Tucker's Commoner

[VoxRationis]

As many people are talking, more or less on a continual and rotating basis, on how bad fighters are and how limited they are, I thought about the famous Tucker's Kobolds scenario, and how clever application led to monsters with no abilities and only the most meager of stats being absolute terrors. By analogy, one could make a fighter into a terror, extremely effective in numerous scenarios, with some well-chosen mundane items and some cleverly chosen actions, rather than just relying on class abilities as the end-all and be-all of what you can do. Obviously, it wouldn't address the perceived inequality between fighters and wizards, since anything the fighter would be able to do in this regard the wizard would as well, but it would address the problem of the fighter being perceived as useless.

Anyone got any ideas for that?

Edit: It was pointed out that I should make this about commoners to avoid the confusion that I'm trying to make some sort of point about Fighters. So, as a single-classed commoner, without Chicken-Infested, what would you do to make yourself more useful?

[Fouredged Sword]

Well, there is a 6000gp necklace that lets you hold your breath for 12 hours. Pair that with dust of Cheesing.

Also, See the Haversack guide.

[Deophaun]

The problem with trying to apply the philosophy of Tucker's kobolds to the fighter is that Tucker's kobolds had one thing going for them (besides numbers,which the fighter is also lacking): the terrain. Everything about their warren was built to make life as difficult as possible for anyone bigger than them trying to enter, providing the kobolds with cover while denying it to enemies, forcing intruders to wade into traps, and making sure necessary materials were repositioned for maximum effect. Essentially, the entire kobold warren could be characterized as a batman wizard.

A single fighter venturing into enemy territory is not going to come close to that.

[Azoth]

Takes until level 3 to pull off (due to needing 6 ranks Craft alchemy) but, Magical Training, Grenadier, Mad Alchemist combo allows a fighter to make alchemical items. The main use of this is getting int Craft (alchemy) vs Concentration battles with enemy spell casters to mess up their casting and using Tanglefoot bags to create difficult terrain.

[Lanson]

Takes until level 3 to pull off (due to needing 6 ranks Craft alchemy) but, Magical Training, Grenadier, Mad Alchemist combo allows a fighter to make alchemical items. The main use of this is getting int Craft (alchemy) vs Concentration battles with enemy spell casters to mess up their casting and using Tanglefoot bags to create difficult terrain.

Alchemy requires you to be spellcaster

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Even a Commoner can be good when paired with a Shax's Indispensable Haversack (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=148101) or similar. This is not a virtue of the Fighter class.

If you want to make a fighting character, but Fighter would be too underpowered in your current group, then just use a different class. You don't have to use the Fighter class to make a fighty character!

[Hyena]

Tucker's kobolds work in 2e, because even on high levels adventurers are still vunerable to arrows and can be stopped by such things as narrow walls.
Tucker's kobolds do not work in 3.5, because on mid levels parties can roflstomp a god.
Think about that for a minute.

[Deadline]

As many people are talking, more or less on a continual and rotating basis, on how bad fighters are and how limited they are, I thought about the famous Tucker's Kobolds scenario, and how clever application led to monsters with no abilities and only the most meager of stats being absolute terrors. By analogy, one could make a fighter into a terror, extremely effective in numerous scenarios, with some well-chosen mundane items and some cleverly chosen actions, rather than just relying on class abilities as the end-all and be-all of what you can do. Obviously, it wouldn't address the perceived inequality between fighters and wizards, since anything the fighter would be able to do in this regard the wizard would as well, but it would address the problem of the fighter being perceived as useless.

Anyone got any ideas for that?

The underlined is the part you are going to have trouble with. Tucker's Kobolds weren't extremely effective in numerous scenarios. They were effective in one scenario: In their lair, underground, in tight passageways where they had all the time in the world to lay traps and attack from the safety of murderholes.

