3.5E Big Stupid Fighter Optimization

[Nerdguy88]

A few of my friends wanted to create level 20 characters and do some 1v1 combat. The rules have been any official 3.0 and 3.5 material is acceptable. For my big stupid fighter I was thinking Fighter6(Dungeoncrasher Variant)/Warhulk3/LegacyChampion10(Levels applied to warhulk).

I was going to go goliath for the powerful build and have permanent enlarge person as one of my purchases. Are any of the legacy weapons good for the build and what legacy abilities might be good to swap out for? The LC gives the ability to switch one of each of the abilities at 10.

[LordOfCain]

A few of my friends wanted to create level 20 characters and do some 1v1 combat. The rules have been any official 3.0 and 3.5 material is acceptable. For my big stupid fighter I was thinking Fighter6(Dungeoncrasher Variant)/Warhulk3/LegacyChampion10(Levels applied to warhulk).

I was going to go goliath for the powerful build and have permanent enlarge person as one of my purchases. Are any of the legacy weapons good for the build and what legacy abilities might be good to swap out for? The LC gives the ability to switch one of each of the abilities at 10.
If Dragon Magazine is official, go Half-Minotaur Half-Ogre Lolth-Touched Warforged Juggernaut Pugilist. Non-custom WoL are generally trash. Regardless, goliath is usually a bad choice if you can play something that is actually large.

[Eldariel]

For level 20 fights, you really shoot yourself in the foot unless you bring a spellcaster. There's nary a martial ability that competes with 9th level spells. If a character has Shapechange up all day, that alone is more powerful than the full of any martial class (and a 9th level caster with Greater Metamagic Rod of Extend Spell and burning slots on it can indeed maintain a Shapechange all day with 3-4 castings depending on his caster level) - and that's just one of the dime dozen.

That said, if you do insist on going with a Fighter, I recommend dropping some levels in Warblade and then some action economy advantage from Eternal Blade or Master of the Nine. Martial maneuvers give you some options against spells and make you not-entirely-helpless out of turn. Big'n'strong can work until someone does literally anything but stand there and take your hits.

Legacy Weapons are indeed worth it if custom-built; you can get Cunning (makes you never flat-footed so you can use immediate actions to defend yourself on the first round of combat if you lose initiative), Mind Blank (one of the cheapest ways; otherwise you just autolose to e.g. Irresistible Dance (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/irresistibleDance.htm), which Druids can get through their spontaneous SNAIX for Pixie with the spell, and Wizards/Bards/Sorcerers all can cast the oldfashioned way), Moment of Prescience (Initiative is arguably an opposed Dexterity-check allowing the spell to apply), Contingency and a number of others.

You can also get some detection abilities in the low level slots (casters have all sorts of nasty invisibility/burrowing/dimensional travel powers at this point so it can be hard to find them if they act via. proxies; detection powers can at least give you a tool) and just general utility you'd miss out on due to not being a spellcaster. Though I recommend against making it your primary weapon. That's too expensive ability-wise; make it a Gauntlet or something and use the abilities on utility. Then get another normally enchanted weapon as your real combat weapon using the Gauntlet's abilities as tools.


Um, you need flight. Feathered Wings Graft [Fiend Folio] is nonmagical flight for 10k. Do pick that up. Then just work out how in the blazes you're gonna get to people who don't want you to. You might also want to add a form of damage immunity (Troll-Blooded + Gheden/Pugilist/etc. with Ritual of the Elemental Earth and Mantle of the Fiery Spirit is the easiest option available to non-casters), and lots of mobility powers (items help). I'd recommend stealth as a martial but I don't think this character is really able to fit the prerequisite tools.

[Troacctid]

Goliaths can't get a permanent enlarge person because they are monstrous humanoids.

[Remuko]

Goliaths can't get a permanent enlarge person because they are monstrous humanoids.

and even if they could the best (arguable I suppose) feature of Goliaths is Powerful Build which doesnt stack if/when made large.

[Kaje]

Powerful build does stack with enlarging.

Warforged can't be half-minotaurs or half-ogres.

[Nerdguy88]

I understand that something like a caster would be best and have already been there. However the level of optimization with my friends is....less then optimal. I am trying not to over do it with anything to crazy. I like half Minotaur!

[Metahuman1]

Tack in some LA Buyoff if you can. Add Half Oger and Loth Touched cause there free and cheap respectively. If you can squeeze it, the water creature variant from Unearthed Arcana can be argued to give a +2 to Con, and both Dragonborn and Ice Dweller do similar.

A level of barbarian and Spirit Lion Totem Whirling Frenzy and Wolf Totem might be worth a look as well. (Note, that last one would be part of Legacy Champion Progression.)

Goliath works well with half Minotaur. It makes you large but treated as Hugh.