I'm new to D&D and I'm afraid my level 7 half-orc fighter isn't living up to his full potential. Right now he has an AC of 23: 10 (magic full-plate) + 2 (shield) + 1 (dex) + 10 (base). I have a damage bonus of 6: 4 (str mod) + 2 (magic longsword). I have an attack bonus of 13 on my first attack: 7 (base attack) + 4 (str mod) + 2 (magic longsword). PLEASE tell me if I'm forgetting to add any modifiers!
My feats: Juggernaut - become Large size Power Attack - subtract base attack bonus and add it to damage (optional) Cleave - if your opponent dies, attack another enemy Exotic Weapon Proficiency (bastard sword) Weapon Focus (bastard sword) - +1 bastard sword attack bonus Great Cleave - unlimited Cleave usage
I know I should not have Juggernaut or either of my bastard sword feats since Juggernaut isn't that useful and I don't use a bastard sword anymore, but my DM is making me follow the retraining rules from the PHBII which I don't really understand. If someone could summarize the feat retraining process that would be great.
I have 76 HP. My stats are:
Str - 19 (+4) Dex - 13 (+1) Con - 16 (+3) Int - 9 (-1) Wis - 12 (+1) Cha - 9 (-1)
My PRIMARY goal is to maximize my AC and become better at forcing monsters to attack me instead of my other party members. I'm not a very effective tank right now since the monsters don't always focus on me and when they do, I often die quickly.
If you're allowed to, start taking Crusader (ToB) levels, you can get an ability at level 2 called Thicket of Blades. It prevents opponents from moving near you (even tumbling and 5' steps) without taking an attack of opportunity. Crusader will make you WORLDS tougher as well with maneuvers that let you heal, and a class feature that lets you delay some damage until future turns.
That will help you accomlish goal number 1. Your AC won't go up really but your durability will skyrocket and you'll be able to use Iron Guards Glare (-4 to attack rolls for opponents you threaten, vs any of your allies aside from yourself) and Thicket of Blades to force opponents to attack you.
For goal two, there are some VERY solid maneuvers in the Crusader class's options (See The Heavy Crusader).
The go-to way of keeping monsters from attacking your party members is to prevent movement, usually by making trip attempts on attacks of opportunity provoked by movement.
As a “quick fix” for dying when monsters turn their attention to you, you could seek out someone to cast mineralize warrior (Underdark) on you. That spell gives you the mineral warrior template (Underdark), which gives you DR 8/adamantine, among other things. Note that this takes up a level, but the spell is instantaneous, so you don't need to worry about dispel or anything. Ideally, getting the spell cast would be a plot thing and not something you have to pay for, since you're already “paying” for it with a level.
No? then get rid of cleave and great cleave. You simply aren't going to be in situations enough where it comes in useful.
Replace with Combat Reflexes and Improved Bull Rush so you can take Shock Trooper and deliver a massive attack on a charge. Then seriously consider taking the Dungeon Crasher feats to use with your strength, size and improved Bull Rush abilities.
If you can grab Leap Attack, you can double your Power Attack damage. With two levels of Barbarian, you can get Pounce and Full Attack on a charge. Two more feats OR Crusader levels can get you Thicket of Blades, and nobody can pass you by without eating on AoO instead.
Remember you have a bastard sword, and you should be switching between two handed and one handed/shield use as the situation warrants it.
==Aelryinth
Fighter vs Warblade analysis http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75882/19573526/Analyzing_the_Fighter_vs_The_Warblade
The Lockdown F/20 iconic build http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75882/19856162/A_little_Lock_build_for_you
If u want to mainly protect Your Party, take up a spiked chain, and go the Trip way. You search Trip fighter in either the forum or google and you will get some solid builds. If u want to go the DMG way, go like aelryinth said, for Pounce and a Charge damage build.
For the Retrainment rules: Each new level you get you can change 1 aspect in your situation 1 feat per level. YOu can change out the Feat only for another feet you met the pre on the level you took the originial feet. Let's say you took Great Cleave on level 6. And now on lvl 8 you want to change it to another. You cannot change Gleave yt, because Gleave is a Pre for Great Gleave, so you first have to Change away GG. Instead of GG you can now take a feat, for which you met the pre on lvl 6. So you cannot change it for a feat, that for example needs BAB+8, cause at lvl 6 you hadnt that enough BAB.