[VoxRationis]

Even a Commoner can be good when paired with a Shax's Indispensable Haversack (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=148101) or similar. This is not a virtue of the Fighter class.

If you want to make a fighting character, but Fighter would be too underpowered in your current group, then just use a different class. You don't have to use the Fighter class to make a fighty character!

I think you're missing the point. The idea is not to argue that Fighter is a phenomenal class or something through intelligent application, nor is it to come up with some "virtue" of Fighters; indeed, as I mentioned before, these ideas could be used by any class. The idea is, assuming that one is playing a Fighter, to come up with clever and effective ways of handling multiple situations and generally contributing to the effectiveness of the group.

[Azoth]

Alchemy requires you to be spellcaster

Magical Training gets you a spell book, 3 cantrips, and you prepair/cast the spells as a wizard 1. You are made a spellcaster with this feat.

[Piggy Knowles]

I harried a party of five level three characters pretty badly with a single second level thug fighter (non-sneak attack version) with a penchant for poisons and alchemical items once, but that sort of thing would be too costly to make a regular tactic without heavy cheese. Still, Quick Draw plus nets and tanglefoot bags galore and a willingness to hit and run can go a long way in the right sort of settings.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

I think you're missing the point. The idea is not to argue that Fighter is a phenomenal class or something through intelligent application, nor is it to come up with some "virtue" of Fighters; indeed, as I mentioned before, these ideas could be used by any class. The idea is, assuming that one is playing a Fighter, to come up with clever and effective ways of handling multiple situations and generally contributing to the effectiveness of the group.


... but it would address the problem of the fighter being perceived as useless.

My point was, it wouldn't make Fighter as a class any less useless. This would actually make him worse at what he's supposed to be doing, as he'll be dumping WBL into doing things that someone else can use their (free) class features to do. That means he's not spending that WBL on necessary effects (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=187851) or armor and weapons, so he's less useful in the areas he should be strong (combat) and he's more vulnerable, making him more of a liability.

[Lanson]

Magical Training gets you a spell book, 3 cantrips, and you prepair/cast the spells as a wizard 1. You are made a spellcaster with this feat.

Missed that line, very interesting

[Big Fau]

A Dungeoncrasher+Zhentarim Goliath Fighter with a side-focus on Chain Tripping can contribute to a great many encounters from levels 2-12, but really will need to multiclass out of Fighter sometime around levels 10-11. However, his tactics will still be incredibly easy to neutralize by enemies like a Stone Golem (a level-appropriate "boss" encounter for an EL 12 party).

However, I think you've confused a point yourself: The Fighter class itself is considered weak, but an actual character can utilize specific builds to be useful.

These are the Fighter's options:


Dungeoncrasher
Zhentarim (Intimidate Lockdown)
Chain Tripper Lockdown
Volley Archer
Charger
AoO Specialist
WBLmancy

Of these only Zhent and Dungeoncrasher are truly unique to the Fighter class, and the class can only really specialize in two or three at a time even at 20th level. Specializing in more than two cuts so heavily into your build that the idea isn't feasible at most tables (since you'd likely have to wait until 20th level to pull it off). Other classes, however, can generally perform at least a few of these tricks along with several other options. PsiWars, for example, can easily do the Chain Tripper Lockdown along-side a Charger build, and still have the capability of being an AoO specialist all the while having Psionic manifesting.

Moreover, the Fighter has a notorious weakness: Those specializations are often easily shut down. My earlier mention of the Stone Golem deserves special merit: He can't trip it without outside help, he can't bull rush it due to it's sheer Str score and size bonuses, and the golem is immune to being Demoralized/Panicked. That Fighter is then forced to do nothing but hit it with a stick until it dies, which leaves him incredibly vulnerable to retaliation (if he were a Charger he could easily one-round the Golem, but then he'd have to sacrifice his focus on Tripping/Intimidate/Bull Rushing).

