Favorite fighting style, from a thematic perspective

[Extra Anchovies]

That is, what style of combat (e.g. two-weapon, two-handed, sword & board, unarmed, one-hand-free, archery, etc) do you like the flavor/imagery of, regardless of how mechanically effective said style is?

For me, it's definitely two-weapon; I can tell because a solid half of all the build spreadsheets I have bouncing around incorporate it in some way. After that, probably a tie between archery and unarmed.

[TypoNinja]

I really like the Swift Hunter archery, the running and climbing and shooting, being all over the battle field just appeals to me I donnou why.

[mythmonster2]

Personally, I gotta love the guy who runs into a swordfight with nothing but his fists and a robe. Poor, poor monk.

[Know(Nothing)]

I'm a sucker for two-handed for the same reason I'm a sucker for barbarians. Awesome image-- all-or-nothing haymaker swings accompanied by a gut-rending war-cry. Keep your flurry of slices with tiny tooth-picks, I want to sunder a mountain in one mighty blow.

That said, it's a shame that one hand/one empty hand didn't get much love. Syrio Forel from Game of Thrones shows how graceful and awesome it can be. Too bad the Einhander feat was pathetic.

[lagninja]

I've always been partial to Rogues, avoiding combat and striking from the shadows.
I blame all the Splinter Cell and Thief games I played as a kid.

[Phelix-Mu]

Throwing stuff and slings. Watch Tatakau Shisho: Book of Bantorra. Hamyuts Messeta gave me an entirely new view on how epic using a sling could be; granted, she had other tricks, but the big showstopper was what she could do with that sling.

Such an innocuous weapon, too; a couple lengths of leather cord and a small pocket. Easily concealed, could be made for almost no money at all, and ammo is virtually all around (pebbles), and is also quite innocuous.

Sadly, 3.5 is a terrible environment to try to pull off a sling-user. Almost no support, and even the basic mechanic is a bit dumb. I made a totally off-the-hook one in Exalted about a year ago, but that's not saying much, as it is Exalted (READ: Rule of Cool, the Game).

[T.G. Oskar]

Throwing stuff and slings. Watch Tatakau Shisho: Book of Bantorra. Hamyuts Messeta gave me an entirely new view on how epic using a sling could be; granted, she had other tricks, but the big showstopper was what she could do with that sling.

Such an innocuous weapon, too; a couple lengths of leather cord and a small pocket. Easily concealed, could be made for almost no money at all, and ammo is virtually all around (pebbles), and is also quite innocuous.

Sadly, 3.5 is a terrible environment to try to pull off a sling-user. Almost no support, and even the basic mechanic is a bit dumb. I made a totally off-the-hook one in Exalted about a year ago, but that's not saying much, as it is Exalted (READ: Rule of Cool, the Game).

Strange as it may sound, but Pathfinder does it a tad better, if you're willing to take all the feats that improve slinging (Ammo Drop, Juggle Load, Large Target, Prone Slinger, Slinging Flail). Not by much, though; at most, a few points of extra damage and the ability to use the sling as a flail, so you have a complete melee/ranged weapon. A 3.PF game can benefit from this feats coupled with a Halfling Warsling and the Halfling Warslinger PrC, for a pretty nasty sling-user.

On topic: I'm a sucker for Sword & Board, particularly when shields are used more than just for defense. When a shield can be used to block offensively (read: bash to block and leave an opening for the enemy to strike), attack, shove someone, stun, and even throw like Captain America, the style becomes more interesting; you still keep the defensive bonuses, and with larger shields, this can also help with some degree of cover. With magical shields, even supernatural attacks are no problem.

Sadly, it's almost never done right. 3.5 has Agile Shield Fighting, Shield Charge, Shield Throw and Shield Ward, Pathfinder has Bashing Finish, Shield Slam and Shield Master, 5e has Shield Master (all feats...yeah), and the Weapon & Shield style in the Dragon Age console RPGs is actually an awesome way to combine both defense and offense (particularly their version of Shield Bash, which stuns, and the higher-end offensive shield bash line).

[Denver]

+1 for Cloak and Dagger. Something about the idea of taking the enemy unawares, even though it mechanically does not translate into a huge advantage, strongly feels like a good way to start the fight, each time.

"Should we send her a gift?"
"A knife perhaps, a good sharp one, and a bold man to wield it."

[LTwerewolf]

Favorite was always the sword and board, where the shield is as much a weapons as a defensive measure. Hoplite ftw.

[ranagrande]

It might be the very worst, mechanically, but I've always liked grappling.

[OldTrees1]

From a thematic perspective I prefer the following 2 fighting styles(despite how hard they are to make in 3.5):


The Guardian:
Stays relatively still but leaps into action to counter any and all threats to their charges. (feels like sword and board to me)

The Tempest:
Leaps into a flurry of action as a group of foes lose weapons, their footing, are throw backwards, or suffer at the hands of some other martial trick. (feels like dual wielding to me)

[Milo v3]

I really like unarmed fighting, with only kicks and dodging, rather than punches and swings and palm hits and head-butting, etc.. Sadly, unarmed fighting isn't the best mechanically...

