One thing you might want to consider is taking Focused Study as a human alternate trait since you're taking Skill Focus as a feat anyway.
This turns your level 1 bonus feat into three separate Skill Focus feats, and at level 8 you will have two of them. Skill Focus (Perception) would be a good choice.
You also might want to consider upping your Will save somehow. Maybe take a trait that gives you +1 Will rather than the +1 AC? Getting hit hurts, but you have a lot of hp. Getting dominated is a bigger issue.
Improved Critical (Falchion) might be worth getting as well.
As a Two-Handed Fighter, unless you need the 13 Dexterity for feat requirements (which, as it sits you don't possess any of those feats), you can keep it at 12, since the extra point in there does nothing for you. You'll also want to dump your Intelligence down to 7, since being Human and applying your Favored Class Bonus still leaves you a guaranteed 3 skill points to work with. Perception is about the only skill you absolutely need to have, leaving you 2 skills to work with. Some good ones are possibly Acrobatics (if you don't plan on wearing heavy armor, the ability to avoid AoOs and grant enhanced defensive options helps), and splitting between Climb and Swim (in the events magical transportation isn't available to you because Anti-Magic Hax by the GM), or Sense Motive (if you end up facing enemies who use Feint against you frequently) to start. Additionally, if you have access to the Advanced Race Guide, you could substitute the Skill Point feature for the Heart of the Wilderness racial trait, giving you additional negative hit points and bonuses on stabilize checks, should you go down.
With the suggested statistic subtractions, some valid increases would go to Wisdom to boost Will Saves, or Charisma to boost your Intimidation benefits. A 13 Wis/12 Cha hybrid benefit gives the good of both worlds, and you only really lose a skill point per level (which you aren't meant to specialize in anyway).
For Traits, the Eyes and Ears one is okay enough to have, though you'll be more of a support-type Perception check than a main one, something which the rest of the party should cover, so if you really want to keep this, go ahead, it's not game-breaking compared to other options. The other one is pointless because, as a Two-Handed Fighter, AC isn't your strongest suit, and will get heavily outscaled in the long run anyway. My suggestion is to shore up your 2 lacking benefits right now: Initiative Bonuses, and Will Saves. My suggestions are the Reactionary Trait and either the Birth Mark (+2 Saves V.S. Enchantment and Compulsion effects, i.e. 90% of Will Saves that ruin your day) or Indomitable Faith trait (+1 all Will Saves).
As far as feat selections, for the battle strategy you want to implement, is very solid. However, some of your future benefits are lacking.
Critical Focus can be good if you plan to take the associated critical feats, and Critical Mastery, but if you already have good enough to-hit bonuses, it shouldn't be necessary. As long as you invest most of your ability into killing things (and not causing a party wipe via mind control or save/suck spells), the extra umph to confirm criticals becomes a moot point. Improved Critical at 9th would be your best bet, followed by Greater Weapon Focus at 10th. Since you will have access to Haste and the Hurtful feat (which is basically 3 free attacks at your highest BAB), Hammer the Gap is a great feat addition by 11th level, as your 11th level BAB iteratives would equate to BAB/BAB/BAB-5/BAB-10, with a free attack at your highest BAB as a Swift Action whenever you successfully Intimidate your enemy. This means that on a single enemy, you'd have a up to a cumulative +10 extra damage per round, averaging at least an extra +6, which increases to +15 highest/+10 average damage by BAB 16.
Dazing Assault and Staggering Critical save DCs do not scale well, since it's simply "10 + BAB." Most creatures you'll be facing that are worth a damn will have crazy-good Fortitude saving throws, or you won't be able to hit them at all (because magic or flying or whatever), and having to rely on bad rolls to get ahead is not a smart tactic to do, as you're effectively a glass cannon killing things in 1 to 2 rounds before they kill you in 1 to 2 rounds. Additionally, Dazing Assault takes a huge penalty to you if you use the feat, something that you will end up struggling against constantly.
