Fighter tips with just normal handbook and dms guide any ideas?

[Drake2009]

Making a human fighter level 1 and I could use some tips. NO prestige class at the moment and im using basic rules. Im pretty new to D&D but im gonna be the veteran cause im playing with 2 newbies and my friend is dming. Also any ideas on a cleric? He worships Obad-Hai and has animal and air domains. they are changeable though.

[Hua]

Depends on how you want to do it.
Option 1 is high str, high con. Go with 2 handed weapon. Power attack and cleave feats. Dodge and mobility can be good too.

Option 2 is high dex to allow 2 weapon or double weapon fighting style. Lots of options.

Option 3 is traditional sword and board (sword and shield). Lets you hit but not get hit back as often as others. Can allow for lesser con and a crappy healer.


The trick to what you are looking for is the feats you select to best match your stats and play style. Fighters are made awesom by the feat selections. Find a style that matches your stats and make the feats augment that.

[ArcturusV]

Well, if you're core only. You want to look at Power Attack as your first feat. And you'll want a two handed weapon, based on whatever you can afford at the time. Longspear, Great Club, Battleaxe, whatever. Outside of that... it kind of depends on what you want to go for eventually, and if you qualify for it. Presuming you are starting standard enough you might want a sling as a backup ranged weapon. Cheap, and you can add strength to your damage with it, unlike a crossbow. And even if you run out of ammo you can grab a random rock to use.

Just don't blow your wad on a weapon. Even as a fighter you'll be fragile enough that you want to armor up as much as possible if you're planning on surviving.

For the cleric? Should probably switch to more interesting domains. War domain is good, particularly if you follow a god who uses a weapon that your cleric normally wouldn't be able to get. After that? Probably the magic domain I'd favor. Keeping in mind core only. Travel domain usually gets some love. But the Freedom of Movement effect only applies to magical things that slow you down. Still highly useful. But not something you necessarily are going to run into a lot at level 1. As you level up more you might dip into a Domain Granting PrC for the Travel Domain for it to get the ability as it turns relevant.

One thing to keep in mind? Clerics don't have to have one of the particular Gods listed to worship. You can just worship a philosophy or ideal. So if you wanted the Magic and War domains you could just make up a philosophy of Arcane Warfare to follow. This isn't refluffing or anything, nope. It's RAW, built into the cleric class.

[Drake2009]

Stats so you know i got great roles!
Str 18
Dex 18
Con 17
Int 16
Wis 14
Char 16
I have at the moment these weapons
Greatsword,battleaxe and a longbow.
i can use my battle axe and shield or just greatsword
Also im thinking power attack, improved initiative and cleave

[ArcturusV]

Eh. I wouldn't go with Longbow. A Longbow is kind of this undesireable mix between thrown weapons/slings, and a Composite Longbow. Unless you got a weird campaign going the superior range of the Longbow over a sling, or even just a javelin, isn't really going to come into play. But it's inability to add strength damage to your attacks will. Possibly also you inability to use it while mounted. Though that's not necessarily a thing.

Kinda surprised you are so loaded out with weapons. Greatswords aren't really cheap.

One thing? Always carry multiple damage types. Your axe an your sword both are slashing. It's one of those Murphey's Law sort of things. If you only have one damage type? You're going to run into enemies resistant to that.

At the very least, get a club. They're free. Maybe a Quarterstaff if you are thinking of Two Weapon Fighting. Free blunt damage is free blunt damage. And with 18 strength encumbrance isn't really an issue.

[Drake2009]

Ok thanks! maybe ill trade the longbow for a sling?

[Kalaska'Agathas]

You know, with those stats, I'd probably roll a combat focused Cleric over a Fighter (assuming you can swap them around to suit).

Also, Saph's Horizon Tripper (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=80415) might interest you, if you'll eventually be allowed to take a Prestige Class.

[StreamOfTheSky]

With those rolls, maybe you should consider being a monk. It's the weakest class in the book, but has a lot of interesting abilities, and those kind of stats are what you need to have a decent one.

In any case, remember that easy multiclassing is a feature of the game. Don't feel dirty or cheesy if you want to multiclass a bunch of different things together, and yeah, in a core only game, any noncaster should probably look towards migrating to Horizon Walker eventually.