisputed kings of using pistols and a swashbuckler looks good with a firearm in hand.
- For my tastes grit lines up well with a swashbuckler.
Add in a big hat and we haves us the making of a sexy swashbuckler!
If I was building a swashbuckler concept my base class would be:
Gunslinger!
- Full BAB.
- DEX fixated more than any class in the game, ever was or will be. Add to that nimble and higher reflex save and this is a hard class to tag.
- Sexy hit points.
- Decent skill points.
- Great saves for dodging catapults, drinking grog and avoiding angry husbands.
- Class skills: Acrobatics, Bluff, Climb, Swim.
- Proficient with rapiers.
- Proficient with light armour.
- Undisputed kings of using pistols and a swashbuckler looks good with a firearm in hand.
- For my tastes grit lines up well with a swashbuckler.Add in a big hat and we haves us the making of a sexy swashbuckler!
Agreed! And I'd make it a "Mysterious Pistolero" to focus more on Charisma!
Look at the cad fighter archetype (Ultimate Combat) for a pretty decent swashbuckler.
"Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A cad is not proficient with medium armor, heavy armor, or tower shields.
Skills: Acrobatics (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Sleight of Hand (Dex), and Stealth (Dex) are class skills for a cad.
Dirty Maneuvers (Ex): At 2nd level, a cad becomes skilled at deceiving and discomfiting his opponents. The cad gains a +1 bonus on disarm, dirty trick, and steal combat maneuver checks. The cad also gains a +1 bonus to CMD when attacked with the disarm, dirty trick, and steal combat maneuvers. These bonuses increase by 1 for every four levels after 2nd (to a maximum of +5 at 18th level). This ability replaces bravery.
Catch Off-Guard: At 3rd level, the cad gains the Catch Off-Guard feat. This ability replaces armor training 1.
Payback (Ex): At 5th level, a cad gains a +1 bonus on attack and damage rolls against any creature that has attacked the cad since the beginning of his last turn. This bonus increases by +1 for every four levels beyond 5th (to a maximum of +4 at 17th level). This ability replaces weapon training 1, 3, and 4.
Deadly Surprise (Ex): At 7th level, when a cad hits an opponent that is denied its Dexterity bonus to AC against him with a weapon or unarmed attack, he may attempt a dirty trick combat maneuver as an immediate action as part of the attack. This ability replaces armor training 2.
Razor-Sharp Chair Leg (Ex): At 9th level, as a swift action, a cad may alter the type of damage dealt by an improvised weapon to bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage. In addition, the cad has a critical threat range of 19–20/×2 with any improvised melee weapon. This ability replaces weapon training 2.
Craven Combatant (Ex): At 11th level, when fighting defensively or using Combat Expertise or total defense, a cad cannot be flanked except by a rogue or ninja whose level is four or more higher than the cad's fighter level. This ability replaces armor training 3.
Sweeping Prank (Ex): At 13th level, as a standard action, a cad can use a dirty trick maneuver against any two adjacent opponents that he can reach, making a separate combat maneuver check against each opponent. He must use the same dirty trick maneuver against each opponent.
At 17th level, the cad can use this ability as a full-round action to attempt a dirty trick maneuver against a number of enemies equal to 2 + his Dexterity bonus (if any). This ability replaces weapon training 3 and 4.
Treacherous Blow (Ex): At 15th level, when a cad confirms a critical hit, he can attempt a dirty trick combat maneuver as part of that attack as an immediate action. This ability replaces armor training 4.
Ultimate Payback (Ex): At 20th level, any critical threats a cad makes against an opponent that has attacked him since the beginning of his last turn are automatically confirmed. This ability replaces weapon mastery."
Deadly Surprise lets the cad do damage and inflict status effects at the same time. By taking Combat Expertise (required for Improved Disarm and Improved Feint), Improved Dirty Trick, and Greater Dirty Trick, the cad can even stack multiple status effects on the same opponent while doing damage (feint as a move action or attack a flat-footed opponent, attack to do damage and blind the opponent for 1d4 rounds plus 1 for every 5 over the opponent's CMD, and go to town with a full attack where every hit inflicts another dirty trick maneuver to blind, dazzle, deafen, entangle, shake, or sicken the opponent).
You still only get the 2 + Int mod Skill Ranks per level. However, since you need a 13+ Int to pick up Combat Expertise, a human cad with a 14 Int has 5 Skill Ranks per level; not too shabby.
|
Because this forum is full of people who won't even bother trying to tie their shoes until someone puts out a Rules Guide to tell them how to do so?I'm not really sure what's keeping people from making a Swashbuckler type character with the fighter?
