Pathfinder Fighter Archetypes for my Pathfinder Aberration Fighter

[Perseus]

Ok so joining a Pathfinder game at the end of the summer and I really don't want to play a caster so I figured a nice easy Fighter could do the trick.

I've played D&D for years so yes I know the downfalls of the Fighter.

However, being relatively newbish when it comes to Pathfinder... I'm not sure what Fighter archetypes are traps and which are actually worth it. If I was a Dwarf then Foehammer sounds pretty nifty, however I'm playing an Aberration (custom race Aberration that has blindsense).

I wouldn't mind going sword and board, two handed weapon, or unarmed.

So what are some good ones? Ones that I have considered...

Viking (looks really awesome!)
Phalanx Soldier (Sword and Board
Swordlord (I know I could do something with this...)
Polearm Master or Dragoon (Pointy Sticks!)

My first level feats (level + fighter 1) was going to be Weapon Focus + Dazzling Display. However if I take Viking I can wait for later to take Dazzling Display... I could take the feat that gives Strength to Intimidate...

If I'm using my move action to demoralize (mostly every turn to keep the duration up) then perhaps the Vital Strike feats make sense? I already see why Vital Strike isn't very awesome but I won't be taking a ton of full attacks unless I can't demoralize.

I found some traits that will give me Perception and a bonus to Intimidate. so I should be good to go on that.

Any help will be appreciated :)

[RagnaroksChosen]

ok here is my take.. But I am by no means an expert.

Phalanx soldier: looks like a trap. You get slight defensive bonus's which IMO are not worth it. This would be a flavor build more then anything.

Swordlord: looks about the same as phalanx soldier. I don't think they are worth it.

Polearm master: looks good This is a very specific build you will want a high dex. and to take combat reflexes(the one that gives you more AoO). I would look for feats that give you more attacks of oppertunity. I might even consider vital strike if you can make it on an AoO.

Dragoon: is a mounted build there meh. I'd rather play a paladin or ranger for a pimp mount.

Foehammer: Looks nifty but I feel it could be a trap.. Though to be fair I <3 dwarves in fantasy games so I would probably play this.

Lastly Viking. It seems like you have a solid character concept. Vital strike and demorilize is nifty. though to be honest with you it looses it's charm around 6th.. because 2 attacks are generally worth more then the intimidate and strike...

If you went viking I would go 2 hander /buckler or ignore the AC bonus.. sword and board IMO are traps..

[Perseus]

ok here is my take.. But I am by no means an expert.

Phalanx soldier: looks like a trap. You get slight defensive bonus's which IMO are not worth it. This would be a flavor build more then anything.

Swordlord: looks about the same as phalanx soldier. I don't think they are worth it.

Polearm master: looks good This is a very specific build you will want a high dex. and to take combat reflexes(the one that gives you more AoO). I would look for feats that give you more attacks of oppertunity. I might even consider vital strike if you can make it on an AoO.

Dragoon: is a mounted build there meh. I'd rather play a paladin or ranger for a pimp mount.

Foehammer: Looks nifty but I feel it could be a trap.. Though to be fair I <3 dwarves in fantasy games so I would probably play this.

Lastly Viking. It seems like you have a solid character concept. Vital strike and demorilize is nifty. though to be honest with you it looses it's charm around 6th.. because 2 attacks are generally worth more then the intimidate and strike...

If you went viking I would go 2 hander /buckler or ignore the AC bonus.. sword and board IMO are traps..

There is a Vital Strike thread that makes a good point for the feat.

I'm going to go the Vital Viking route with this character. I'm sure the other players will be optimized casters so I should be able to live :p.

Thanks for the input. Do you know any archetypes for the fighter that is worth it?

[RagnaroksChosen]

Depends, I am not a fan of playing strait fighters personally, but I have helped friends out, so again take these with a grain of salt.

Unbreakable can be good if you want to go down the diehard chain. Its a great dip.

I am a fan of weapon master.. the level 5 ability lets you re-roll dmg/to-hit which is cool.

Thunderstriker, I don't remember how PF archtype staking works but if you can take it and Viking I highly recommend it. I don't know why I am a huge fan of this archtype. Just all around niftyness.

Tactician fighters look awesome, I don't know if it is stack-able but it is a solid archtype.

Lore warden is kinda cool if you want to play a more int based fighter.

Dervish of dawn if built right can be absolutely devastating. I've seen these in action. There are a lot of dervish feats out there that wreck house.

Here are some links for reading material:
Archtype guide for fighters:
http://kcmorris.hubpages.com/hub/A-Fighters-Guide-to-Archetypes-Pathfinder

The fighter handbook:
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/extras/community-creations/rogue-eidolon-s-lab/rogue-eidolon-s-guide-to-fighters

Hope that helps!

[Perseus]

RE totally makes me want to play a sword and board fighter now... Man that person can really sale the defender...

