Dravda
2016-04-28, 12:02 AM
Inspired by a certain ronin... (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6bxND4XbY4)
I'm making a character for an upcoming campaign and wanted to try something mechanically unusual. We all know 'optimized' melee characters look for ways to execute full attacks, but I'd like to try something different. Specifically, a two-handed fighter (or similar) who is extremely mobile, utilizing Spring Attack, Acrobatics, and the like to execute a single, devastating attack before dancing out of reach. If every other melee character on the planet is built around making full attacks, then the one who is happy taking single swings will be king.
The campaign will be starting at level 1, and going to 20 (supposedly.) The other characters will be a ninja with a similar skirmisher/opportunistic melee combatant build, a druid focused on summoning and tanking, an arcanist (specialty unknown), and another character (class unknown), so I should be able to get away with not behaving like a traditional "tank" but instead taking strafing runs.
The key elements of the build are as follows, in order of importance:
Uses a nodachi (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/equipment---final/weapons/weapon-descriptions/nodachi), for criticals later and bracing tastiness (and critical to the character concept)
Is able to make single, powerful strikes, beginning and ending outside of reach.
Forces the enemy to make tactical sacrifices, not able to make use of their own preferred tactics in order to adapt to his.
Mystical-flavored (nothing as overt as spellcasting, but some supernatural abilities would be cool)
At least medium armor (this is the most flexible requirement)
To this end, I am thinking about going human Fighter with the Sensate archetype. Starting feats will be Dodge, Mobility, and Quick Draw (mm, iaijutsu). Later feats will focus on taking Power Attack, Furious Focus, Cleave, and let's not forget Spring Attack. At level 8, I'll take Improved Critical and move into some Critical feats to make those single hits truly felt.
Any suggestions? Anything I'm overlooking that could fulfill this concept better?
Should I take Vital Strike? On the surface, it seems perfectly-built for a build like this, but it doesn't play well with Spring Attack OR Cleave (boo hiss hiss!)
Are there any ways (feats, magic items, etc) to better take advantage of bracing? The most obvious solution to counter a character who's dancing around the battlefield is to charge them, and I'd like to really make the enemy regret that decision when possible.
One final note is that I'm playing with a group largely comprised of newbies, so the character doesn't need to be TERRIBLY optimized, just well-played. Also, I'd like to keep 3PP content to a minimum, if at all possible.
I'm making a character for an upcoming campaign and wanted to try something mechanically unusual. We all know 'optimized' melee characters look for ways to execute full attacks, but I'd like to try something different. Specifically, a two-handed fighter (or similar) who is extremely mobile, utilizing Spring Attack, Acrobatics, and the like to execute a single, devastating attack before dancing out of reach. If every other melee character on the planet is built around making full attacks, then the one who is happy taking single swings will be king.
The campaign will be starting at level 1, and going to 20 (supposedly.) The other characters will be a ninja with a similar skirmisher/opportunistic melee combatant build, a druid focused on summoning and tanking, an arcanist (specialty unknown), and another character (class unknown), so I should be able to get away with not behaving like a traditional "tank" but instead taking strafing runs.
The key elements of the build are as follows, in order of importance:
Uses a nodachi (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/equipment---final/weapons/weapon-descriptions/nodachi), for criticals later and bracing tastiness (and critical to the character concept)
Is able to make single, powerful strikes, beginning and ending outside of reach.
Forces the enemy to make tactical sacrifices, not able to make use of their own preferred tactics in order to adapt to his.
Mystical-flavored (nothing as overt as spellcasting, but some supernatural abilities would be cool)
At least medium armor (this is the most flexible requirement)
To this end, I am thinking about going human Fighter with the Sensate archetype. Starting feats will be Dodge, Mobility, and Quick Draw (mm, iaijutsu). Later feats will focus on taking Power Attack, Furious Focus, Cleave, and let's not forget Spring Attack. At level 8, I'll take Improved Critical and move into some Critical feats to make those single hits truly felt.
Any suggestions? Anything I'm overlooking that could fulfill this concept better?
Should I take Vital Strike? On the surface, it seems perfectly-built for a build like this, but it doesn't play well with Spring Attack OR Cleave (boo hiss hiss!)
Are there any ways (feats, magic items, etc) to better take advantage of bracing? The most obvious solution to counter a character who's dancing around the battlefield is to charge them, and I'd like to really make the enemy regret that decision when possible.
One final note is that I'm playing with a group largely comprised of newbies, so the character doesn't need to be TERRIBLY optimized, just well-played. Also, I'd like to keep 3PP content to a minimum, if at all possible.