[PraxisVetli]

Definitely duelist style one handed.

Closely followed by sword and board.

[jaydubs]

My 2 favorites:

Polearm fighting, whether halberd, spear, or something similar.

Heavy skirmishers, who use a shield, throwing javelins or similar, and sword or spear. Light enough to hit and run with throwing weapons, heavy enough to fight in melee.

[T.G. Oskar]

Favorite was always the sword and board, where the shield is as much a weapons as a defensive measure. Hoplite ftw.

Another benefit I forgot about Sword & Board: it is a complementary style.

This is the reason why most combat styles don't seem that great. Two-Weapon Fighting is great for purposes of dealing multiple hits, so it benefits from damage bonuses (and status effects) applied in both weapons; however, it's also great for combining melee and ranged combat (Versatile Combatant in 3.5, Advanced Two-Weapon Fighting in d20 Modern and Sword and Pistol in Pathfinder are examples of this), particularly if the melee weapon is good and the ranged weapon is better.

When I say Sword & Board is a "complementary" style, it's because you still depend, on its core, on making attacks with a melee weapon. The shield expands what you can do with the melee weapon you wield, and in that way, it complements it. If you can do one thing well wielding a one-handed melee weapon, it will be better when wielding a shield because of the defensive and offensive bonuses the style applies.

It's the reason why Two-Handed Fighting (and to an extent Archery) are so good: they're awfully simple. THF relies on maximum damage and wide swings, while Archery relies on dealing lots of damage on multiple hits at a distance. This reflects on how THF requires only one feat to be useful (Power Attack), while Archery relies on a few but excels with an easily accessible one (Rapid Shot). Thematically, they appeal to the no-nonsense warrior (the simpler the method, the more effective) and to the offensive minded warrior ("the best defense is a good offense")

[RoboEmperor]

Crossbow. Specifically a quick-loading self-loading heavy crossbow. And a fullplate of armor. I could picture him shooting an endless stream of bolts to either
a. provide covering fire
b. Rapidly fire at a giant BBEG closing in on him
or c. Have 6+ of these people and watch them employ modern combat tactics in a fantasy setting.

[LTwerewolf]

Another benefit I forgot about Sword & Board: it is a complementary style.

When I say Sword & Board is a "complementary" style, it's because you still depend, on its core, on making attacks with a melee weapon. The shield expands what you can do with the melee weapon you wield, and in that way, it complements it. If you can do one thing well wielding a one-handed melee weapon, it will be better when wielding a shield because of the defensive and offensive bonuses the style applies.

That's the thing though. Shields were generally a better offensive tool than the sword/axe/mace they may have been paired with. The exception to this was spears, which could be used in one hand and were only superior as melee weapons because you could hit from further away. Often the shields were heavy enough that being hit by one was similar to being hit by a 40 mph car crash focus on one spot of your body.

Maces tended to be anywhere between 5 and 8 pounds. They were clunky to swing around because all of the weight was manipulated by the arm and shoulder but because of their weight could do a good amount of damage. Your average hoplon weighed 16-25 pounds (depending on size of the man, it varied a good bit). This weapon was not only heavier, but manipulated by more muscles, including not only the arm, but the back due to the rotation needed in order to use it as a weapon.

[kardar233]

I like Grappling quite a bit, but my favourite has to go to sword and shield.

I should preface this by saying that I have never encountered a game system that adequately models the sheer effectiveness of a shield on both offence and defence. Having fought both using shields and against opponents who use them, I can testify that any shield, even a buckler, is an extremely powerful and versatile tool that lends the user a significant to overwhelming advantage in a fight. Properly used, a shield can both make you an incredibly difficult target and it can serve as a powerful infighting tool. In fact, in our system-less home games (where any disagreement over the effectiveness of a combat maneuver involves getting out the practice weapons and trying it) I've stopped playing shield-users because they're just too effective.

It's tough, but I've been working on trying to represent that kind of unstoppable effectiveness in 3.5. It's tough, but I've got a Blood-Spiked Charger/Dungeoncrasher/Improved Trip build in progress that has the same kind of "advance under fire, disable the opponent by getting right in their face and then hammering them down" feel as you get when advancing with a kite shield.

[tadkins]

Does magic count as a fighting style? I've always loved the thematics and special effects of spellcasting over anything.

[Sartharina]

Charging into battle with a sword, shield, and birthday suit!

[georgie_leech]

Dark Souls taught me the value of a good shield. Besides, who wouldn't want to be the purple guy? (http://i.imgur.com/88cZoWQ.jpg)

[Xefas]

I have a soft spot for unarmed fighting, including some grappling, and some opportunistic improvised weaponry. Wrestling moves, I guess.

You haven't lived until you've suplexed Asmodeus onto the mat and then given him the People's Elbow. And he's all "Hah, all according to my pl-" and then you hit him with an adamantine folding chair.

