I enjoy playing melee characters since it's easy to visualize my character, or even myself potentially, run up and hack and slash my way to victory, as opposed to say casting a fireball (What would that actually feel like as the arcane energy left your body? How hot would the blast feel from your location? How does the mental crunch and focus of creating the spell effect tax your mind? Does it tax your mind? etc), but the problem with most builds is that you're either only good at using weapons (I run up and hit it with my pointy stick for damage) or a single combat maneuver (I grapple the dragon because that's what Tetoris do) and very few can blend both effectively. Another problem with melee builds is that even if they can blend them well, they still aren't very versatile and you quickly end up doing either ACTION #1 or ACTION #2 the entire combat.
Now I understand that it's largely up to the player to role play anything interesting they want their character to do, but they are limited to what their build can actually effectively accomplish. So I was wondering how people would create someone like the prince from Prince of Persia: Warrior Within, someone who is capable of creating fluid, dynamic, and everchanging combat options.
Actually, I like Rogues with Dodge and then Mobility. Rolling around enemies to set up flanks then laying into them with sneak attacks and bleed, stunners and other nasty effects.
And if you're a Ninja, it's just as fun! Two Weapon Fighting and it's flow feats, then pick up a Kusarigama and start tripping and bashing your foes!
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Well, Magus is the obvious, easy, option. You're still primarily a melee character, but you combine that with spellcasting for some serious dynamic versatility if you set it up right (Dimensional Agility lets you teleport around a bit, for example). Shocking Grasp almost exclusively is probably more mechanically optimal, but dabbling in other magics can still remain pretty effective.
Other spellcasters who melee are also potentially viable. Clerics, Warpriests, Oracles, Inquisitors, Alchemists and so on. Many are also quite mechanically solid and thematically cool if done properly
Other than that...in combat options are not what non-spellcasters are good at (though a dedicated Fighter might manage three or so, taking two maneuver trees, a switch hitting Ranger might manage the same if he grabs a maneuver tree...and a sundering Barbarian with Spell Sunder debatably has three as well). Yeah...three seems to be as many as you're gonna get sans spells (maybe a couple more as a Lore Warden if you really focus). Out of combat options are more available, but Full Attacks are really hard to beat in terms of being optimal for any martial character.
My answer would be Magus, or a martially inclined Cleric. You're still mostly smacking people with a stick, but you have options.
More in the line of what you want, i think Barbarian is actually your best bet; their abilities tend to be less locked into a certain weapon used a certain way, and they have abilities like: Once per fight, add your level to a CMB check.
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More in the line of what you want, i think Barbarian is actually your best bet; their abilities tend to be less locked into a certain weapon used a certain way, and they have abilities like: Once per fight, add your level to a CMB check.
Eh...I'm currently planning on an Oracle of Lore 1/Barbarian X with high Charisma and the ability to get into the 40s on Knowledge skill checks at 1st level for an upcoming game and I think he's pretty fun and dynamic...but not so much in combat.
Honestly, his combat options pretty much involve using Divine Favor to buff (Fate's Favored is great), hitting things with a greataxe (eventually with Pounce), and eventually sundering either objects or spells. That's...what, four options? It still sounds fun to me, but I don't think it's what the OP is looking for.
He is gonna be partnered with a dual-kukri Urban Ranger crit-farming with Butterfly's Sting, which should add some tactical maneuvering...but not a lot in the way of options.
And that's honestly probably as many options as you're going to get on a Barbarian.
I had a character named Craz the Gatecrasher, he was a half-orc crosblooded draconic/orc sorc that prc'd into dragon disciple who had an outrageous str and fought with an adamantine falchion. He was nearly a full caster, but he primarily fought in melee. That was a fun character.
He would literally cut through or smash down doors, gates, any kind of barrier with simple brute force. Think his str got into the low 50s.
That was hands down the most interesting and entertaining melee character I’ve played. I think in part because no one expects the sorcerer to melee… lol.
Other runner ups:
A fighter who fought with reach who specialized in protecting party member via bodyguard and maneuvers for area control, step up, etc etc.
A magus. Magus is just fun no matter who you are. I mean, that action economy!
In mythic games, the Maneuver Expert path ability can turn your melee character into something far more interesting. In fact, it's good for archers/gunslingers too, as it gives you something useful to do when you get locked out of the usual "5-foot step out of melee" strategy. And not a single feat required--excepting possiby Agile Maneuvers for the ranged character.
An easy way to make combat maneuvers work is the magus with true strike. All you need is the basic maneuver feat.
Apart from that the barbarian is the martial class that can do most stuff. By creating difficult terrain he can keep enemies from taking 5ft steps. With his strength bonus from raging and strength surge he's relatively good at combat maneuvers once per fight.
The new kidnapper rogue looks hilariously fun at being interesting. Along with bleeding attack and a pair of spiked gauntlets you can quite literally bleed out your opponents with a hug. Sneak, sneak sneak, grapple+sneak attack.
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I've got a Ranger I'd like to try for PFS. Going for Shield Slam (which you get to take at level 2), possibly dipping into Barbarian for Fast Movement and Cleric for Travel domain; with the intent of basically blitzkrieging through the dungeon, knocking monsters prone or into corners and then proceeding to just beat them up when the rest of the party gets there.
