Polearm Master, the Fighter archetype, gets immediate action buttstroke with the polearm at level two. Nobody else will give you that.
Or, if you want skills, be a sword and board ranger or slayer, take shield focus and shield brace, use your polearm for reach, and shield bash anyone who closes the distance.
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A bladed brush swashbuckler is both strong and cool...
Bladed brush doesn't make the swashbuckler strong or cool. Nothing can make the swashbuckler strong or cool. Lol.
That being said. The Mind Sword Paladin might be fun for a polearm build.
But I think the sword and board slayer or ranger with shield brace is a better build, honestly. Being able to shield bash people away from you because shield slam makes every shield bash a bull rush. It pushes people back into reach range for your spear. If you have spiked armor and take spiked destroyer feat, you can get a free attack with your armor spikes every bull rush, so literally every time you hit someone with your shield you can swing with your armor spikes. If you have a polearm or spear with a high critical threat range, bashing finish at level 10 gives you a free shield bash on every critical confirmation, and thus free armor spikes...
I am a big fan of the Skirmisher Ranger or Vanguard Slayer archetypes. The Skirmisher gives up spells for neat maneuvers. The Vanguard gets teamwork feats. Both have their uses depending on the party and campaign. Battle Scout Rangers take control of the party's initiative at level 15, if you are going that far, it's pretty cool dictating the order of combat, always having your buffs and debuffs off first is helpful.
For the sword and board fighting style feats:
2. Shield Bash
6. Shield Master
10. Bashing Finish
For the other feats:
1.Shield Focus
1H.Shield Brace
3. Power Attack
5. Furious Focus
Everything else is movement and survivability. Step Up, Follows Up, then Step Up and Strike, Combat Reflexes, Stand Still would all be good with this build. Put the bashing enchantment on the shield as soon as you can, put keen and impact on your fauchard or spear or whatever, and put keen on you armor spikes.
With bashing finish any critical confirmation gets a free shield bash, so critical hits from the free armor spike attack gets another free shield bash and another free attack with the spikes, rinse repeat.
Maybe a half-elf (for EWP: Fauchard) Occultist (Haunt Collector or Panoply Savant) with the "trappings of the warrior" panoply? Just take Shield Brace before the Panoply comes online.
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I am a big fan of the Skirmisher Ranger or Vanguard Slayer archetypes. The Skirmisher gives up spells for neat maneuvers. The Vanguard gets teamwork feats. Both have their uses depending on the party and campaign. Battle Scout Rangers take control of the party's initiative at level 15, if you are going that far, it's pretty cool dictating the order of combat, always having your buffs and debuffs off first is helpful.
For the sword and board fighting style feats:
2. Shield Bash
6. Shield Master
10. Bashing FinishFor the other feats:
1.Shield Focus
1H.Shield Brace
3. Power Attack
5. Furious FocusEverything else is movement and survivability. Step Up, Follows Up, then Step Up and Strike, Combat Reflexes, Stand Still would all be good with this build. Put the bashing enchantment on the shield as soon as you can, put keen and impact on your fauchard or spear or whatever, and put keen on you armor spikes.
With bashing finish any critical confirmation gets a free shield bash, so critical hits from the free armor spike attack gets another free shield bash and another free attack with the spikes, rinse repeat.
Curious what a combat round looks like for this character I think I'm missing something? I really do hope I'm missing something because I love shield and spear style builds. Sorry for not getting it.
Shield Bash > bullrush to move enemy into range of your reach weapon > Spiked Destroyer with the bullrush > then what?
Unless you have taken the TWF penalties on the first attack -6 on this build you can't attack with the reach weapon, which would be at a -10. The bullrush does not create Aoos so moving a target away from your allies seems like a bad strategy.
If you crit with the reach weapon you can only shield bash if you still have a 5ft step correct? then if you don't successfully bullrush the enemy then you can't take any more of your reach attacks.
If you stay within 5ft of the enemy, where you need to be for step up to do anything the reach weapon means a caster can't 5 foot to cast spells which is good, but you can't attack with it.
