Warforged Fighter - Feats and equipment?

[Scarey Nerd]

Assuming all books from 3.5e are available, what kind of feats and equipment would you wonderful people recommend I take? I'm playing a basic tank, and to that end I've already taken Adamantine Body and Power Attack, and I'm wielding a Greatsword. However, aside from completing the Great Cleave avenue of feats, I'm a bit stuck to what I should take. What are your thoughts? :smallsmile:

[Gavinfoxx]

So... how many levels of Fighter are you taking, what other base classes are you taking, and what (if any) prestige classes are you taking?

And are you aware that the Warblade is basically Fighter 2.0?

Have you read this handbook?

http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=127026

[Scarey Nerd]

So... how many levels of Fighter are you taking, what other base classes are you taking, and what (if any) prestige classes are you taking?

And are you aware that the Warblade is basically Fighter 2.0?

Have you read this handbook?

http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=127026

I was planning on just sticking with Fighter, it works for the character. I did look at Warblade, but I wanted to stay away from ToB, really, a friend of mine tried to play a Crusader once and it all got very complicated maneuver-wise, so I figured I'd stick with a simple class. And... no, I haven't read that handbook :smalltongue: I'll do so now.

[Gavinfoxx]

Actually... Tome of Battle is really really simple. Crusader, Warblade, is really really simple... often simpler than Fighter. I mean, all the cool things you can do are right there for a Crusader, it's not freaking hard!

He should have just printed out the ability cards... did he do that? You're supposed to print out the ability cards!

If you want to stick with Fighter, get as many of these as you can (they don't all stack):

Zhentarim Soldier
Thug
Dungeon Crusher
Hit and Run Fighting
Physical Prowess
Exoticist
Skilled City Dweller (Ride for Tumble)

And read the Fighter Handbook.

And consider a Cloistered Cleric dip, or a Whirling Frenzy Spirit Lion Totem Barbarian Dip, or something to make up for the deficiencies of the Fighter.

http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75882/19870606/The_Fighters_Handbook_--_2007

[The-Mage-King]

Honestly? I, too, suggest you go into Warblade at some point instead of pure fighter. Mostly because it is FAR more awesome, and better at making a non-mage who's good at the role.


But since your goal is a tank, I'd really suggest a Devoted Spirit focused crusader over pure fighter. Using the Maneuver Cards (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20061225a) cuts down the hassles of the class' recovery mechanic, and it pretty much fills the role you want with ease.


But if you want to go pure fighter...Tripping and AoOs. Tripping is your friend. Well, Tripping and another thing that will make them provoke an AoO.

So pick up Combat Expertise, Improved Trip, and Combat Reflexes.

[Krazzman]

Another approach.

If the other players are similar in your power level then:

I would advice a 2 Level fighter dip, rest Crusader. Going as Crusader 1/Fighter 2/Crusader17.

Feats: Exotic Weapon Prof Spiked Chain, Improved Trip, Combat Reflexes (if Dex > 11), Knockdown, Standstill, Power Attack and the needed feats for that.

Your "tankiness" comes from crusader and the Trip build.

Hope this helps. (alternatively change Spiked chain for another two handed weapon).

[eggs]

With a Fighter, the gear list becomes very important - it's where you're going to address just about every ability that doesn't directly relate to dealing damage.

The most important things to address with non-class abilities are:
Flight, Perception (specifically anti-invisibility/mirror image/miss chance) and Teleportation (or similar anti-battlefield control abilities); it's also often useful to use gear to cover for the crappy will save, but there are other ways around that (Steadfast Determination, the Resolute ACF).

Ernir's List of Necessary Magic Items (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=187851) is a good place to start. Establishing a new legacy weapon, adding custom enhancements to an item familiar, getting a mount with added senses/mobility skills and becoming affiliated with certain organizations can fill in some of the gaps.

[Hiro Protagonest]

'Nother vote for crusader with a couple fighter levels. Either print out maneuver cards and shuffle and draw every time you recover maneuvers, or use the "WWGD?" method and make a chart to roll on (if you roll, make sure to have a book on hand so you can quickly look up maneuvers).