[ThisIsZen]

My favorite style has absolutely nothing to do with real world OR in-game effectiveness, because IRL it's beyond stupid to the best of my knowledge and it's essentially impossible in-game, again to the best of my knowledge, but damn if it isn't cool to me anyway.

"Dancing" with a greatsword. Or, greatsword motions focused on grace and moving with the momentum created by the blade, rather than arresting motion and bludgeoning people with your weapon. I guess Dex-focused THF? It's dumb on all fronts but it's an aesthetic I just can't shake.

[T.G. Oskar]

I have a soft spot for unarmed fighting, including some grappling, and some opportunistic improvised weaponry. Wrestling moves, I guess.

You haven't lived until you've suplexed Asmodeus onto the mat and then given him the People's Elbow. And he's all "Hah, all according to my pl-" and then you hit him with an adamantine folding chair.

The fun part is that, if you have a way to mitigate the penalty from improvised weapons, you can pull off a Con-Chair-to with the folding chair. Though, I'd do a Tombstone Piledriver for the heck of it. Or a Scorpion Death Lock.

...see, that's why Reaping Mauler is so disappointing. Not even worth for Pankration, when you expect Lucha or good ol' Wrestling.

[Jeff the Green]

I've always liked staff fighting, probably because the first adventure novel I read was the Wishbone version of Robin Hood, and though you wouldn't guess it from most adaptations quarterstaves are almost as important as bows to that story.

[Windrammer]

That is, what style of combat (e.g. two-weapon, two-handed, sword & board, unarmed, one-hand-free, archery, etc) do you like the flavor/imagery of, regardless of how mechanically effective said style is?

For me, it's definitely two-weapon; I can tell because a solid half of all the build spreadsheets I have bouncing around incorporate it in some way. After that, probably a tie between archery and unarmed.

Always one weapon. Feels straightforward, noble, and badass.

But while it wasn't what you were asking about, I'm going to say Combat Expertise fighting. I adore that feat on a purely thematic basis, as a Warblade I'll use it between maneuvering (or during when synergy presents itself) and it gives a fluid, ebb-and-flow feel to combat.

[Kelb_Panthera]

My favorite style has absolutely nothing to do with real world OR in-game effectiveness, because IRL it's beyond stupid to the best of my knowledge and it's essentially impossible in-game, again to the best of my knowledge, but damn if it isn't cool to me anyway.

"Dancing" with a greatsword. Or, greatsword motions focused on grace and moving with the momentum created by the blade, rather than arresting motion and bludgeoning people with your weapon. I guess Dex-focused THF? It's dumb on all fronts but it's an aesthetic I just can't shake.

You do know that there's a finesseable two handed sword in races of the wild called the elven court blade? Stats like a great sword except you can apply weapon finesse.

[Sayt]

as ineffective as they might be IRL, I do love double weapons.

[ThisIsZen]

You do know that there's a finesseable two handed sword in races of the wild called the elven court blade? Stats like a great sword except you can apply weapon finesse.

I did not. That's pretty awesome, and can just be fluffed as a regular greatsword anyway. Thanks!

[kardar233]

My favorite style has absolutely nothing to do with real world OR in-game effectiveness, because IRL it's beyond stupid to the best of my knowledge and it's essentially impossible in-game, again to the best of my knowledge, but damn if it isn't cool to me anyway.

"Dancing" with a greatsword. Or, greatsword motions focused on grace and moving with the momentum created by the blade, rather than arresting motion and bludgeoning people with your weapon. I guess Dex-focused THF? It's dumb on all fronts but it's an aesthetic I just can't shake.

If you've ever seen a really good Italian longsword (and by longsword I mean the sword used in two hands that in D&D is called a bastard sword) fighter you'll see that flowing grace with a two-handed weapon is more than possible.

Take a look at this video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLUR2kHOihA&list=UUuWTyIxyLnMDKMDGkHScAnA&index=10) or this drill sequence (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nyjv_8PSjv8). It's not exactly dancing grace but it's not brute hacking and bashing by any means.

[Beardbarian]

I've always liked the idea of a divine devoted fighting only with his fists and his faith
Never found a decend build for this concept

[Jeff the Green]

I've always liked the idea of a divine devoted fighting only with his fists and his faith
Never found a decend build for this concept

What about Divine Fist?

[Beardbarian]

What about Divine Fist?

You mean Sacred Fist?
I'm italian and in my version of the Complete Divine says that loses CL at 4° and 8° level.
I can't simply show the english version and say "this is the correct version".

A loss of 3-4 CL isn't exactly my goal in life

[BWR]

I can appreciate just about all fighting styles barring ones with really stupid weapons (lightsaber-chucks, razor hula-hoops, dire flail, etc.), and even some of those can work in a humerous setting.
Two-handed brute smashers are perhaps my favorites, but skilled archery is a close second.

