The Dirty Fighter: Advice needed

[Derrick Winters]

After reading a few "fighters cannot compete with Spellcasters" threads, I've attempted to think of a Fighter concept that can reasonably do its job - contribute effectively in combat by serving as threat that cannot be ignored, dealing damage and disabling single and multiple targets quickly and reliably.

Here's what I have so far; any advice on how to improve it?

Dirty Harry the 1/2-orc Fighter(Dirty Fighter and Mutation Warrior archetypes)

15 Pointbuy: 17 STR, 12 DEX, 14 CON, 13 INT, 10 WIS, 8 CHA

1st:Endurance(Shaman's Apprentice), Power Attack, Combat Reflexes; Mutagen
2nd:Dodge, Sidestep +1
3rd:Mobility
4th:Spring Attack, Swap Combat Reflexes for Whirlwind Attack; +1 STR
5th:Combat Reflexes, Maneuver Training(+2 Dirty Trick CMB)
6th:Lunge, Sidestep +2
7th:Combat Expertise, Mutagen Discovery: Wings
8th:Improved Dirty Trick, +1 STR
9th:Greater Dirty Trick, Speedy Tricks
10th:Weapon Focus(Longspear), Sidestep +3
11th:Dirty Trick Master, Mutagen Discovery: Wings
12th:Greater Weapon Focus(Longspear), +1 STR
13th:Disruptive, Double Tricks(2 conditions)
14th:Spellbreaker, Sidestep +4
15th:Celestial Obedience(Arqueros), Mutagen Discovery: Greater Mutagen
16th:Teleport Tactician, +1 STR
17th:Shield of Swings, Double Tricks(3 conditions)
18th:Barroom Brawler, Sidestep +5
19th:Improved Initiative, Mutagen Discovery: Grand Mutagen
20th:Combat Patrol, +1 INT, Weapon Mastery(Longspear)

The basics:

1st-3rd level: He is a half-orc with Sacred Tattoo and Fate's Favored to shore up his saves; he has a two-handed reach weapon and Power Attack to hit things; he has combat reflexes, and uses a spiked gauntlet to threaten close.

4th level: Whirlwind Attack(with reach) becomes an option. Spring attack becomes an option.

5th level: Combat Reflexes is back...
6th level: A lunging whirlwind attack with a reach weapon can simulate a fireball.
7th level: We can fly!
9th level: Speedy Tricks allows us to replace ANY ATTACK with a (Greater) Dirty Trick. Now that lunging whirlwind attack becomes a whirlwind of dirty tricks; now the Fighter can blind multiple targets at once with a full-attack action.
11th level: Dirty Trick master allows to escalate the dirty trick penalties...nausea and daze are ones that can completely disable an enemy.

13th level: Each Dirty trick inflicts two conditions, and each requires a seperate standard action to remove.

16th level: Celestial Obedience: Arqueros gives us something similar to Unexpected strike, with two differences: We can only AoO opponents that enter our threatened area with a charge; but we can do so all day long. Luckily, enemies with pounce are quite common, so we'll probably face quite a few charging targets.

(Naturally, the AoO will be used for a Speedy Double Greater Dirty Trick)

We also have Teleport Tactician, allowing us to AoO a variety of monsters and spellcasters that use greater teleport or similar means of transportation.

17th-20th level:
I ran out of good ideas here. I took feats that seemed useful(Shield of Swings is free AC if we replace an attack with a dirty trick attempt; Barroom Brawler offers some minor flexibility, Improved Initiative might be useful, and Combat Patrol might be useful - I have no idea, I've never seen it in action).

Problems:
Defenses(Saving throws; AC; resistances/Immunities) -> I hope decent equipment can take care of that.

Ranged attacks(Standard Composite Longbow?).

