Build Help... Again

[KnotKnormal]

Different Build this time.
I want to do a Town Guard type Character so big honkin Shield, full plate, and Spear with a long sword backup. (long spear if possible or a glaive)

Only non setting book are available. also no Unearthed arcana, and no Dragon Magazine.

I'm still up in the air about this character's complete back story so if you want to throw in some spell casting feel free, just keep in mind I am in full plate.

So far I know I want to start it out as a Fighter, the feats help. and I was looking toward knight but I was a little underwhelmed. so any help will be greatly appreciated.

[wayfare]

Different Build this time.
I want to do a Town Guard type Character so big honkin Shield, full plate, and Spear with a long sword backup. (long spear if possible or a glaive)

Only non setting book are available. also no Unearthed arcana, and no Dragon Magazine.

I'm still up in the air about this character's complete back story so if you want to throw in some spell casting feel free, just keep in mind I am in full plate.

So far I know I want to start it out as a Fighter, the feats help. and I was looking toward knight but I was a little underwhelmed. so any help will be greatly appreciated.

Are you looking to build a tripper?

[Red Fel]

As a rule, when I think big beefy guardsman, trained to protect others and take hits, I don't often think Fighter.

I think Crusader.

The Crusader, from Tome of Battle (which is not a "setting" book, and thus within your parameters) is a very effective self-contained guardsman. The class itself features a particularly useful ability - a delayed damage pool. Not only does this give you the effect of temporary HP, but it has the added effect of increasing your damage output based upon how much damage you've taken in your delayed pool. This pool increases with level, which is an added bonus.

You also later gain access to a Smite effect, the Die Hard feat, and Mettle (which is like Evasion but for Fort and Will saves).

In addition to these class features, you gain access to martial maneuvers - specifically, Devoted Spirit, Stone Dragon, and White Raven. Devoted Spirit gives you very efficient spot-healing in combat, because it triggers off of striking enemies, and it's also good for protecting allies, with stances like Iron Guard's Glare and Thicket of Blades; Stone Dragon is great for laying out liberal amounts of abuse, with maneuvers that can overcome hardness and DR; White Raven is great for a "captain of the guard" archetype, because it allows excellent battlefield control, tactics, and mild abuse of the action economy.

In short, a Crusader is a self-contained, any-kind-of-guard-you-want, support-or-tank-or-damage-dealer class. In full plate, no less.

As a final aside, a popular strategy is to use a Crusader with Thicket of Blades, the Stand Still feat, Combat Reflexes, and a reach weapon, to completely lock down all movement within 10 feet. It's really enjoyable to be able to say "Stop, in the name of the law," and really mean it.

[person29]

When I picture big beefy guardsmen I picture...

A dragonwrought kobold wizard who is polymorphed to look like a big beefy guardsman

but in reality

I picture a fighter, especially if they are doing standing around watching people...possibly focusing on spot/listen checks

however if the town focuses more on search/rescue stuff or fighting outside creatures I can see a ranger being pretty realistic as they are going out into the wilderness or tracking people etc

I like the idea of going sword/board or using a polearm of some kind. I think there are some decent feats in PHB II for those but I could be wrong

[KnotKnormal]

Isn't there a feat that allows you to carry a two handed weapon like a glaive ir long spear in one hand?

[Particle_Man]

I think Crusader.

This also has a nice dwarven prestige class in the same book that would fit the "guard the town" idea (assuming it is a town of dwarves, I guess).

Would this character stay in the town and have adventures come to it? Or will the character eventually leave to go on quests or wander the earth as most adventurers tend to do?

[nedz]

A two handed weapon and a shield is a tricky combination.

The shield either has to be a buckler, which requires a feat to use with a weapon, or animated. Actually I'm not sure that there even is a feat for this.

[Red Fel]

A two handed weapon and a shield is a tricky combination.

The shield either has to be a buckler, which requires a feat to use with a weapon, or animated. Actually I'm not sure that there even is a feat for this.

Animated is the easy solution. Still get the protection, but get both hands free to wield a 2h weapon.

[Particle_Man]

Or thrikeen. 4 arms!

[KnotKnormal]

A two handed weapon and a shield is a tricky combination.

The shield either has to be a buckler, which requires a feat to use with a weapon, or animated. Actually I'm not sure that there even is a feat for this.

this is why i was asking about a feat to one hand, two handed weapons. correct me if I'm wrong but Monkey Grip should do the trick right? it effectively lets you wield weapons as if you were one size category larger. so a two handed spear can be wielded in one hand leaving the other hand free to hold the tower shield.

[Red Fel]

I don't think that's precisely how it works.

For example, you could wield a one-handed weapon for a Large size as a Medium size in one hand with the feat (without, it would be two-handed), but you're describing a weapon that's two-handed for a Medium. The feat says nothing about altering grip for a weapon that's already your size, only for a larger size.

Logically, it would make sense. But by RAW, that's not precisely how it works.

[Gavinfoxx]

If you think it does something useful, you are usually reading monkey grip wrong. Good rule of thumb...

[Darrin]

this is why i was asking about a feat to one hand, two handed weapons. correct me if I'm wrong but Monkey Grip should do the trick right? it effectively lets you wield weapons as if you were one size category larger. so a two handed spear can be wielded in one hand leaving the other hand free to hold the tower shield.

Nope. Monkey Grip doesn't work that way. Many people think it does, but it can't help you here. All it does is allow you to wield a larger-sized weapon without increasing the number of hands it takes to wield. It would allow you to wield a large-sized shortspear one-handed, or wield a large-sized spear/longspear two-handed, but it will not allow you to wield what would normally be a two-handed weapon with only one hand.