Instead of focusing on strength just focus on Dex, Cha, and maybe a little bit of Intelligence so you can take the Expertise feats.
Thank you, I've had that guide from a third party publisher for years now and I've just been waiting for it to become relevant.
|
I see no problem with making a Swashbuckler and the Free handed fighter archetype can really help with it. When you are high enough become a duelist which gives you good skill and some nice abilities. Plus there are plenty of feats to help with it (dodge, mobility, trip, etc,etc) and if you use traits you can get skills to always become class skills. Key things use light armor high dex and high Int.
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
I would think that a Lore Warden would have a decent shot at being a swashbuckler, just a more intelligent one. You're almost certainly playing a LW as a Dex/Int build. You can disarm, trip, and dirty fight to your heart's content while possibly working towards going into Duelist.
Skills are still a bit of an issue, but if you were oh, say, a human with 14 Int and were willing to put your favored class points into skills you would be getting 6/level with an additional 2 for Int based skills.
|
A fighter with the right feats can cover the skills area no problem. You don't need that many skills in order to be a Swashbuckler type of character. Dragonchess has already listed what you need so I don't see where this would be a problem. Your skill numbers don't have to be crazy high because the DC's to do the things that you want to do are probably not that high.
It can work; that doesn't mean it's the best chassis for it. You're still going to end up missing those extra skill points, no matter what method you use to get the extra class skills. Of the class skills for a cad fighter ( Acrobatics (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Sleight of Hand (Dex), and Stealth (Dex)), you could probably get away with not building up escape artist, and substitute it for diplomacy, but that's still your 5 skill points, assuming a 14 int and using the favored class bonus for a skill point, and you don't yet have Perception, another skill commonly associated with swashbucklers, Climb, so that you can climb the rigging on the ships, and probably Sense Motive, Swim, and Knowledge (local) as well. So, in the end, assuming a standard point buy of 20, you can get really close, but you really can't quite pull the full thing off without skimping on something; MAD would start to become a problem. Unless you can figure out how to get at least a 16 int, without gimping dex or cha, to get you to the point where rangers start in number of skill points, the skill points simply won't fully support both the combat and the noncombat side of it.
Now, at lower levels, it won't be that much of a difference, at higher levels, it's going to play very differently than a rogue based swashbuckler; that is not the same as badly, but if you are going for a true swashbuckler, it may not end up playing the way you expect it to. Feats and traits can only carry you so far, especially when the kind of feats that you need to pull it off aren't usually bonus feats for the fighter, limiting the number of them you can get.
|
My biggest issue is that the d20 system isn't really built for a front-line melee fighter with attack based on precision, defense based on dodging, and interaction based on witty repartee.
Ultimately, you could just take it on the chin, and play a Dex-based fighter with light weapons, little-to-no armor, and interactions roleplayed as charmingly as possible. But if you're playing in a group that has even slightly optimized PCs, or with a GM who is even mildly unforgiving, you will find yourself disappointed by situations where rules have come into play. It can be disheartening, when the all the feats and effort you've spent making your swashbuckler a nimble dancing master is overshadowed by the tank who dropped a grand on full plate, and has all his feats left.
There's been several attempts to fill this gap. The rogue class (especially with many of it's archetypes) is the obvious choice, with precision, dodging, and skills enough for wit. However, it has trouble in the role of front-line fighter, due to a lack of AC and hp. There's the duelist prestige class, which is decent, but runs into MAD and AC problems. There's third-party and 3.5 options, but they seem similarity crippled. The Defense system from Unearthed Arcana is about halfway there, especially if combined with a vitality and wounds-type system, but that's a lot of rule changes for the thematic sensibilities of one character.
I've always loved the swashing and buckling, but I have yet to see a really great d20 fantasy option. That's ok though, I can play that guy in another system.
My biggest issue is that the d20 system isn't really built for a front-line melee fighter with attack based on precision, defense based on dodging, and interaction based on witty repartee.
Ultimately, you could just take it on the chin, and play a Dex-based fighter with light weapons, little-to-no armor, and interactions roleplayed as charmingly as possible. But if you're playing in a group that has even slightly optimized PCs, or with a GM who is even mildly unforgiving, you will find yourself disappointed by situations where rules have come into play. It can be disheartening, when the all the feats and effort you've spent making your swashbuckler a nimble dancing master is overshadowed by the tank who dropped a grand on full plate, and has all his feats left.