The nice thing about rangers is that the combat style allows you to get to the fun feats without spending a lot of time wading through the filler feats. You can save some feats for other combat tricks besides your main trick.
Also, you get a LOT of class skills and skill points, so you actually get to participate in the rest of the game as well.
(Can you tell I'm frustrated with my paladin's slow movement?)
if you want options without sacrificying power i'd suggest either barbarian or paladin. combat maneuvers suck. killing someone is more effective then any other crowd control and a lot of times its as fast to do as tripping them. paladin gives you lay on hands, some spells and all the other little paladin goodies that let you do something else then smashing their faces in. barbarians can spellsunder, have a lot of skills and are the gods of combat maneuvers 1/encounter with strength surge. furthermore barbarians are really mobile.
rogues, monks, rangers, ninjas they all can do funny stuff, but they wont ever do the fun stuff because making basic attacks is more powerful 99.8% of the time.
if you want to do something else besides smashing faces, you want something that either isn't taxing your action economy (swift actions) or something rediculously powerful (like spellsunder). the only melee classes that do this really well are - sadly - the 2 already most powerful melee classes
I have wanted someone to playtest a build of mine that is a martial character--for the most part.
Halfling/gnome
Synthesist 1 / Ninja 19
Take Small Quadruped form: Arms (2) and Pounce (1)
Feats by level:
(1st) Extra Evolution (Claws) (You can now full attack after a charge.)
(3rd) Weapon Finesse (Use two daggers or something) + Unarmed combat Training (gain improved unarmed strike) (Everything scales with Amulet of Mighty Fists now.)
(5th) Two Weapon Fighting (Now your two-punches a round are at -2/-2 instead of -4/-4) + Vanishing Trick (Congratulations, you can now pounce out of invisibility, which is super useful if your Big Dumb Fighter is good at positioning himself.
(7th) Improved Unarmed Strike (Now Unarmed strike gives more attacks than natural attacks, so you want to be punching each round as well. (Fists -2/-2/-7/-7, bite -5, 2 claws -5)
At level 1 you are a generic charging Synthesist. You run in, you bite and claw enemies to death. At level 2 your DPR increases because of Sneak attack. At level 3 you are able to punch, but to the detriment of your natural attacks, so you are just better off not bothering. Your biggest increase is attacks and possible damage comes at level 7 when you can make 7 attacks--not too shabby--but ultimately your greatest power increase comes when you take Invisible Blade since now all of your attacks are sneak attacks.
Your best friend is ultimately any crafter who can make you a Ring of Greater Invisibility.
i think it depends on what exactly you mean by martial...
a melee cleric can do really well in combat but also has all the options of a full caster.
there are a couple of ways to start leveling as an eldritch night at 3rd level, so something like trapper ranger 1/wizard[scryer] 1/EK would only be 1 BAB behind a fighter but would cast as a wizard -2 and have a handful of skills chosen from a bunch of good options.
a magus (as has been mentioned) can use true strike, which makes him good at all combat maneuvers, and he has some utility spells too. they also get UMD which adds tons more options (and there's a trait to make it Int based).
a paladin is a badass in melee, smite improves chances with maneuvers and their Cha opens up options via UMD and/or the eldritch heritage feats. Unsanctioned Knowledge can also open up some interesting choices for their limited casting.
a fighter has enough feats to be good a bunch of different combat styles/techniques... if you invest in some Cha you can get options via UMD/eldritch heritage, or you could take some points in Int for more skills.
@taku ooka nin
you should make a new thread for your request instead of hijacking someone elses
@[T]aku [O]oka [N]in[,]
you should make a new thread for your request instead of hijacking someone elses[.]
Firstly,
you're adorable,secondly,
he asked for an interesting and potentially exciting martial build, so I gave him a suggestion that I have been working on without being nebulous about it.
So, my adorable and cuddly friend,
why do you take offense?
Is there something wrong with you where you must be offended by someone else fulfilling someone else's wishes?
Brawler from the advanced class playtest might be a good base. They get a scaling bonus to maneuvers and can gain feats as needed to do different things effectively in different situations.
You want to be able to attack with a weapon and use a maneuver well? Sunder is probably the best.
- Greater Sunder allows damage in excess of what destroyed the target to carry on into the wielder/wearer.
- Sundering Strike allows a free sunder against a weapon on a critical hit.
I had a spring attacker that had that tree and a keen adamantine elven curve blade. Crit damage, sunder & destroy weapon, do more damage.
Now I understand that it's largely up to the player to role play anything interesting they want their character to do, but they are limited to what their build can actually effectively accomplish. So I was wondering how people would create someone like the prince from Prince of Persia: Warrior Within, someone who is capable of creating fluid, dynamic, and everchanging combat options.
I would use magic, book of the 9 swords(3.5 material), houserules, or play another game. Pathfinder works directly against making martials mechanically exciting or fun or dynamic.
Combat Maneuvers are under-rated
Brawler from the advanced class playtest might be a good base. They get a scaling bonus to maneuvers and can gain feats as needed to do different things effectively in different situations.
This is one option I was going to suggets. Their ability to spontaneously gain any feat (or feats) can make them very versatile when it comes to combat. The only down-side is the limitation on that ability; it won't last you more than a fight, usually. Maybe two if you're conservative.