This is why the class itself is considered weak. The builds are not always useless, but because the class provides no method of overcoming these weaknesses the Fighter is forced to rely on an outside source (such as magic items that may not be available, or begging the party's spellcaster for the necessary buffs that the caster may or may not have already expended).

Attempting to use the Fighter for anything other than those specializations (I know there's at least two more, but they elude me ATM) means you are using a square peg for a round hole; you're going to be cutting corners just to try and squeeze by.

[Seerow]

Tucker's kobolds work in 2e, because even on high levels adventurers are still vunerable to arrows and can be stopped by such things as narrow walls.
Tucker's kobolds do not work in 3.5, because on mid levels parties can roflstomp a god.
Think about that for a minute.

This right here is the whole answer to the thread.

Tucker's kobolds are the result of a story for literally 15-20 years ago, and has no bearing on how the game works in more recent incarnations.


Even if it DID work that way, as people have pointed out, the Kobolds were dangerous because they controlled the terrain in every possible way. So at best you could create a Fighter who grabs Landlord and dumps all of his gold into an impenetrable castle. He's absolutely useless if he leaves that castle, but in the castle he'd be nearly untouchable.

Of course, a caster would do this -even better- because they could just take craft wondrous architecture/craft magical trap, and double any and all money invested into their fortress's defenses. Nevermind the fact that the caster would have no reason to go through the effort because they can chill out on a personal demiplane nobody else can access without their permission.

[Just to Browse]

This thread is less about how the fighter can be good if you pull off shenanigans, and more about how a normally-underperforming character can perform better if you pull off shenanigans.

I, for one, am very interested in this topic because I sandbag with my groups all the time. Alchemical fighters is something I haven't ever thought of.

[VoxRationis]

Let me make some things clear.
This is not a "The fighter is really a Tier 1 class" argument.

I am not arguing that the Fighter isn't any of those things you pointed out, Big Fau.

I am not saying you should make a fighter who uses the same tactics as Tucker's Kobolds; the story is inspiration for the idea of "clever ideas over class features."

I am not suggesting that any of the ideas presented here be in any way limited to fighters.

I am not suggesting a fighter whose entire gear budget is sunk into gimmicky items; if that works for your suggestion, so be it, but that's not what I'm saying.

I am asking for constructive ideas on what to do to be useful as a mid-level fighter besides simply doing damage and tripping, with an emphasis on what to do, rather than what to take.

[Story]

I am asking for constructive ideas on what to do to be useful as a mid-level fighter besides simply doing damage and tripping, with an emphasis on what to do, rather than what to take.

Solve all the puzzles OOC? Do all the roleplaying with OOC social skills? There isn't really anything here that doesn't also apply to Commoners.

[Ziegander]

Well, I for one would actually be interested in exploring the possibility of making "Tucker's Fighter" a reality either through Fighter class features that make him better than other classes when using clever tactics and mundane items, or through game rules conceits that make him better than other classes when using clever tactics and mundane items.

There are new rules that could make Tucker's Kobolds a threat for a longer period of time, basically it's all stuff from Heroes of Battle, like that concentrated fire attack that can deal like dozens of d8s worth of damage using the commander's attack roll.

What about making that kind of stuff, and Leadership too, Fighter-only? Some stuff would need to be tweaked and more options given for the Fighter to manage his new resources, but it might help.

[Big Fau]

I am asking for constructive ideas on what to do to be useful as a mid-level fighter besides simply doing damage and tripping, with an emphasis on what to do, rather than what to take.

And I would like to ask you what benefit there is to using the Fighter instead of the Commoner? You are asking us for IC-advice for a hypothetical character without giving us limitations, and any advice we give you can be applied to any character in existence (not just the Fighter).

Having ranks in Intimidate or Handle Animal is really all the mechanical advice I can give. I can't give you any role-playing advice for a character that doesn't exist because I can't guarantee that the advice I'd give would be relevant in most situations.