Sadly, with your Int in the toilet, tripping isn't as good an option as it would other wise be. You can't qualify for Improved Trip, which you don't need with certain weapons, but it does give you a +4 to your attempt and an extra attack. Your best bet to get this would be two levels of Wolf Totem Barbarian (Unearthed Arcana)... with the first level being Lion Totem Barbarian from Complete ChampionCheatyface . It's weird, but it's legal, and gives you both Pounce and Improved Trip. If your DM won't let you (and I wouldn't really blame him if he didn't), go the straight Ubercharger route.
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Resident Pithed-Off Dragon Buttler of the House of Trolls
My feats: Juggernaut - become Large size Power Attack - subtract base attack bonus and add it to damage (optional) Cleave - if your opponent dies, attack another enemy Exotic Weapon Proficiency (bastard sword) Weapon Focus (bastard sword) - +1 bastard sword attack bonus Great Cleave - unlimited Cleave usage
I know I should not have Juggernaut or either of my bastard sword feats since Juggernaut isn't that useful and I don't use a bastard sword anymore, but my DM is making me follow the retraining rules from the PHBII which I don't really understand. If someone could summarize the feat retraining process that would be great.
I'm not entirely familiar with this Juggernaut feat but as a warrior becoming Large sized is often seen as an advantage. It should give you a longer natural reach (2 squares instead of 1) and lets you wield larger weapons with their larger damage dice. It also gives you size bonuses on certain things.
Looking at your list of feats it's the last four that give me pause. Exotic Weapon Proficiency (and the Weapon focus with it) is rarely worth it for the slight increase it damage a Bastard Sword has over a longsword. Remember that you can still use a longsword with two hands for the additional damage and save a feat for the point or two of average damage. Weapon Focus (BS) is just a victim of the weapon selected but you also need to consider the value of the additional +1 attack. Cleave and Great Cleave are rarely useful following the RAW because how often do you actually get the chance to strike down one target and then have another in range and be able to strike it down as well? I interpret (houserule) Cleave a little bit differently which can let it stand in for Combat Reflexes (my HR is that if you get a Cleave opportunity you instead get back the attack that triggered it) but that is far from universal.
I'm new to D&D and I'm afraid my level 7 half-orc fighter isn't living up to his full potential. Right now he has an AC of 23: 10 (magic full-plate) + 2 (shield) + 1 (dex) + 10 (base). I have a damage bonus of 6: 4 (str mod) + 2 (magic longsword). I have an attack bonus of 13 on my first attack: 7 (base attack) + 4 (str mod) + 2 (magic longsword). PLEASE tell me if I'm forgetting to add any modifiers!
You're a level 7 fighter. Chances are the answer to your thread question is "no". It's very hard to make a fighter with an odd number of fighter levels, and it's also quite hard to go beyond level 6 (and even then, that typically relies on Dungeon Crasher).
You have a very good set of gear for your level, I will say - 7th level characters can typically expect +1 weapons and +1 or +2 armor depending on how much else they're using. However, your character is not your gear. (You can also leave out the numbers; generally speaking it's easy to derive them from a build.)
My feats: Juggernaut - become Large size Power Attack - subtract base attack bonus and add it to damage (optional) Cleave - if your opponent dies, attack another enemy Exotic Weapon Proficiency (bastard sword) Weapon Focus (bastard sword) - +1 bastard sword attack bonus Great Cleave - unlimited Cleave usage
"Juggernaut" doesn't exist in 3.5 material; the closest feat I can think of is Jotenbrud, which (I suppose...) has a name that might be difficult to remember. It's also a 1st level feat with an ability similar to what you describe, but it isn't actually becoming Large. Thing is, it's a Human-only feat.
...There IS a third-party orc feat that does what you're saying, but a size increase for a feat without prereqs is far too much bang for a feat buck. The thing with size isn't that you use more damaging weapons - it's that you have reach. However, you're using a longsword and have feats for a bastard sword; neither of these capitalize on your reach. You should, at the very least, be using a weapon capable of tripping, and ideally you should be using a weapon with reach itself (so you can hit things 20' away and knock them down before they have a chance to get close to you, or slip past you to reach your allies).
There are two things fighter feats work really well for - AoO tanking ("lockdowns") and dishing out a lot of damage on a charge ("ubercharging"). You're built for neither of these things. Switch towards one or the other and you'll see your effectiveness skyrocket.
