PF Ramotaur Two Handed Fighter Opinions

[johnroth]

So my friend started a Shattered Star PF campaign over the weekend. I used the Advanced Race Guide to create a Ram-Minotaur type race and made him a Two Handed Weapon Fighter variant. I realize the strengths and weaknesses inherent in this character, and I'm looking for some opinions on what I should do. The race options I picked are as follows:

HUMANOID (0 RP)
Humanoids breathe, eat, and sleep.

Specialized (1 RP)(Keep): Pick either mental or physical ability scores. Members of this race gain a +2 bonus to two ability scores of the chosen type, and a –2 penalty to one ability score of the other type.

Fearless (1 RP): Prerequisites: None; Benefit: Members of this race gain a +2 racial bonus on all saving throws against fear effects. Special: This bonus stacks with the bonus granted by the lucky (greater or lesser) racial trait.
Mountain-Born (1 RP)(Keep): Prerequisites: None; Benefit: Members of this race gain a +2 racial bonus on Acrobatics checks made to cross narrow ledges and on saving throws against altitude fatigue and sickness.

Climb (2 RP): Prerequisites: None; Benefit: Members of this race have a climb speed of 20 feet, and gain the +8 racial bonus on Climb checks that a climb speed normally grants.

Fast (1 RP): Prerequisite: Normal speed; Benefit: Members of this race gain a +10 foot bonus to their base speed.Special: This trait can be taken more than once, but each time it is, the cost increases by 1 RP. Its effects stack.

Natural Attack (1 RP) (2RP Total): Prerequisites: None; Benefit: Pick one of the following natural attacks: gore, hoof (if the race has hooves), slam, talons, or wings (if the race has flight). Members of this race receive one natural attack of the chosen type. Gore, slam, and talons are primary natural attacks, while hoof and wings are secondary natural attacks. The damage is based on the creature's size . Special: This trait can be taken multiple times. Each time, pick a different natural attack.

Powerful Charge (2 RP): Prerequisite: Natural attack trait; Benefit: Select one of the race's natural attacks. Whenever a member of this race charges, it deals twice the number of damage dice with the selected natural attack plus 1-1/2 times its Strength bonus.

It's a low power, 10 RP build. I don't like to min-max, I chose these abilities based around what I thought this race would have, living in the mountains and being a Ramotaur. Because Ramotaur can often be found straight up head butting their foes, I figured they'd be pretty courageous. Rams are also pretty adept climbers, and due to living in the harsh conditions of the mountains they're pretty hardy, getting +2 to Strength and Con, but receive -2 to CHA due to their monstrous visage. They also train themselves extensively in the art of ramming targets full force, and due to this they have a much stronger charge than other races as well as being able to move faster than the average bipedal race. The two natural attacks are their horns.

So. I'm wondering what I should do in regards to armor. Are there any feats I might want to look into, since all my class armor abilities were stripped when I took the Two Handed Weapon variant? Should I wear medium armor and nullify my extra speed? I'd still be just as fast as the average fighter with the armor bonus. The two feats I picked at first level were Power Attack and Combat Reflexes. For the next few levels I plan on taking Cleave and Spring attack. Any suggestions to help reduce my squishyness and increase my combat effectiveness? Being able to do 4d4+7 damage on a charge at level one is pretty awesome.

EDIT: Never mind about Spring Attack. That has a lot of prereqs.

[johnroth]

Okay, here's a question. I'm using power attack for all my attacks. So I normally get a 1D10+6 damage because I'm using a Bardiche, and my character has a STR of 17. Can I use power attack on my charges? Would it mean I do 2D4+7 per horn? So if both hit I'd do 4d4+14?

EDIT: I guess this all depends if I can use both my natural weapons in a charge attack, being that they're both my PC's horns. It's probably up to my DM's discretion?

[johnroth]

Okay. This is my planned out feat progression. I don't even think I'll get to this high a level in this campaign, but we'll see. Any thoughts? I'm going for damage and mobility.

