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Hello folks...
I´m planning to play a Dwarf Fighter and want some advices (system and roleplay wise).
The main background: It will be a regular dwarf, that ends to be a fighter because he failed at paladin training due his lower charisma (6). This makes him be a bit (even more) grumpy with paladins, but don't need to be evil.
Any suggestions for this little uneducated, grumpy and fart-a-lot dwarf?
EDIT: The stats till now (EF 25pts after racials)
Ruble Rupert McLeod IV
(The third -D&D 3- had a lack of wisdow , the second lack of Int - AD&D-, the first - D&D 1 - lack of Dex - not the best idea.)
Dwarf Fighter
Str 16
Dex 14
Con 18
Int 12
Wis 12
Cha 6
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Steel Soul is a very nice set of save bonuses for Dwarves, fitting well with a stoic, grumpy character. Mix in the Unbreakable Fighter archetype and you've got someone who is too stubborn and irritable to let little things like reality-bending magic, poisons or near-death slow them down.
After that all you'll need is Power Attack and a trusty Dwarven Waraxe and/or Longhammer.
It's not hyper-optimal but you'll do acceptable damage and be bloody hard to kill. Adding Stalwart/Improved Stalwart will make you near immortal.
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Good stats for reach and combat reflexes. Longhammer or bardiche, with a boulder helment for close range. (Dwarven weapons are from the advaced race guide, available on the PRD.)
+1 to steel soul (i believe from advanced players guide).
The student of philosophy trait would help with social skills. (I believe it's from Quests & Campaigns, can find it on d20pfsrd). Gruff and gross, but he payed attention to rhetoric class in pally school.
For a 2hander, any feats after power attack and combat reflexes are gravy, so you could branch out into ranged weapons for switch hitting, or shore up saves and defenses with your feats..
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@Corvino
Very nice, I saved all the sugestions :D
Steel Soul vs Stubborn (the name is appealing) alternate dwarf trait.
What do you think?
Stubborn: Dwarves are renowned for their stubbornness. Dwarves with this racial trait receive a +2 racial bonus on Will saves to resist spells and spell-like abilities of the enchantment (charm) and enchantment (compulsion) schools. In addition, if they fail such a save, they receive another save 1 round later to prematurely end the effect (assuming it has a duration greater than 1 round). This second save is made at the same DC as the first. If the dwarf has a similar ability from another source (such as a rogue's slippery mind), he can only use one of these abilities per round, but he can try the other on the second round if the first reroll ability fails. This racial trait replaces hardy.
@Imbicatus
I, as player, want to be a fighter, so I guess the poor dwarf tried to be a Standard Paladin and failed.:D
He never heard of this Stonelord Paladin, aparently.
@Cult of Vorg
Long reach plus Dwarven boulder helmet is actually a great idea. :D
About philosophy, actually I don't want to circunvent the flaw of low Charisma. All the others Ruble Rubert McLeods suffered from their flaws, he will suffer too. :D
Indeed about talents, I just found Hard-headed, Dented Helm and Cloven Helm.
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Hardy is a +2 bonus on all saves against all spells, not just a +2 on Will saves of a specific type. Even with the reroll ability, it isn't worth loosing out on +2 Fort or +2 Ref or even the +2 Will on non-enchanting spells.
You also lose the ability to take Steel Soul, which gives you a further +2 bonus on all saves.
So you're gaining a reroll to a specific group of Will saves, at the cost of really +4 Fort, +4 Ref, and +4 Will (non-enchantment).
For the sake of arguments concerning Steel Soul, I didn't even include the bonus against poison that you lose by using this feat.
It's kinda terrible in comparison.
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Stubborn is a good racial trait, charm and compulsion saves are nasty - but Hardy & Steel Soul work against any Poison, Spell or Spell-Like Ability. Steel Soul is just as effective against a Fireball as it is Dominate Person, and most charm/compulsion effects will be Spells or SLAs.