There's been several attempts to fill this gap. The rogue class (especially with many of it's archetypes) is the obvious choice, with precision, dodging, and skills enough for wit. However, it has trouble in the role of front-line fighter, due to a lack of AC and hp. There's the duelist prestige class, which is decent, but runs into MAD and AC problems. There's third-party and 3.5 options, but they seem similarity crippled. The Defense system from Unearthed Arcana is about halfway there, especially if combined with a vitality and wounds-type system, but that's a lot of rule changes for the thematic sensibilities of one character.
I've always loved the swashing and buckling, but I have yet to see a really great d20 fantasy option. That's ok though, I can play that guy in another system.
They need a good ranger archetype for it. It's the most solid base to start from. They have the skill points to pull off the skill, and the combat stats and abilities to pull off being in the front line.
What stops me from using the Fighter to make a Swashbuckler?
The only stats I can use for damage as a Fighter are Strength or Dexterity (if I use a Scimitar and spend two feats or use a specific weapon enchantment). The only stat I can use for AC as a Fighter is Dexterity.
3rd edition gave me multiple ways to use other stats to deal damage and gain--notably Intelligence could deal damage via the Swashbuckler class, and several classes got Intelligence to AC. Likewise, I could get Charisma to AC with a small dip via the Ascetic Mage feat.
Essentially, there were just a lot more options.
I actually don't think a swashbuckler should be a front-lining melee and play a bit more like a skirmisher. I'd actually like to see either an ability or feat like Crane Wing but for characters that use light-to-one handed weapons to use with their weapons as a Parry. It works with my player's duelist that has Crane Wing, but I guess for me it doesn't completely have the flavor.
Where is the Ascetic Mage feat?
Where is the Ascetic Mage feat?
It's been a long time since I played 3rd edition, but I think it was in the PHB2.
The big problem is that there are way too few class features and feats to support it. The baseline fighter is a whirling machine of death, with superb feats chains for shield-fighter, two-weapon fighter, and two-handed weapon fighting, and class features that further reinforce this and largely eliminate the penalties to using heavy armor. Quite simply, with all the feat and class feature support for your conventional "heavy" fighter, it's very hard to build anything else that's competitive.
One idea I've had to support this kind of character has been to modify the duelist into a base class. Take away its prerequisites and allow characters to begin play as a 1st level Duelist, allow its class features to work with any melee weapon wielded in one hand (rather than just light piercing weapons), and maybe stat up some class features for level 11-20 if you need them.
I could see an archetype of the Duelist that trades Armor Training for a Parrying ability honestly. I think it fits the fluff and can be mechanically good. Perhaps you give up an attack of opportunity to attempt a Parry. And it could be increased with Combat Expertise, which for a duelist would make a lot of sense.
Web of Steel from Super Genius Games gives you and AC bonus of 2+ 1/2 half your character level. So that helps a lot with going armor less.
I bumped the fighters skill points up to 4 per level and revamped the skill list with acrobatics and social skills. Seems to work.
As I can personally attest to from my current game, Lore Wardens can make for excellent swashbucklers. Stay Str focused and you're the best at Climbing/Swimming and you can always use a trait to pick up Acrobatics as a class skill.
Personally, my Lore Warden is rocking a Whip and kickin' ass and takin' names. And for all those baddies in the water that I can't use my whip against? Well, ship's got cannons yo.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
I'm not really sure what's keeping people from making a Swashbuckler type character with the fighter?
Instead of focusing on strength just focus on Dex, Cha, and maybe a little bit of Intelligence so you can take the Expertise feats.
It can work with a lot of intelligence. Your order for stats is: Dexterity, Intelligence, Wisdom.
You take Free Hand Fighter archetype at 1st level (Weapon Finesse is a must have feat), and then dip two levels of monk (master of many styles) to get Crane Style and Crane Wing. These also give you a great skills boost, which you will need to go duelist - not to mention, +3 onto all your saves and Evasion, and an AC boost from Wisdom for when you ditch armour further along the line.
Then go fighter up until you qualify for duelist, and go duelist from there.
You will lag behind a strength fighter for damage at first but your defences will be great. At higher level your static bonuses to damage will be excellent, as will your AC.
If you want to go Duelist prestige, I'd strongly suggest going straight Rogue and picking up the Crane feats the old fashion way, or Dipping two levels MoMS Monk and then taking Vivisectionist Alchemist until you meet prereqs. What you get from Rogue is just so much more useful to the build than what you'd get from a Fighter.
(You can dip MoMS Monk with Rogue, but double-Evasion is a wasted level and it'll take you longer to meet Duelist prereqs with the BAB hiccup from stacking Monk and Rogue.)
