Greetings, pathfinders!
Currently I'm curious about building straightforward fighting character and I need your advice!
What I mean by straightforward - with minimum battle management. I don't want any grit-like pools, barbarian rages, spell like abilities, and #/day powers. Or if those are crucial - at least with keeping them low. Styles or maneuvers are okay, though I want to have an emphasis on dealing damage directly. You may say it is quite simple, just go full fighter - but I want to maximize the potential. To be blunt assault force, and be good at it.
He should be melee, if he'll go full glass cannon - it is okay (though it would be awesome to wear a heavy armor). Any rules are good, any dipping is allowed.
Well, a couple simple yet effective things I know about:
Reach builds. A favorite for dealing damage and still providing battlefield control. Turn yourself into a 25' wide circle of pain that enemies do not want to cross.
Power attack and combat reflexes are the basics. For weapons, the new fortuitous property is FANTASTIC. When you get in an AoO with a fortuitous weapon, you can get another one in at BAB-5, although this only happens once per round. That is basically a small full attack, all outside of your turn, and the weapon property is only a +1. So this is a BIG boost in damage, as you can guess. This really brings the pain against anything that tries to just go by you, and seriously turns you into a 25' wide obstacle that enemies have to waste time avoiding.
I also like the lunge feat, since it helps simplifies tactics and allows for great positioning for AoOs.
Normally, when you use a reach weapon and you attack an enemy, the enemy ends up 10' away. That means the enemy only needs to take a 5' step to reach you, which means no AoO and they get their full attack. This also means that if you attack first, there will most likely be no AoO.
With lunge, enemies end up 15' away. That means that msot will have to move 10' to reach you. That means an AoO and they most likely lose their full attack. So lunge gives you great offense and defense. So no matter what, you are most likely going to get an AoO against anything that you engage.
Other things: I like grabbing Cornugon smash for an intimidate build, and then finding a way to get Riving Strike on there. Riving strike is a feat that relies on arcane strike. You can qualify for arcane strike if you have an SLA (usually, fighters get it from race or a trait). When you hit something with arcane strike, riving strike forces the enemy to take a -2 to saves against spells. Combine that with the intimidation from Cornugon smash, and your one attack can make the enemy take a -4 to saves. Your party wizard will love you.
Slayer, Greatsword.
Throw in a level or two of Fighter (feats) or two levels of Cavalier (intimidation) to get heavy armor proficiency. Alternatively, two levels of Master of Many Styles Monk will get you great saves as well as access to Tiger Pounce, which shifts the PA to hit penalty to AC.
Third option, and my favorite, Mutagenic Brawler with 2 levels of MoMS/MoSM Monk, combine pummeling style & dragon style. Use brawling armor & an AOMF. You can throw in 3 levels of weapon master fighter brawler fighter for further bonuses and (not sure here) access to gloves of dueling.
Forgot to mention- another advantage of lunge on reach builds is that you can full attack anything in a 45' wide circle. So that can also boost your effective damage, since it would not be too hard to get those attacks in.
Oh, and for solving key fighter (and most martial character) problems- Half elves are a great race choice. They have an alt trait that gives them +2 to will saves, and elven immunity gives them +2 against enchantments. So that, some wis, and maybe iron will would be enough to protect you from dominate spells.
The new mutagen warrior is also an archetype to consider. It lets you keep weapon training, and gives you an alchemist's mutagen on top of it, so great damage potential. It also gives you access to the wings discovery at level 7. Flight is always fantastic.
Don't really like Slayer, cause he is kind of rougue-ish, and Brawler also isn't really attractive choice, since I do want to wield a weapon.
Reach builds are effective without a doubt, but I would like to charge right in the battle, not setting up a defense perimeter, if possible that is.
Do you care about out of combat abilities? If not then a straight fighter is probably your best bet. Weapon specialization and weapon training will maximize your damage. Armor training will allow you to move full speed in armor and utilize a higher DEX. Use your second weapon training for bows to get a little extra damage at range. The thing to keep in mind about fighters is while they are very good at fighting, that is about all they do. If you want a character that does more than just combat they are very limited. Use on of your normal feats to get Iron will and have at least a 12 WIS so your will saves are not crippling.
The figther will give you lost of options in the planning phase but very few on the battle field. If that os what you want. Pick the two-handed figther archtype get power attack,weapon focus, iron hide, weapon spec and keep going.
Take half orc and get the Sacred tatto alternate racial trait as well as the fates favored trait. After you have iron hide you can use every non bonus feat to get improved natural armor exept pehaps you want iron will in there somewhere.
This will leave you with a gut that can move over and hurt folks from level and all the way up with a minimum of thinking on your part.