[Slipperychicken]

Use poison, ideally cheap stuff, probably in one of those Oil-appliers (Dungeonscape, attaches to weapon) to apply it as a Swift action. Even if the sprayer hits you, you don't care because you're a Warforged; just remember to wipe it off before you go shaking people's hands :smallbiggrin:. Maybe the Druid's Animal Companion can produce some for you. Obviously, since you're using cheap stuff, it won't work all the time, but could be nice if it does (like if you use Drow knockout poison for a 5% chance of instant-win.). This can be useful regardless of fighting style.

A tactic that springs to mind is to have the Wizard lay down a Stinking Cloud (or other effect to which you're immune), then run right through it and beat up the Nauseated creatures inside.

For some reason, I've been obsessed with Willing Deformity (Madness) from either Lords of Madness or Elder Evils. Requires Willing Deformity, and it's a [Vile] feat, but it makes you immune to all Mind-Affecting, period, plus an immediate action boost to Will saves 1/minute. Fluff it as modifying your mind to be resistant to mental assault. You're a much better tank when you're not Dominated, Held, or Asleep.

[Kuulvheysoon]

If you're determined to do a Warforged Fighter, it might be worth a look at Races of Eberron for the racial substitution levels.

The first level trades away your bonus feat for an increased hit die, and a +3 bonus to initiative and saves versus fear. Note that the bonuses are untyped.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Check here (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/lists/feats) if you don't know where to find a given feat.

Warforged Fighter 20, eh?

Alternate class features, substitution levels: Dungeoncrasher from Dungeonscape, Zhentarim Soldier (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20060327a) (easy enough to rename Big Bad Bully and strip it of association to an organization), Physical Prowess (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/cwc/20061013a), Skilled City-Dweller (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20070228a): Ride for Tumble.

You can get up to two flaws (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/buildingCharacters/characterFlaws.htm), and I'll be recommending three feats that must be taken at 1st level so you're going to need two flaws. Consider one or two traits (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/buildingCharacters/characterTraits.htm), particularly Detatched, and Quick with the feat Improved Toughness basically gives you +10 ft. speed for the cost of a feat.

Skills: Max ranks in Intimidate and Tumble. There are also skill tricks in Complete Scoundrel, I'd recommend Never Outnumbered and Nimble Stand at the very least. Extra skill points should go toward five cross-class Balance ranks, read the Balance skill for details on why. After that probably get Jump 5, Bluff 5, and anything else that gives you a synergy bonus.

Feats! I'll start with your general, non-Fighter-bonus feats: Definitely get Adamantine Body, Psiforged Body, and Hidden Talent: Prevenom Weapon at 1st level. You can store your remaining power points in your body at the end of each day to be used on another day to manifest Prevenom Weapon. At 3rd get Bind Vestige for Aym to get Dwarven Step, which makes it so you're not slowed down at all by medium or heavy armor. You absolutely need this to even use the Tumble skill at all with Adamantine Body. At 6th level you'll take Deflective Armor, which is pretty much the only reason to even use heavy armor over medium or light. Your 9th level feat will be Imperious Command, which makes your Intimidate skill extremely powerful.

If you're starting higher than 1st level, say you visited the Otyugh Hole detailed in Complete Scoundrel to get a bonus feat from a limited list for 3,000 gp. Ideally your DM will allow you to gain Menacing Demeanor considering bonus feats often get to ignore prerequisites (and your face can be forged to look like another creature's), if not just pick up Iron Will, or even pay that twice for two visits to get both of those. You could also make a visit there during downtime to gain the benefit for the gold cost without having to play it out, or visit during play to get its benefit for free.

Fighter bonus feats! Power Attack is a good start, remember you're not getting a bonus feat at 2nd or 6th because Dungeoncrasher is so much better. You're going to need Heavy Armor Optimization at 4th to qualify for Deflective Armor, and you'll probably want Greater Heavy Armor Optimization at 8th. You should probably take Weapon Focus (10), Weapon Specialization (12), Melee Weapon Mastery (12 general), Greater Weapon Focus (14), Greater Specialization (16), and Weapon Supremacy (18). Your general feats at 15 and 18 are open, as is your Fighter 20 feat. I'd probably pick up Combat Reflexes and Defensive Sweep, or maybe the Mage Slayer line of feats from CA.

