Broken Fighter Build

[Flameclaws]

I am starting to get bored with some of my d&d games, and i would like someone to help me find a broken fighter build for level 5, i really want somthing where i have to hold back my power and not show it until we are fighting a really strong enemy, and watch my friends reaction when i oneshot that one betraying friend or boss

[CasualViking]

I am starting to get bored with some of my d&d games, and i would like someone to help me find a broken fighter build for level 5, i really want somthing where i have to hold back my power and not show it until we are fighting a really strong enemy, and watch my friends reaction when i oneshot that one betraying friend or boss

This is your first time on a D&D forum, isn't it?

[Inevitability]

For the record: when you say 'fighter' are you referring to the fighter class, or is any kind of melee weapon user good for you?

[ben-zayb]

Kobold Fallen Paladin 1 / Fighter 4.

For the record: when you say 'fighter' are you referring to the fighter class, or is any kind of melee weapon user good for you?
Probably too cynical, but I'm expecting some to nominate their favorite melee class anyway regardless of the answer to this question. Because it is better than the fighter!

[Inevitability]

Probably too cynical, but I'm expecting some to nominate their favorite melee class anyway regardless of the answer to this question. Because it is better than the fighter!

*cough*CW Samurai*cough*

[Darrin]

I am starting to get bored with some of my d&d games, and i would like someone to help me find a broken fighter build for level 5


This is difficult to do in D&D 3.5. The best Ubercharger feats don't kick in until level 6: Shock Trooper and Leap Attack.



i really want somthing where i have to hold back my power and not show it until we are fighting a really strong enemy, and watch my friends reaction when i oneshot that one betraying friend or boss

Ok, the best you could hope for with only 5 levels to work with...

Race: Frostblood Orc (Dragon Magic)
Ability Scores: Str 22 (18 + 4 racial), everything else whatevs.
1) Ranger 1. Feat: Power Attack.
2) Ranger 2. Bonus: TWF.
3) Barbarian 1. Feat: Power Lunge (Sword & Fist). Spirit Lion Totem (Complete Champion). Whirling Frenzy ACF (Unearthed Arcana)
4) Fighter 1. Bonus: Headlong Rush (Races of Faerun)
5) Ranger 3. Bonus: Endurance -> Leap Attack (Complete Adventurer).

Use a two-handed weapon with reach, such as a glaive. You get two attacks with Whirling Frenzy, but your attack bonus is only BAB 5 + 8 (Str bonus) + 2 (charge) - 5 (Power Attack) - 2 (Whirling Frenzy) = +8.

Damage = 11 (glaive avg x2) + 24 (Str bonus x3*) + 20 (Power Attack x4**) = 55

Assuming both attacks hit, damage = 110.

*Note: Ghostwalk clarified the wording on Power Lunge somewhat, so I'm replacing the x1.5 Str bonus with x2, and Headlong Rush makes it x3.

**Note: I'm going by the RAW here, as the Leap Attack errata did not change how two-handed damage is calculated. x3 goes up to x4 when you factor in Headlong Rush.

[Grod_The_Giant]

Shame the classic Leap Attack/Shock Trooper build doesn't take off until 6th... you could do Barbarian 1 (Whirling Frenzy and Spirit Lion Totem ACFs)/Fighter 4 to start with Extra Rage (1st), Power Attack (Fighter 1), Improved Bull Rush (Fighter 2), Reckless Charge (3rd), and Leap Attack (Fighter 4). Charge, jump, make two attacks and dump everything you have into Power Attack for 3:1 returns. Two swings for, oh, 2d6+22 damage (assuming an 18 Str and a +1 weapon) ought to turn most things at that level into paste, and all your various attack boosters just about cancel out the power attack penalty... until next level, when you take Shock Trooper (and another attack!) and can dump the penalties into AC instead. Yes, a net -8 AC means everyone will hit you, but it won't matter because they just ate almost a hundred damage.

Core books are Complete Adventurer (Leap Attack) and Complete Warrior (Shock Trooper). Unearthed Arcana/SRD for the Whirling Frenzy Barbarian (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/classFeatureVariants.htm#rageVariantWhirlingFrenzy ), Complete Champion for Spirit Lion Totem, and Miniatures Handbook for Reckless Charge optional.

EDIT: Swordsage'd; Darrin's build does it better.