For 12th level and beyond, you'll want Greater Weapon Specialization, as well as the Penetrating Strike (and its Greater Version at 16th level), since being able to bypass DR/- is a huge boon on its own, especially since a lot of enemies have DR by the endgame.
@177cheese: I didn't know about that! Free skill focus, very nice! Yeah, I suppose will save would be better in that case, although fighter will save is so abysmal I'm not sure the +1 will actually help with much. I'm using a Keen weapon, so might as well save the feat slot for something else
@Darksol: GM houserules can't drop stats below 8. I did end up dropping int to 8 and wis up to 12 at the cost of 8 health from favored class, though. GM uses a lot of perception rolls for surprise round, so I think it's a good thing to go with eyes and ears in this case, although I went with Veteran Jungle Guide instead. I am using Keen weapon, so improved critical becomes a moot point in this case. I suppose critical versatility is a good feat that allows me to bypass Critical focus as a prerequisite. What do you suggest I do with my feats beyond level 8 then? Iron will or improved initiative maybe? Those two and Lunge seem to be prime candidates.
Right now I have on track are
9th: ???
10th:
11th: Critical Versatility
12th: Weapon Spec
13-20: ???Do you have any really good feats I don't know about? Also, hammer the gap only applies to attacks that are part of the full attack itself, so the Hurtful attack doesn't count towards it :/
Good catch on that Hammer the Gap feat. It is more favorable for TWF builds to help keep them in line with two-handed weapons as far as damage goes, but it'll still apply to the bonus attack from Haste. It's not a horrible feat to pick yet, it's just not as good as I thought it would be.
Critical Versatility is great in that if you can anticipate what you are going to be fighting, you can plan for it ahead of time and get them where it hurts the most. It's basically a gimme for those feats that have the higher pre-requisites, such as getting Stunning Critical when you already have Staggering Critical.
Improved Initiative and Iron Will are easily great choices. Improved Iron Will is only good if you plan on getting a Defiant weapon property for your Falchion (which I fully recommend, by the way), as the enhancement bonus on your weapon also serves as granting you extra uses of Improved Iron Will (giving you a total of up to 6 rerolls on Wisdom saves). Lunge is a trap feat for this build; it's really only useful if you're focused on a reach weapon, as it further enhances the reach capabilities you already possess, which isn't a smart investment initially. The Additional Traits feat is another great one, as you can pick the two other traits that I suggested, which gives you unique bonuses that no other feat could possibly replicate. The Penetrating Strike feat chain post-12 is a great investment to maximize your damage output, and makes damage reduction a complete joke to you.
If your GM isn't opposed, I'd consider transferring your Falchion investments into the Nodachi. This gives you a Brace property, it counts as both Slashing and Piercing, and it has a better damage dice for both size scaling (2D8 via Impact property at the least) and maximizing damage (has 2 damage higher maximum at the cost of a reduced minimum to 1, but becomes twice as easier to roll max damage).
That's about all I can offer for now; it's late here and I need rest. I'll pop back in and finish off what isn't covered.
I am gonna be that boring guy that say it. Look at the slayer class. It is a figther with several good options when it comes to intimidate and Lots of skills to be usefull outside combat. It will cost you the use of heavy armor but it will be worth it. IMOP.
Do you think deadly stroke would be worth getting greater weapon focus for?
Not particularly. It seems like a promising feat, one that would cause a war of attrition to go in your favor, but you have to consider what it's costing you. Instead of doing 3 or 4 attacks with the proper damage you need, you're dealing the damage of about 1.5 attacks with a bleed that can be fixed with magical healing or Fast Healing/Regeneration. I'll also point out that on average, combat lasts 3 rounds, so while that bleed may be helpful against some non-regeneration/fast healing monster, the damage you deal from full attacks would severely outweigh the benefits of the Constitution bleed. It's also costing you a feat slot, which can be better spent for other feats.
I think the 30% chance to double your damage is much better than increasing your damage ceiling by 4 points. Right now I'm thinking Iron Will for 9th and possibly improved initiative for 10th and Critical Versatility or something? Do you think cleave and great cleave would be worth the 9th and 10th slot over +2 willsave for fighter and +4 initiative?