I know the main use of a pole-arm is its Reach
The main use of a polearm is high DPR + high AC.
All polearms work with Shield Brace. Not all polearms have reach.
E.g. the nodachi.
It depends on the environment and what is going on. The average round of combat is power attack with the fauchard or spear, and keep stabbing them until death do you part.
If they get inside reach range, smash on them with your shield, throw your shoulder into them as a parting gift. Refer back to the above strategy.
If you are caught in a pinch, keep pursuit and keep bashing with the shield and armor spikes.
The point of this system is to give you options.
Also, one of the Skirmisher's maneuvers is a free 5' step, that doesn't count as your actual 5' step. So you can close and smash on a critical if you want so enjoy the munchkin madness available with crit/bash/spikes.
PS. Shield Master removes all penalties associated with attacking with the shield, so you absolutely don't need TWF feats for this. And I honestly don't know about needing a 5' step to shield bash on a critical from the spear. Bashing Finish doesn't state if you are in range for a shield bash, it just says you can. I kinda picture you just sliding forward and bashing them with the shield, dropping your shoulder into them (big armor spike on the shoulder), and as they fly backwards you let the spear slide through your hand and grab it when it's where you want your grip to be, thus yanking it out if their chest.
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Surprise shift is great.
You are half right about shield master. If you attack with both weapons in the same round you still have the -10 on the off hand weapon. Shield master only applies to Two-weapon fighting for the shield no other penalties and no for the second weapon.
There being on need for TWF on the build as it's nearly impossible to utilize that is true.
You aren't TWF with Bashing Finish.
Prerequisites: Improved Shield Bash, Shield Master, Two-Weapon Fighting, base attack bonus +11.
Benefit: Whenever you score a critical hit with a melee weapon, you can make a shield bash attack against the same target using the same bonus as a free action.
It obviously didn't predict being used in conjunction with shield brace and a reach weapon. But your spear is in their chest, critically in their chest, ease your hold on the spear, slide forward to engage their critically pierced chest with your shield, and your shoulder spikes, send them flying backwards, as they pull the spear away from you, the handle sliding through your loosened grip, you simply tighten the grip before the spear is pulled completely free. Use their backwards movement to reset the reach of your spear. Sure, nothing specifically gives you the ability to slide your grip on a polearm, but nothing specifically states you have to be within reach of the free shield bash, either.
You just get a free shield bash with a critical hit, whether it's your fauchard or the shield itself or your spiked armor, any one of those getting a crit sets off this bashing smashing chain reaction of doom and dispair.
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Two different situations.
Crit > 5 foot > shield bash
This works no issue.
Shield bash > bullrush > use reach weapon requires using TWF not the feat the section of the combat chapter.
nothing specifically states you have to be within reach of the free shield bash, either.
And I honestly don't know about needing a 5' step to shield bash on a critical from the spear. Bashing Finish doesn't state if you are in range for a shield bash, it just says you can. I kinda picture you just sliding forward and bashing them with the shield, dropping your shoulder into them (big armor spike on the shoulder), and as they fly backwards you let the spear slide through your hand and grab it when it's where you want your grip to be, thus yanking it out if their chest.
No extra attack tells you must follow the rules in the combat chapter.
Haste - When making a full attack action, a hasted creature may make one extra attack with one natural or manufactured weapon.
Hurtful - you can make a single melee attack against that creature as a swift action.
Flurry of blows - the monk can make one additional attack at his highest base attack bonus. This additional attack stacks with the bonus attacks from haste and other similar effects.
Here are the rules that are relevant that govern attacks. Shield bash are melee attack using a melee weapon that does not have reach.
Melee Attacks: With a normal melee weapon, you can strike any opponent within 5 feet. (Opponents within 5 feet are considered adjacent to you.) Some melee weapons have reach, as indicated in their descriptions. With a typical reach weapon, you can strike opponents 10 feet away, but you can't strike adjacent foes (those within 5 feet).
