I have need for an NPC who's primary focus is one-on-one duels. He's a martial, full BAB level 13 human. Due to his focus on dueling, I imagine him to actually focus on a combat maneuver, like disarm. Or another interesting tactic, just something other than merely maximum damage output. What class/archetype would be most optimal? Ideally I'd like the character to be a Samurai or Cavalier, simply because of the challenge idea is very thematic, but I'm open to other ideas. Or is lore warden fighter simply heads and shoulders above anything else if I want to do combat maneuvers?
Ok, thinking lore warden fighter with cavalier variant multiclass. At 13th level this will give +6 CMB from lore warden, another +3 from challenge if I pick the order that gives bonuses to CMB (I'm pretty sure there's one), plus weapon training goodness. Is there a way to do better with combat maneuvers or is this pretty much the most optimal?
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Well, if you're going to be 13th level, an Ustalavic Duelist fighter will be able to use Dirty Trick maneuvers with a weapon. Which will give your weapon training bonuses, enchancement bonues, and so on to your dirty trick maneuvers. That is a huge bonus to a maneuver that is actually useful at 13th level, when trip and disarm are hardly an inconvenience.
My duelist, Kirom Lancaster, is crazy hard to hit in combat. Maybe you could poach some ideas off of her?
My duelist, Kirom Lancaster, is crazy hard to hit in combat. Maybe you could poach some ideas off of her?
Sorry, edited the file and broke the link. Here's the new link.
Is he an honorable duelist? Or is his goal to win the fight?
@Torbyne - I looked at the inspired blade and am considering it, but I don't know if I like the strategy behind it. This NPC is going to be used for a single fight - he'll be fighting one of the PCs in a melee tournament - so I don't know if I want it to be spent simply parrying all the PC's attacks.
@ShroudedInLight - Depends on what you mean by honorable. The encounter he'll be used in (see my response to Torbyne) will have rules, and he'll abide by those rules. But it would be in character for him to use the dirty trick combat maneuver if I build the character that way.
@Imbicatus - What's an Ustalavic Duelist?
I know you were considering a Cavalier, but have you considered a Slayer or a Brawler?
At 13th level the Slayer has 4d6 Sneak Attack damage and are studying their target for +3 to a ton of different rolls. An executioner Slayer could prove brutal in a fight, especially with +4 to their DC for sickening their opponent. Stygian Slayer is another option, as you not only gain Invisibility but also the ability to use spell trigger options such as Darkness or Obscuring mists that could prove very potent. Especially if the Slayer has blindfight and the PCs do not.
Brawler's are also potent for being able to adapt during the fight, Tripping an opponent into grappling them. Dirty tricks into a bullrush, and etc. They also have the KO punch which is pretty powerful if you land it in a duel. Mutagenic Maulers are scary at 13th level, with access to Greater Mutagen and +15ft movement speed. Shield Champions use their Unarmed Strike damage on shields, can freely throw them to initiate combat maneuvers, and grant her range. A steel breaker Brawler could function to just cripple the opponent's armor and weapons through Sundering, which could leave them out in the cold with nothing but their fists vs a man who trained his whole life with his fists.
Strangler's also can just KO opponents they Pin, which is brutal.
I'm not sure if "focusing on disarming" is necessarily going to be a big focus since at level 7 a Swashbuckler gets "Targeted Strike" which, for 1 Panache and a full round action gets you:
the target takes no damage from the attack, but it drops one carried item of the swashbuckler’s choice, even if the item is wielded with two hands. Items held in a locked gauntlet cannot be chosen.
Which is to say, it's an automatically successful disarm with zero feat investment. Maybe try tripping instead? It's a weak tactic for PCs because a lot of things can't be tripped (e.g. especially large snakes), but the PCs sure can be tripped.