What I’m going for here is a (relatively) vanilla Fighter patterned after the Landsknechte: the infamous 16th-century German mercenaries. More specifically, I’m going for one of the “Doppelsöldner,” the front-line men who commanded double pay by virtue of their more dangerous role on the battlefield. Even more specifically, this character will emulate one of the Marxbrüder, a member of a fencing guild recognized by the Holy Roman Emperor, who would bestow the title “Meister des langen Schwerts” (master of the long sword)… which in turn entitled mercenaries to their higher pay. He’ll be the “free blade” who signs on with armies to fight with the Forlorn Hope for glory and even greater prizes and then make his way to join adventuring companies as he pleases.
So this Fighter will focus on the greatsword. The Sunder line of feats will be used to replicate one of the alleged functions of the Doppelsöldner: to hack through enemy pikes and thereby open up gaps in enemy formations. I would have sunk a feat into getting proficiency with the Flambard, but unfortunately in Pathfinder it’s just a bastard sword-equivalent. My goal is to get this character an adamantine greatsword commissioned, so he can eventually carve through enemy weapons like butter.
Feats like Felling Smash, Gorum’s Swordsmanship, Greater Trip, and Weapon Trick will (hopefully) make the Vital Strike chain of feats more effective, effectively allowing him to make two attacks (both of them with Vital Strike damage or better)—with a free trip in between. Weapon Spirit is there to get the Dueling magic weapon quality; in conjunction with Greater Trip and the Armor Mastery feats, this character should be able to trip virtually any opponent he runs into.
I hope my GM will rule that Warrior Spirit isn’t limited to one magic quality, and can be used to get as many equivalent abilities as the Fighter has weapon training bonus points. If he doesn’t, I’ll have to pay to add Fortuitous to the Fighter’s greatsword, so he can get a second attack of opportunity on the enemy he tripped. At that point, between the three attacks and the bonus Vital Strike dice, this Fighter will effectively be getting a full attack in (though won’t benefit from Haste, etc.), with just one of those three not getting full BAB.
I would like to get Sundering Strike earlier, but I’m committed to a greatsword (for thematic reasons)… and I think that between 6th and 14th level a 20 percent chance (I’m assuming I’ll get Keen added to the greatsword) of a free sunder won’t occur as often as the need to be able to trip something large (or larger) or with multiple limbs.
What am I missing? What makes more sense?
Human (Heart of the Fields)
Chaotic Neutral
Traits: Fencer, Absalom Hotspur
1st level: Cleave (Fighter bonus feat), Combat Expertise (level), Power Attack (Human bonus feat)
2nd level: Improved Sunder (Fighter bonus feat)
3rd level: Improved Trip
4th level: Combat Reflexes (Fighter bonus feat)
5th level: Cut from the Air
6th level: Felling Smash (Fighter bonus feat)
7th level: Poised Bearing (Armor Training 2), Greater Trip (level)
8th level: Lunge (Fighter bonus feat)
9th level: Warrior Spirit (Weapon Training 2), Divine Fighting Technique (Gorum’s Swordsmanship) (level)
10th level: Vital Strike (Fighter bonus feat)
11th level: Imposing Bearing (Armor Training 3), Improved Vital Strike (level)
12th level: Weapon Trick (Two-Handed Weapon Tricks)(Fighter bonus feat)
13th level: Trained Initiative (Weapon Training 3), Greater Sunder (level)
14th level: Intense Blows (Fighter bonus feat)
15th level: Knocking Blows (Armor Training 4), Sundering Strike (level)
16th level: Greater Vital Strike (Fighter bonus feat)
17th level: Combat Maneuver Defense (Weapon Training 3), Critical Focus (level)
18th level: Staggering Critical (Fighter bonus feat)
19th level: Armored Juggernaut
20th level: Death or Glory