From threatened squares
Most creatures of Medium or smaller size have a reach of only 5 feet. This means that they can make melee attacks only against creatures up to 5 feet (1 square) away.
I want to create a cool Combatant who wields a pole-arm
I know the main use of a pole-arm is its Reach
Reach is often great, but it's not a combat role; it's a tool which can make you better at whatever your primary "fighting job" is. So I think you should first consider what you'd like to do in combat and what would best complement the other members of your party.
Reach is typically especially valuable if your primary combat role is control/debuff/party defense, and can also be great for increasing damage and personal durability. However, if your first priority is to maximize single-target melee damage output, a reach weapon build typically won't be the best.
As an example, an optimized reach build focusing on dirty trick and combat demoralization can reliably take more than one enemy per round out of the fight, while also severely decreasing the effectiveness and number of viable actions available to several additional enemies. This also happens to be one of the extremely few melee build types which can safely ignore investing into damage boosts (even staple melee options such as Power Attack might be unnecessary or even detrimental).
I Was thinking fighter maybe lore-warden but i am 100% set on that idea
At least a few levels of lore warden will probably be excellent. Other very good class levels for reach combat maneuver builds often include primalist bloodrager (especially aberrant bloodline, 4+ levels), barbarian (typically 6+ levels), master of many styles monk (1-2 levels), and tetori monk (with Ascetic Style, 8 levels).
Feats
Combat Reflexes
Dirty Fighting
Ascetic Style
Modified Weapon Proficiency (if you need to modify an exotic weapon for Ascetic Style)
Shield Brace
Improved Shield Bash
Dirty Trick Master (beware of OP potential!)
Fox Trickery/Kitsune Vengeance
Greater Trip (often, trip is great up to say 10th level but later rapidly becomes less so, mainly due to flight and sizes of foes)
Fury's Fall
Vicious Stomp
Wolf Trip
Ki Throw
Cleaving Sweep
Equipment Trick (Rope) (Hogtie!)
Cornugon Smash
Enforcer (especially with Divine Fighting Technique (Rovagug's Thunder) and a DT focus)
Soulless Gaze (plus Fiendskin, beware of OP potential!)
Bladed Brush (for Dex builds)
Rage Powers
Come and Get Me
Savage Dirty Trick
Unexpected Strike (allows for hilarious combos with any kind of reliable forced movement (Wolf Trip/Ki Throw, grapple with reach, bull rush, reposition etc) and for example Kitsune Vengeance, grab and/or Soulless Gaze)
Raging Grappler (note that "knock prone" isn't a trip combat maneuver, and works even on foes immune to trip)
Spell Sunder
Strength Surge
Spells
(Preferably as wands, cast yourself with UMD if needed)
Long arm
Enlarge person
Items
Training weapon(s) (you often need a ton of feats to get your combos going)
Dueling (PSFG) weapon
Leveraging weapon (stacks with dueling above for trip and reposition!)
Furious weapon (if you're a barb or bloodrager)
Fortuitous weapon (mostly for Dirty Trick Master and/or Soulless Gaze builds)
Double-Chained Kama (threatens as both reach and non-reach)
Gnome Flickmace (one-handed reach)
Chain Coat + Hooked Massacre (one-handed reach with Spiked Chain for Dex builds)
Dragoncatch Guisarme (trip winged flyers)
Maelstrom Shield (free trip with shield bash)
Tempest Shield (free bull rush with shield bash, MUCH better than the Shield Slam trap feat)
Longarm Bracers
Gauntlets of the Skilled Maneuver
Anaconda's Coils Belt
Cracked Opalescent White Pyramid (Exotic Weapon Proficiency for 1,500 gp, put in wayfinder for Weapon Focus for an additional 500 gp)
Versatile Design (weapon mod, especially for adding monk weapon group, enabling use with Ascetic Style)
I know i want power attack and lunge but not sure what else
As mentioned, depending on what you want to do, these aren't necessarily vital or even very useful. (Note also that Lunge only increases reach during your turn, not the area you threaten outside your turn, so it doesn't improve defender effectiveness much.)