[Incanur]

Level 1 human fighters have one major thing going for them: they can take Mounted Combat, Ride-By Attack, and Spirited Charge. Thus they can be pretty dangerous in the right terrain - open terrain - with a lance and mount. +7(3d8+12) ain't a bad attack for a CR 1 mook.

[Shining Wrath]

I think Big Fau has a point; there's no reason anything that works for the Fighter won't work for the Monk, the Commoner, the OA Samurai, or the Truenamer.

What OP asks for is ways that characters can contribute when their normal class abilities don't let them contribute.

There's an item, it may be Pathfinder, that lets you put vials and the like into an arrow head. A fighter type person can then launch vials of acid or tanglefoot bags or what have you at range.

[VoxRationis]

Thank you, Shining Wrath. You've hit the nail on the head.
There is no reason the tricks you come up with here could not apply to, say Commoners, Experts, or Samurai. I am looking for ways to contribute to things beyond the level of "what do my class features say?"

[Eldariel]

Change this thread to Commoners, ban Chicken Infested and it'll probably be a more interesting resource, not to mention avoids the unintended sidetracks Fighter inevitably causes (since the class can do any martial combat style reasonably well, which can lead the focus away from the creative problem solution this thread is no doubt intended for).

[Deophaun]

Off Topic:



A Dungeoncrasher+Zhentarim Goliath Fighter with a side-focus on Chain Tripping can contribute to a great many encounters from levels 2-12, but really will need to multiclass out of Fighter sometime around levels 10-11. However, his tactics will still be incredibly easy to neutralize by enemies like a Stone Golem (a level-appropriate "boss" encounter for an EL 12 party).
Stone golems are actually well within a Dungeoncrasher's range by EL 12.

Consider a Goliath with 26 strength (20 start, 2 levels, +4 stat boost) and improved bull rush. From this alone, he has a +3 advantage on the stone golem. If he uses a two handed weapon to power attack with knockback, he can get up to a +24 on top of that. Give him shock trooper and on a charge watch the golem go flying across the room.

And this is without looking for specific items to boost the necessary opposed strength checks. For instance, there's a spiked chain that gives a +4 to trip attempts and is quite affordable at EL 12.

[Yorrin]

To everyone attempting to "correct" the OP: this thread is not about Fighters (as far as I can tell). It's about helping underpowered characters in general contribute to the party regardless of build. In other words it's about smart roleplaying, and has very little to do with mechanics.

[Big Fau]

Off Topic:



Stone golems are actually well within a Dungeoncrasher's range by EL 12.

Consider a Goliath with 26 strength (20 start, 2 levels, +4 stat boost) and improved bull rush. From this alone, he has a +3 advantage on the stone golem. If he uses a two handed weapon to power attack with knockback, he can get up to a +24 on top of that. Give him shock trooper and on a charge watch the golem go flying across the room.

And this is without looking for specific items to boost the necessary opposed strength checks. For instance, there's a spiked chain that gives a +4 to trip attempts and is quite affordable at EL 12.


Size restrictions on the Golem (for clarity's sake, I meant Greater Stone Golems and not normal ones, as normal ones are CR 11; the Goliath Fighter obviously can take on a normal one) make it impossible. Powerful Build, by RAW, does not allow you to initiate these maneuvers against creatures you couldn't do it to normally:


A half-giant is also considered to be one size larger when determining whether a creature’s special attacks based on size (such as improved grab or swallow whole) can affect him.

Bull Rushing can only be performed if you are within one size category of the target, but Powerful Build only matters if the creature has a special ability involving Bull Rushing that is restricted by size categories (beyond the normal rule for Bull Rushes).

Unless there's a difference in the Goliath's Powerful Build and the Half-Giant's.


To everyone attempting to "correct" the OP: this thread is not about Fighters (as far as I can tell). It's about helping underpowered characters in general contribute to the party regardless of build. In other words it's about smart roleplaying, and has very little to do with mechanics.

