[PF] need help building a lockdown fighter in PF

[jhardin87]

I'm trying to make a lockdown fighter for a pathfinder game but a lot of the 3.5 staples of the build have been nerfed or outright removed from what I can see. I still wanna try to make a functional one that's fun to play though and any advice would be welcome.

[Galvin]

Get your CMD as high as you can. Combat expertise and improved trip and combat reflexes. As soon as you trip your foe, they are unable to get up without AoO. CR lets you lock down more than one guy. Consider spiked chain. Ask you dungeon master if they will let you take the 3.5 feat knockdown. Allows free trip attack If you deal more than ten points of damage.

[Hylas]

The Lore Warden archetype for Fighter gives bonuses to CMB/CMD.

[Dusk Eclipse]

Spiked Chain sucks in PF, consider Lore Warden nabs you prerequisite-less combat expertise and gets bonus to CMB/D

[jhardin87]

I figured I'd have to use a polearm for the increased threat range since PF ruined the spiked chain but I was hoping to find one that you can use to trip and disarm although I can't find any. I'm not sure if you have to have a weapon that specifically says disarm to be able to disarm or if you just take negatives if the weapon you're using doesn't have that specific descriptor. Also I tried to find a PF equivalent of the 3.5 Short Haft feat. The closest I can find is a class feature from the polearm master fighter archetype but I'm hesitant to go that route because I really don't wanna give up the armor training. It just doesn't seem like a +1 to attack on readied actions and AoO's is worth giving up the increased armor max dex bonus and movement speed.

[jhardin87]

Get your CMD as high as you can. Combat expertise and improved trip and combat reflexes. As soon as you trip your foe, they are unable to get up without AoO. CR lets you lock down more than one guy. Consider spiked chain. Ask you dungeon master if they will let you take the 3.5 feat knockdown. Allows free trip attack If you deal more than ten points of damage.

We are using pure PF so nothing from 3.5 and the PF version of the spiked chain is next to worthless without the reach. It's definitely not worth dumping a feat for EWP.

[watchwood]

Look into the Step Up and Spellbreaker chains of feats. Both of them give you powerful aid in locking down casters and ranged characters.

[grarrrg]

Spiked Chain sucks in PF, consider Lore Warden nabs you prerequisite-less combat expertise and gets bonus to CMB/D

While Lore Warden gets you Combat Expertise Req-free, you STILL need 13 INT to take 'Improved Trip' and the like.


I figured I'd have to use a polearm for the increased threat range since PF ruined the spiked chain but I was hoping to find one that you can use to trip and disarm although I can't find any. I'm not sure if you have to have a weapon that specifically says disarm to be able to disarm or if you just take negatives if the weapon you're using doesn't have that specific descriptor. Also I tried to find a PF equivalent of the 3.5 Short Haft feat. The closest I can find is a class feature from the polearm master fighter archetype but I'm hesitant to go that route because I really don't wanna give up the armor training. It just doesn't seem like a +1 to attack on readied actions and AoO's is worth giving up the increased armor max dex bonus and movement speed.

There are FAQ/Errata/etc... that say you do NOT need a weapon with the Trip (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/gamemastering/combat#TOC-Trip)/Disarm (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/gamemastering/combat#TOC-Disarm) feature to Trip/Disarm.
Disarm special only gives +2 CMB to the attempt.
Trip special lets you drop the weapon in case your tripping goes bad and they try to trip you.

So Disarm special may be worth it, Trip less so.

Bills and Ranseurs both have Disarm and Reach (and are among the VERY few with both), and would work with Polearm Master.

As an alternative to Polearm Master, Dragoon (www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/fighter/archetypes/paizo---fighter-archetypes/dragoon) lets you use either end of a "spear group" weapon withOUT needing an action to switch from Reach to Close.

Then again, the CMB bonues of Lore Warden are hard to say no to.

Also, if you don't mind spending the feats, a Whip (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/equipment---final/weapons/weapon-descriptions/whip) may be exactly what you want.
A Whip has 15ft. reach AND can attack adjacent squares as well, AND has Disarm, Reach, AND Trip specials.
By taking the Whip Mastery (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/combat-feats/whip-mastery-combat) feat you can ignore most things that normally make Whip a bad weapon (it always does Lethal damage, AND you don't Provoke AoO's when attacking with one.).
And by taking Improved Whip Mastery (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/combat-feats/improved-whip-mastery-combat) you can Threaten out to 10ft. (attack at 15ft. but only threaten at 10ft.).
Greater Whip Mastery (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/combat-feats/greater-whip-mastery-combat) further helps you because "You are so quick with your whip that you never drop it due to a failed disarm or trip combat maneuver attempt."

I'd go with Whip. It has EVERYTHING you want.