Pole-Arm master (fighter) Pathfinder ECL 16

[Nosta]

First I must get this out: I am not Allowed to Multi-class (Though I think Prestige classes Are ok)
I am in a mid-to high power Pathfinder game and I choose to be a master of the spear (My Gm Allowed Me to use a Great-spear From 3.5)

I choose To Be A polearm master Variant of the fighter class

My Stats Are
STR 24 Dex 14 Con 14 Int 13 Wis 10 Cha 10

My Race is Human Normal human'

My selected feats (I have two extra from flows )
Are as follows

Great Spear Prof: No penalty For using A Great-Spear
2: Combat Expertise: You can choose to take a –4 penalty on melee attack rolls and combat maneuver checks to gain a +4 dodge bonus to your Armor Class.
3: Improved Trip: NO AOO For Performing a Trip CBM +2 To trip CMB And +2 TO CMD VS Trips
4: Greater Trip: +2(+4) To Trip CMB - Get An Aoo Vs Foe you Trip
5: Combat Reflexes: Chrom may make a number of Attack of Opportunity Around equal to His Dex Mod +1
6: Power Attack: you can choose to take a -4 on Melee Attack rolls and gain a +12 Bonus on Melee Damage rolls
7: Weapon Focus Great-spear: +1 To attack with Great-spear
8: Greater Weapon Focus Great spear: +1 (+2) TO attack with Great Spear
9: Weapon Spec Great Spear: +2 TO damage with Chrom's Great-spear
10: Greater weapon Spec Great-spear: +2 (+4) Damage with a Great spear
11: Penetracting Strike: Chrom ignores the first 5 points of a foe DR with his Great spear
12: Greater PeneTracting Strike: Chrom ingores the first 10 Points of a foe DR with his Great Spear
13: Robilars Gambit: Take a Stance, foe gets +4 to attack and damage vs you, however Each Attack they make Provokes and an AOO
14: Knock Down: If Chrom Deals 10 points or more vs his foe He may make a free Trip CMB vs that foe
15: Martial Training I
16: Martial Training II
17: Martial Training III
18: Martial Training IV
19: Martial Training V
20: Martial Training VI

the martial Training was taken to piercing thunder style moves



what can I do to be a better Spear user?
Change Feats?
Change class and go with one that gives me the piercing thunder ?

[Thurbane]

If you're allowed 3.5 feat (which it looks like you are), I'd recommend Short Haft (PHB2). Since you've invested feats in the Great Spear, you want to still be able to use it when enemies get in close. Alternatively, just use armor spikes.

[Nosta]

If you're allowed 3.5 feat (which it looks like you are), I'd recommend Short Haft (PHB2). Since you've invested feats in the Great Spear, you want to still be able to use it when enemies get in close. Alternatively, just use armor spikes.

well that sounds good, I do Believe one of the features of the polearm master allows me something similar to the short-haft Feat.

[Nosta]

I'm just not sure if this is a good build. I am in a fairly good level of optimized game and I like to be able to at least be able to keep up or not be left in the dust

[Sayt]

I'd probably pick up a dwarven warpike or fauchard as a spear fighter, although I'm not familiar with the greatspear.

Ditch the weapon focus and specialisations. Fighters are accurate enough without them, and i think you'd get more milage out of utility feats.

Instead, I'd pick up Defensive Sweep from from player's handbook 2, and either Island of Blades from tome of battle or stance of the thunderbrand from Path of War, and mage slayer. All of this online means that basically any action an enemy takes inside your reach provokes.

I also recommend the step up line of feats, and the conjuration item mastery feat from weapon master's handbook.

I think you'd be better off as a Myrmidon fighter or a Zweihander Sentinel Warder than a Polearm Master fighter.

That's it for now :)

[Nosta]

I am Not sure if I should Keep as a fighter or do a martial class that can use a spear

[Sayt]

If I was going to play a fighter, I'd be playing a Myrmidon and taking advantage of Advanced Weapon and Armor Training.

Here's a Suggested Build for a Fighter (Myrmidon) 16
1: Deeds, Bonus Feat: Power Attack, Human: Exotic Weapon Proficiency:(Fauchard, Warprike or Greatspear) (Unless you're planning on throwing it, I wouldn't go with the spear.)
2: Grit, Bravery +1
3: Armor Training, Bonus Feat: Improved Trip
4: Feat: Knock Down
5: Weapon Training (Spear or Polearm), Feat: Greater Trip
6: Bravery +2
7: Advanced Armor Training:Armor Specialisation: Your Choice (+1/4 your fighter level to armors bonus to AC, Armor Master's Handbook), Feat: Cut from the Air
8: Bonus Feat: Haft Strike (Path of War Expanded)
9: Advanced Weapon Training: Trained Initiative (+Weapon Training Bonus to Initative
(WeaponMaster's Handbook), Feat: Smash from the Air
10: Bravery +3
11: Advanced Armor Training: Armored Juggernaut (DR3/- in heavy armour, stacks with adamantine!), Feat: Combat Reflexes
12: Bonus Feat: Robilar's Gambit
13: Advanced Weapon Training (Armed Bravery (Bravery Bonus on all will saves), Feat: Poised bearing (Armor master handbook, +1 size category for tripping)
14: Bravery +4
15: Advanced Armor Training (Armor Master: Secured Armor (25% crit/sneak attack negation, stacks with lesser and medium fortification), Feat: Defensive Sweep
16: Knocking Blows: (When you power attack someone, they take -4 to CMD against moved or knocked over(Tripped), combos nicely with Knock Down)


Other good feats to grab:
Furious Focus: really good on initiators once power attack's damage becomes relevant (IE, not overkill)
Mage Slayer: Large threat area+no defensive casting makes NPC caster's very sad.