If your game allows Dreamscarred Press material, like Path of War, you can make melee control builds which are a lot more tactically interesting, and which can be arguably at least as strong in combat as any BFC focused full casters even in higher levels.
Also, I didn't really intend to sound like you bash them into reach range and attack with the fauchard in the same round. If something pops up close to you, bash it away, hit it with your spikes as it flies backwards. It has to close the distance the next turn, triggering an AoO from your reach weapon. Or it falls prone if you bash it into something, a condition outlined in the Shield Slam feat.
The OP also mentioned taking Lunge, which solves the issue of shield bashing after scoring a critical hit with the reach weapon.
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Gotcha. I don't mean to seem like I don't like the build. I do, and it has a lot of versatility. I just put to much emphasis on this "It pushes people back into reach range for your spear", which was not the thrust (bad pun) of the build. That's my bad.
I would trade bashing finish for oppertunist. I think on this build it's much more reliable as you can't attack 10 away without the appropriate reach.
Nobody mentioned Shield Slam:
Shield Slam is basically the focus of the build I mentioned, read the posts...
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I did say the wrong thing in that post. I guess that makes me the @$$#0[3, sorry for calling you out.
Now if you want to be plain mean with this build, be a slayer that doesn't give up its slayer talents for teamwork feats, and pick up the rogue talent distracting strike. Grab Bludgeoner, Sap Adept, and Sap Master. You sneak attack with the shield, dealing double max non lethal sneak attack damage and immediately hit them with lethal damage from your armor spikes via Spiked Destroyer. The armor spikes hit for sneak attack damage because of distracting strike. With a heavy shield that has the Bashing enchantment, the damage can be substantial with Sap Master.
Shield Slam is basically the focus of the build I mentioned
Yeah, and that's unfortunately the main reason why it's quite weak in practice. Shield Slam is generally a trap, or a pretty useless feat tax on Shield Master. It will only rarely succeed against an actually challenging foe, as your total attack bonus cannot become even remotely as high as your bull rush CMB can, and the CMD of monsters is nearly always the second highest value found in their combat statistics. This difference is probably the main reason Paizo has released several options which can substantially boost CMB, but they apparently didn't see this when they wrote the CRB and Shield Slam.
TL/DR: Shield Slam is a very unreliable and poor tool for bull rush combos. Your build needs a Tempest Shield in order to do what you want it to do, and to make all the related investments worthwhile.
Being able to shield bash people away from you because shield slam makes every shield bash a bull rush. It pushes people back into reach range for your spear. If you have spiked armor and take spiked destroyer feat, you can get a free attack with your armor spikes every bull rush, so literally every time you hit someone with your shield you can swing with your armor spikes. If you have a polearm or spear with a high critical threat range, bashing finish at level 10 gives you a free shield bash on every critical confirmation, and thus free armor spikes...
And here's the second problem with this build IMO; most of its resources are spent on improving shield fighting with bull rushes, which you cannot do with a reach weapon. I think your build outline would be much better for a dual shield wielder than a reach build.
You are still power attacking everything with your reach weapon as much as possible. The shield slam is to threaten inside of reach and still provide some utility. Using sap master, shield slam, and spiked destroyer together adds another element of the build.
Like most things, this build obviously still has limitations.
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Aberrant bloodline bloodragers make great reach weapon specialists. There a lots of build options, many archtypes. You can add a sage bloodline familiar for extra skill points.
The builds are clean simple and effective.
Paladins do well with reach because the style requires so few feats.
These types of builds are popular becuase they need power attack, and combat reflexes. You can add stuff after that but it is your bread and butter. Slayer have feats study and skills; fighter have feat and weapon training; bloodragers have bloodlines, rage and 4 levels of casting. Most full Bab classes work.
