3.5 Fighter Build Advice/Feedback

[pfz555]

I'm looking to get some feedback on a fighter I've been working on for an upcoming campaign. I'm basically trying to get away from some of the more technical aspects of the game for a little bit and beat the crap out of stuff. Fighter seemed like a good class for that.

For the most part, what I'm trying to figure out right now is:
1. Optimizing Intimidation in battle. Spending a standard action against an enemy I threaten only seems kinda...meh. I know about Zhentarim Soldier's Swift Demoralization but is there another option available? The fluff behind that doesn't really fit my character and ideally I'd like to try to avoid random dips that don't make much thematic sense unless they're absolutely necessary. Is Intimidating Rage worthwhile?

2. Weapon enhancements. I know a few (about +6 or +7 worth, see bottom of post), is it worth just putting the remaining +3/+4 into enhancement bonus or are there good enchantments that I should look into?

3. General advice on feat selection and such. I don't think I made any ridiculously stupid feat selections (who ever thinks they did though :P) but maybe someone can think of a way to improve them a bit.

Annnnd with that...here's the character.

Class: Fighter 16/Barbarian 4
Race: Goliath
Alignment: CG

Levels:
Fighter for the first 6 levels - gets to the second tier of Dungeon Crasher
Lion Spirit Totem Barbarian at 7 level - Rage, Pounce
Fighter from level 8-17 - more fighter-y stuff, gets to Overpowering Attack
Barbarian from 18-20 - don't really need the last bonus feat from fighter, this gets me a slightly bigger hit die, a better fort save, a few extra skill points and an extra 1/day rage.

STR/DEX/CON/INT/WIS/CHA
32 PB: 18/8/16/8/12/8
28 PB: 18/8/14/8/12/8
24 PB: 18/8/14/8/10/8

Obviously lots of emphasis on STR and CON. I want to hit stuff, hit it hard and be able to take hits. DEX is an obvious dump, especially with the -2 penalty that goliaths take. Remaining points all went into WIS for the boost to Will saves, fighters just don't get enough skills for INT to be worth the extra skill 1-2 points and CHA is CHA.

Feats:
Feat selection is for the most part I think pretty standard two-handed weapon fighter.

Some of the maybe more outlandish options:
-Three Mountains and Brutal Strike: The idea behind having these two feats is basically to force multiple saves per round. Fortitude saves might be a little meh at the high end but the effects are pretty useful ones. At level 20 the first save is DC 30 (which, if successful, sickens) and the second is as high as DC 37 (for nausea) with some strength buffing so even some of the bigger critters will be failing a decent number of saves. If I can intimidate someone before trying to beat them up then it gets even easier.

-Rampaging Bull Rush: Trip+Bull Rush in the same attack while raging is pretty nice if I can't get an enemy into position for Dungeon Crasher. The AC penalty makes following up on them easier.

-Animal Devotion: Mostly selected over other feats for the +6 strength that it eventually gives as well as the tactical benefits of some of the other options. Not overly attached to this if another feat I'm not thinking of would be way better.

1: Improved Bullrush
1 bonus: Power Attack
2 bonus: Dungeon Crasher (ACF)
3: Weapon Focus (Heavy Mace) - Pre-req on Three Mountains
4 bonus: Resolute (ACF)
6: Shock Trooper
6 bonus: Dungeon Crasher (ACF)

Take 7 as a Spirit Lion Totem Barbarian
Racial Substitution: Mountain Rage 1/day

8-20 as a fighter
9 bonus: Cleave - Pre-req on Three Mountains
9: Extra Rage
11 bonus: Improved Sunder
12: Three Mountains
13 bonus: Combat Brute
15: Animal Devotion
15 bonus: Brutal Strike
17 bonus: Overpowering Attack (ACF)

18-20 as an SLT Barbarian
18: Rampaging Bull Rush

Weapon enhancements:
So far I have my eyes on (in order) Earthbound (Eberron Campaign Setting), Transmuting, Speed...don't know what else to put on there. Bane maybe?

[Hiro Protagonest]

...You follow "class fluff=best fluff there is" and "explain why your fighter took a level in warblade or barbarian" despite those classes both being warriors?

Because you know that the crunch fits samurai better than samurai, right? And knights can be rather intimidating. And berserkers. And goliaths. And guys with ranks in intimidate. Zhent soldier can fit a lot of things.

And why didn't you grab barbarian until 17th level? I would go at 7, 10 if you're using zhent solider.

[Siosilvar]

And why didn't you grab barbarian until 17th level? I would go at 7, 10 if you're using zhent solider.

There is a level of barbarian at 7. The build goes Ftr 6/Barb 1/Ftr +10/Barb +3.

And yeah, I wouldn't worry about the fluff too much unless your DM specifically tags it with such. Anybody can learn to be intimidating in combat, it's just that the Zhents standardized the practice and gave it a name. :smallwink:

[Rejusu]

Fearsome armour property in Drow of the Underdark allows you to intimidate as a move action. Imperious command from the same book allows you to make demoralize cause the demoralized opponent to cower for a round and then be shaken the round after. Intimidating strike is the intimidation version of power attack, you can declare it and subtract from your attack bonus (same as PA basically) and then if you hit you can make an intimidate and add the subtraction to your result. Should you be successful the opponent will be shaken until the end of the encounter.

There's a few other tricks to optimising it but really the strongest version of it is only usable by Samurai's because they can do it at range in a 30ft AoE. There's a skill trick that can come close as it allows you to demoralize all enemies you threaten, but it'd require you get a massive reach for it to have the same effectiveness.

[Coidzor]

Dropping Fighter levels past 10, would be the first thing I'd recommend.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Fighter 9/ Warblade 10/ Fighter 1, get Weapon Supremacy at 20th, and use Zhentarim Soldier. Get Improved Bull Rush and Knock-Back (RoS) to use with Dungeoncrasher, you'll do a lot more damage that way. Take the Never Outnumbered skill trick (CS) and get the feat Imperious Command from Drow of the Underdark.

Three Mountains is generally not worth taking. I would only use it under two conditions: 1. TWF build; 2. Morningstars, with Melee Weapon Mastery twice for both bludgeoning and piercing, which consequently makes up the TWF penalties. If your Dex is high enough to get basic TWF, you can use Gloves of the Balanced Hand (MIC) to get Improved TWF. You can go Dex 11 with sword-and-board until you get the above gloves, then once you can afford to add a +4 Enhancement to Dex to them (MIC p234) pick up TWF and Oversized TWF. Also be sure to take Ability Focus (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsterFeats.htm#abilityFocus): Three Mountains.

For weapon properties, Brutal Surge (MIC) is pretty useful with Dungeoncrasher. Magebane (CA) should be useful against at least half of the opponents you face. Then there's Wrathful Healing from an obscure sidebar in Enemies and Allies....