[Amphetryon]

Thematically, I really like trip-based fighters. Unfortunately, they are inefficient against large swaths of enemies, and would be best suited by pairing with grappling or some sort of CdG ability, both of which are hard to fit into a trip build.

[Curmudgeon]

One-handed melee fighting, leaving the other hand available for wand wielding, Sleight of Hand trickery, and whatnot.

[Taveena]

It's absolutely insane and there's nothing like it in real life, but... massive sweeping strikes with a harvest scythe really appeal to me.

[Abd al-Azrad]

Well I grew up with The Matrix, Jet Li's The One, Equilibrium, etc. Unarmed combat, particularly the vicious dirty-fighting kind with elbows and headbutts and smacking the bad guy against nearby walls.

That, or cloak-and-dagger, attacking with distractions and concealed weapons.

[jjcrpntr]

That is, what style of combat (e.g. two-weapon, two-handed, sword & board, unarmed, one-hand-free, archery, etc) do you like the flavor/imagery of, regardless of how mechanically effective said style is?

For me, it's definitely two-weapon; I can tell because a solid half of all the build spreadsheets I have bouncing around incorporate it in some way. After that, probably a tie between archery and unarmed.

In 3.5 I messed around with a warblade two weapon fighter. With haste boots and 1 dip in barbarian to get pounce. We called it my blender build. Only got to play it once but it was in a level 15 1 shot. Was insane fun.

[heavyfuel]

TWF with weapon and fist. You have your weapon for all purpose weapony things and an empty hand to deflect arrows, disarm-and-strike (as in the Snatch Weapon feat) and, of course, b****slapping people.

[AvatarVecna]

I'm a fan of thrown weapons, particularly if I can find a way to throw huge axes and swords and stuff. Think Thor throwing his hammer, and you've got the right idea.

[Snowbluff]

If you've ever seen a really good Italian longsword (and by longsword I mean the sword used in two hands that in D&D is called a bastard sword) fighter you'll see that flowing grace with a two-handed weapon is more than possible.

Take a look at this video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLUR2kHOihA&list=UUuWTyIxyLnMDKMDGkHScAnA&index=10) or this drill sequence (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nyjv_8PSjv8). It's not exactly dancing grace but it's not brute hacking and bashing by any means.
Yeah, that twisting is show in Dark Souls 2.

Personally, I like Sword and Magic, but if that's cheating Archery is pretty cool.

[Blackhawk748]

I like Sword and Board, its classic and highly effective (IRL) after that is a tie between Archery, Unarmed Strike, and TWF, with THF getting solid 3rd.

[Ninjaxenomorph]

Thematically, I am drawn to 'one-handed sword and X'. X being anything from board, spell (love me my gishes!), or gun, if you can pull it off. Which is why I am very enamored of settings where revolvers (or better) exist.

[Forrestfire]

I like warhammers. Real warhammers, with small heads - none of that massive maul nonsense. After that, sword and board, because shields are cool. Also, polearms, especially the bec de corbin.

Combining any of those with magic will make my day.

[Snowbluff]

Halberds are pretty sweet.

[mephnick]

Sword and board. It's really sad that the most iconic fighting style gets such a raw deal in almost every edition of D&D. Really there should be no feat taxes involved in effectively protecting or attacking with your shield. It should just be a part of having a shield.

1H + Spell. Though in video games like Skyrim, I prefer the one hand for defensive, buffing and utility spells, rather than fireballs or whatever. I like styles that improve yourself as a melee combatant, rather than burning things alive.

[Blackhawk748]

Halberds are pretty sweet.

Agreed, one of the reasons i plan on making a Spinning Halberd Fighter.

[Spore]

Onehanded Swords with shield/w/o shield. You give up the reach or devastating attacks because given the right technique you only need a long knife to kill a combatant anyway. I find this a more believable way of portraying combat because swinging a twohander does you no good if you miss your opponent failing to kill him and he then injures one of your arms making you useless.

Also onehanders are well used if one hand is occupied (hlding a quest Mc Guffin, casting a spell, holding a shield or just flipping your opponent off).

[Hiro Protagonest]

My favorite style has absolutely nothing to do with real world OR in-game effectiveness, because IRL it's beyond stupid to the best of my knowledge and it's essentially impossible in-game, again to the best of my knowledge, but damn if it isn't cool to me anyway.

"Dancing" with a greatsword. Or, greatsword motions focused on grace and moving with the momentum created by the blade, rather than arresting motion and bludgeoning people with your weapon. I guess Dex-focused THF? It's dumb on all fronts but it's an aesthetic I just can't shake.

Uh, that's pretty much any longsword style. With two-handed swords, damage doesn't really matter. You either get speed or reach. Both rely on fast, coordinated motions to maintain that advantage. Not that sword and shield is really any different, for that you have to coordinate the separate motions of both arms to not get killed while maintaining close distance.

Anyway, if this is about "thematic" reasons, why is it in the 3.5 subsection?