[Darrin]

Shame the classic Leap Attack/Shock Trooper build doesn't take off until 6th... you could do Barbarian 1 (Whirling Frenzy and Spirit Lion Totem ACFs)/Fighter 4 to start with Extra Rage (1st), Power Attack (Fighter 1), Improved Bull Rush (Fighter 2), Reckless Charge (3rd), and Leap Attack (Fighter 4).


Unfortunately, Leap Attack is not a Fighter Bonus Feat. This doesn't annoy me nearly as much as Superior Unarmed Strike and Snap Kick, but nevertheless prompts some feat-swapping shenanigans to get it in early.



Different build, somewhat better damage:

Race: Water Orc (Unearthed Arcana)
Ability Scores: Str 22 (18 + 4 racial), everything else whatevs.
1) Paladin 1. Feat: Slayer of Dragons (Dragon Magic).
2) Barbarian 1. Spirit Lion Totem (Complete Champion). Whirling Frenzy ACF (Unearthed Arcana).
3) Fighter 1. Feat: Power Lunge (Sword & Fist). Bonus: Power Attack.
4) Fighter 2. Bonus: Headlong Rush (Races of Faerun).
5) Warblade 1. Leading the Charge, Battle Leader's Charge

At level 5, pay 100 GP for the Ritual of Rebirth and become a Dragonborn of Bahamut (Races of the Dragon). Since you no longer qualify for Slayer of Dragons feat, swap this for Leap Attack (Complete Adventurer). With Warblade, we can start in the Leading the Charge stance (add IL as damage) and use Battle Leader's Charge (+10 damage).

Damage = 11 (glaive avg x2) + 24 (Str bonus x3) + 20 (Power Attack x4) + 6 (Leading the Charge, IL 3 x2) + 20 (Battle Leader's Charge x2) = 81

Both attacks hit = 162 damage.

[Esprit15]

Since it was unclear on Headlong Rush, I checked the feat in some other books. Ghostwalk strongly suggests it as replacing the 1.5xSTR with 2xSTR, so I would be inclined to lean that way.

[Darrin]

Since it was unclear on Headlong Rush, I checked the feat in some other books. Ghostwalk strongly suggests it as replacing the 1.5xSTR with 2xSTR, so I would be inclined to lean that way.

The wording in Ghostwalk is a little clearer that it's replacing your normal Strength bonus rather than just adding to it.

Hmmm. This makes me wonder if this also replaces the 1/2 Strength bonus on natural weapons and offhand attacks. That would be pretty darned nifty on a Strength-based TWF build.


Here's another idea, loosely based on daremetoidareyou's Scruffy the Fuglimancer (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=19553550&postcount=248) build.

Race: Human.
1) Sneak Attack Fighter 1. Feat: Craven (Champions of Ruin). Bonus: Indigo Strike (Magic of Incarnum).
2) Sneak Attack Fighter 2.
3) Sneak Attack Fighter 3. Feat: Maiming Strike.
4) Sneak Attack Fighter 4.
5) Swordsage 1.

Use Wolf Fang Strike with Island of Blades, Distracting Ember, or Cloak of Deception to get sneak attack on your opponent. Maiming Strike converts your 2d6 sneak attack into 1 point of Charisma damage. Craven adds a +1 damage modifier per character level to sneak attack, and while this would normally just be treated as bonus weapon damage, the only type of damage that sneak attack is doing now is Charisma damage. So Craven adds +5 Charisma damage. Indigo Strike adds another +2 Charisma damage. That's 9 Charisma damage per hit. If both attacks from Wolf Fang Strike hit, you're doing 18 Charisma damage. Guess what... only 4.4% of the creatures in the Monster Manual have higher than 18 Charisma.

[Mato]

4) Fighter 2. Bonus: Headlong Rush (Races of Faerun).Headlong rush isn't a fighter bonus feat.