I think the only way to wield a two-handed spear as a one-handed weapon in 3.x is to use the Balanced property (+2 enhancement, A&EG).

[Artillery]

A two handed weapon and a shield is a tricky combination.

The shield either has to be a buckler, which requires a feat to use with a weapon, or animated. Actually I'm not sure that there even is a feat for this.

There is also the Spare Hand from MiC. 12000gp for a third hand.

It also has the added benefit of letting you 3-hand a weapon for extra damage. You get an extra 0.5xstr for each hand after 2-handing, stated in Savage Species.

[Fouredged Sword]

Shield and Pike style. I think it's from dragon, but it lets you wield a two handed reach weapon and a light shield at the same time.

[LogosDragon]

It's really enjoyable to be able to say "Stop, in the name of the law love," and really mean it.

Fixed that for you.

Before you break my heart. Or the law.

[Darrin]

Shield and Pike style. I think it's from dragon, but it lets you wield a two handed reach weapon and a light shield at the same time.

Ah, yes. Couldn't remember where to find that one. Looks like it was in Dragon Magazine #338.

[Petrocorus]

Nope. Monkey Grip doesn't work that way. Many people think it does, but it can't help you here. All it does is allow you to wield a larger-sized weapon without increasing the number of hands it takes to wield. It would allow you to wield a large-sized shortspear one-handed, or wield a large-sized spear/longspear two-handed, but it will not allow you to wield what would normally be a two-handed weapon with only one hand.

I think the only way to wield a two-handed spear as a one-handed weapon in 3.x is to use the Balanced property (+2 enhancement, A&EG).

Note that it's a bit tricky, since there are few difference between a large sized one-handed weapon and a medium sized two-handed weapon of the same king. A large long sword is not much different from a medium great sword for example.

[Metahuman1]

2 thoughts.

1: A possible way is to see if your DM will allow an Item from the Fabulous Cats web article called the collar of perpetual attendance. Make a Tower Shield out of something that cuts the weight, and have the collar hold the shield such that your getting total cover with out having to burn actions.

Doesn't help your AC but gives you a steady 50% miss chance on attacks, and free's up a hand to use your pole arm two handed, and combo should be cheap enough to have running by levels 3-5.

2: As an alternative, make a custom affiliation using the rules for doing such in the PHB 2.

Now, make it a fighting company or fighting collage or some such and have the benefits be tricks that help your choose fighting style work. Using a shield and a pole arm at the same time for example.



Lastly, I'll vote Crusader as better then either Fighter or Knight for this.

[KnotKnormal]

So there is really no way to create a "Roman fighting style" type character in 3.5? That actually kind of infuriates me. I was really looking for the iconic tower shield with spear look. Thanks anyway, everyone.

[Red Fel]

So there is really no way to create a "Roman fighting style" type character in 3.5? That actually kind of infuriates me. I was really looking for the iconic tower shield with spear look. Thanks anyway, everyone.

I'd like to point out that both Shortspear and Trident are one-handed weapons. No feat required. You get the look you wanted, even if it's not a super-sized pike.

[Fouredged Sword]

The greeks used longspears and light shields.


http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fd/Ancient_Greece_hoplite_with_his_hoplon_and_dory.jp g/220px-Ancient_Greece_hoplite_with_his_hoplon_and_dory.jp g


The Romans used heavy or tower shields and short spears or javelin for throwing and a shortsword for after they threw their spear.


http://visual.merriam-webster.com/images/society/weapons/weapons-in-age-romans/roman-legionary.jpg


Both are possible through the rules of 3.5. The Greek style requires the Shield and Pike feat.

[Petrocorus]

Note that the most used fighting styles in history are the least used in DnD, due to poor gaming design on this part. The THF were surely less used than Sword & Broad, Spear & Shield, and even probably less than TWF.

The whole rules and feats chain for shield and TWF should be retooled to reflect the real fighting style. Which would not be so hard, actually.
And THF should not have so many advantages, or at least their drawback should be more problematic, there were reasons if THF was mostly used by anti-cavalry infantry.

If think the game designer just didn't do enough research, or didn't calculate they made THF so good. The valenar elves are egregious to me. The fact that a people who put so much emphasis on cavalry and in a same time has a double weapon as iconic weapon is weird. Double weapons are clearly impractical for cavalry.

[KnotKnormal]

Double weapons are clearly impractical for cavalry.

This is kind of a tangent to the topic but, not necessarily. as long as there is a long enough shaft between the blades then using a double weapon may become superior to using a sword, or even a lance on horseback in many aspects. agreed that you won't have as deep of a swing or as long of a reach, but the motion used to attack from horseback with a double weapon becomes a kind of rowing action, which is far more balanced then the other cavalry battle styles. Also having a blade on both sides allows for easy switching of which side to attack on, with out much extra effort, as apposed to swords where you have to lean far to the side or even switch hands, risking dropping your blade, or a lance where it is nigh impossible to do.

I am in no way saying it is perfect but, it defiantly has it's advantages.

[Arc_knight25]

I hate to bring DnDwiki into this. But there is a one-handed spear in there that Hobgoblins use. Its a 1d10 x3 crit. Think its treated as an exotic weapon. I used it in a campaign when In was a 1/2 orc Favoured Soul of Gruumsh. Got the weapon prof and focus from Favoured Soul progression.