I've posted a few threads for advice, but am restarting a RotRL campaign at the Black Arrow Fortress, level 9 on Sunday. It's a reboot of the entire group's first ever pathfinder experience (all players and GM). I'm still a fairly new player (only been going about a year, never beyond level 11, and mostly in homebrews) so am very advice-hungry.
I played RotRL to 11 after and my fighter was killed, revived, and killed again for good pretty quickly. Our reboot is going back to just before he died at the hands of Kreeg.
GM will let me recreate the character as either a fighter or barbarian with access to all Paizo material. Bonus story feat and campaign trait given. Alternate rules of Combat Stamina for Fighters only and 2 background skills per level, as well as max health for levels 1-5 and rolls thereafter. 20 point buy. Rest of the party is a Cleric/Bard VMC for pure support with Leadership and an unchained Monk cohort, Blaster Sorcerer, Unchained rogue built for archery, and sometimes a Divine Defender Paladin.
I've built it both ways and come down to two options after a lot of time and theorycrafting and test builds.
Makknus Hammerhand
Male Dwarf Fighter 9
NG Medium Humanoid (Dwarf)
Init +5; Senses Darkvision 60ft; Perception +13 (+14 against surprise, +15 to notice unusual stonework); Sense Motive +14
DEFENSE
AC 26, Touch 13, Flat-Footed 24 (+13 armor, +2 Dex, +1 deflection)
HP 104 (50 + 4D10 {rolled 27 total} + 27 Con)
Fort +11 Ref +7 Will +8; +4 vs. poison, spells, and spell-like abilities; +2 vs. fear (stacks)
Defensive Abilities Defensive Training (+4 Dodge bonus to AC vs. giants) Weapon Master: Difficult Swings (Treat 5' radius around fighter as difficult terrain after a full-attack action. Can nullify effect for friendly targets fighter is aware of)
OFFENSE
Speed 20ft.
Melee +1 Fortuitous Dwarven Longhammer +18/10 (2D6+19/x3)
+1 Fortuitous Dwarven Longhammer (without Power Attack) +18/13 (2D6+10/x3)
Mwk Armor Spikes +15/7 (1D4+11/x2)
Ranged Mwk Composite Longbow (3) +12/7 (1D8+3)
Special Attacks +1 on attack rolls against giants
STATISTICS
Str 20, Dex 14, Con 16, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 8
Base Atk +9; CMB +14 (+16 for Bull Rush/Overrun) CMD 26
Feats True Love, Combat Stamina, Power Attack (-3 +6/9), Weapon Focus: Dwarven Longhammer, Combat Reflexes, Steel Soul, Barroom Brawler, Furious Focus, Weapon Mastery: Difficult Swings, Advanced Weapon Training: Armed Bravery, Advanced Armor Training: Armor Specialist (Full Plate), Lunge, Advanced Weapon Training: Versatile Training (Intimidate & Diplomacy), Advanced Armor Training: Master Armorer
Traits Outlander: Exile (Campaign), Survivor (region), Militant Merchant (racial)
Skills Appraise +4, Climb +4, Craft: Magic Armor +21, Craft: Arms +14, Diplomacy +11, Handle Animal +3, Intimidate +11, Knowledge: Dungeoneering/Engineering +4, Geography/History +2, Linguistics +2, Perception +13 (+14 against surprise, +15 to notice unusual stonework), Profession: Engineer/Soldier +6, Ride +1, Sense Motive +14, Survival +5, Swim +4, Use Magic Device +2
Languages Common, Dwarven, Giant, Goblin
SQ Weapon Training: Hammers (+2 hit/damage), Bravery 2, Armor Training I, Advanced Weapon Training: Armed Bravery and Versatile Training, Advanced Armor Training: Armor Specialist and Master Armorer
Combat Gear Potion of Enlarge Person (6), Oil of Bless Weapon (6), Potion of Shield of Faith +2 (6), Potion of Baskskin +2 (2), Potion of Blur, Potion of Lesser Restoration, Tanglefoot Bag (2), Thunderstone (3), Potion of Cure Light Wounds (3)
Other Gear +1 Fortuitous Dwarven Longhammer, +2 Adamantine Full Plate w/ Mwk Armor Spikes, Mwk Composite Longbow (3), 20 Arrows, Cloak of Resistance +2, Ring of Protection +1, Handy Haversack, Bag of Holding Type 1, +5 Artisan's tools (Craft Arms & Armor), Anvil, Crowbar, Shovel, Pitons (10), Silk Rope 100ft., Bedroll, Tent, Cooking Pot, 2 Waterskins, Flint and steel, Iron Rope, Grapple Hook, Skinning Kinfe, 10' Pole, Blanket, Armor Ointment (2), Mending Paste (2), Spider Sac (2), Adamantine Weapon Blanch, Cold Iron Weapon Blanch (2), Silver Weapon Blanch, Bloodblock (2), Antiplague (2), Clear Ear (2), Bladeguard (2), Alchemical Solvent (3), Blackfire Clay (2), Gold: 3,835
Makknus Hammerhand
Male Dwarf Inuvlnerable Rager (Barbarian) 9
NG Medium Humanoid (Dwarf)
Init +5; Senses Darkvision 60ft; Perception +13 (+15 to notice unusual stonework); Sense Motive +13
DEFENSE
AC 22, Touch 13, Flat-Footed 20 (+8 armor, +2 Dex, +1 deflection, -2 rage, +3 natural) DR 4/- SR Fire/2
HP 147 (60 + 4D12 {rolled 33 total} + 27 Con +27 Rage)
Fort +14 Ref +8 Will +8; +8 vs. spells, and spell-like abilities, +4 vs. poison
Defensive Abilities Defensive Training (+4 Dodge bonus to AC vs. giants), Light Fortification: 25% chance to negate sneak attack or critical hit
OFFENSE
Speed 30ft.