As I said earlier, without specific details as to the situation and circumstances there's very little we can do. We can help a Commoner talk his way out of a Faustian Pact, but only if we knew the conditions of the pact itself and why it was made.

[Shining Wrath]

Of course, ways you can contribute depend on circumstances.

In combat

Flanking.
Use of items.
Distracting.
Absorbing attacks (meat shield).
Blocking motion.
Bull rushing.
Making them use up their AoO on YOU rather than someone else.

Out of Combat
Aid another
Dead weight holding ropes / balancing loads

[VoxRationis]

Your party, consisting of a ranger, rogue, and cleric, none of them high-op, plus you, a commoner, all 5th level, are attacked on the streets of a middle eastern city (so flat roofs) by 6 goblin archers (basic MM stats, using shortbows) and a hobgoblin wizard on said rooftops, also 5th level (for sake of argument, the wizard, having spent too much time on these forums, doesn't prepare fireball and thus doesn't take out your character with it in the first round of combat).

This is just a single scenario, made up more or less on the spot.

[georgie_leech]

Well, I for one would actually be interested in exploring the possibility of making "Tucker's Fighter" a reality either through Fighter class features that make him better than other classes when using clever tactics and mundane items, or through game rules conceits that make him better than other classes when using clever tactics and mundane items.

There are new rules that could make Tucker's Kobolds a threat for a longer period of time, basically it's all stuff from Heroes of Battle, like that concentrated fire attack that can deal like dozens of d8s worth of damage using the commander's attack roll.

What about making that kind of stuff, and Leadership too, Fighter-only? Some stuff would need to be tweaked and more options given for the Fighter to manage his new resources, but it might help.

Hm. Maybe something like this?

Environmental Opportunism (Ex)
Fighters are adept at taking advantage of their surroundings in the midst of battle. They have access to a number of unique battlefield maneuvers based on their Fighter Level.
Loose Terrain: At first level, the Fighter may scatter loose objects to create difficult terrain. As a Swift Action, he may cause a number of 5-foot squares within 25 feet equal to his Fighter level + INT Modifier to be treated as difficult terrain. The Fighter and a number of allies equal to his INT Modifier (Minimum 1) may treat these squares as normal terrain, even if they were difficult terrain before using this ability. A creature may use a Standard Action to remove the difficult terrain, restoring the square to the condition it was in before the ability was used.
Improvised Barricade: At 3rd level, a Fighter can quickly use scattered debris to make defensive cover. As a standard Action, the Fighter may use furniture, rocks, logs, bodies, and other large objects to create an improvised wall. This wall can be no larger than 5 feet tall, and occupies up to 3 adjacent 5-foot cubes, depending on the availability of material. At least one section of the wall must be constructed adjacent to the Fighter, and it cannot be built in squares already occupied by a creature. This wall provides cover, but gaps in construction prevent it from providing Total Cover. Each section of wall has a number of hit points equal to the Fighter's Level + INT Modifier. If the Fighter is trained in Knowledge (Architecture and Engineering), he may instead make a Knowledge (Architecture and Engineering) and add his Fighter level to the check; in this case the hitpoints of each section equal the result of the check. When a section of wall breaks, it crumbles into difficult terrain, as the Loose Terrain ability. At 5th level, the wall blocks LoE for the purposes of spells and Area Effects. At 9th level, some or all of the wall can provide Total Cover, at the Fighter's discretion.
Obscuring Dust: At 7th level, the Fighter may kick up dust, scatter bags of flour, or otherwise create clouds that prevent his enemies from seeing properly. As a Swift Action, the Fighter can create an effect similar to the spell Obscuring Mist, lasting for 1 minute. The Fighter can ignore any Concealment or Total Concealment granted by this ability. At 11th level, any creature within 20 feet of the Fighter when he uses this ability must make a Fortitude save vs a DC of 10+1/2 Fighter Level+INT Modifier or be Dazed, spending the round choking and trying to wipe grit out of their eyes. The Fighter may exclude himself and a number of allies from the Daze effect equal to his INT Modifier (Minimum 1)Special: The Fighter can only use this ability in dusty environments, or when he has access to at least 5 pounds of flour, dirt, snow, or other light, dry powdery substance.
Aerial Instability: At 11th level, the Fighter becomes adept at knocking other creatures out of the sky. When ever the Fighter does damage with an attack against a flying creature, the creature must make a Fortitude Save against a DC equal to the damage done by the attack or immediately begin stalling, as if the creature failed to maintain a minimum forward speed. This applies regardless of the source or maneuverability of the flight, though creatures with Good Maneuverability gain a +5 competence bonus on the Fortitude save, and creatures with Perfect Maneuverability gain a +10 competence bonus on the save. For every size category larger than the Fighter, the creature gains a +4 size bonus to the saving throw; for every size category lighter, the creature takes a -4 size penalty to the saving throw. This ability applies whenever a creature is damaged by the Fighter's attacks; beyond number of attacks, there is no limit to the number of times in a round the Fighter may use this ability.