[Uncle Pine]

I really like hanging around with just a decorated staff that will not even remotely used for fighting (it doesn't even have to be a magic staff because I usually dislike charged items). On the other hand, if I'm not playing a bearded squishy wizard type, my favourite style probably is either double heavy machine gun double heavy crossbows, two-handed Colossal BFS or dire tiger/shark tosser.

[ThisIsZen]

Uh, that's pretty much any longsword style. With two-handed swords, damage doesn't really matter. You either get speed or reach. Both rely on fast, coordinated motions to maintain that advantage. Not that sword and shield is really any different, for that you have to coordinate the separate motions of both arms to not get killed while maintaining close distance.

Anyway, if this is about "thematic" reasons, why is it in the 3.5 subsection?

My inexperience is clearly showing, tho I think I didn't quite fully explain. The sort of sword I'm thinking of is the 6 foot blade ones, the zweihanders and stuff that were usually used against pikes. Are the manuals and forms for weapons that big still similar, or were they mostly just specialized for use against a specific form of infantry?

[Psyren]

Natural weapons are my favorite, particularly in a hybrid/humanoid form where I either sprout them or they come from my race without having to transform into a full-on beast. My ideal epic melee character would be Alex Mercer from Prototype.

[EisenKreutzer]

I have always loved broadsword/backsword and parrying dagger as a concept, and it was an incredibly effective dueling style favoured by british fencing masters such as George Silver (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Silver). In D&D/Pathfinder it's meh bordering on terrible, but in my minds eye it is the style of masters.

[Azurefenrir]

For me, it's anything that evokes an wuxia image, which in D&D terms would mean supernatural (qi-empowered) unarmed attacks with things like flying, walking on water, walking on walls, fast movement, extrasensory, catching arrows, and such. Also, Chinese swordsmanship, but that is very difficult to define in D&D.

[Honest Tiefling]

Another for sword and board. I really wish there were reasons to actually do this. The more graceful longsword style does seem quite intriguing, and one simply cannot ignore halberds and other pole arms. And it might sound quite silly, but my personal fave for weapons are moringstars, flails and spiked chains. I don't care if they're all useless in real life and don't look as cool, let me have my dreams.

[Extra Anchovies]

TWF with weapon and fist. You have your weapon for all purpose weapony things and an empty hand to deflect arrows, disarm-and-strike (as in the Snatch Weapon feat) and, of course, b****slapping people.

I definitely agree with you there; Most of my builds that start out as THF become TWF with greatsword and armor spikes.


You haven't lived until you've suplexed Asmodeus onto the mat and then given him the People's Elbow. And he's all "Hah, all according to my pl-" and then you hit him with an adamantine folding chair.

This is gold. Thanks for the laugh :smallsmile:


A 3.PF game can benefit from this feats coupled with a Halfling Warsling and the Halfling Warslinger PrC, for a pretty nasty sling-user.

Google fails me; where is this weapon/PrC?

[Milodiah]

If you've ever seen a really good Italian longsword (and by longsword I mean the sword used in two hands that in D&D is called a bastard sword) fighter you'll see that flowing grace with a two-handed weapon is more than possible.

Take a look at this video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLUR2kHOihA&list=UUuWTyIxyLnMDKMDGkHScAnA&index=10) or this drill sequence (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nyjv_8PSjv8). It's not exactly dancing grace but it's not brute hacking and bashing by any means.

Absolutely, I chose to introduce longswords into my game on a wider basis because of all this. I've put in houserules to deal with half-swording as part of an eventually aborted attempt to incorporate weapon reach mechanics (as in spear vs. dagger, not 'stab the dude two squares away')


As a saber fencer, I of course am partial to sabers, for which I will pick up a shield if I expect full on battle; otherwise open hand for grappling and things like that, since I actually have experience with that. As part of above houserules, I double shield AC as a matter of principle, and tweak a few other mechanics to make it more realistic to the point where they mean something. As sexy as I find longswords, I don't care for the huge greatswords and zweihanders, and two-weapon fighting for me never did have much appeal. I'm also abnormally fond of polearms, strangely enough for a primarily 3.5 player...had a field day when I was invited to a group playing an earlier edition. I think I'm the only person I know who actually plays as a dwarven pikebard (because screw optimization).

[Spiryt]

My inexperience is clearly showing, tho I think I didn't quite fully explain. The sort of sword I'm thinking of is the 6 foot blade ones, the zweihanders and stuff that were usually used against pikes. Are the manuals and forms for weapons that big still similar, or were they mostly just specialized for use against a specific form of infantry?

The whole problem is that Str/Dex dichotomy in D&D is weirdly contrived and stupid concept.

The flow and grace would without doubt be useful while fighting such large sword, in fact moving it efficiently, without being to slow would depend on using it's momentum correctly.

But the strength, dynamics and aggression would be invaluable too.


I have always loved broadsword/backsword and parrying dagger as a concept, and it was an incredibly effective dueling style favoured by british fencing masters such as George Silver (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Silver). In D&D/Pathfinder it's meh bordering on terrible, but in my minds eye it is the style of masters.