[zza ni]

don't you need Combat Expertise, for whrilwind attack?

also i don't know about your gm. but my gm would have nulled any feat that you do not have the prerequistes when you try to use it.
so if you plan on using the str mutigen and lwoer your int. whirlwind might be unaviable until your int rises back. (same as swaping feats and loosing a faets prerequeste. you are basickly turned to dumb to use a sofisticated attack such as wirlwind when your int is lowered)

[Devilkiller]

The bonuses to saving throws are a great idea though getting your Will save high enough to matter could still be a challenge. I'm currently playing a PC with the Dirty Fighter and Mutation Warrior archetypes. I multiclassed into Monk for a couple of levels to help me pick up Enforcer and Vicious Stomp. It also helped saving throws a bit (+3 to all)

While delaying your Dirty Trick progression that way might not be appealing to you I'll mention that demoralizing foes with Intimidate has been very helpful. I'm also currently getting great results out of Greater Trip + Vicious Stomp + Enforcer whenever we face foes who don't fly. Next level I'll add Hurtful to add an extra attack to that combo as well as to give my PC a little more to do against flying foes (slap to Intimidate plus a free attack as a swift action)

Another thing worth considering is that a Tentacle or Vestigial Arm could allow you to hold a shield, greatly increasing your AC at higher levels. If you use a light shield or buckler you could also use the extra limb to hold another item such as a potion (nice with the Accelerated Drinker trait) or a wand (potentially fun at higher levels when you get your UMD skill maxed out). My PC is growing a Tentacle which looks like a devil tail next level. Nothing in the rules says that a Tentacle can't be on your butt!

@zza ni - The Intelligence penalty from Mutagen is a "penalty" in game terms and therefore doesn't affect prereqs for feats.

[Derrick Winters]

@zza ni:
Huh. You are correct - somehow, I was convinced that Whirlwind attack didn't require Combat Expertise...

I'll have to redo the feat progression.
So: 1st level: Use Combat Expertise instead of Power Attack, 4th level: gain Whirlwind Attack, 7th level: Gain Power Attack.

Quite late for such an important damage-augmenting feat...I'll have to hope that high strength is enough until then.

Hurtful is another feat I've overlooked; It seems quite useful.

If a tentacle is capable of wielding a shield, this could be a decent mutagen discovery..

Thanks for the advice so far!

[Devilkiller]

Per the rules, "The tentacle can manipulate or hold items as well as the alchemist’s original arms can (for example, allowing the alchemist to use one hand to wield a weapon, the tentacle to hold a potion, and the third hand to throw a bomb)."

I'd say based on that the tentacle should be able to hold a shield just fine. I'm going with a tentacle described as a tail mostly for style reasons, but the tentacle also gives you a natural attack with Grab. That could be a nice backup option even if you don't plan to specialize on grappling.

[Secret Wizard]

If you pick up Quick Dirty Trick, using the Dirty Fighter feature and it on the same opponent simultaneously will allow you to automatically disable them. That's not too shabby.

For saves, I think you should dump CHA to 7 and put 2 on WIS. Then, replace Shield of Swings (who wants AC? You already got plenty) for Iron Will. Try to fit in Greater Iron Will somewhere.

Another trick you can pull is picking traits to boost your saves. Principled gives you +2 to saves vs. emotion, charm and compulsion effects and -2 to Bluff, which shouldn't be bad. Then, there's the Disillusioned trait, which is a Combat trait, and gives +2 to saves vs. fear and emotion effects. The two of them together give you a good Will-save back up.

[Devilkiller]

Once you get Speedy Tricks I don't think you'd even need Quick Dirty Trick to pop out two dirty tricks in a row to disable your victim. The Quick Dirty Trick feat might be worth taking as a Fighter bonus feat which you swap out later though. I was going to take it, but I saw the Hurtful feat and suddenly needed to take Power Attack instead.

The Fighter's problem with Will saves can be pretty tough to address. Maybe Fighters would be better off investing in Charisma and trying to become undead somehow (Undead Fighter Fund - "A mind is a terrible thing to have")

[Secret Wizard]

Shrug. Investing in WIS gives you good Perception. The alternative is going with CHA (for Intimidate builds) and taking the Irrepressible trait plus Steadfast Personality (the feat), and top Iron Will on that.

[Eponine Lokrien Savet]

ASAP buy a Clear Spindle Ioun Stone of some sort.

ASAP buy a Wayfinder of some sort.

Slot the Ioun Stone into the Wayfinder and you are now immune to mind control effects as per Protection from Evil.

You still want a much better Will Save than the base fighter will provide, but focus on general will, let the Wayfinder handle the mind control.