Most of these abilities use INT in some way, because they seem like abilities used by clever Fighters, rather than being based off of strength or quickness. I'm at a bit of a loss though as to what effects would be appropriate for higher levels though, any ideas?

[Zetapup]

Let's look at Shax's Indispensable Haversack (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=8235865#post8235865).

Aboleth mucus seems like it'd be pretty handy for the described scenario. It's a ranged touch attack, so you have an okay chance to hit (although you're a commoner so you're pretty unlikely to hit with anything). It's effectively a death sentence unless the wizard was prepared for it, which is unlikely. Plus, it's only 20gp.

Chaos flask could be useful too, although you'd need a decent wisdom for it. Just about any poison you can think of, for a much cheaper cost. You'd need a way to hit though, and immunity to poision/being able to apply poison safely would be helpful. Hitting can be covered by aid another, feats, and magic items, but you only have a few allies and you're all level 5 so you won't have many feats/magic items. The best thing to do would prolly be to make the poison and give it to the ranger, since he has the best chance of hitting.

Dust eggshell grenade is handy, but only has a range increment of 5ft, so you're pretty unlikely to hit, again.

Explosive pack might be useful? Maybe? I dunno, you could use a bunch of them for the range stacking/damage stacking effect. It takes a bit too much time though and is pretty expensive.

Liquid smoke would be nice for concealment.

Rope plus the various climb boosting items would let you get up to the rooftops to throw dust eggshell grenades and whatnot at the ambushers. A little slow, but eh.

Screaming flask could maybe be handy? It depends on how close you are to the ambushers.

Shapesand is the reusable version of chaos flask, basically. It requires a higher wisdom, but it's only limited to your imagination and the 12 pound restriction. A creative player would be able to do quite a bit with this.

The sprayer lets you use aboleth mucus as a 10ft line, but better yet, it doesn't require an attack roll (according to the guide, at least). Get close to the ambushers somehow and use this to pretty much autokill them.

Stonebreaker acid could be handy if the houses are made of stone? It'd let you destroy the integrity of anything stone and possibly serve as a getaway tool.

Tanglefoot bag is pretty self explanatory. It's okay, but aboleth mucus is prolly better in the long run.


Outside the handbook, you could use a tower shield and use it for total cover. You have to give up your attacks to do that though, so you're going to have to get creative with what you do.

That's just the stuff from the type 1 haversack; there are prolly a few magic items that would be useful in that situation.