[Squirrel_Dude]

Phalanx soldier: looks like a trap. You get slight defensive bonus's which IMO are not worth it. This would be a flavor build more then anything. The advantage of the phalanx soldier is that you are able to use a polearm weapon one handed, allowing you to wield a shield and a reach weapon. That's the big advantage of the archetype, and why it is considered one of the better options.

[RagnaroksChosen]

The advantage of the phalanx soldier is that you are able to use a polearm weapon one handed, allowing you to wield a shield and a reach weapon. That's the big advantage of the archetype, and why it is considered one of the better options.

Fair enough.

I wasn't sure if it was worth losing the 1.5 str from and the bonus's from using a 2hander with power attack.

[Perseus]

Fair enough.

I wasn't sure if it was worth losing the 1.5 str from and the bonus's from using a 2hander with power attack.

I actually never use PA. Every DM I play under gives a moderate boost to every enemy AC. Also some lowers their saves.. It is messed up Hahaha.

I'm going to go the slow and steady reliable best friend type of Fighter.

[grarrrg]

Dragoon: is a mounted build there meh. I'd rather play a paladin or ranger for a pimp mount.

Hold on there.
Linky (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/fighter/archetypes/paizo---fighter-archetypes/dragoon)

*Level 1: Mounted Combat and Skill Focus (Ride) instead of your normal bonus feat.
Definitely geared towards you wanting a mount, but keep reading.

*Level 5: Weapon Training is +1 to-hit, +_2_ damage every time (must be Spear group).
Double damage bonuses, nice. Spear group is decent too.

*Level 7:
a dragoon may alternate attacks with the piercing head of his lance with reach, or with the butt end (treat as a club) against adjacent targets. Unlike a double weapon, the masterwork quality and magical special abilities apply to both ends of the lance, except for those weapon special abilities that apply only to edged weapons
!! A Reach Weapon AND close weapon, that you only need to enchant ONCE!?!?! Sign me up!

*Level 9 is effectively a "free" Banner ability, it 'costs' you your 2nd/3rd/4th Weapon Training, but the Weapon training says your Spear bonuses keep improving, so...nothing really lost then.
Free is free.

*Level 11 is a 'double attack' against Mounted Opponents (on a Standard or Charge only).
Eh, not horrible, but might be handy.

*Level 15 FINALLY an ability that actually cares if YOU are mounted.
The usefulness is questionable.

*Level 20 Must pick a Lance for your Weapon Mastery
Lance while not the best "spear" weapon, it ain't bad either. And the Weapon Mastery bonus is quite handy.

And what do you actually lose for this?
Tower Shield prof.
Level 1 Bonus Feat
Armor Training 2-through-4.
Must choose Spear Group/Lance as weapon type.


Looks like a winner to me.

[Occasional Sage]

Sword-and-board gets a solid boost in PF with the 1st-level combo of TWF and Improved Shield Bash; use a light shield and you get two attacks (of different damage types, B from the shield and S or P from the sword) at -2/-2, but get to keep the shield's AC. Chain up to Shield Master at 11 (no ATT penalties with of-hand shields, shield enchantments to ATT and DMG!) and consider Improved Bull Rush and Bashing Finish since you're already taking Shield Slam to qualify for SM. Good times!

[RagnaroksChosen]

Ehh agree to disagree.. Dragoons aren't terrible but I don't want to wait to 7+ to be bad ass.. plus is it better then any of the other archtypes.
It's still a meh archtype to me.



*Level 1: Mounted Combat and Skill Focus (Ride) instead of your normal bonus feat.
Definitely geared towards you wanting a mount, but keep reading.

Essentially wasted feat for non mount builds... which sucks..dead level.
Already off to a bad start.



*Level 5: Weapon Training is +1 to-hit, +_2_ damage every time (must be Spear group).
Double damage bonuses, nice. Spear group is decent too.

ya I can't really argue with you there.. this is not bad for spears. which would be good if we could go



*Level 7:
!! A Reach Weapon AND close weapon, that you only need to enchant ONCE!?!?! Sign me up!

ya this is nifty. I see the power in it, doesn't really do any thing for me.



*Level 9 is effectively a "free" Banner ability, it 'costs' you your 2nd/3rd/4th Weapon Training, but the Weapon training says your Spear bonuses keep improving, so...nothing really lost then.
Free is free.

ehh actually you loose the opportunity to take another archtype. I consider this a loss.



*Level 11 is a 'double attack' against Mounted Opponents (on a Standard or Charge only).
Eh, not horrible, but might be handy.

This is so campaign specific.



*Level 15 FINALLY an ability that actually cares if YOU are mounted.
The usefulness is questionable.

nah this is lame.



*Level 20 Must pick a Lance for your Weapon Mastery
Lance while not the best "spear" weapon, it ain't bad either. And the Weapon Mastery bonus is quite handy.