Equipment: A weapon with the Brutal Surge property (MIC) is highly recommended, as it can enable your Dungeoncrasher damage. Be sure your weapon has a Wand Chamber in it, detailed in the mundane gear section of Dungeonscape, and put a Dorje (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/items/dorjes.htm) (Psionic Wand) of Prevenom Weapon (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/prevenomWeapon.htm) in there, though its usefulness will be inversely proportional to your level. Note that Prevenom Weapon lasts as long as you hold the weapon until your next attack, so it will never go to waste unless you drop it. Check out this list (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=187851) for more useful stuff, especially flight and immunities.

[Urpriest]

This is going to be unhelpful, but it needs to be said:

Fighter is a class made up of feats. I'm not commenting on whether it's a good class, a bad class, or whatever. I'm not saying that you should play a Warblade, or a Crusader.

What I am saying, is that Fighter is a class that gives a lot of feats, and absent ACFs (some of which my fellows have ably listed), that's all it does. A Fighter can, by WotC-provided fluff, be anyone at all, from caravan guard to robin-hood archer to spiked-chain wielding madman. All differentiated solely by feats.

So if you want to play a Fighter, the only possible reason is that you have a concept that needs lots of feats. There isn't a "Fighter-concept" to go for, or a "Fighter-playstyle". There's a different concept, or a different playstyle, that happens to need lots of feats.

And this is why it completely, utterly baffles me when someone decides to play a Fighter and can't think of feats to choose. Because if you don't want the feats, what could have drawn you to play a Fighter?

[Slipperychicken]

And this is why it completely, utterly baffles me when someone decides to play a Fighter and can't think of feats to choose. Because if you don't want the feats, what could have drawn you to play a Fighter?

Apparently, some people think the Fighter has special flavor, but, reading the class flavor-text, that can be seamlessly slapped on pretty much any "hit it with a stick" class with brainless ease.


Be sure to pick up Locked, Spiked Gauntlets (It's like less than 20 gold, get one of each if you can't have both on the same gauntlet) so you can function while disarmed, and give enemies a hard time about disarming you. Also saves a feat on EWP: Spiked Chain if you make a tripper but for some ungodly reason don't have enough.

If Psionics are in your campaign, you don't have to take Adamantine Body. Just put on a Psychoactive Skin of Ectoplasmic Armor (Complete Psionic, 3k). No slot taken, so a Warforged can wear it fine. It functions as Full Plate, without the movement penalty, and it can be dispelled for 1d4 rounds (a pretty minor penalty to save you a feat and 10ft of move speed). Specify that it's a Warforged Component, and no one can even steal it from you while you're conscious.

That's another thing. Every slotless (and slotted) item you have? You can make it a Warforged Component for no cost (The creator doesn't even need a special feat: anyone who can make items can do it), which means it's a part of your body, no one can take it from you while you're conscious, and they only work while attached to a Warforged anyway. Also can be useful if you happen to be a Wizard and your spellbook is in your Embedded Bag of Holding.

[Invader]

The only thing I don't like about trip builds is even if you're optimized to win the trip check every attempt most DM's are just gonna say "nope I won that one" every time as opposed to letting every bad guy they send at you get knocked down every round and be useless.

[Slipperychicken]

The only thing I don't like about trip builds is even if you're optimized to win the trip check every attempt most DM's are just gonna say "nope I won that one" every time as opposed to letting every bad guy they send at you get knocked down every round and be useless.

That's not so much trip builds themselves as bad DMing. I find this too: if you have big enough numbers to hit all the listed DCs, regardless of how much effort you spent to get those numbers, a bad DM will make an obvious asspull so you fail. Roll a 40 on Diplomacy? The merchant still hates you because you're a Half-Elf, calls you an idiot, and even raises the price for your audacity to try to haggle him down. 53 on Knowledge (Arcana)? You have no idea what this aura is. Not even a guess. Same can go with immunites: If a bad DM wants you asleep, so he can run his idiotic dream-sequence? You're alseep, even if you're an Elf with Mind Blank up. No save, no CL check, nothing.