Most 3/4s bab classes work. Scaled fist monk, arcane healer bard can flurry with a longspear (crusaders flurry) while inspiring, using power attack, heroism, and arcane strike. Good damage, buffs the group crushes skills.
An inquisitor can get study target, rage, bane and heroism without multi classing and use a reach weapon.
I'm aware of the swashbucklers tricks, and I still don't respect them. But that being said, literally don't mind me. I talk a lot of $#!+ just to ruffle feathers. It's all in good fun, though. I'm sure I wouldn't complain if someone had a well built swashy in my party. I would make fun of him or her, too, until they stabbed me a bunch and I couldn't do anything about it. Lol.
'lol' implies a certain amount of investment ;p
Like most things, this build obviously still has limitations.
Yeah, nobody gets around that fact however you slice it! (Unless maybe if you're a wizard...)
But since I don't wanna be THAT guy who nitpicks other posters' builds without offering my own, here's an example of a human reach control/debuff build, focusing on dirty trick and demoralization with devastating efficiency.
@JuliusCromwell Hope this helps with some inspiration and ideas!
CN Large male humanoid (human)
Aberrant bloodline
Feats, Bloodline and Rage Powers (exact order dependent on tastes/game)
1 Dirty Fighting, Improved Dirty Trick (human bonus); Bloodline familiar (compsognathus?)
2 -
3 Enforcer
4 Bloodline power: abnormal reach
5 Divine Fighting Technique (Rovagug’s Thunder)
6 Combat Reflexes (bloodline)
7 Greater Dirty Trick
8 Rage powers: internal fortitude (rage cycling!), savage dirty trick
9 Improved Initiative (bloodline), Ascetic Style (double-chained kama)
10 -
11 Fiendskin
12 Iron Will (bloodline); rage powers: come and get me, strength surge
13 Soulless Gaze
Bloodline familiar Alertness
Flawed scarlet and green cabochon Endurance
Training double-chained kama Dirty Trick Master, Intimidating Prowess
Cracked opalescent white pyramid in wayfinder weapon familiarity, Weapon Focus (double-chained kama)
Ability Scores (20-point buy, including listed gear and cat's grace)
Str 32 (16 base, 2 race, 2 level, 4 belt, 6 rage, 2 size enlarge person
Dex 16 (13 base, 1 level, 4 cat's grace, -2 size enlarge person
Con 22 (14 base, 2 belt, 6 rage
Int 8 (8 base)
Wis 14 (12 base, 2 headband)
Cha 14 (12 base, 2 headband)
Traits Fate's Favored, Reactionary
Notable Gear (88,608 gp of 140,000 gp per WBL) double-chained kama +1 dueling (PSFG) training main end, +1 training off-end, furious amulet of mighty fists, gauntlets of the skilled maneuver (dirty trick), belt (+4 Str, +2 Con), headband (+2 Wis & Cha), cracked opalescent white pyramid in wayfinder, flawed scarlet and green cabochon (rage cycling!), cracked pale green prism (attacks), cracked dusty rose prism, wands of enlarge person and long arm
Savage Dirty Trick (in place of any melee attack once per rage and opponent = nearly always due to rage cycling)
Dirty Trick CMB +43, +49 with strength surge (average CMD of CR 13 monsters is 37, highest CMD of CR 16 is 49)
Effects 11 lethal damage, 1d6+2 nonlethal damage and free demoralize attempt, applied condition lasts for 1d4 rounds, +1 round per 5 CMB check exceeds CMD, or until removed as standard action. If the target fails DC 27 Fort save, it can also be dazed or nauseated for 1 round, or for the entire total duration if the target is hit by a second dirty trick while affected by the first. Such a target cannot take a standard action and will thus be unable to remove the condition.
Demoralize
Free action whenever dealing nonlethal damage, Intimidate +31 vs DC (10 + target's HD + target's Wis mod). First success makes target shaken for a number of rounds equal to the nonlethal damage taken. Second success against target already demoralized worsens condition to frightened, and third success to panicked. (Julius deals nonlethal damage with every successful dirty trick, and can deal nonlethal damage instead of lethal with no penalties on any other melee attacks, as Ascetic Style allows him to apply unarmed strike benefits to his double-chained kama.)
