jbr712
2011-12-27, 12:14 AM
For those who don't want to read the explanation, feel free to read the summary following the spoiler. Otherwise, the spoiler offers a fairly comprehensive explanation of what I'm asking and why.
I'm currently playing in a fairly low optimization group, though the setting itself is relatively high powered - races have been modified to be slightly stronger and encourage playing non-humans and character gen yields higher than average character strength.
We didn't coordinate very well during character gen and as a result we had no meat shield. The rogue and I (a scout) tried to pick up the slack but that's hard to do with precision damage when most of the enemies we face are undead. During the last adventure, my character got killed by a group of wights by virtue of some unfortunate criticals on both sides.
This gives me the opportunity to roll up a melee build that can support the rest of the party. I don't want to throw off the optimization level however so I was planning on creating a sword and board fighter. The character concept is a type of holy warrior - by virtue of our setting there are no clerics or paladins so I'm working with favored soul levels for the religious aspect of the character.
That is the role-playing aspect though, in terms of how I'm building the character, I'm working on a defensive build - armor through the roof and respectable saves. Yes it's a weak build, I am quite aware of that, but given campaign details it is a build which makes sense thematically and will work reasonably well in our situation (defending a besieged city - sallying out is a bad idea).
The character at present is level 7, levels are currently thus: Favored Soul 2/Fighter 2/Knight 2/Pious Templar 1. Ultimately this character is going to be a melee support - a platform around which the sorcerer and druid can build their own offensives. The final build I'm looking at is something like favored soul 4/fighter 2/knight 3/pious templar1/warpriest 10.
My feat selection is where I'm getting most of my problems. There are essentially three feats I have to take for my build - True believer, weapon focus morningstar (deity's favored weapon) and combat casting. My DM and I worked out a feat to remove the -2 penalty to attack caused by tower shields so I'll be taking that at 9th level - the first feat level where I qualify for it with my build. That doesn't solve the immediate issue of the fighter bonus feats or my 6th level feat however. In our campaign, favored souls get two domain powers (but no domain spells) from the cleric list, so I'm getting weapon focus via war domain, combat casting is my first level and my third level is true believer. Third level, with knight 2, brings mounted combat.
So that leaves the fighter feats at levels 4 and 5, and a feat at 6. Current options: {ride-by-attack, spirited charge, weapon focus lance and go into cavalier instead of warpriest} {Combat expertise, shield wall, leadership} {Combat expertise, improved trip, daunting presence}
Context out of the way, what I'm looking for is pretty basic:
1. I want input on what feats to take for two fighter bonus feats taken at levels 4 and 5 and a 6th level feat befitting a sword and board fighter who is emphasizing defense over offense in a besieged city.
2. Thoughts on improving this build: Favored Soul 4/Fighter 2/Knight 3/Pious Templar 1/Warpriest 10.
3. Not really looking for help with spell selection, but if you have suggestions I won't dismiss them out of hand.
With the following considerations:
1: There are no clerics, wizards, paladins or monks in this setting.
2: Tome of Battle is considered not to exist, as are the totem barbarians mentioned in Complete Champion.
3: Favored Souls have the following changes:
Knowledge religion is added to their list of class skills.
They turn/rebuke undead as a cleric of equal level
They can choose two domains, they gain the powers but not the spells.
4: Current level distribution: Favored Soul 2/Fighter 2/Knight 2/Pious Templar 1.
5: Feats currently accounted for:
Combat Casting (level 1)
Weapon focus morningstar (war domain)
True Believer (level 3)
Mounted Combat (Knight 2)
6: I'm using a race which is unique to this setting, a medium anthropomorphic lizard with a dexterity penalty, wisdom and charisma bonuses, and a rather nice +5 natural armor. Biggest drawback: 20' move speed and vulnerability to cold. Most races are similarly powerful in this setting but none so strong in defensive ability.
I believe that's everything. The last paragraph in the spoiler lists a few groupings of feats which I have considered taking for the character concept I'm working on. I'll also state for the record outside of the spoiler: I am aware this is a weak build by virtue of feat and flavor decisions (I consider the use of a morningstar and tower shield a flavor decision, since flavor is where it originated). More importantly, my group is low to mid optimization generally and I don't want to be the jerk who ruins the curve.
