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Sterm
2010-02-15, 05:49 AM
1 lvl feats
Weapon focus(longsword),Improved Initiative,Mounted combat
2 lvl Bonus feat
Ride by attack
3 lvl feat Spirited Charge
4 lvl Bonus feat
Weapon Specialization(longsword)
(At fourth level I suppose I'll have the needed money for a heavy warhorse and a lance)
So,we have a character efficient on foot and mounted.When charging with lance he quadruples the damage,the Ride by attack feat allows him to charge and withdrow simultaneously and due to his reach weapon it's difficult to provoke opportunity attacks.Weapon focus and spesialization with longsword are quite usefull when he is fighting on foot.At the 5th lvl I think I can multiclass into a Paladin.

What do you think about my idea?

Melamoto
2010-02-15, 05:56 AM
Weapon Specialization is a trap. Don't go for it. And I would be careful with Paladins, they have a tendency to fall a lot.

Eldariel
2010-02-15, 06:02 AM
What sources are you working with? That determines much of what you have access to. If you're playing with Core-only, I wouldn't even bother with the Fighter-levels since there are so few worthwhile feats to take and if you aren't going for Combat Expertise, you'll get them all with just your level-ups. Straight Paladin or Barbarian is like to serve you better. Paladin would get you that mount too. You can dip two levels of Fighter for feats if you feel need for them, but I wouldn't bother with more than that.

Either way, I suggest two-handed combat on foot, and against WF/WS; you already plan on using multiple different weapons so WF/WS only benefit you part of the time and even then, they are rather uninspiring. Two-handed combat, particularly with animated shield later, tends to be quite efficient.

You also have martial weapon proficiencies so you can use reach weapons when appropriate (much of the time, they enable you to avoid damage by not letting enemies close in and getting extra AoOs), and high-damage melee weapon (Falchion/Greatsword/Greataxe depending on the style you want) when not.


Power Attack is a fine feat. Serves you fine on foot and can make for absolutely brutal mounted charges. Do note that Ride-By Attack means you don't provoke AoOs at all while doing Mounted Charges.

Also note that you only deal 3xdamage with Spirited Charge on Lance; it's spelled out in the feat. D&D does doublings as additive, so two doublings = tripling. Something to keep in mind.

kamikasei
2010-02-15, 06:11 AM
What do you think about my idea?

Before people can evaluate it, you'll need to describe what you want it to achieve.

Sterm
2010-02-15, 07:45 AM
Before people can evaluate it, you'll need to describe what you want it to achieve.
I try to build a character who is going to be really deadly when he fights mounted and be efficient when fighting on foot.

Gorbash
2010-02-15, 07:58 AM
One hit wonder paladin will serve you better then. Rhino Rush, Smite and all that shenanigans.

kamikasei
2010-02-15, 08:10 AM
Yeah, your best bet is probably a charge build who can dish out solid damage on foot and then get considerable bonuses when he mounts up and uses a lance. That's assuming you're okay with still needing (or at least wanting) to charge while on foot.

Are you core only, or do you have access to the Complete series - specifically Warrior and Adventurer, I think those are where Leap Attack and Shock Trooper are to be found?

Sterm
2010-02-15, 08:33 AM
I forgot to mention it,I 'm core only(I didn't even know there are complete series).

paddyfool
2010-02-15, 08:40 AM
Basically, what Eldariel said if you're going core only. Either Fighter 2/Paladin, or Barb 1/Fighter 2/Barb X would serve you well here. Pretty much any race would work, although the mounted combat would be silly for a dwarf, and might work best for a small-sized race (halfling/gnome), since you could take your mount down dungeons with you.

Eldariel
2010-02-15, 08:49 AM
Basically, what Eldariel said if you're going core only. Either Fighter 2/Paladin, or Barb 1/Fighter 2/Barb X would serve you well here. Pretty much any race would work, although the mounted combat would be silly for a dwarf, and might work best for a small-sized race (halfling/gnome), since you could take your mount down dungeons with you.

In addition to this, straight Paladin isn't bad. If you don't need the feats (level 1 Mounted Combat, Ride-By Attack, level 3 Spirited Charge, level 6 Power Attack has you covered nicely; if you don't plan on Combat Expertise, there isn't much left to pick after that), you gain few more nice things from Paladin-levels. It's not amazing and requires lots of Cha, but it's better than nothing.

