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View Full Version : Where to next? Feats 3.5



Talesin
2011-02-07, 09:11 AM
So far my dwarven fighter, level 4, has picked up:

Power Attack
Dodge
Improved Shield Bash
Shield specialisation (heavy shields)
Agile Shield fighter

and i'm thinking where I should go next. Originally I was going to go for dwarven defender, but having read around and as my character has developed, I don't think it fits his style so much. His background was as a caravan guard with his friend, who is a dwarven barbarian1/fighter3, and he had a drug addiction that I helped him overcome. So there's a lot of doing stupid things so my friend doesn't have to.

I'm the fighter who's usually at the front, backed up by the barb, and the rest of the party is a dog riding gnome druid, a gnomish priest3/illusionist1 who is going for mystic theurge and a yet to decide addition who is joining next week. My primary way of fighting is dwarven waraxe and shield bashing so although i'm the 'damage soaker' I can push out a fair amount of damage.

So my question to the playground, where should I go next?

We have a house ruled toughness that gives 1hp per level (which works retroactively so I could pick it up at any time and gain the full bonus).

but apart from that i'm sort've at a loss. We're playing 3.5 and as long as we run something by our DM, and he decides its not overpowered/broken, we can use the feat so as long as its not too obscure.

Thanks for your help

Edit:
My stats are:
Str 18 (took +1 at level4)
Dex 14
Con 17
Int 10
Wis 10
Chr 6

Amnestic
2011-02-07, 09:23 AM
What on earth does "Not too obscure" mean?

Anyway, could pick up a Draconic Aura/Double Draconic Aura feat from Dragon magic. It's passive buffing hardly hurts you if you can't find anything better. See if you can wrangle your DM to give you use of the Dragon Shaman auras (PHB2) too, since Vigor is quite nice. It shouldn't be too hard to get, but I don't think the feats grant them automatically.

Greenish
2011-02-07, 09:28 AM
Shield Ward (PHBII) allows you to add your shield AC to touch AC and against trips, bull rushes and so on.

Talesin
2011-02-07, 09:29 AM
By 'not too obscure' I mean things that aren't from some of the odder books out there. I'm no D&D expert but that's the way my DM pitched it to me. Sadly I can't really be more precise with that it will just have to be on a 'i'll pitch it and hope for the best' basis.

The feats you suggested sound interesting, i'll have a look at them when I get home.

Thanks for your help so far:smallsmile:

Keld Denar
2011-02-07, 09:57 AM
Since you seem to like shield feats, there's also Shield Slam, I think in Complete Warrior. Status effects are awesome, the Shield Slam is no exception. Dazed foes can't say "no".

Scarlet-Devil
2011-02-07, 12:12 PM
One option, if you're into defense, would be to take mobility and elusive target (CW) at sixth level.

Waker
2011-02-07, 12:18 PM
What Scarlet-Devil says is good advice, Elusive Target is an excellent feat.
Another decent one is Parrying Shield from Lords of Madness. It leads you add your shield ac to your touch ac.

nedz
2011-02-07, 12:37 PM
Cleave if you want the occasional extra attack, avoid Great Cleave though.

Since you using the shield bash as an off-hand weapon, consider TWF etc.

Person_Man
2011-02-07, 12:40 PM
Guide to Shields (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=123630)

Psyren
2011-02-07, 12:40 PM
So my question to the playground, where should I go next?


Somewhere other than fighter :smalltongue:

Kidding aside, what are your stats? That can help us determine what you should aim for next. (For instance, if you have decent Wis I would suggest War Mind.)

Talesin
2011-02-07, 01:04 PM
Somewhere other than fighter :smalltongue:

Kidding aside, what are your stats? That can help us determine what you should aim for next. (For instance, if you have decent Wis I would suggest War Mind.)

Updated my original post with my stats, totally forgot about them first time.

Sadly my wis is lacking heavily along with my int actually. Lack of skill points has almost killed me a few times, failed a balance check that ended up with my almost drowning in the sea and failed 3 climb checks when trying to get out of some mud.

Some good ideas though, liking the shield -> touch AC though, that'll be very useful as i've already come up against a few touch attack issues. Additionally i'm going to ask my DM if i can get the shield slam one, as dazing is always nice.

Thanks for all the good ideas so far.

Magesmiley
2011-02-07, 01:05 PM
There are a several good AC related feats in Races of Stone. Heavy Armor Optimization and Improved Heavy Armor Optimization would both improve your armor AC bonus. I think that Titan Fighting might be a very nice choice though - you could use your AC bonus against giants when dodging anything larger than you.

big teej
2011-02-07, 06:44 PM
first, I'm obligated to suggest my favorite feat EVER (all my melee guys have it)

Quick Draw



onto actual suggestions
Goad perhaps?

Siosilvar
2011-02-07, 06:52 PM
first, I'm obligated to suggest my favorite feat EVER (all my melee guys have it)

Quick Draw

Although it seems like a decent feat, I'd like to point out that you can draw as a free action when you move. It's essentially useless on a melee character.

Thrown characters at least get the ability to make full attacks.


As for the OP... Shield Slam is a decent feat but you'll have to take Shield Charge first. A fighter gains two feats at 6th level; that won't be a problem.

Adamantrue
2011-02-07, 07:32 PM
If you stick with Fighter, perhaps you should check out some of the options Fighters get in Complete Champion? Armor of God, or Resolute, could be particularly handy, though you'd have to use your Fighter bonus slots.

Elusive Attack from PH2 could serve you well too.

Thurbane
2011-02-07, 08:03 PM
What on earth does "Not too obscure" mean?
Generally speaking, I usually take this to mean limited to core books, Completes, Races of, MIC, SC & PHB II. usually, specifically no Dragon or 3rd party.

Of course, it is very open to interpretation.

Psyren
2011-02-07, 08:38 PM
Generally speaking, I usually take this to mean limited to core books, Completes, Races of, MIC, SC & PHB II. usually, specifically no Dragon or 3rd party.

Of course, it is very open to interpretation.

I take it to mean "not setting-specific." So ToB and MoI would be fine, but not Five Nations.

Some soulmeld feats could be very handy with that Con.

Talesin
2011-02-08, 05:00 AM
Some soulmeld feats could be very handy with that Con.

Got any more information on this specifically? Or maybe a web link (if such exists) to something you're talking about.

Many thanks for all the help so far, shield charge seems good and i'm going to bring this feat up with my DM. I'm a little worried he'll say no because I will end up overshadowing the barb/fighter, who currently can't seem to hit anything due to bad dice rolls.

Greenish
2011-02-08, 05:18 AM
Got any more information on this specifically?I have a nagging suspicion that Magic of Incarnum was one of the books your DM was thinking of when he decreed the "not too obscure" rule.

[Edit]: Still, here's a handbook (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=551.0).