Typical Lockdown feats include Combat Reflexes, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Spiked Chain), Stand Still (XPH, but not a psionic feat), and anything that generates extra AoO chances (examples include Mage Slayer (CArc), Karmic Strike (CW), Robilar's Gambit (PHB2), Hold the Line (CW), and Martial Stance: Thicket of Blades (ToB)). Your Intelligence isn't high enough for Improved Trip, which helps this approach a lot but you can get by without it. Lockdowns use reach weapons; if they aren't using spiked chains (i.e. they're using their feats in other areas) they typically use guisarmes.
Typical Ubercharging feats include Power Attack, Improved Bull Rush, Leap Attack (CAdv), Shock Trooper (CW), and any method of getting Pounce (typically one level of Barbarian with the Lion Totem ability from Complete Champion; barbarian is half-orc favored, so it'll fit in well). From here you look for anything to multiply your damage or remove restrictions on how you charge. Examples include Martial Study: any of the White Raven charges (ToB) and, since you're a half-orc, Headlong Rush (PGtF, I think; it's certainly a Faerun book) is a definite possibility. The Twisted Charge and Nimble Charge skill tricks are a definite yes to this approach. Uberchargers just need a good two-handed weapon; it's hard to do better than the regular ol' greatsword for this approach. (Since you get most of your damage from Power Attack, though, a slightly weaker weapon with a higher critical hit rate can be better. Falchions are my favorite here.)
Given your ability scores, and that you're a half-orc, ubercharging will probably be more effective for you.
I know I should not have Juggernaut or either of my bastard sword feats since Juggernaut isn't that useful and I don't use a bastard sword anymore, but my DM is making me follow the retraining rules from the PHBII which I don't really understand. If someone could summarize the feat retraining process that would be great.
The nutshell retraining is simple: Whenever you level up, you can exchange one legal choice (and only one legal choice) for another choice that would have been legal at the level you picked it. This change can't invalidate any other aspect of your character (i.e. you can't switch Weapon Focus to a weapon you aren't proficient in, but you could switch Weapon Focus for Improved Bull Rush or Combat Reflexes). That's really it. ..."window.parent.tinyMCE.get('post_content').onLoad.dispatch();" contenteditable="true" />
Str - 19 (+4) Dex - 13 (+1) Con - 16 (+3) Int - 9 (-1) Wis - 12 (+1) Cha - 9 (-1)
My PRIMARY goal is to maximize my AC and become better at forcing monsters to attack me instead of my other party members. I'm not a very effective tank right now since the monsters don't always focus on me and when they do, I often die quickly.
My SECONDARY goal is to maximize damage output.
What should I do differently?
Your ability scores do not lend themselves well to tanking - you have +1 Dexterity and less than 13 Intelligence. Tanking and focusing attention to you is all about the attack of opportunity and denying opponents actions.
That said, if you wish, take Fighter 8 (no reason not to at this point...) and then start levelling as a Crusader immediately. They can make even nonspecialists able to defend others with great ability. Emphasize Devoted Spirit and splash White Raven; grab the Defensive Rebuke boost as soon as you can, and use the Iron Guard's Glare and Thicket of Blades stances (Fighter 8 / Crusader 2 gets Thicket at 10th). Use a reach weapon (spiked chain ideally, glaive or guisarme if you want to save the feat; if so, spike your armor to cover your natural reach).
These are NOT all my creations! The lead authors are identified as follows: [TS] Tempest Stormwind, [AR] Andarious Rosethorn, [RT] Radical Taoist, [SN] Sionnis, [DH] DisposableHero_, [SH] Seishi.