[Deophaun]

Size restrictions on the Golem (for clarity's sake, I meant Greater Stone Golems and not normal ones, as normal ones are CR 11; the Goliath Fighter obviously can take on a normal one) make it impossible. Powerful Build, by RAW, does not allow you to initiate these maneuvers against creatures you couldn't do it to normally:
Not impossible. That's what expansion is for. :P

[Shining Wrath]

Your party, consisting of a ranger, rogue, and cleric, none of them high-op, plus you, a commoner, all 5th level, are attacked on the streets of a middle eastern city (so flat roofs) by 6 goblin archers (basic MM stats, using shortbows) and a hobgoblin wizard on said rooftops, also 5th level (for sake of argument, the wizard, having spent too much time on these forums, doesn't prepare fireball and thus doesn't take out your character with it in the first round of combat).

This is just a single scenario, made up more or less on the spot.

Rope + grappling hook to let the ranger and rogue close with them.

How high are the roofs?

Throw up sand and dust to obscure the line of sight for ranged attacks.

[Metahuman1]

Magical Training gets you a spell book, 3 cantrips, and you prepair/cast the spells as a wizard 1. You are made a spellcaster with this feat.

Were the crap is that feat from?

[Zetapup]

Were the crap is that feat from?

It's from the Player's Guide to Faerun

[Azoth]

Human Commoner1. Get his Int to 15 and give him 1 flaw. Feats: Magical Training, Precocious Apprentice (Scorching Ray), Firey Burst. Throw out 5ft radius fireballs for 2d6 damage with a DC 14 Ref save for half all day long at a 30ft range increment.

Azurin Commoner1. Feat Shape Soulmed (Disolving Spittle) 30ft ranged touch attack for 2d6 acid damage.

Those are two fun lvl1 ranged combatants.

[falloutimperial]

There happens to be a handbook for commoners. It focuses mostly on building a stronger community, but there are some things for anything you need.

http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=232822

[VoxRationis]

Hm. Maybe something like this?

Environmental Opportunism (Ex)
Fighters are adept at taking advantage of their surroundings in the midst of battle. They have access to a number of unique battlefield maneuvers based on their Fighter Level.
Loose Terrain: At first level, the Fighter may scatter loose objects to create difficult terrain. As a Swift Action, he may cause a number of 5-foot squares within 25 feet equal to his Fighter level + INT Modifier to be treated as difficult terrain. The Fighter and a number of allies equal to his INT Modifier (Minimum 1) may treat these squares as normal terrain, even if they were difficult terrain before using this ability. A creature may use a Standard Action to remove the difficult terrain, restoring the square to the condition it was in before the ability was used.
Improvised Barricade: At 3rd level, a Fighter can quickly use scattered debris to make defensive cover. As a standard Action, the Fighter may use furniture, rocks, logs, bodies, and other large objects to create an improvised wall. This wall can be no larger than 5 feet tall, and occupies up to 3 adjacent 5-foot cubes, depending on the availability of material. At least one section of the wall must be constructed adjacent to the Fighter, and it cannot be built in squares already occupied by a creature. This wall provides cover, but gaps in construction prevent it from providing Total Cover. Each section of wall has a number of hit points equal to the Fighter's Level + INT Modifier. If the Fighter is trained in Knowledge (Architecture and Engineering), he may instead make a Knowledge (Architecture and Engineering) and add his Fighter level to the check; in this case the hitpoints of each section equal the result of the check. When a section of wall breaks, it crumbles into difficult terrain, as the Loose Terrain ability. At 5th level, the wall blocks LoE for the purposes of spells and Area Effects. At 9th level, some or all of the wall can provide Total Cover, at the Fighter's discretion.
Obscuring Dust: At 7th level, the Fighter may kick up dust, scatter bags of flour, or otherwise create clouds that prevent his enemies from seeing properly. As a Swift Action, the Fighter can create an effect similar to the spell Obscuring Mist, lasting for 1 minute. The Fighter can ignore any Concealment or Total Concealment granted by this ability. At 11th level, any creature within 20 feet of the Fighter when he uses this ability must make a Fortitude save vs a DC of 10+1/2 Fighter Level+INT Modifier or be Dazed, spending the round choking and trying to wipe grit out of their eyes. The Fighter may exclude himself and a number of allies from the Daze effect equal to his INT Modifier (Minimum 1)Special: The Fighter can only use this ability in dusty environments, or when he has access to at least 5 pounds of flour, dirt, snow, or other light, dry powdery substance.
Aerial Instability: At 11th level, the Fighter becomes adept at knocking other creatures out of the sky. When ever the Fighter does damage with an attack against a flying creature, the creature must make a Fortitude Save against a DC equal to the damage done by the attack or immediately begin stalling, as if the creature failed to maintain a minimum forward speed. This applies regardless of the source or maneuverability of the flight, though creatures with Good Maneuverability gain a +5 competence bonus on the Fortitude save, and creatures with Perfect Maneuverability gain a +10 competence bonus on the save. For every size category larger than the Fighter, the creature gains a +4 size bonus to the saving throw; for every size category lighter, the creature takes a -4 size penalty to the saving throw. This ability applies whenever a creature is damaged by the Fighter's attacks; beyond number of attacks, there is no limit to the number of times in a round the Fighter may use this ability.

