Knight/Marshal build

[LordWolfKnight]

Alright People I have a problem. the game i am currently has me as a sorcerer. i dont do casters well and it is really overwhelming mewith spell selection as there are so many different types of builds that i just can't make sense of it.

The character i want to make is a Knight/Marshal. someone who causes the enemy to attack him and boost the rest of the party. now i know some people are going to say that Crusader gets some nice maneuvers for attack me or else, but i am not wanting to play a Crusader as i don't like the random maneuvers thing and the Idiot Crusader thing confuses me a lot.

The DM may allow me to make a feat that allows the Knight and Marshal levels to stack for the other's abilities, similar to daring outlaw and swift hunter. there is not a lot of room for homebrew other than that.

So my question is how do i optimize a Knight/Marshal?

[AnimeTheCat]

What is your optimization goal? Optimize Knight's Challenge or optimize a front line damage dealer with the benefit of also having an aggro ability?

[One Step Two]

I honestly love the Marshal class, and I am glad you're giving it some attention! The combination of Knight/Marshal makes total sense, I cannot recommend enough that you work with your DM closely in respect to playing the classes and have a good look at your party and see how you mesh in it. If the group has a higher level of power play, it might be worth asking if you can gestalt the two classes together as both classes suffer from being a little low power on their own, but this isn't a hard requirement, just a suggestion.

As for Build advice, just some quick tips:

Dragon Magic has the feats: Draconic Aura, and Double Draconic Aura on pg 16, to give your character access to more wide ranging buffs, and as a Marshal you can choose Draconic Aura's (Dragon Magic, page 86) in place of your Major Aura which scales with your level. This taken in combination with a Dragon related race, such as Dragonborn of Bahamut, or the Draconic Template might make for a nice theme as a literal Dragon Knight.

Also, it might be worth chatting to your DM about custom feats much like the two above to work with Marshal abilities the same way, the ability to project or learn new Auras.

To help round out your Knight and play into the role of Defending allies, there's two Feats in Drow of the Underdark, Constant Guardian, which lets you take a -2 To Hit to grant an ally within 10 feet a +2 dodge bonus to AC, which is a requirement for Dutiful Guardian, Whenever the person who is granted that +2 Dodge bonus is attacked, you can make an immediate action to swap places with them, with some caveats about positioning. In close quarters help keep the enemy focusing on you, and allows you to keep a specific ally safe.

Other feats worth mentioning is Ability Focus (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsterFeats.htm#abilityFocus) from the Monster Manual/SRD you can apply it to your Test of Mettle or Daunting Challenge to make it harder to resist.

I mentioned above the Draconic Creature Template from Races of the Dragon, I think it would make a good choice for a knight as it Offers: +2 Str, +2 Con, and +2 Cha, +1 Nat AC, a Claw attack, 60ft Dark vision, and +4 vs Magic sleep and Paralysis. Which is ridiculously good for a +1 LA

If you want to go full bore and stack your Charisma and Con higher you can try out the following Race Combo: A Draconic Lesser Aasimar Dragonborn of Bahamut: for +1 LA, gain yourself: +2 Str, +4 Con, -2 Dex, +2 Wis, +2 Cha, but lose most of your other racial traits, but Pick between Dark vision, Wings or a Breath attack, all of which scale with your HD.

I hope this helps!

[LordWolfKnight]

I honestly love the Marshal class, and I am glad you're giving it some attention! The combination of Knight/Marshal makes total sense, I cannot recommend enough that you work with your DM closely in respect to playing the classes and have a good look at your party and see how you mesh in it. If the group has a higher level of power play, it might be worth asking if you can gestalt the two classes together as both classes suffer from being a little low power on their own, but this isn't a hard requirement, just a suggestion.

As for Build advice, just some quick tips:

Dragon Magic has the feats: Draconic Aura, and Double Draconic Aura on pg 16, to give your character access to more wide ranging buffs, and as a Marshal you can choose Draconic Aura's (Dragon Magic, page 86) in place of your Major Aura which scales with your level. This taken in combination with a Dragon related race, such as Dragonborn of Bahamut, or the Draconic Template might make for a nice theme as a literal Dragon Knight.

