[PF] a non-conventional conventional fighter build

[the_other_gm]

I rarely play fighters. For the most part I find the class rather boring but I decided I'd try to see if I could make one I'm content with. I was about ready to give up when I started looking at traits and see the "rough and ready" equipment trait.

In short, it allows a character to use a familiar tool (one commonly used in a profession or craft) as an improvised weapon but without the penalties and with a +1 trait bonus to hit.

The wheels in my head start working and I hit on my character idea: a woodcutter.

Armed with his splitting maul (treated as a greatclub, only with slashing damage) and some carpenter tools, this large rustic fellows splits heads like logs.

The core of the build is the Two-handed fighter archetype, focusing on single, powerful strikes (power attack, vital strike and the like) and sundering. My biggest concern is AC, as i would like to stick with lighter armors for characterization's sake but at that point since I'm using a two-hander (thus no shild), I wonder if it's even woth investing in any AC beyond a few token points at low levels.

Now, i'm thinking of going human with 18(16+2)/14/14/9/10/7 with 15 pt buy if I'm going to invest in any armor, otherwise I'll probably forsake defense for a better Will save and more skill points via a 18/10/14/12/12/7 spread. Favoured class bonus will be going to HP.

For skills, Profession (Woodcuter) is the main one, with Climb & Swim as optional ones if a high Int allows.

For feats I'm thinking something like:
Human - power attack
Level 1- furious focus
Fighter 1 - improved sunder
Fighter 2 - Weapon Focus (splitting maul)
Level 3 - Improved Initiative
Fighter 4 - Wp. Sp (splitting maul)
Level 5 - Toughness
Fighter 6 - Vital Strike

So, how does it look?

[ProudGrognard]

I like the whole idea a lot, but I am not sure why you got the splitting maul and not say an actual axe. Perhaps a greataxe slightly dumped down and heavier to show that it is tool turned weapon? Like here (http://tinyurl.com/lveknd8)?

As for your feats, I am not a fan of sunder or toughness. I would go for Weapon Focus earlier or perhaps Iron Will and Improved iron will, since you seem to want to mind the Will save.

[BWR]

Use a katana and you could be Heihachi Hayashida (of the Woodcutting School of swordsmanship) from Seven Samurai.

[deuxhero]

Be a swordsmith, then you can use your hammer, the mightiest weapon of the all.

Also: Vital Strike is a terrible feat

[the_other_gm]

@ProudGrognard

Looking at the various axes and axe-like implements used in woodcutting, the closest analogue to the traditional felling axe would be a battleaxe. looking at it realistically, a felling axe only has a 3.5-4Lb head, so the 6Lb, d8 battleaxe would be the closest thing in the book. a Greataxe's 12Lb heft makes it rather unusable as something you would swing all day long as a felling ax.

a splitting maul is likely the heaviest axe one would have as a woodcutter and in terms of size it's still smaller then the greataxe, weighing about 8-10Lbs total.

i guess this is simply something i'll have to bring up with the GM, but i try to err on the side of caution when it comes to judgement calls like this.

as for feats, sundering is simply another tool one can use as a sort of martial debuff. using one round to destroy an enemy's weapon and forcing him to used unarmed strikes or gauntlet damage is a great debuff as most non-casters turn to doodoo once their weapon of choice is destroyed. Sure it might destroy some gear, but it also gives the option for sundering a holy symbol or a spell component pouch/spell focus unfettered by a chance AoO and with a bonus is something i'm willing to take. plus, PF gives the option to simply keep the weapon at "broken" status instead of "destroyed".

dropping toughness for iron will is definitely an option i'm mulling over though.

@BWR
maybe not for this character, but i now know what i'll want to pop into the dvd player for movie night!

@deuxhero
PF seems to have far less ways to get early-game pounce or pounce-like and strait-up non-mounted charging boosts like 3.5 has, so Vital Strike seems like the best substitute available. I'm not saying it's great, but it helps keep my damage up in a round where i can't full-attack.

plus the "one big, heavy blow" fits the woodcutter theme better then "flurry of axe swings" the normal full attack gives.

[deuxhero]

Vital Strike doesn't work on charges, so even then it is useless.

Take Lunge. You qualify for it at that level and its one of the best melee feats in PF. Helps bring the hurt on things close but not close enough to full attack.

[the_other_gm]

Vital Strike doesn't work on charges, so even then it is useless.

Take Lunge. You qualify for it at that level and its one of the best melee feats in PF. Helps bring the hurt on things close but not close enough to full attack.

Charging seems to be overhyped in pathfinder. It would be a different case if we were talking pure 3.5 or a PF+3.5, but unmounted charging in PF is good for a +2 to hit and... anything else? the choice of using a Vital Strike or Charging is trading a +2 to hit for another +5-7 damage on a 2-hander.

on a heavily armored/high-ac target the charge is the better option as it means there's a better chance of my damage going through. on a low to average AC enemy, the +2 to hit probably isn't really adding much to my chance of landing a blow so the extra damage is probably better.

it's akin to knowing when to power attack when you don't have furious focus.

Lunge is a great feat though and i'm kinda surprised i forgot about it. definitely a good contender for a level 6 fighter feat.

[deuxhero]

Charge lets you double speed. Vital Strike is only better than lunge if the target is in a very tiny window of a target being farther away than a 5 foot step+lunge, but less than needing a double move.