Most of these abilities use INT in some way, because they seem like abilities used by clever Fighters, rather than being based off of strength or quickness. I'm at a bit of a loss though as to what effects would be appropriate for higher levels though, any ideas?

Those environmental things are all wonderful ideas, and I greatly appreciate them, but I'm not seeing why they'd be class features.

Also, Azoth, as mentioned before, I'm looking more for tactics than builds here, though that's a potent combination indeed. You should combine that with Leadership, have all your followers have that.

[georgie_leech]

Those environmental things are all wonderful ideas, and I greatly appreciate them, but I'm not seeing why they'd be class features.



At the time, the inspiration was Making Tucker's Fighter via class features. The justification is that Fighters should be, if not better than Barbarians in terms of raw power, better in tactics. Anyone can scatter caltrops, it takes a Fighter to kick small bits of debris 25 feet in such a way that it impedes his enemies or benefits his allies; anyone can flip a table, it takes a Fighter to stack the table, some chairs, and that first dead guy into a wall that can block a Fireball; anyone can toss flour, it takes a Fighter to know how to turn it into a long lasting visual impediment while distracting his enemies at the same time; anyone can swing a sword in the air, it takes a Fighter to know just where to shoot that arrow or what angle to swing to knock the wizard under the Flight spell out of the sky. In other words, they were designed with the idea of reflecting the whole master of the battlefield thing they were supposed to get. They were also convenient ways to fill in some of the dead levels in the class, which is something I try to do with any homebrew I come up with.

[SpawnOfMorbo]

In D&D Next the idea of Tucker's Commoner works pretty well due to a feature commoners have.

I ran a one shot of a group of adventurers who slew a black dragon and came back to town expecting praise and gold... The town let the party into the town center and then turned on them for killing their protector and caring leader.

The party decided to kill the black dragon before going into the town... At first I thought it was going to go horribly (the BD had a mission for them to help protect the town) but I turned things around.

When the party got out of there and to the next town (week later) an earthquake and tidal wave destroyed the town... To bad the party did get that mission to save the town :p

[Inevitability]

Okay, first of all, take a look at all those 'dip' feats.
Bind vestige, magical training, shape soulmeld. Why not take them all three?
You start with a human commoner, who takes the XP farm flaw (hey, it's a flaw that doesn't penalize me, don't look at me).

You can now bind a first-level vestige, cast 3 cantrips a day and throw acidic spittles around. You can also just exploit the strategies that can make even a blind, mute, and crippled halfling viable, like optimized animal rearing (yay dino army) diplomancy (yay human army) or pun-pun cheese (yay owning the universe).

That's something I really like about 3.5. Even if 95% of a build is terrible, chances are the remaining 5% can be made into something workable, if not game breaking.