Also, it might be worth chatting to your DM about custom feats much like the two above to work with Marshal abilities the same way, the ability to project or learn new Auras.

To help round out your Knight and play into the role of Defending allies, there's two Feats in Drow of the Underdark, Constant Guardian, which lets you take a -2 To Hit to grant an ally within 10 feet a +2 dodge bonus to AC, which is a requirement for Dutiful Guardian, Whenever the person who is granted that +2 Dodge bonus is attacked, you can make an immediate action to swap places with them, with some caveats about positioning. In close quarters help keep the enemy focusing on you, and allows you to keep a specific ally safe.

Other feats worth mentioning is Ability Focus (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsterFeats.htm#abilityFocus) from the Monster Manual/SRD you can apply it to your Test of Mettle or Daunting Challenge to make it harder to resist.

I mentioned above the Draconic Creature Template from Races of the Dragon, I think it would make a good choice for a knight as it Offers: +2 Str, +2 Con, and +2 Cha, +1 Nat AC, a Claw attack, 60ft Dark vision, and +4 vs Magic sleep and Paralysis. Which is ridiculously good for a +1 LA

If you want to go full bore and stack your Charisma and Con higher you can try out the following Race Combo: A Draconic Lesser Aasimar Dragonborn of Bahamut: for +1 LA, gain yourself: +2 Str, +4 Con, -2 Dex, +2 Wis, +2 Cha, but lose most of your other racial traits, but Pick between Dark vision, Wings or a Breath attack, all of which scale with your HD.

I hope this helps!

how is that even possible that seems to be at least a +2 level adjustment cos doesn't dragonborn of bahamut have a level adjustment otherwise i like the idea.

[BowStreetRunner]

how is that even possible that seems to be at least a +2 level adjustment cos doesn't dragonborn of bahamut have a level adjustment otherwise i like the idea.Dragonborn of Bahamut has no LA. :smallcool:

Oh, and HERE (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?302098-3-5-Knight-Marshal-multiclass-feat-PEACH)is an attempt at the Knight/Marshal feat that someone else designed a while back.

[One Step Two]

how is that even possible that seems to be at least a +2 level adjustment cos doesn't dragonborn of bahamut have a level adjustment otherwise i like the idea.

Okay, hold onto your hat, it's time for a fun ride!

Lesser Aasimar found in the Players Guide to Faerun, which changes the Aasimar from a +1 LA Outsider(Native) to a +0 LA Humanoid(Planetouched), it changes some of their other bonuses, but because Dragonborn of Bahamut strips them all away save for the +2 Cha, +2 Wis, we don't need to worry about those

Races of the Dragon introduces the +1 LA Draconic Template, which gives the aforementioned, +2 Str, +2 Con, +2 Cha, again the other racial traits are scrubbed because of...

Dragonborn of Bahumut: You retain your Original Type and Subtype Gaining the Dragonblood Subtype, thus at the end you will be a Humanoid (Planetouched, Dragonblood) and you still count as an Aasimar for any classes or feats, etc.
You keep all the aforementioned ability modifiers (see above), everything else, skill bonuses, traits, resistances and SLAs, et al, gone, kaput. No LA added.

So you undergo your Rite of rebirth, and come out with a further +2 Con, -2 Dex

The end result:

Dragonborn of Bahamut (Originally a Draconic Lesser Aasimar)
Humanoid (Planetouched, Dragonblood)
+2 Str, +4 Con, -2 Dex, +2 Wis, +4 Cha
+2 Dodge bonus to AC vs Dragons, Immune to Frightful Presence.

Pick your favorite Aspect, and you're good to go!
(Though a house rule of mine is that you can take all 3 for +1 LA, because they take time to scale and aren't that game breaking.)

[Pleh]

I would recommend Person Man's Knight Handbook (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?109429-3-5-Person-Man-s-Knight-Handbook) and SleepyShadow's Marvelous Marshal Handbook (http://www.ruleofcool.com/smf/index.php?topic=715.0).

They've got some neat ideas to crank up these oft overlooked classes.