If you want to go Duelist prestige, I'd strongly suggest going straight Rogue and picking up the Crane feats the old fashion way, or Dipping two levels MoMS Monk and then taking Vivisectionist Alchemist until you meet prereqs. What you get from Rogue is just so much more useful to the build than what you'd get from a Fighter.
Depends what you mean by useful. I'm looking for hitting and damaging and avoiding damage. I'm not that fussed by all the skills, especially with intelligence. Using Improved Feint is a waste after you get a second attack, but the bonus to dodge and disarms from free hand fighter is a bonus to the duelist. You end up hitting better for more damage if you are looking for a solid fighter with a bit of flash.
|
What's keeping me from using the Fighter to make a Swashbuckler?
1. I didn't read The Three Musketeers or Cyrano de Bergerac, so I'm not even sure I know what defines a "swashbuckler".
2. If I'm playing a Fighter, I wear full plate or else I feel like I'm wasting the armor training-- if I wanted a full-BAB class with light armor I'd go Barbarian or Gunslinger.
3. If I wanted a character whose main function is to swing a rapier and look good doing it, I'd play a bard.
4. The combat rules don't really include a satisfying mechanic for swinging from a chandelier. All those Acrobatics/Climb checks, and rounds spent making them, just for a high ground bonus? Why wouldn't I just stand on the table?
5. Swashbucklers are at their best in campaigns with courtly intrigue and lots of roleplay, and the group I play in never has that.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
If you want to go Duelist prestige, I'd strongly suggest going straight Rogue and picking up the Crane feats the old fashion way, or Dipping two levels MoMS Monk and then taking Vivisectionist Alchemist until you meet prereqs. What you get from Rogue is just so much more useful to the build than what you'd get from a Fighter.Depends what you mean by useful. I'm looking for hitting and damaging and avoiding damage. I'm not that fussed by all the skills, especially with intelligence. Using Improved Feint is a waste after you get a second attack, but the bonus to dodge and disarms from free hand fighter is a bonus to the duelist. You end up hitting better for more damage if you are looking for a solid fighter with a bit of flash.
If you don't really care about the skills, the fighter base works fine, as you can get enough skill points to cover the dex skills easily enough, but to many, a swashbuckler is as much about the skills as it is about the combat, and that kind of swashbuckler is not going to work with a fighter base.
It would be easy to use the fighter to create a swashbuckler. Just like with any other character, you just have to ask yourself what you want from the build. You can use a variety of different archetypes or no archetype at all. You can consider multiclassing (some concepts work better with multiclassing and it's possible that a specific type of swashbuckler may).
I think that too many people limit themselves. Instead of asking, "How can I do this?" They ask, "Why can't I do this?" We're supposed to be creative. We don't have to feel boxed in.
It would be easy to use the fighter to create a swashbuckler. Just like with any other character, you just have to ask yourself what you want from the build. You can use a variety of different archetypes or no archetype at all. You can consider multiclassing (some concepts work better with multiclassing and it's possible that a specific type of swashbuckler may).
I think that too many people limit themselves. Instead of asking, "How can I do this?" They ask, "Why can't I do this?" We're supposed to be creative. We don't have to feel boxed in.
It mostly depends on how precisely people define swashbuckler. For those that like the more combat oriented focus, a fighter base is fine; they have enough skill points to get the important dex and strength skills, and for a combat focused swashbuckler, that's all that are really needed. For those that view skills as equally, or more, important than fighting prowess, the fighter chassis is not going to be very satisfying; the fighter class was made to fight, and not much else, and trying to make it do anything else well is generally more trouble than it's worth, even with the advent of archetypes, especially when there are better base classes to start from.
I was just watching The Princess Bride and Inigo Montoya is really just a fighter. He doesn't come across as anything else. Some versions of Zorro can be straight fighters too.
Everything will boil down to what one wants from the character. I don't see a problem with using any of the classes for a swashbuckler. I think that some very interesting characters can be made if the players are creative and don't let themselves get stuck by what they've read on the boards.
Everything will boil down to what one wants from the character. I don't see a problem with using any of the classes for a swashbuckler. I think that some very interesting characters can be made if the players are creative and don't let themselves get stuck by what they've read on the boards.
Agreed, but someone trying to make the classical suave debonair swashbuckler of the high seas is going to get frustrated fairly quickly using the fighter class. Just because it can be done doesn't mean it's always worth it to do so. Trying to pound a square into a round hole doesn't make sense when there are plenty of other shapes, including some circles, available that make the task much, much easier. Or, continuing the Princess Bride references, while Inigo Montoya could have been a fighter, the main character (his name escapes me at the moment) would be extremely challenging to pull off within the confines of the fighter class; probably still doable, but probably not worth the effort when the ranger, the bard, and the rogue all offer better bases to start from, as well as multiple supporting archetypes, for that particular concept.