Other Notable Statistics
Reach all spaces within 20' (with enlarge person and long arm using double-chained kama)
Initiative +14 (and uncanny dodge)
AoOs 4 per round, at least 1 can be a dirty trick, each attack against Julius triggers AoO
In short, Julius can truly dominate the battlefield, threatening a 25' radius and having the ability to make just about any enemy dazed and utterly useless for at least 2d4 rounds with just two melee attacks (replaced with dirty tricks), as well as panicked for several more rounds with one additional hit. A single AoO is usually enough to make an enemy completely unable to act, triggered also whenever an enemy attempts to attack Julius. Perfect for protecting Julius and his party, not to mention for the purpose of interrogating enemies after the fight instead of killing them during the fight. And Julius also happens to be pretty darn good at scaring them into telling the truth...
AFAIK, no damage focused martial melee build can match this combat efficiency, much less one using a reach weapon.
Aberrant bloodline bloodragers make great reach weapon specialists.
These types of builds are popular becuase they need power attack, and combat reflexes.
Aberrant bloodragers can be great for reach. Which is why I decided to make the above example build outline. Which also happens to NOT use Power Attack! And it's still more effective than any damage dealing martial melee build I've ever seen in a very large majority of combat situations. Blasphemy, I know! ;P
Crap, just noticed I somehow managed to get Julius' reach completely wrong; it should of course say 30', and he threatens a 35' radius.
I want to create a cool Combatant who wields a pole-arm ... I am ok with Dipping and Muticlassing or even prestige classing ... I will Be playing a level 8 Human
20pt human:
Str+ 17Dex: 14
Con: 14
Int: 14
Wis: 12
Cha: 7
Traits: Accelerated Drinker, Berserker of the Society
1. barbarian1 [savage-technologist], Extra Rage, Combat Reflexes
2. cleric1 [Kurgess: Community, Travel]
3. Fighter1 [Power Attack], Fast Learner (fighter)
4. Fighter2 [Combat Expertise], Str>18, ...etc.
Equipment shopping list circa 8th: +1/Fortuitous/Furious polearm (fauchard, after picking up a cracked Opalescent White Pyramid ioun), +1/Adaptable composite longbow, 5x5 Carpet of Flying, mithral breastplate, belt, etc.
If wondering about the 2nd level, read here for the list of goodies making it well worth it as a dip for a martials.
From 3rd onward, you'll be getting six skills per level as a human core fighter without sacrificing favored-class hitpoints. As a raging Sav-Tec/cleric/fighter with Combat Expertise turned "on" at 4th, your attack/AC is -1/+4 versus a straight-class fighter (+0/+4 if you've had a chance to pop off a Bless). (Your raging will save is also +3 or so over the straight-class.)
Skills (maxed): Perception, Diplomacy, Knowledge (Dungeoneering)
Skills (some points): Acrobatics, Heal, Sense Motive, Linguistics, Survival
Skills (one point): Appraise, Climb, Jump, Ride, Swim, Knowledge (Religion), Knowledge (Planes)
Skills (no ranks): Intimidate
Backstory: with a head shaped like a bent potato, you look like you fell under a wagon as a child. But you make friends easily despite your appearance, and try to live up to the ideals of Kurgess by attempting to get along with everyone. Most people assume you're dumb at first glance, and are surprised when you reveal expertise in a wide variety of topics. An individual of lesser character would "rub it in" that they're smart, but you're jovial about it -- and that is what makes you "cool".
The player of the paladin in the party will have a worthy foe in a chaotic-neutral Damnation bloodrager (who is none too happy facing opponents immune to fear).
Just a note that seems to have been lost: You only invoke TWF if you use your other weapon to do the EXTRA attacks, if you have 2 attacks you can do one attack with each weapon. However doing so without taking the TWF penalty forgoes your extra attack(s).