Hey all, I'm looking for some advice on how to create a character like Maximus from Gladiator. Not a gladiator based character, but rather General Maximus as he was at the start of the movie. Essentially, a good melee fighter that also has some commander abilities. No arcane or divine casting ability.
4e warlord. Oh, you mean PF?
Hmm.
Sensei Monk 4/Standard bearer,Gendarme Cavalier 1/Battle Herald X.
Instead of Sensei Monk you could go with Bard 4, but you don't want casting (sensei monk sounds eastern-ish, but works well enough for an experienced battlefield commander-type person, and if you want you can trade stunning fist away with another archetype).
Warning: you'll be inferior to a straight classed bard at almost everything (most of the time, even your chosen role).
LoneKnave wrote: 4e warlord. Oh, you mean PF?
Hmm.
Sensei Monk 4/Standard bearer,Gendarme Cavalier 1/Battle Herald X.
Instead of Sensei Monk you could go with Bard 4, but you don't want casting (sensei monk sounds eastern-ish, but works well enough for an experienced battlefield commander-type person, and if you want you can trade stunning fist away with another archetype).
Warning: you'll be inferior to a straight classed bard at almost everything (most of the time, even your chosen role).
Yea, PFRPG. I was looking at the Battle Herald and thought that might be a possibility. However, I preferred a fighter/BH which doesn't work due to the prerequisites. I'm less familiar with the Sendai monk and gendarme cav, but will look them up. Thanks for the advice!
Well, Cavalier gets a mount, but is otherwise ideal for this, and highly recommended
If you just want the intellectual/tactical ability to command, not necessarily the inspirational leader side of things, the Lore Warden Fighter Archetype is excellent mechanically.
If you really want the whole package and to skip the Mount there is the Tactician Fighter Archetype, which does all this thematically...but is mechanically sub par.
Personally, I'd go Cavalier.
EDIT: Ooh, forgot Sensei. Yeah, Sensei's maybe not right for the whole build, but a dip to get into Battle Herald isn't a bad idea at all...
You can get the banner from cavalier at first level from the Standard bearer archetype. All in all, it's a pretty sucky one (mount>>>>>banner), but if you don't want to stick with cavalier but need banner, it works wonders. Also, forgot the tactic thing getting traded away by gendarme. In this case, take simple standard bearer cavalier, and just dip around in the "tactical" archetypes (there's some for fighter and Paladin) for better tactical ability than a straight cav.
Maximus
Human Cavalier 4/Fighter 4
Alignment LG(NG)
Init +2; Senses Perception +2
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Defense
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AC 21, touch 13, flat-footed 18 (+6 armor, +2 shield, +2 Dex, +1 dodge)
hp 100 (8d10+20)
Fort +10, Ref +4, Will +3 (+1 vs. fear)
Defensive Abilities bravery +1
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Offense
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Speed 30 ft.
Melee longsword +10/+5 (1d8+2/19-20) and
masterwork gladius +12/+7 (1d6+2/19-20)
Special Attacks cavalier's charge, challenge
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Statistics
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Str 14, Dex 15, Con 15, Int 14, Wis 13, Cha 17
Base Atk +8; CMB +10; CMD 23
Feats: Distracting Charge, Dodge, Endurance, Leadership, Mobility, Mounted Combat, Nemesis, Outflank, Weapon Focus (gladius)
Skills: Bluff +7, Climb +1, Diplomacy +10, Handle Animal +10, Heal +2, Intimidate +9, Knowledge (engineering) +6, Knowledge (geography) +5, Knowledge (history) +5, Knowledge (local) +6, Knowledge (martial) +10, Knowledge (nobility) +6 (+8 on checks involving your sovereign), Perception +2, Profession (gladiator) +5, Profession (siege engineer) +6, Profession (soldier) +12, Ride +5(+10 without armor), Sense Motive +5, Stealth-2, Survival +5, Swim +1;
Racial Modifiers ride mount, lion's skills
Languages: Common (Two others of your choice)
SQ armor training 1, expert trainer, lion's call, orders (order of the lion), tactician
Gear: breastplate, heavy wooden shield, longsword(Spartha), masterwork gladius
there are archetypes... if i'm not wrong some erase the mount...so you can do it with cavalier, also without a mount :D
personally i prefer gladiators as Spartacus XD i'll probably use the Gladiator Archetype specializing in Net :D
Deadmanwalking wrote: Well, Cavalier gets a mount, but is otherwise ideal for this, and highly recommended
If you just want the intellectual/tactical ability to command, not necessarily the inspirational leader side of things, the Lore Warden Fighter Archetype is excellent mechanically.
If you really want the whole package and to skip the Mount there is the Tactician Fighter Archetype, which does all this thematically...but is mechanically sub par.
Personally, I'd go Cavalier.
EDIT: Ooh, forgot Sensei. Yeah, Sensei's maybe not right for the whole build, but a dip to get into Battle Herald isn't a bad idea at all...
Cool, thanks. Yea, I really thematically like the idea of the build being able to shout "stay with me" (inspiration) while having a strong tactical abilities and being able to do some damage.
From your ideas here, I'm thinking cavalier with the unfortunately subpar tactician archetype..I'd love some way to reach battle herald without having to take a dip in bard. Is there a bard archetype that removes spellcasting or some other way to fulfill the pre req?
Thanks everyone for the feedback. Great food for thought.
I would consider just going Bard. If it's flavor you don't like there you can re-flavor it. As for spells, there is not an archetype that loses them, consider them as you just being super inspiring and only take buffs without obvious visual effects (Haste, Good Hope, etc.). Bards will have all the skills you will ever need and are essentially a martial force multiplier: If I were a common grunt in Pathfinder I'd want my commander to be a Bard.
Also note all those buffs you put down apply to you as well, so with Power Attack and good strength you'll definitely be capable in melee.
Myrnn wrote: Cool, thanks. Yea, I really thematically like the idea of the build being able to shout "stay with me" (inspiration) while having a strong tactical abilities and being able to do some damage. All very reasonable goals.
Myrnn wrote: From your ideas here, I'm thinking cavalier with the unfortunately subpar tactician archetype.. Tactician is actually a Fighter archetype. Cavliers have no need of it and are solid without.
Myrnn wrote: I'd love some way to reach battle herald without having to take a dip in bard. Is there a bard archetype that removes spellcasting or some other way to fulfill the pre req? That'd be what Sensei Monk is for. It gives Bardic Performance but no spells. One level of it and four of Cavalier (with the Standard Bearer archetype if you don't want a Mount), and you're good to go with Battle Herald. This might involve a bit of GM approval, but it's probably valid.
Now...as chaoseffect notes, a straight Bard can also do everything you asked about, and pretty effectively, but that does inevitably involve some spellcasting.
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