Parrying daggers were mainly Italian and Spanish fashion, Italy was the centre of their 'theory'.

George Silver in particular certainly didn't favor them, he personally quite adamantly loved big sticks above anything else (long polearms/quarterstaves).

[EisenKreutzer]

Parrying daggers were mainly Italian and Spanish fashion, Italy was the centre of their 'theory'.

George Silver in particular certainly didn't favor them, he personally quite adamantly loved big sticks above anything else (long polearms/quarterstaves).

Thats not strictly true. George silver was famed for his sword-and-dagger system of fencing. He was a vocal opponent of daggers alone (as well as the rapier, which he hated), because of their lack of defensive capabilities, but he certainly used them with the backsword.

EDIT: I just went back and re-read Silvers "Brief Instructions On My Paradoxes of Defence," and Silver makes numerous mentions of the dagger in conjunction with the sword.

[Blackhawk748]

I do need to say that i freakin LOVE Einhander (as its my primary LARPing style) but as we all know it got it even worse than Sword and Board (im looking at you Duelist)

[NEO|Phyte]

I've only particularly considered fighting styles in the context of lightsabers, but on that front, my favorite is a single-handed saber. It just has this "I'm better than you" feel to it, which is probably why it mainly seems to be shown in use by bad guys.
http://i.imgur.com/xwwJPi0.png

[Psyren]

The first dual saber in the franchise was used by a bad guy though, wasn't it?

[Hiro Protagonest]

I've only particularly considered fighting styles in the context of lightsabers, but on that front, my favorite is a single-handed saber. It just has this "I'm better than you" feel to it, which is probably why it mainly seems to be shown in use by bad guys.
http://i.imgur.com/xwwJPi0.png

Well when your opponent is wielding an incredibly impractical weapon that could slice them in two if they make a swing from the wrong angle, it's not that hard to beat them with a subpar yet practical style. :smalltongue:

[Kimras]

one that I enjoy the thought of is double shields with enough strength to carry two steel tower shields and beat the crap out of monsters by punching them with them or retreat with a wall attached.

[Mr.Kraken]

I tried to make a character based on my favorite fighting style once when I had absolutely zero experience with 3.5 and it didn't work too well. He was a two-weapons fighter that used a whip and a trident. It didn't work too well, but I guess it was because of my lack of experience. I'll make him again some other time.

[Snowbluff]

Agreed, one of the reasons i plan on making a Spinning Halberd Fighter.

With Haft Strike and Spinning Halberd and Arcane Strike. >:D

[T.G. Oskar]

Google fails me; where is this weapon/PrC?

If my memory serves me right, the Halfling Warsling is on the Races of the Wild 3.5 supplement, and it's mostly a sling in all ways except it can also use Halfling Skiprocks (a throwing weapon that can naturally ricochet). The Warslinger is in a Forgotten Realms sourcebook (most likely Races of Faerun; the PrC right before it is Warrior Skald), and it provides some tricks when using a sling or Halfling warsling.

Also, I almost forgot: the only other fighting style I favor, but for Rule of Cool reasons, is...well, the best way to explain it is dual-wielding a broad-bladed greatsword on one hand and a broad-bladed falchion on the other, while wearing heavy armor while practicing Form IV: Ataru. For those who saw the Star Wars movies, that's the style practiced by Yoda; for non-Star Wars fans, that involves doing somersaults and striking from all directions, which is evidently highly impractical and also essentially impossible while wearing heavy armor AND wielding a massive sheet of metal with handle in each hand.

Impractical? Of course. Impossible? Most likely; I refuse to believe in the impossible (but it's definitely "highly improbable"). Awesome? You bet!

[Roxxy]

Sword and Board with Two Weapon Fighting and Improved Shield Bash. A shield should be both weapon and defense.

[torrasque666]

I will always enjoy a good unarmed combatant. Something of the bravado and confidence that it takes to know that in order to hit anyone, you have to get inside their considerably larger reach.


Side note: I am now trying to figure out how to make an effective Spinemeld Warrior.

[Xefas]

My favorite style has absolutely nothing to do with real world OR in-game effectiveness, because IRL it's beyond stupid to the best of my knowledge and it's essentially impossible in-game, again to the best of my knowledge, but damn if it isn't cool to me anyway.

"Dancing" with a greatsword. Or, greatsword motions focused on grace and moving with the momentum created by the blade, rather than arresting motion and bludgeoning people with your weapon. I guess Dex-focused THF? It's dumb on all fronts but it's an aesthetic I just can't shake.

I know this post already got some replies, but just to throw in my two obols, you might try looking on youtube for videos of folks practicing Ba Gua kung fu with swords. I'll leave it up to the weapon experts on whether the swords they use are big enough to be considered 'Greatswords', but here's something from google images to give you an idea.


http://i.imgur.com/4B6WtOa.jpg

Now picture that guy circle-dancing. Too bad Avatar's airbenders didn't inherit that part of the style when it was getting translated into an elemental form. :smalltongue:

edit:



Anyway, if this is about "thematic" reasons, why is it in the 3.5 subsection?