The cleave feats require enemies be adjacent to each other and in your attack range, something that, without further feat investment from Dwarves (yup, dwarf-specific cleave feats negate some of these restrictions), makes this a very circumstantial usage.
Not only are they feat taxes like the Vital Strike feat chain(s) to keep effective amongst the later levels of play, it's an awful lot of set-up when you're already pumping your to-hit exponentially high, meaning your chances of missing on your iteratives equate to the same level of if you simply used Cleave.
Remember that the Deadly Stroke feat is a standard action. This means you do not get any of your other attacks, and any things that are contingent upon the attack action do not apply (such as using combat maneuvers in place of them). It's also situational in that the bleed isn't particularly effective compared to your static bonuses from the other iterative attacks you possess, and that most creatures you fight will have DR and fast healing or regeneration or healing spells to counteract the big benefit of the feat.
You don't want to sacrifice going first (giving opportunity to set up full attacks and buffing up), nor do you want to sacrifice the ability to negate being mind controlled, for circumstantial feats like the Cleave feat chain. (Or the Vital Strike feat chain for that matter.)
Am I the only one who thinks it would probably be worth it to drop Weapon Specialization: Falchion for Iron Will to shore up the Will save?
I say drop furious focus. I feel it's not worth it. Your first attack already has a good enough chance to hit.
At lv1-3 power attack is giving you a -1 to your attack rolls. meaning weapon focus does the same thing that furious focus is doing.
at lv5-7 power attack is giving a -2, weapon training comes in and gives you a +1, so it and weapon focus are canceling out power attack for all attacks.
at 8th you get greater focus to continue to negate power attack.
now lets see your to-hit. at lv8 you have
+6str, +2 wf and gwf, +1 wt, and bab 8, +1 magic weapon. for a total of +18 for your first hit, +15 for power attack.
A 3/4 bab class with the same stats is looking at a +14 without using power attack. So you're still quite accurate.
At lv8 AC average AC is 21. So you hit on a 6+ before any bonuses from allies or flanking. Yes furious focus makes that a 3+, but I feel you'd get more use on something that helps more than that.
He can take care of a lot of will saves with a clear ioun stone and a Wayfinder, if allowed.
But yes, Iron Will is a feat tax for fighters. He needs to take it.
The POWER FEAT you're looking for is Dazing Assault, which will absolutely cripple any opponent who succumbs to it. Crunch/take no actions is basically a stunlock effect.
I'll second the skill focus human thing, since you're doing it anyways. A minimum 2 feats for 1 feat is worth it.
You probably want to look at Demoralize since you're intimidating things. Going from Shaken to Frightened is a big step, and I think Intimidating Display or something similar allows you to do it as an area effect. You'll be terrorizing your enemies...if they aren't undead, that is.
You don't need Weapon Spec since you aren't focusing on pure damage.
==Aelryinth
I still recommend trading out furious focus and keeping weapon spec. +2 damage on all attacks for a round (which with haste and hurful is +8 potential) or +3 hit on 1 attack which hits on a 6 with no buffs.
Well it's also that if you have any buffs on you you'll lose out on some of the bonus from furious focus. a heroism and haste and you're missing out on a +1 to hit since you can't hit on a 1. Getting a +2 on your magic weapon and heroism. A bard inspire courage. flanking and haste. Etc.
Also as you level up your to hit goes up faster than their AC.
At lv9 average ac goes up by 2, your to hit goes up by 2 (bab and WT).
at lv10 another 1, your bab
at lv11 another 1, your bab
so if you get better gear, and access to gear you'd get. A better belt (+1 to hit) a better weapon (+1 or 2 more to hit), and gloves of dueling(+2 to hit). This takes the 6 to a 1 or 2 without furious focus. Or a 1 with furious focus(meaning no benefit.)
So if you don't have access to any buffs or items then I guess it's a bit better option. So if you want furious focus still then I understand, hitting on a 2 sooner is nice. I just hope it stays useful to you.