[TS] The Pinball Brothers: Large And In Charge (Melee, Lockdown, Charge, Juggling) [TS] Ashardalon Reborn: I Will Swallow Your Soul (Melee, Fear, Negative Levels, AoE, Theme) [AR] "A"-Game Paladin: Play That Funky Music, Knight Boy! (Team Support, Melee, Theme, Single-Class) [RT] Uncanny Trapsmith: Get in, make it look like an accident, get out. (Skillmonkey, Stealth/Scout/Infiltration, Unorthodox Methods, Theme) [AR] Wizsassin: *Everything* is permitted. (Spellcaster, Support, Sneak Attack, Utility) [TS] Phantom Rush: General Gish Gouda. (Gish, Theme, Setting-Specific(Eberron), Early-Entry PrC) [TS] Storm Knight: Another kind of gish. (Melee/"Gish", Theme, Setting-Specific(Eberron), Unorthodox Methods) [TS] Inevitable Nightmare: The weapon you only have to fire once. (Melee, "Unorthodox" Methods (no charging), Reliability) [AR] Captain Constitution: The number one threat to America. (Melee, TOUGHTOUGHTOUGH, Defense, Theme) [AR] Nuker: I casts the spells that makes the peoples fall down! (Spellcaster, damage, blasting, damage) [TS] Dread Lord of the Dead: Let the Reaping Begin! (NPC-only, Variable (combat/casting/leadership), Iconic Villain, Theme) [AR] Heavy Crusader: No Rest. No Mercy. No Matter What. (Melee, Damage (No charging), Variable, Theme). [TS] Gun Fu: It's bullet time (Ranged, THEORETICAL, Twin weapons, Theme) [RT] Face First: We should talk. (Psionic, social, mind-control, info-management) [SN] Chaingun Porcupine: Never Enuff Dakka. (Ranged, Skirmishing, Spike Damage, Incarnum) [RT] Always On Edge: The Mortal Draw deals death. (Melee, Generalist, Dungeoneering, Stunt) [AR] Feral Druid: Real feral taste. Zero druid calories. (Melee, offense, damage, murder) [RT] Rusty!: Man's Best Friend (Sentry, Support, Backup, Rearguard) [RT] The T3 (Tashalatora Triple Threat): My Kung Fu is More Powerful (Hybrid, Flex-Function, Melee, Caster) [RT] The #1 Snoipah: Boom. 'Eadshot. (Caster, Theme, Spike, Trapscout) [AR] Dreamblade: Rest in Pieces. (Melee, Damage, Single-Class, Combo/Momentum) [AR] Evasion Tank: “When fighting angry blind men, is best to stay out of the way.” (Melee, Tank, Unorthodox Methods (attack negation), Theme) [DH] Psycarnum Warrior: ↑↑↓↓←→←→BA Start (Melee, Tank, Psionics, Incarnum, 1337 h4x) [AR] Heavy Weapons Elf: WHO TOUCHED MY BOW? (Ranged, Cohort, Damage, Unorthodox Methods (ranged ToB)) [RT] Gnowhere Gnome: A little man who wasn't there (Caster, Stealth, Single-Class, Elusive) [AR] Uberflank: I got your back. (Melee, support, stunt, teamwork) [TS] Flip the Bird: Everyday I'm shuffling (Ranged, harrier, unorthodox methods (ranged ToB / off-turn movement), support) [DH] Eat Sleep Gank: Real Ultimate Power (Stealth, Assassination, Spike, Magic Versatility) [AR] Slash and Burn: Mind, Body, Blade, Flame / Aspects of a greater whole / which delivers death. (Melee, Theme (flex-style), Damage, Stunt) [RT] Edge of the Light: Cut, Fade to Black (Melee, Defense/Offense, Momentum, Tactical) [RT] Quiet Murder: Cut throats, not corners. (Melee, Stealth, Harrier, Tactical) [TS] Wand Overdrive: Say Hello to my little friends. (Caster, support/artillery/variable, wand specialist) [RT] God Hand: What did the five fingers say to the face? (Melee/Gish, Unarmed, SAD, Theme) [AR] Zero Buff Time Gish: Try to keep up! (Gish, Speed, Movement, Opportunity) [TS] Robo Tackle: I Am Iron Man. (Melee, setting-specific (Eberron), positioning, theme, stunt)
To be more succinct...if you want to stop creatures from attacking your party, read the Lockdown build in my sig, and look at the other builds I have connections to, some of which combine with Ubercharger (you really don't need the weapon spec tree if you have high enough Str).
==Aelryinth
Fighter vs Warblade analysis http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75882/19573526/Analyzing_the_Fighter_vs_The_Warblade
The Lockdown F/20 iconic build http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75882/19856162/A_little_Lock_build_for_you
Thank you all very much for your extremely helpful advice and insight! I've decided to drop tanking and go full-on Ubercharger. I've written down all the feats everyone mentioned for charging. Please tell me if I'm missing any:
Power Attack Improved Bull Rush Leap Attack Shock Trooper any of the White Raven charges Headlong Rush Twisted Charge Nimble Charge Dungeon Crasher Thicket of Blades Pounce
P.S. The DM allows us to take Pathfinder feats from the D&D Wiki. That's where Juggernaut is from. (Sorry I forget to mention it before.)