Alternatively,
Wild protocreature dragonborn water orc
Str: 33 (+11), 18 base, +4 racial, +4 racial, +2 racial, +1 level, +4 frenzy.
1: Paladin, battle jump, power attack, sapphire smite (or twf).
2: Lion totem whirling frenzy barbarian.
3: Martial decisive strike monk, bonus shock trooper, 3rd level feat choice(?)
4: Martial invisible fist monk, bonus power lunge, faustian pact for headlong rush.
5: Warblade, stance leading the attack, key strike battle leader's charge, finish your pact for leap attack.
Items: wand of rhino's rush (750gp), two gloryborn heavy maces (912gp/eh), 2,426gp left over.
Set up: cast rhino's rush, use decisive strike, 5ft step off a cliff, fall on an evil target.
Damage: 1d6, +22 lunge's str, +8 leap's thf pa, +1 glory, +3 stance, +10 strike, & +2 smite.
First attack benefits from rhino's rush & smite evil and deals 4d8+184, the second attack can also deliver smite evil for 3d8+138 and the third off-hand deals 3d8+132 for an average total of 499. It's attack success rate is a little higher than Darrin's build too since it uses martial monk to obtain shock trooper to ignore PA's penalty, invisible fist provides another +2 & vs ff-ac, and the main attack uses smite for a bonus cha-to-attack so I went ahead and went with TWF based figure which deals almost another fifty points over a greatsword. All together it's a 308% increase in damage by making a couple minor tweaks.

You can probably end up dealing more if you look into natural weapons.

[Anthrowhale]

On the invulnerability side, Troll-blooded + Pugilist means no damage sticks at level 1 for the cost of 3 feats. The cost certainly crimps offense, but the value might be worth it.

[Darrin]

Headlong rush isn't a fighter bonus feat.

The [Fighter, General] tag appears to disagree.




Alternatively,
[I]Wild protocreature dragonborn water orc
Str: 33 (+11), 18 base, +4 racial, +4 racial, +2 racial, +1 level, +4 frenzy.
1: Paladin, battle jump, power attack, sapphire smite (or twf).
2: Lion totem whirling frenzy barbarian.
3: Martial decisive strike monk, bonus shock trooper.
4: Martial invisible fist monk, leap attack, bonus power lunge, faustian pact for headlong rush.


Is Decisive Strike doing anything here? I don't think you can mix that with TWF or Whirling Frenzy.

Also, how are you getting Leap Attack at 4th?

[Ethernil]

Fighter 1 wizard 4, just pick usefull spells and you only miss some hp, 1 bonus feat and 2 bab.

[Eldariel]

Also, how are you getting Leap Attack at 4th?

It's poorly worded ability on Martial Monk. It gets bonus feats like a Monk ignoring prerequisites, from the fighter list (so yes, you could take Weapon Supremacy if you felt like it). You could kick it up a bit from there (most notably, better feat selections and bodies exist through PAO/True Mind Switch) but that's pretty good. I'd certainly be sure to include Troll-Blooded and the prerequisite rites + Gheden or another source of non-lethal immunity for damage immunity though - it's generally worth it on frontliners. Could also feat the skills and add Darkstalker plus the stealth skills plus Dark-creature or something (at this point we're working with Dark Chaos Shuffle and stuff so feats aren't really a problem; might need to loop some wealth though). Then you could start with some HD-stacking loops and go from there if you felt so inclined.

[Troacctid]

Fighter 1 wizard 4, just pick usefull spells and you only miss some hp, 1 bonus feat and 2 bab.
Wizard 4 is not even a little broken. Talk to me when you get to Wizard 9.

[Darrin]

It's poorly worded ability on Martial Monk. It gets bonus feats like a Monk ignoring prerequisites, from the fighter list (so yes, you could take Weapon Supremacy if you felt like it).

I believe Power Lunge is the Fighter bonus feat (because it had bonus in front of it). Leap Attack is not a Fighter bonus feat, and thus is ineligible for Martial Monk.

Ah, I think one of those was supposed to be the 3rd level feat, but it got shifted down to 4th. Neither of those work at 3rd, though... Leap Attack needs 8 ranks of Jump and Power Lunge needs BAB +3.

[Mato]

I believe Power Lunge is the Fighter bonus feat (because it had bonus in front of it). Leap Attack is not a Fighter bonus feat, and thus is ineligible for Martial Monk.

Ah, I think one of those was supposed to be the 3rd level feat, but it got shifted down to 4th. Neither of those work at 3rd, though... Leap Attack needs 8 ranks of Jump and Power Lunge needs BAB +3.Leap attack is displayed incorrectly and that's my fault in formatting which I'll correct here in a second. Pact insidious gives you nine reward points and a feat consumes four of those allowing you to obtain two feats through it.

I didn't even use it's third level feat slot, I should probably fill that in and use it's second smite evil too.