Everything will boil down to what one wants from the character. I don't see a problem with using any of the classes for a swashbuckler. I think that some very interesting characters can be made if the players are creative and don't let themselves get stuck by what they've read on the boards.Agreed, but someone trying to make the classical suave debonair swashbuckler of the high seas is going to get frustrated fairly quickly using the fighter class. Just because it can be done doesn't mean it's always worth it to do so. Trying to pound a square into a round hole doesn't make sense when there are plenty of other shapes, including some circles, available that make the task much, much easier. Or, continuing the Princess Bride references, while Inigo Montoya could have been a fighter, the main character (his name escapes me at the moment) would be extremely challenging to pull off within the confines of the fighter class; probably still doable, but probably not worth the effort when the ranger, the bard, and the rogue all offer better bases to start from, as well as multiple supporting archetypes, for that particular concept.
At just a quick glance (all of these would be subject to change as I create them)
1) Inigo Montoya: Fighter (weapon master)
2) Wesley (Dread Pirate Roberts): Fighter/Rogue. He needs to be a better fighter than Montoya who trained for 20 years. I would consider Fighter (Free Hand or Mobile with high Intelligence and skill boosting feats)
3) Fezzik: Fighter or even monk (he likes to fight unarmed and grapples). I would use the ARG for him.
4) Vizzini: Bard
5) Prince Humperdinck: Ranger
6) Count Tyrone Rugen: Fighter (weapon master)
We don't really see much from any of the characters that would require huge skill investments.
|
|
In PFS, I am playing a Free Hand Fighter 7 Duelist 1 with Aldori Sword Mastery. Through the proper use of traits and feats, he really feels like a swashbuckler.
This character was developed before Paths of Prestige. Now, I would go Free Hand Fighter 5 Aldori Swordlord PrC 2 Duelist 1.
thanks,
Kodger
|
Swashbuckling Fighter = Scimitar + Dervish Dance + Free Hand Fighter. Use Dex for both attacks and damage (if you keep the other hand free), get bonuses to attack/damage when having the other hand free from the archetype, bonuses to AC while in light armor, fancy 'off balance' maneuvers. Seems like the perfect swashbuckler to me.
I'm not really sure what's keeping people from making a Swashbuckler type character with the fighter?
Instead of focusing on strength just focus on Dex, Cha, and maybe a little bit of Intelligence so you can take the Expertise feats.
Personally, I think it's the name. People would rather have a specific Swashbuckler class (I think there was one in 3.5e) or archetype instead of "making the Fighter a Swashbuckler", even if it's a weird (and silly) mentality to have. Then again, I understand the sentiment considering some other issues of a similar but still different sort. I wouldn't want someone offering me a half-orc when I said that I want to play an orc, for example. You can't fool me into thinking they're the same thing, even though in PF they look almost freaking identical.
If you don't really care about the skills, the fighter base works fine, as you can get enough skill points to cover the dex skills easily enough, but to many, a swashbuckler is as much about the skills as it is about the combat, and that kind of swashbuckler is not going to work with a fighter base.
If you are going duelist, the high intelligence is worth the investment and it gives you the skill ranks anyway. Monk gives the extra skill proficiencies you would like to make those skills shine.
Go rogue/duelist if you want a 'rogue that can fight' but go fighter/duelist if you want a 'rogueish fighter'.
zorro wasnt a boastful swordsmen, i wouldnt consider him to be a swashbuckler. swashbuckler is more of a roudy A-hole bragging swordsmen then a finesse fighter.
The problem is that such a character doesn't mix with Middle Ages sword and board style combat, or monster hunting style combat it finds it's flower in a Renaissance era type setting. One would not imagine a story that contained both the Three Musketeers and the Knights of the Round Table. They are literally two different worlds.
D&D and Pathfinder have been doing that forever though, you've got your mix of the West (gunslingers and Arkenstar), Crusades (Paladins and Clerics), Pirates (Certain Bard/Rogue archetypes) , Wuxia (Monks), Edo area of Japan (Ninja and Samurai), Tribal People (Barbarians), Horror (Werewolves and Vampires), Demons and Devils, and even Dinosaurs
Main problem is that trying to force a round peg (heavy armor low skill strength fighter) into a square hole (dex fighter, light armor, skill fighter) either requires a generous point build or tends to underperform vs cr appropriate foes.
Can it be done? Obviously but it simply underperforms vs other formulations of the dex fighter.