There're a lot of fighting styles out there that don't get a lot of support in D&D, so this narrows it down. I mean, you can have a Mythender that sheers peoples' flesh off by wielding his Unconquerable Ennui. Or a Sidereal that kung-fu fights with plagues. Or your dude in Free Market could create a fighting style centered around hauling around a matter printer and high-velocity-printing copies of your opponent's mother at them.

[Ruethgar]

I really like the style of a sole elemental focus, primarily ice and fire.

I once made a Produce Flame specialist using shenanigans to make it viable and threw flame like no other. He wasn't all that great but it is a cool visual.

I have made a few iterations of an ice mage, but my favorite is one that used liberal interpretations of Create Water and twisted use of RAW to make it useful, had very little offensive ability, but it could do a lot in the way of unique crowd control.

[DMVerdandi]

Since this is on the 3.5 board, I would say my favorite is use of spell casting for melee. Feats like smiting spell, and weapon like spells kick butt.
Because of the use of weapon like spells, it's best to have that caster be more than familiar with unarmed striking.

Martial wizard+unarmed strike feats +TOB=http://img3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20110328012626/mahousenseinegima/images/5/5d/Mahou_sensei_negima_318_008_6c635c95.jpg

[Milo v3]

Characters who fight inside their minds is a pretty cool concept I'd like to try one day. I think hyperconscious or something had rules for psions doing that, but could just reflavour some gaze attacks or something.

[Gwendol]

Grappling, followed by 2-H heavy weapons. Guess I'm a sucker for Hercules...

[madtinker]

While my most-oft played style is THF, which is pretty cool, I've wanted to try one where you leap into combat unarmed, steal the weapon of the biggest bad you can find, and proceed to whoop him with it. Throw it away for a ranged attack. Rinse and repeat, bludgeoning everyone with their own weapons.

On a related note, I wish my DM would let me take weapon proficiency (chairs). Or even better, weapon proficiency (improvised weapon). Grab objects, smash enemies can make for a pretty fun melee.

[(Un)Inspired]

Fire Breath. No question. Preferably a quicken breathed one right after a bevy of BFC spells. FWOOSH!

If I have to pick something that humanoids can fight with I pick touch spells.

A completely unarmed gish diving into melee to drop a crippling Bestow Curse or Shivering Touch or Harm is pretty bad ass.

[Judge_Worm]

No love for DOUBLE TOWER SHIELD?

You all should be ashamed. How dare you not hide behind one shield for cover and use the other for defense. Who doesn't fear the deranged warrior of legend who wades into battle with no weapon, not even his fist? Relying only upon two very heavy walls of steel to not just defend himself and everyone else, but to also use them as vicious weapons of combat. Why how much more fearsome than the man or woman who throws their tower shield into the face of the enemy?

[Sir Chuckles]

I do need to say that i freakin LOVE Einhander (as its my primary LARPing style) but as we all know it got it even worse than Sword and Board (im looking at you Duelist)

Minus the LARP, I'm 100% with this guy.
Smarmy Flinn style characters are my second favorite, second only to Magical Smarmy Flinn characters. Thank god for Eldritch Scion.


No love for DOUBLE TOWER SHIELD?

You all should be ashamed. How dare you not hide behind one shield for cover and use the other for defense. Who doesn't fear the deranged warrior of legend who wades into battle with no weapon, not even his fist? Relying only upon two very heavy walls of steel to not just defend himself and everyone else, but to also use them as vicious weapons of combat. Why how much more fearsome than the man or woman who throws their tower shield into the face of the enemy?

Because you can't bash with a tower shield, nor do shield throwing abilities work with them. Sadly.

[Judge_Worm]

Because you can't bash with a tower shield, nor do shield throwing abilities work with them. Sadly.

Ever hear of the feat "Throw Anything?"

Edit: Oh, and you can always take the penalty for improvised weapon.

[Vhaidara]

TWF is great thematically for the full on offense style. Double weapons are this++.

Einhander (one hand and an open hand) is one of the most interesting thematics when someone asks why you leave the hand open.

Sword and Board is obscenely classic, despite its lack of game function. Thank you PoW.

Two handers were covered on the first page

[Sometimes] I want to sunder a mountain in one mighty blow.

Unarmed also has the thematic thing, though I wish that going in unarmed, doing an unarmed disarm, and then fighting with the stolen weapon was more viable.

[Extra Anchovies]

No love for DOUBLE TOWER SHIELD?

You all should be ashamed. How dare you not hide behind one shield for cover and use the other for defense. Who doesn't fear the deranged warrior of legend who wades into battle with no weapon, not even his fist? Relying only upon two very heavy walls of steel to not just defend himself and everyone else, but to also use them as vicious weapons of combat. Why how much more fearsome than the man or woman who throws their tower shield into the face of the enemy?

Now I want to make a DFA who uses two tower shields and lets loose with his breath weapon every round...