Given that the Unbreakable archetype gives lots of opportunities to leverage a crazy-good Fort/Will save, I think Steel Soul works better in combination. That's just my opinion though.
*Edit* Kaouse phrased it much better than me.
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I'd do him this way:
Str 18 Dex 15 Con 16 Int 10 Wis 12 Cha 05
Then I'd go for two weapon fighting and improved shield bash for feats, I'd take dwarven waraxe and heavy wooden shield as weapons, and of course, glory of old as starting trait.
The idea is to climb up the shield bash feat tree until you reach shield mastery.
Things like weapon focus and the mandatory weapon specialization should be on your list, as of course steel soul when you start thinking you need it (with glory of old and hardy you'll start with +3 to most saves, steel sould will get you a nice +5 save mut wait till 5th level to get that, you should do well at low levels with "only +3")
Edit: also, if you are allowed a second trait get:
Shield-Trained (religion-Gorum): Heavy and light shields are considered simple weapons rather than martial weapons for you. Heavy shields are considered light weapons for you.
It's important for good dpr early on. Also if you want more ac and less hps, get 16 dex and 15 con. This will also help you get improved to weapon fighting for even more damage.
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Spellshatter looks like another interesting and flavorful feat for a grumpy dwarf who doesn't like any of this fancy magic nonsense. It's basically a limited version of a Barbarian's Spell Sunder. The prereq feats are Disruptive and Spellbreaker - not bad feats in themselves.
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Spellshatter looks like another interesting and flavorful feat for a grumpy dwarf who doesn't like any of this fancy magic nonsense. It's basically a limited version of a Barbarian's Spell Sunder. The prereq feats are Disruptive and Spellbreaker - not bad feats in themselves.
Once a day makes it a waste. Dwarves make the Cleave feats worthwhile, that's another option. Especially if you were going with a reach weapon like the longhammer or longaxe.
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Wait, are you accepting archetypes? Because let me throw out an idea for the phalanx soldier. Sword and board, but, because you are a dwarf, everything is ridiculously oversized. You can wield a tower shield and a lucerne hammer effectively. Imagine for a second this squat gruff man carrying around a wooden wall while wielding a hammer attached to a pole 3 times his size. Plus if he had wanted to go paladin he probably is the kind of guy who would wand support options like giving people cover. (note, heavy shield is actually better in this build than tower shield, but it is your choice on flavor vs power)
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Actually the Sword and Board TWF was "stolen" to another player of my group, very nice setup specially with Shielded Fighter arch. So I still considering with:
Unbreakable
Phalanx (or any other long range really)
Foehammer (Longhammer for reach)
Glory of Old and Steel Soul are a must. :D
About the Gorum trait, I could recomend it for the TWF friend. But Gorum is not an avaliable god for now, I must speak with GM tho ;)
Ty fellows, you helped 2 little dwarf fighters to rock! :D
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If you wish for a "tank" character you should also consider Armor master
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The Dwarves are almost ready:
Ruble Rupert McLeod IV
Two Handed Fighter (Chaotic Good)
18
14
16
10
12
6
Alternate Racials
Craftman (instead Greed)
Rockstepper (instead Stonecutting)
Feats
Soul Steel
Power Attack
Traits
Glory of the Old
BloodThirsty
For Weapon I was thinking of Waraxe, Dwarven (1h and 2 h).
Ruble is a warrior that serve Gorum, after being expelled from Paladin Halls due his lack of Charisma and alignment. Now is selling his services as Mercenary and Weaponsmith, with his brother-in-arms Botelho.
Botelho
Shielded Fighter (CG)
14
16
16
12
12
10
Alternate Racials
Craftman
Magic Resistance (Instead Hardy. Yeah, I warned him...)
Feats
Improved Shield Slam
Shield Focus
Traits
Shield Trained
Shield Bearer
Weapon
Spiked Large Shield
Warhammer, Dwarven
They are calling themselves Gorum's Axe and Shield.