Negating a penalty is equal with providing a bonus, both are increasing your chance to hit. If you hit on a 2 without furious focus, then furious focus removing a penalty still lets you hit on a 2.
Yes, I'm assuming encounters will be around the average case. If your average case is different then yes, my analysis falls apart as it wouldn't be as applicable. if your first attack is consistently needing a 10 with furious focus I hope there are no other melee's in the group, as they'll need something like a 15 or higher to hit.
I think the 30% chance to double your damage is much better than increasing your damage ceiling by 4 points.I think I'd rather respect your decision on this matter than press my own position, but if you'd like me to argue my case further, then let's crunch the numbers. I need to know what are the enchantments on your Falchion, and what other things do you have going on that increase your damage? I know about weapon Focus and Specialization already.
The short version of all the math is that it depends on how much static damage your character has. At around +20 static damage (assuming keen/improved critical) the falchion starts to pull ahead.
Of course, that's assuming there are no other factors that might be influencing the math: some buffs like Enlarge Person and Lead Blades would help out the greatsword fighter (as would facing crit-immune enemies) while the falchion fighter can get more mileage out of any abilities/enchantments that trigger on a critical hit.
Personally, I would say the difference between the two is only going to be significant if you're using a build that heavily favors one or the other. Unless you're running a size increase stacking vital striker or a crit-fisher the overall difference in damage is pretty minor.
This might just be a personal preference thing, but I think I would prefer the +15% chance to hit on one attack over +6 damage in a single round. Besides, it doesn't have to be one or the other as Furious focus and WF/GWF stack
I'll agree with Chess Pwn on the Furious Focus thing; it's a great feat for low levels simply because you can essentially cancel out all PA penalties until ~7th level, when your second attack starts to come online. Furious Focus is a great feat when you're only ever getting one attack in a round, and is common for those with just a single natural weapon. It suffers the same diminishing returns as Crane Wing did/does, in that its usefulness in comparison to the number of attacks thrown at you dwindles. Another flaw with Furious Focus is that it works on the first attack you make in your turn, meaning you can't apply it to your low-end BAB iteratives, the attacks that will have the most trouble hitting, in comparison to your first iterative, which should practically be guaranteed.
With that being said, I understand you're wanting to build a crit-fisher, so here's how I suggest you follow through with the feat progression, with * being marked for bonus feats:
Human: Power Attack
1: Weapon Focus (Falchion)
1*: Furious Focus
2*: Dazzling Display
3: Intimidating Prowess
4*: Weapon Specialization (Falchion)
5: Hurtful
6*: Cornugon Smash
7: Iron Will
8*: Shatter Defenses [replace Furious Focus with Greater Weapon Focus (Falchion)]
9: Improved Iron Will
10*: Critical Focus
11: Critical Versatility
12*: Penetrating Strike
13: Greater Weapon Specialization (Falchion)
14*: Tiring Critical
15: Sickening Critical
16*: Greater Penetrating Strike
17: Critical Mastery
18*: Staggering Critical
19: Improved Initiative
20*: Hammer the Gap
The big thing I forgot to mention is that for several of the critical feats, the greater forms still provide the lesser penalties on a successful save, meaning even if the DC scale is bad, a successful save still provides powerful debuffs. Throw on Critical Versatility to get you the powerful debuff of your choice (Stunning Critical is crazygood by the endgame), combined with Critical Versatility nets you a powerful debuff tacked on with another of your base debuffs.
Hammer the Gap, while not ideal, is really only a good feat for Two-Handed Martials by the endgame, where you should have absolutely 0 trouble hitting enemies, meaning you'll be getting a guaranteed +10 to your DPR. I debated applying Improved Initiative earlier, but even with the ability to go first, that turn would end up being spent either waiting, buffing (which you probably don't have anyway), or doing an inoptimal choice that leads to you getting killed. Besides that point, rocket-tagging only takes place in the endgame, so your initiative bonus isn't that important.
If you don't want to scrap a feat, one other feat I can recommend is Strong Comeback, as it synergizes well with Improved Iron Will, and if you get a Defiant weapon, applies its benefits multiple times in an adventuring day (up to 6, to be exact), meaning getting dominated would be a thing of the past.