[Sir Chuckles]

Ever hear of the feat "Throw Anything?"

Well if you've entered that territory, why stop at tower shields? Wear Called Sectioned Armor, separate gauntlets, metal boots, an Odd Job styled or crested helmet, and whatever else you can think of.

[Nishant]

All the love for shifter natural weapons. it's short, yes. but to be able to stroll into a bar and go ape on people with tooth and nail? Priceless.

[Barbarian Horde]

Bravo for the idea Darrin. I think it's a real improvement over Flaming Homer.

Although it obviously helps, I don't think that you need War Mind or Improved Grab to make this build work. All you need is Improved Grapple +
Dungeoncrasher + Shock Trooper + Knockback + Bloodstorm Blade + Hulking Hurler.

1) Make Grapple attempt against Enemy A. (This can be made more
efficient with the Scorpion's Grasp feat from Sandstorm or Spirit Bear
Barbarian, but it's not necessary).

2) Assuming you succeed, you still have the rest of your attacks left (Although this was always true, it was made explicit in the Rules Compendium). Use one to throw Enemy A at another Enemy B (Hulking Hurler ability).

3) Enemy B takes damage as if being attacked by a melee weapon
(Bloodstorm Blade ability).

4) You Bull Rush Enemy B (Knockback) and to the left or right (Shock
Trooper). If Enemy B hits Enemy C, they're both Tripped (Shock Trooper).
If he hits a wall or object, he takes ridiculous Dungeoncrasher damage.

5) Enemy A flies back to you (Bloodstorm Blade). Although by RAW he's fine, a reasonable DM will inflict some damage on him. Otherwise, he's still technically Grappled. At the very least, you get to kill all of his friends by using him as a weapon.

6) Repeat until you run out of attacks or enemies.

Goliath (+1 LA) or Half Ogre (Large Size, +2 LA)
Fighter 1 - Power Attack, Improved Bull Rush (bonus feat)
Fighter 2 - Dungeoncrasher part I
Fighter 3 - Improved Unarmed Strike
Fighter 4 - Knockback (bonus feat)
Fighter 5 - dead level
Fighter 6 - Point Blank Shot, Dungeoncrasher part II
Warblade 1 - Any Iron Heart for prereqs
Bloodstorm Blade 1 - Throw Anything
Bloodstorm Blade 2 - Thunderous Throw, Shock Trooper
Bloodstorm Blade 3 - Weapon Focus (bonus feat)
Bloodstorm Blade 4 - Lightning Ricochet
Hulking Hurler 1 - Really Throw Anything, Improved Grapple
Hulking Hurler 2 - Overburdened Heave (optional, but helpful)

Although this is obviously weaker then your build (because it lacks Sweeping Strike, Expansion, and reach), I don't think it matters, since enemies will be constantly Bull Rushed and away from you and Tripped. It's also playable at every level, and the full combo kicks in a few levels earlier at ECL 13. After that, I'd head into Master Thrower to pick up Evasion, Two with One Blow, and Weak Spot. THis is how u should fight.

[TheIronGolem]

TWF, but with unarmed strikes as the offhand weapon. I have a particular character for whom I love to fluff attack sequences with stuff like "I punch that guy in the gut, then as he doubles over I vault over him, wheel-kicking his friend in the jaw, then when I land I lash out with my sword, slicing that third guy in the belly, and finally whip the sword back around behind me to stab the first guy in the back". Needless to say, I was pleased to find the Thrashing Dragon discipline from Path of War.

[Extra Anchovies]

THis is how u should fight.

Question regarding this part:

2) Assuming you succeed, you still have the rest of your attacks left (Although this was always true, it was made explicit in the Rules Compendium). Use one to throw Enemy A at another Enemy B (Hulking Hurler ability).
How do you throw someone you're grappling? Not only are you grappling your opponent, but your opponent is grappling you, which is the issue that I see with this plan.

[Curmudgeon]

How do you throw someone you're grappling?
That's made possible by the Hulking Hurler Really Throw Anything class feature. If you've got it in hand and it's under your light load limit, you can throw it. That ability is more versatile than the Fling Enemy (or Fling Ally) feat, which is another way to accomplish the same end.

[Denver]

Slightly off topic, but a few friends and I are about to start a campaign with someone who is very excited to use a Goliath character to throw enemies and allies for crowd controlling and general enjoyable fun - so +1 for "Throwing 'people' at 'people,'" which also seems like a damn fun time overall.

edit: Wait, it's not off topic at all - ignore that first appositive.

[Elkad]

One-handed blade and off-hand ranged weapon. Used everywhere in literature and film.

Rapier and hand-crossbow.
Cutlass and a brace of flintlocks.
Sabre and revolver.
Lightsaber and blaster.

[StreamOfTheSky]

Capoeira. Or more generally, unarmed combat / martial arts.

[FearlessGnome]

Thematically Shadowcasters. Pull the stuff of the Plane of Shadow into the real world and shape it to your will? Hells yes.

Sorcerers are cool too.