Ill be honest I don't usually look at this ability when judging a archetype.. Unless it is specifically for a high level game.



And what do you actually lose for this?
Tower Shield prof.
Level 1 Bonus Feat
Armor Training 2-through-4.
Must choose Spear Group/Lance as weapon type.

You loose by gaining a bunch of dead levels.

[Jett Midknight]

I personally like Two Handed Fighter. The x2 STR bonus might not seem a lot, but for my character who just stacked ridiculous strength bonuses it was turning into like +10 damage a hit at low levels. Definitely something I would look into. None of the other archtypes ever appealed to me personally.

[Chained Birds]

I like the Viking one, just because I like Barbarians, but wish they had more feats to throw around.

Not to mention that Rage Powers are awesome, and (as a fighter) you can get some of those anti-magic feats in addition to your anti-magic rage powers. Though I always go anti-magic with my barbarians and fighters just to be on the safe side.

[grarrrg]

Ehh agree to disagree.. Dragoons aren't terrible but I don't want to wait to 7+ to be bad ass.. plus is it better then any of the other archtypes.
It's still a meh archtype to me.

We actually agree quite a bit on this.




banner/weapon training
ehh actually you loose the opportunity to take another archtype. I consider this a loss.
Considering that VERY few Fighter archetypes can stack, if at all, Dragoon "not stacking" is a non-issue.
Even if it somehow kept full Weapon Training, it still wouldn't be able to stack with much of anything (either due to Armor Training, or first level feat, or...).



must be mounted ability
nah this is lame

Agreed.
I was emphasizing the "mounted" part because your original complaint about the class was " is a mounted build there meh. I'd rather play a paladin or ranger for a pimp mount." And looking at it, there are very few abilities that actually care if you are mounted or not (1st level, and 15th level).
My main argument was that it is NOT a "mount required" class.


You loose by gaining a bunch of dead levels.

Umm...most Fighter archetypes have stuff that you'll never really use, or trade multiple Weapon/Armor training for one ability thus creating a 'dead level'.
Dragoon is no worse in the "dead level" regard than any other Fighter archetype.

[Perseus]

I have yet to decide which archetype to go with, I like the idea of sword and board and a couple others.

It occurred to me I never posted my race... Totally made this based on the Super Humans from the Star Trek series (and more recently the movie).


Advance Human Life-Form
Type: Aberration (Advance Human)
Size: Medium
Base Speed: 40 Feet
Ability Score Modifier: (+2 Str, +2 Dex, +2 Con, +4 Wis, -2 Cha). Advance Human Life-Forms are stronger, hardier, and more limber than normal humans (+2 Str, +2 Dex, +2 Con). Advance Human Life-Forms have greater mental capabilities than those of normal humans (+2 Int or +2 Wis). However due to their superiority over a normal human the advance humans tend to be off putting to creatures due to their arrogance (-2 Cha).
Languages: Common; An Advance Human Life-Form with high Intelligence may choose any language from the following list (any 7 languages).
Racial Traits
• Darkvision 60 Feet
• Breathe, Eat, and Sleep
• Fearless (+2 Racial Bonus versus Fear effects)
• Quick Reactions (Gain Improved Initiative as Bonus Feat)
• Blind Sense 30 Feet
• Fast (Members of this race have a base speed of 40 feet)



If I went Phalanx Fighter I could use the spear at reach and then still take Improved shield bash and co. I wouldn't be two weapon fighting but it would give me a good option if something gets within my reach and I can't shift away.

Edit:
I just saw the Brawler fighter, it could fit into the "sword and board" type of fighter pretty easily. Also this fighter Archetype looks very sticky, especially when you get to level 9. Perhaps using the TWF+ISB combo with a light shield and punching dagger could be a cool character... Hmmm

(see I'm very indecisive)

[Squirrel_Dude]

If you're going sword and board than the two obvious picks for archetypes are either two weapon warrior or the shielded fighter. There is also the option of tower shield specialist, but I'm not a huge fan of that archetype. Honestly, neither one lets you take the TWF feats for free, so that's pretty annoying.

Have you considered playing a Ranger and taking either the TWF style or the Weapon and Shield style? If you don't want to deal with spells, there is an archetype where you sacrifice spell for "Hunter's Tricks."

I don't want to make your indecisiveness worse, but I figured I would at least make you aware that there is another way to do what you're trying.

[grarrrg]

OOH! OOH!!
He could go...
Plain Fighter!

LAWLZ!
But seriously...no one goes plain fighter...

[Perseus]

OOH! OOH!!
He could go...
Plain Fighter!

LAWLZ!
But seriously...no one goes plain fighter...

Well if bravery didn't suck then I could see straight fighter as a better choice.

What Paizo should do is make an Archetype fighter. Give up your bonus feat at first level and you can then mix and match archetypes. Now that would make the fighter more fighter like.

Or don't give up the feat but I'm sure that would never fly