I think, Chengar, the shorter version of the math is that the OP has not revealed enough information about his character to ascertain whether it is worthwhile to retrain his 2 feats from Falchion to Greatsword.I think the 30% chance to double your damage is much better than increasing your damage ceiling by 4 points.I think I'd rather respect your decision on this matter than press my own position, but if you'd like me to argue my case further, then let's crunch the numbers. I need to know what are the enchantments on your Falchion, and what other things do you have going on that increase your damage? I know about weapon Focus and Specialization already.The short version of all the math is that it depends on how much static damage your character has. At around +20 static damage (assuming keen/improved critical) the falchion starts to pull ahead.
Of course, that's assuming there are no other factors that might be influencing the math: some buffs like Enlarge Person and Lead Blades would help out the greatsword fighter (as would facing crit-immune enemies) while the falchion fighter can get more mileage out of any abilities/enchantments that trigger on a critical hit.
Personally, I would say the difference between the two is only going to be significant if you're using a build that heavily favors one or the other. Unless you're running a size increase stacking vital striker or a crit-fisher the overall difference in damage is pretty minor.
While it's a balanced weapon overall (decent critical multiplier, decent weapon damage), lacking the 18-20 multiplier really hurts a crit-fisher build, like the one the OP is attempting to do, on top of intimidation. Additionally, the scaling for the Greatsword falls under the same faulty paradigm as the Falchion, in that it's a lower-end scale.
The most optimal crit-fishing weapon for fighters is the Nodachi. Having a 1D10 dice not only makes it optimal for maximizing damage (Falchion has a 6.25% chance to roll maximum damage compared to 10% chance to roll maximum damage that the Nodachi has), but if you try to increase the size, an Impact Nodachi from an Enlarged Fighter is sitting at an increased 3D8, mathematically equivalent to an Impact Greatsword from an Enlarged Fighter, which is 4D6; both maximums are 24.
But the critical hit chance the Nodachi has is vastly superior, it has two types of damage (Slashing and Piercing), and it has the Brace property to top it all off. The Greatsword, even playing by your rules, only matches one level of power that the Nodachi has; the Nodachi is otherwise superior in each other respect.
Even if we take off one of the two cited benefits, the Greatsword edges out by 2 points of damage at best per hit going by maximum calculations, something I can assure you the critical hit chance of the Nodachi would easily make up for.
I think if someone goes with an 18-20 weapon, they are quite obviously making a crit build...
According to the build you suggested, why scrap the skill focus though? It's a big boost and humans can get 3 of them for free instead of the free level 1 feat.
Because of space and relevance in accordance to what the rest of your build calls for. Crit fishing with the debuffs is very feat intensive; it's actually one of the only things a Fighter is most viable for in comparison to other classes. The problems you will run into with trying to fit it in is by subbing them in the earlier levels, where the benefits are most valuable, versus delaying the other core benefits of your build. It will also require you to cut out a feat, since you will be subtracting the open feat for 3, skill-specific ones.
Additionally, Intimidation builds are prime to work because the Intimidation skill scale versus the DC you need to make for it (which is HD + Wisdom, if I remember correctly), so having a Skill Focus for that and the others aren't that valuable, especially when a Fighter isn't designed to be a decent skill-monkey.
But if you absolutely require those skill foci, then I'll make slight revisions to accomodate them.
1: Weapon Focus (Falchion)
1*: Power Attack
2*: Dazzling Display
3: Intimidating Prowess
4*: Weapon Specialization (Falchion)
5: Hurtful
6*: Cornugon Smash
7: Iron Will
8*: Shatter Defenses
9: Improved Iron Will
10*: Greater Weapon Focus
11: Critical Focus
12*: Penetrating Strike
13: Greater Weapon Specialization (Falchion)
14*: Tiring
15: Sickening Critical
16*: Greater Penetrating Strike
17: Critical Mastery
18*: Staggering Critical
19: Critical Versatility
20*: Hammer the Gap