Edit - It'd deal more damage simply using unarmed too. It'd trade off the d8s for d6s but improve it's accuracy, the money saved can then buy the sandals of tiger's leap. It's debateful how that item is supposed to work, either adding another multiplier to all your attacks or giving you an extra attack with an added multiplier, but either way it should come close breaking six hundred damage.
...And I still haven't used that feat slot either.

[Flameclaws]

This is your first time on a D&D forum, isn't it?



yes it is :/

[Flameclaws]

For the record: when you say 'fighter' are you referring to the fighter class, or is any kind of melee weapon user good for you?

By Fighter i mean melee class of sort like fighter or barbarian

[GilesTheCleric]

yes it is :/

Welcome to the playground. Before folks start telling you that wizard, druid, or cleric 5 are the best solution to your problem, you might Google "jaronk tier", hit the first link, and read some foundational d&d op theory.

[mabriss lethe]

By Fighter i mean melee class of sort like fighter or barbarian

In that case, the go-to would probably involve one of the Tome of Battle initiator classes. At level 5, both the Warblade and the Crusader are rather nice.

[Mato]

yes it is :/Hello and welcome to the GitP forum.

A few heads up on things, the forum here loves language debates more than the rules so take everything with a grain of salt and check with your DM to clear up any ambiguity. If you're looking for a cool trick you can try searching the MMX boards for content, it's where I get most of my ideas from but it's impossible to sign up there so you have to post any questions you may have here.

If you're new to D&D the biggest thing to remember is D&D is a team based game, have fun but don't ruin everyone else's fun. 3rd/3.5 isn't intended to be balanced and still carries much of Gygax's love of murderous total-party-kill shenanigans placing a level of required optimization for survivability that depending on your DM you may or may not need to compensate for on your end. Remember when it comes to things, the more magic you have the better off your character will be. - Always. - But we'll more or less try to help anyone anyway we can.

[Flameclaws]

If you're new to D&D the biggest thing to remember is D&D is a team based game, have fun but don't ruin everyone else's fun. 3rd/3.5 isn't intended to be balanced and still carries much of Gygax's love of murderous total-party-kill shenanigans placing a level of required optimization for survivability that depending on your DM you may or may not need to compensate for on your end. Remember when it comes to things, the more magic you have the better off your character will be. - Always. - But we'll more or less try to help anyone anyway we can.

I am not new to d&d, i have actually been quite successful, i have one of my favorite characters: a Kobold Archer Named Virzink,

[Tohsaka Rin]

Seconding what Mato said. Remember that your enjoyment doesn't come before, or after everyone else's at the table.

Sure, splatting some big dude in one shot might be hilarious, but you might also annoy your fellow party members, who got their behinds thrashed previously, while you were deliberately holding back, waiting for an opportunity to show off.

OOC, I know I'd be annoyed at you as a player, and IC, you'd likely get a punch in the head from my character, for risking other peoples lives just for a chance to showboat.

Food for thought.

[Endarire]

Hood (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=7200.0). How broken do you want to be?

[Inevitability]

Wizard 4 is not even a little broken. Talk to me when you get to Wizard 9.

Wizard 4 can end a wide variety of encounters with a single attack without much optimization. Fighter 4, meanwhile, is either dealing a little damage very inefficiently or dealing a lot of damage against one person in a predictable way that can easily be negated.

[Troacctid]

Wizard 4 can end a wide variety of encounters with a single attack without much optimization. Fighter 4, meanwhile, is either dealing a little damage very inefficiently or dealing a lot of damage against one person in a predictable way that can easily be negated.
*waves hand dismissively* Expending limited daily resources for a more powerful effect is just regular-powered, not overpowered. It's not druid—there are meaningful tradeoffs, opportunity costs, weaknesses counterbalancing your strengths....regular-powered.

Fighter is underpowered, of course, but that's a different story.

[Grod_The_Giant]

Wizard 4 can end a wide variety of encounters with a single attack without much optimization. Fighter 4, meanwhile, is either dealing a little damage very inefficiently or dealing a lot of damage against one person in a predictable way that can easily be negated.
Wizard is, of course, better than the Fighter, or even the Warblade. Ending encounters with spells, however, doesn't really qualify as "melee class of sort like fighter or barbarian," I don't think.

[Kane0]

Just play a level 5 Warblade. Do normal fighter things until the time comes to throw down, then start tossing manoeuvres out.