Gearwise, other than the big six, you want Gloves of Dueling (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/wondrous-items/wondrous-items/e-g/gloves-of-dueling), Sash of the War Champion (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/wondrous-items/wondrous-items/r-z/sash-of-the-war-champion) and Wings of Flying (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/wondrous-items/wondrous-items/r-z/wings-of-flying).
You want fortification or medium fortification Mind Buttressing Armor, and an Opportune weapon of your choice.

[Nosta]

If I was going to play a fighter, I'd be playing a Myrmidon and taking advantage of Advanced Weapon and Armor Training.

Here's a Suggested Build for a Fighter (Myrmidon) 16
1: Deeds, Bonus Feat: Power Attack, Human: Exotic Weapon Proficiency:(Fauchard, Warprike or Greatspear) (Unless you're planning on throwing it, I wouldn't go with the spear.)
2: Grit, Bravery +1
3: Armor Training, Bonus Feat: Improved Trip
4: Feat: Knock Down
5: Weapon Training (Spear or Polearm), Feat: Greater Trip
6: Bravery +2
7: Advanced Armor Training:Armor Specialisation: Your Choice (+1/4 your fighter level to armors bonus to AC, Armor Master's Handbook), Feat: Cut from the Air
8: Bonus Feat: Haft Strike (Path of War Expanded)
9: Advanced Weapon Training: Trained Initiative (+Weapon Training Bonus to Initative
(WeaponMaster's Handbook), Feat: Smash from the Air
10: Bravery +3
11: Advanced Armor Training: Armored Juggernaut (DR3/- in heavy armour, stacks with adamantine!), Feat: Combat Reflexes
12: Bonus Feat: Robilar's Gambit
13: Advanced Weapon Training (Armed Bravery (Bravery Bonus on all will saves), Feat: Poised bearing (Armor master handbook, +1 size category for tripping)
14: Bravery +4
15: Advanced Armor Training (Armor Master: Secured Armor (25% crit/sneak attack negation, stacks with lesser and medium fortification), Feat: Defensive Sweep
16: Knocking Blows: (When you power attack someone, they take -4 to CMD against moved or knocked over(Tripped), combos nicely with Knock Down)


Other good feats to grab:
Furious Focus: really good on initiators once power attack's damage becomes relevant (IE, not overkill)
Mage Slayer: Large threat area+no defensive casting makes NPC caster's very sad.

Gearwise, other than the big six, you want Gloves of Dueling (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/wondrous-items/wondrous-items/e-g/gloves-of-dueling), Sash of the War Champion (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/wondrous-items/wondrous-items/r-z/sash-of-the-war-champion) and Wings of Flying (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/wondrous-items/wondrous-items/r-z/wings-of-flying).
You want fortification or medium fortification Mind Buttressing Armor, and an Opportune weapon of your choice.


I like this build very much. Now my question is should I be Human or is there a better race for me
I am sticking with piercing thunder and using it for Boost, counters and stances well having 1 or two actual strikes

[Sayt]

Human is fine. Good even. The build above takes the human bonus feat into account, and I forgot to list combat expertise as a bonus feat from a flaw, I think the other flaw feat was improved initiative.

Speaking to your stats, you don't need a 24 in strent off the bat, I'd invest in wisdom, as that is your initiation modifier.

[Nosta]

Human is fine. Good even. The build above takes the human bonus feat into account, and I forgot to list combat expertise as a bonus feat from a flaw, I think the other flaw feat was improved initiative.

Speaking to your stats, you don't need a 24 in strent off the bat, I'd invest in wisdom, as that is your initiation modifier.

If you were me what would you put the stats at.

I am lv 16 human with 32 Point buy

[Sayt]

Using the Pathfinder or 3.5 point buy? I'm not super familiar with 3.5 pointbuy.

[Nosta]

Using the Pathfinder or 3.5 point buy? I'm not super familiar with 3.5 pointbuy.


My Bad. Its PF point buy

[Sayt]

Okay, 32 pt PF buy is... pretty big.

But here goes, with racial and level up bonus accounted for:
Str 18, Dex 16, Con 16, Int 13, Wis 16, Cha 10

Pick up a +4 wisdom headband and a +4/+4 Strength/Dex belt, that should fit into the WBL, IIRC.

[Nosta]

Okay, 32 pt PF buy is... pretty big.

But here goes, with racial and level up bonus accounted for:
Str 18, Dex 16, Con 16, Int 13, Wis 16, Cha 10

Pick up a +4 wisdom headband and a +4/+4 Strength/Dex belt, that should fit into the WBL, IIRC.

sounds good.

I notice the one feat you said treats me as large for tripping dose that just mean I CMB for trip gets a +1 Bonus or is there more to it?

[Sayt]

No, it's strictly for determining who you can target with trip attempts. Normally you can trip only once size up. Poised bearing let's you trip two sizes up, and there's a second feat, imposing bearing, which lets you target 3 up. Combine with enlarge person, and a Normally medium creature can trip a colossal creature.

Although to be honest, I meant to write intense blows, as it is a prerequisite for knocking blows.

[Nosta]

No, it's strictly for determining who you can target with trip attempts. Normally you can trip only once size up. Poised bearing let's you trip two sizes up, and there's a second feat, imposing bearing, which lets you target 3 up. Combine with enlarge person, and a Normally medium creature can trip a colossal creature.

Although to be honest, I meant to write intense blows, as it is a prerequisite for knocking blows.


ok Thanks, so I'll switch that one for that one.
thanks for all your help