Depending on your stats, you may want to consider Combat Expertise. SRD (http://www.d20srd.org/) contains Knock-Down (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/divine/divineAbilitiesFeats.htm#knockDown) which allows you to make good use of Improved Trip (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/feats.htm#improvedTrip) with just about any weapon. SRD in general contains some nice free, official material you can work with, most notably Psionics (and there's a bunch of new feats for standard play in both, Psionics and Divine listings on the site; they're just arranged by the book they were printed in) so if it were allowed, that'd open up some more options.


But yeah, as said, a two-hand weapon is generally the best way to go, simply because your Shield doesn't protect your allies, but dishing out lots of damage fast does (and with reach, you can stop enemies from reaching you/your allies in the first place, though that requires polearms like Glaive or Guisarme, preferably with e.g. Enlarge Person to go with it). As a knight, I'd assume you're the frontliner of the party.

Albonor
2010-02-15, 12:59 PM
If is CORE only, then it has been said: Pally or a mix (or even ranger if you care little for the combat style: your mount can be your animal companion, some useful spells, etc)

If srd (UA) is permitted, then go prestige paladin: fighter4/cleric1 ou fighter1/cleric4 will net you a powerful character, interresting and more efficient (if you go cleric 4, you only stay 1 level behind with turn undead!)

Draz74
2010-02-15, 01:16 PM
Just to recap/support what other people are saying:


Using Power Attack is better than taking Weapon Focus and Specialization, especially if you fight with a two-handed weapon.
Paladin is mostly a better class than Fighter, and if you take Fighter at all, it certainly shouldn't be more than two levels.

Pluto
2010-02-15, 02:17 PM
Fighter 2/[Anything with 3/4 BA or higher] will tend to be better than straight Fighter for any purpose in Core.

All your build needs is Power Attack and Spirited Charge. That's 4 feats, total.
You should be able to squeeze them all in by level 3, even with a Dwarf.

[The argument against Weapon Focus/Specialization fighters is this: You're spending 2 levels in Fighter for each +1 Attack or +2 Damage feat. You get hardly any skill points, you get no spells, you get no other abilities. You could instead spend those levels in Paladin or Barbarian for useful fighting class abilities, defenses and alternative damage sources. Or you could spend them in Bard, Ranger or Rogue for improved combat abilities via spells and special abilities and skill points -- Things you can do well besides swinging your sword. Or you could spend those levels in Cleric or Druid, which make Fighters very scary with buff spells, very versatile with utility spells and actually provide more distinct abilities than the whole fighter class -- just compare the Travel and Luck domains to the Fighter's class abilities.]

Out of Core, Fighter gets more options and can be somewhat justified in certain builds.

Zen Master
2010-02-15, 02:35 PM
I forgot to mention it,I 'm core only(I didn't even know there are complete series).

I like that. The complete series is as abominable as any written text has ever been.

As has been mentioned, all the magic really happens when you power attack with a twohanded weapon. Get enough bonuses to hit (from strength, magic, etc.), power attack for your full base attack, and watch stuff perish in gouts of blood.

Beautiful, really. For the purpose, paladin really isn't a bad choice in my experience. When playing fighters or barbarians, you pretty much always leave your mount at the entrance, and charge on foot when you need it. But a paladins mount can be summoned. That's made entirely out of win, when you can somehow convince your GM there's enough room to move.

I'd recommend an Impact enchant rather than the usual +1d6 fire damage, but that isn't core, so never mind.

Ravens_cry
2010-02-15, 02:54 PM
Weapon Specialization is a trap. Don't go for it. And I would be careful with Paladins, they have a tendency to fall a lot.
Just be a be a noble and just person, work actively to eliminate evil, but don't be a bastard, and hope your DM isn't one either. A moral quandary is one thing, but one where the DM explicitly precludes any third options and forces you onto the fall train is just. . .bad.

BenTheJester
2010-02-15, 03:16 PM
I like that. The complete series is as abominable as any written text has ever been.

I take it you've never read Book of Exalted Deeds then.