The Nodachi and finesse? - A conceptual choice that needs help.

[Edinoiz]

I've recently been looking around a bit and wondered if it is possible to try and make a more grace-based two-handed warrior.

The idea is along the lines of a traveller that has recently returned from Minkai, having spent much of his youth there.

One thing he learned during his stay was a slightly delicate type of swordsmanship, using the Nodachi, and I'm having a slight conundrum of how this guy should be built, feat-wise, beyond the Improved Critical feat and possibly other Critical feats.

Assume a 20-point buy for stats.

I might even go for a Dex focused build and the Agile Weapon property, even if that might gimp my damage. So as it stands: Suggestions?

[Herbo]

Without some custom/house-rule action, a nodachi isn't a candidate to benefit from Agile or Weapon Finesse.

[Stome]

Elven curve blade is your only options for the dex based twohanded concept.

[Corvo Spiritwind]

Take even curve blade, exact same stats but is finesse. Could grab keen as well, making it a total of +3 weapon. Spring Attack and Whirlwind strike feats fit the theme well and work nicely.

[Kazaan]

Barring houserule, you can't finesse a nodachi. Only light weapons and specific other non-light weapons that call out exception can be finessed (Rapier, Whip, Elven Curved Blade, etc). Elven Curved Blade is also a 2-h weapon so, if you want, you could just wield an ECB and re-fluff it as a special kind of nodachi that isn't as good at bracing and needs more specialized training, but it can be finessed.

ECB: 1d10 damage, 18-20/x2 crit, 2-h exotic, finesseable, +2 CMD vs Sunder
Nodachi: 1d10 damage, 18-20/x2 crit, 2-h martial, Brace

The stats line up in all the important places. Mind, you'd have to burn a feat for EWP unless you have a racial route to it.

[LazarX]

The character can still be described as graceful in his sword style even if he is doing a strength based style of fighting. It's still a measured style of control instead of flailing about blindly as anovice would.

In fact that's essentially what rising BAB means, you're getting better and better at controlling your swings and finding those openings to strike.

A Strength-based fighter is not a clumsy fighter, he's just using a different style. And the nodachi is not the weapon of a light fighter.

[Edinoiz]

Ahh, then that takes care of the stat distribution then (20, 14, 14, 13, 9, 8) but let's have a look at the feats.

Crits will be aplenty with this weapon, so let's make them happen more often and be kind of useful: Improved Critical, Critical Focus, Bleeding, Staggering, Stunning, and Critical Master, that's 6 feats.

Roll Will to save! Iron Will and Improved Iron Will would make this 8 feats.

Power Attack, Furious Focus, and the Vital Strike tree brings this up to 15 feats out of 22.

The Sunder tree will make this 18/22 and then Weapon Focus, Greater Weapon Focus and something more rounds it all out. Perhaps Weapon Specialization?

But should this be a pure fighter, an archetype, or should this be something else entirely? Regardless of class I was thinking of getting an Impact Weapon, the Juggernaut's Pouldrons (Enlarge Person on self as a standard action an unlimited number of times a day), and a magical item that continously grants my character Lead Blades to go full shenanigans with Greater Vital Strike (4d8 rolled 4 times, the only melee martial thing coming close to this dpr was my idea of a rogue that causes targets to become flat-footed).

Anything you people would change?

DPR with +5 Impact Nodachi, Enlarge Person, and Lead Blades: - Vital Strike [4.5x16] + Power Attack [18] + Devestating Strikes [6] + Str bonus [14x1.5] + Weapon Enhancement [5] + Weapon Specialization [2] = 124 with fully increased Str (38).
A Crit would makes this into an average of 194, all in all not too shabby if I may say so.

[mplindustries]

Edinoiz wrote:

Anything you people would change?

Dump Vital Strike and take useful feats instead. Furious Focus isn't all that powerful, either, but it's not awful.

Full Attacking is always better than Vital Striking, so look to build towards full attacking more--the Mobile Fighter, perhaps?

[Gobo Horde]

A while ago we had a thread going called The Big Hit Build that you might want to read up on. By page 4 we had builds doing over 300 damage on a hit. Reminds me, I should revive that thread and see what new builds I can come up with...

[Edinoiz]

I made a contribution there, so go have a look.

And Mobile Fighter? Hmm, interesting... I'll take a look and see what I could Whip up for this guy.

[Cult of Vorg]

If you find or create a deity with favored weapon nodachi, you could go the Guided Hand and power attack route. Monk for wis to AC as well as attack, martial artist archetype if not lawful.

There's a few Gorum greatsword builds like this floating around, got one on my character list.