I'm currently playing in a fairly low optimization group, though the setting itself is relatively high powered - races have been modified to be slightly stronger and encourage playing non-humans and character gen yields higher than average character strength.
We didn't coordinate very well during character gen and as a result we had no meat shield. The rogue and I (a scout) tried to pick up the slack but that's hard to do with precision damage when most of the enemies we face are undead. During the last adventure, my character got killed by a group of wights by virtue of some unfortunate criticals on both sides.
This gives me the opportunity to roll up a melee build that can support the rest of the party. I don't want to throw off the optimization level however so I was planning on creating a sword and board fighter. The character concept is a type of holy warrior - by virtue of our setting there are no clerics or paladins so I'm working with favored soul levels for the religious aspect of the character.
That is the role-playing aspect though, in terms of how I'm building the character, I'm working on a defensive build - armor through the roof and respectable saves. Yes it's a weak build, I am quite aware of that, but given campaign details it is a build which makes sense thematically and will work reasonably well in our situation (defending a besieged city - sallying out is a bad idea).
The character at present is level 7, levels are currently thus: Favored Soul 2/Fighter 2/Knight 2/Pious Templar 1. Ultimately this character is going to be a melee support - a platform around which the sorcerer and druid can build their own offensives. The final build I'm looking at is something like favored soul 4/fighter 2/knight 3/pious templar1/warpriest 10.
My feat selection is where I'm getting most of my problems. There are essentially three feats I have to take for my build - True believer, weapon focus morningstar (deity's favored weapon) and combat casting. My DM and I worked out a feat to remove the -2 penalty to attack caused by tower shields so I'll be taking that at 9th level - the first feat level where I qualify for it with my build. That doesn't solve the immediate issue of the fighter bonus feats or my 6th level feat however. In our campaign, favored souls get two domain powers (but no domain spells) from the cleric list, so I'm getting weapon focus via war domain, combat casting is my first level and my third level is true believer. Third level, with knight 2, brings mounted combat.
So that leaves the fighter feats at levels 4 and 5, and a feat at 6. Current options: {ride-by-attack, spirited charge, weapon focus lance and go into cavalier instead of warpriest} {Combat expertise, shield wall, leadership} {Combat expertise, improved trip, daunting presence}
Context out of the way, what I'm looking for is pretty basic:
1. I want input on what feats to take for two fighter bonus feats taken at levels 4 and 5 and a 6th level feat befitting a sword and board fighter who is emphasizing defense over offense in a besieged city.
2. Thoughts on improving this build: Favored Soul 4/Fighter 2/Knight 3/Pious Templar 1/Warpriest 10.
3. Not really looking for help with spell selection, but if you have suggestions I won't dismiss them out of hand.
With the following considerations:
1: There are no clerics, wizards, paladins or monks in this setting.
2: Tome of Battle is considered not to exist, as are the totem barbarians mentioned in Complete Champion.
3: Favored Souls have the following changes:
Knowledge religion is added to their list of class skills.
They turn/rebuke undead as a cleric of equal level
They can choose two domains, they gain the powers but not the spells.
4: Current level distribution: Favored Soul 2/Fighter 2/Knight 2/Pious Templar 1.
5: Feats currently accounted for:
Combat Casting (level 1)
Weapon focus morningstar (war domain)
True Believer (level 3)
Mounted Combat (Knight 2)
6: I'm using a race which is unique to this setting, a medium anthropomorphic lizard with a dexterity penalty, wisdom and charisma bonuses, and a rather nice +5 natural armor. Biggest drawback: 20' move speed and vulnerability to cold. Most races are similarly powerful in this setting but none so strong in defensive ability.
I believe that's everything. The last paragraph in the spoiler lists a few groupings of feats which I have considered taking for the character concept I'm working on. I'll also state for the record outside of the spoiler: I am aware this is a weak build by virtue of feat and flavor decisions (I consider the use of a morningstar and tower shield a flavor decision, since flavor is where it originated). More importantly, my group is low to mid optimization generally and I don't want to be the jerk who ruins the curve.