Melee +1 Fortuitous Dwarven Longhammer +18/13 (2D6+22/x3)
+1 Fortuitous Dwarven Longhammer (without Power Attack) +21/16 (2D6+13/x3)
Mwk Armor Spikes +18/13 (1D4+14/x2)
Ranged Mwk Composite Longbow (3) +12/7 (1D8+3)
Special Attacks +1 on attack rolls against giants; Combat Reflexes (+2 AOOs/rd); Fortuitous (make a second attack 1/rd on a provoked AOO at a -5 penalty.) +3 damage against spell casters or enemies with spell-like abilities
STATISTICS
Str 26, Dex 14, Con 22, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 8
Base Atk +9; CMB +17 (+19 for Bull Rush/Overrun) CMD 29
Feats True Love, Power Attack (-3 +6/9), Steel Soul, Combat Reflexes, Raging Vitality, Extra Rage Power
Traits Exile (campaign): +2 Initiative, Survivor (region) +1 Initiative, +1 Sense Motive and counts as Class Skill, Grounded (racial) +2 acrobatics for balance, +1 Reflex Saves
Skills Acrobatics +9, Climb +9, Craft Arms and Armor +16, Diplomacy +2, Handle Animal +4, Intimidate +11, Knowledge: Geography/History +2, Knowledge Nature +4, Linguistics +3, Perception +13, Ride +3, Sense Motive +13, Survival +5, Swim +9
Languages Common, Dwarven, Giant, Goblin
SQ Rage 32rd/day, DR = 1/2 barbarian level, Fire Resistance = 1 for every 3 levels beyond 3rd.
Rage Powers Lesser Beast Totem, Beast Totem, Accurate Stance, Superstition, Witch Hunter
Combat Gear Potion of Enlarge Person (6), Potion of Lesser Restoration
Other Gear +1 Fortuitous Dwarven Longhammer, +2 Light Fortification Breastplate w/ Mwk Armor Spikes, Mwk Earthbreaker, Mwk Composite Longbow (3), 20 Arrows, Belt of Giant Strength +4, Cloak of Resistance +2, Ring of Protection +1, Handy Haversack, Mwk Artisan's tools (Craft Arms & Armor), Anvil, Crowbar, Shovel, Pitons (10), Silk Rope 100ft., Bedroll, Tent, Cooking Pot, 2 Waterskins, Flint and steel, Grapple Hook, 10' Pole, Blanket, Gold: 3,185
The Fighter will have much higher AC as levels progress and is more defensive, potion enlarging and using lunge/reach weapon/combat reflexes to control the battle.
The Barbarian will hit harder while raging and will have much higher offense with taking Greater Beast Totem (pounce), Spell Sunder, and Come and Get Me.
GM has approved either build (though with us all being newish still, there could be some things that are wrong/illegal and neither of us caught it).
The biggest difference to me is the Fighter's access to Combat Stamina and using that to pump AOO's (With Fortuitous weapon, can land 2 AOOs at full attack bonus by supplementing the -5 with 5 points of stamina spend on a single provocation at 20' away.) vs. the Barbarians' much higher saves/health and damage potential with CAGM. There's also the AC difference, but I feel that with the enemies we're up against, there really won't be THAT much difference in how often I'm hit with 26 AC or 22 AC going forward, but the 40+ health point differential and bonus DR could be massive. Between the two builds, which would you recommend?