1) Power Attack, Combat Reflexes
2) Toughness
3) Dodge
4) Weapon Focus (Bardiche)
5) Cleave
6) Great Cleave
7) Weapon Specialization (Bardiche)
8) Run
9) Improved Critical
10) Greater Weapon Focus (Bardiche)
11) Vital Strike
12) Mobility
13) Spring Attack
14) Improved Sunder
15) Greater Sunder
16) Greater Weapon Specialization (Bardiche)
17) Improved Vital Strike
18) Critical Mastery

[SilverLeaf167]

Well, giving Cha penalties for looking ugly (why would that make them any less forceful and intimidating?) is a common but bad idea, but I guess that's sorta irrelevant here. Just annoys me in general.

[johnroth]

Well, giving Cha penalties for looking ugly (why would that make them any less forceful and intimidating?) is a common but bad idea, but I guess that's sorta irrelevant here. Just annoys me in general.

You're right. I wasn't really sure where to plop that -2 though. Cha seemed to be the most non-intrusive spot.

[Ailowynn]

-2 Cha makes sense to me for a large, tribal race.... but aside from that: the advice is give off the top of my head is GET VITAL STRIKE SOONER. As in ASAP. And same goes for Improved Vital Strike. If you're going for mobility, that means you aren't full-attacking, and that means you're doing less damage. Also, I'd hold off on Weapon Focus/Spec; they can be nice, but you can essentially buy those feats (+2 weapon). Same goes for Dodge. Also, I might recommend Trip feats rather than Sunder feats, because you could easily trap someone that way--massive move speed, trip them, Combat Reflexes for AoOs if they try to stand or move, and then full attack on your next turn. Although keep in mind that picking up those feats might not be the greatest idea so late in the game, when everything has +5bajillion CMD for Ginormous size.

Also--two horns? I always thought that having a horn attack didn't have anything to do with how many horns you have (as long as its greater than zero). And either way, to attack with both horns, wouldn't that be a full attack? I might suggest changing one of those to a hoof attack.

[johnroth]

-2 Cha makes sense to me for a large, tribal race.... but aside from that: the advice is give off the top of my head is GET VITAL STRIKE SOONER. As in ASAP. And same goes for Improved Vital Strike. If you're going for mobility, that means you aren't full-attacking, and that means you're doing less damage. Also, I'd hold off on Weapon Focus/Spec; they can be nice, but you can essentially buy those feats (+2 weapon). Same goes for Dodge. Also, I might recommend Trip feats rather than Sunder feats, because you could easily trap someone that way--massive move speed, trip them, Combat Reflexes for AoOs if they try to stand or move, and then full attack on your next turn. Although keep in mind that picking up those feats might not be the greatest idea so late in the game, when everything has +5bajillion CMD for Ginormous size.

Also--two horns? I always thought that having a horn attack didn't have anything to do with how many horns you have (as long as its greater than zero). And either way, to attack with both horns, wouldn't that be a full attack? I might suggest changing one of those to a hoof attack.

Thanks! Those are some good suggestions. I'll have to think about changing my natural attack. Either I'll reduce it to one, a slam attack, or just pick a different ability. I was rationalizing that since he has two horns, it would count as two attacks, but I was already beginning to see how little sense that made. Also, trip is a lot better suggestion. I'm not sure why I didn't think about it. I just thought sundering weapons sounded cool, but tripping seems far more useful.

I think I'm going to take an extra speed boost, bringing my Ramotaur's total speed bonus to + 20, so I should be able to still move at 40 ft in Heavy Armor. Does that sound about right? It'll help reduce my squishyness, at least, since I'm going to be on the front lines and in the midst of battle constantly.

Also, this is my revised feat list. I'm getting rid of dodge if I can use Heavy Armor.

1) Power Attack, Combat Reflexes
2) Toughness
3) Weapon Focus (Bardiche)
4) Cleave
5) Great Cleave
6) Vital Strike
7) Weapon Specialization (Bardiche)
8) Run
9) Improved Critical
10) Greater Weapon Focus (Bardiche)
11) Improved Vital Strike
12) Combat Expertise
13) Improved Trip
14) Greater Trip
15) Greater Sunder
16) Greater Vial Strike
17) Greater Weapon Specialization (Bardiche)
18) Critical Mastery