Need help to find a full-martial PrC 3.5

[Sbarbazulein]

Hello everyone, I have to start a new campaign at level 8 and I wanted to play a character that doesn't rely on any kind of spellcasting, spell-like abilities are fine of course. I know it's not optimized and all the best PrC rely heavily on magic but I wanted to try something different. For base class I was thinking going fighter with heavy armor and a good trustworthy greatsword. I looked trough DMG and all the complete manuals and the classes I found doesn't really intrest me much. I really like the theme and combination of ghost-faced killer and avenging executioner to become a fear lord but we already have a rouge in the party and I don't really like investing too much into hide and silent movement. If anyone has a suggestion everything is welcomed. Thanks in advance to everyone

[Ethernil]

You like spell like abilities ? Play a binder. Be ready to read through and through alot in order to be actually able to play the class well. Dragonfire adept on the other hand is very easy.

[Kelb_Panthera]

What sources are available to you?

[ezekielraiden]

Hello everyone, I have to start a new campaign at level 8 and I wanted to play a character that doesn't rely on any kind of spellcasting, spell-like abilities are fine of course. I know it's not optimized and all the best PrC rely heavily on magic but I wanted to try something different. For base class I was thinking going fighter with heavy armor and a good trustworthy greatsword. I looked trough DMG and all the complete manuals and the classes I found doesn't really intrest me much. I really like the theme and combination of ghost-faced killer and avenging executioner to become a fear lord but we already have a rouge in the party and I don't really like investing too much into hide and silent movement. If anyone has a suggestion everything is welcomed. Thanks in advance to everyone

Are the Book of Nine Swords classes available to you? They're really quite a bit better than most standard "martial" characters, but don't use magic.

[Sbarbazulein]

You like spell like abilities ? Play a binder. Be ready to read through and through alot in order to be actually able to play the class well. Dragonfire adept on the other hand is very easy.
Thanks, I'll check those out



What sources are available to you?
For the books anything official for 3.5 works


Are the Book of Nine Swords classes available to you? They're really quite a bit better than most standard "martial" characters, but don't use magic.
I am not familiar with the book but I'll definitly go see it, thanks

[Cosi]

You could go for a Warshaper build. Depending on the level of optimization (and how long you expect the campaign to run) you can be pretty effective. Go Totemist for some natural attacks and Warblade and/or Crusader for maneuvers and you can make a pretty tanky build. You can also get pretty high reach, which is nice. Shifter or Changeling qualify you for the class with minimal effort.

[Endril]

If you want to "become a fear lord", I'd recommend a barbarian with the feats "intimidating rage" and "imperious command", and the skill trick "never outnumbered". Run up as close to as many of them as you can, then rage. You'll get an intimidate check against all within 10 feet (which has a much higher success rate than anything that allows a will save), and those you succeed against will cower in fear for a turn. Then start beating on them with your big sword.

For maximum punishment, play a goliath with 6 levels in fighter, and take the ACF dungeoncrusher. Then take the feat "knockback". After they take damage from your sword, they go flying. And if they hit a wall, they take another 8d6 + (your str mod) x3.

And +1 to Tome of Battle. If you want to do cool stuff with a fighter-type character but don't want to cast spells, that really should be the first place you look.

It would be easier to give you advice on which prestige class once we know what you want to do with your first 6 levels.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Use a +1 LA race, and say you bought off the level adjustment (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/races/reducingLevelAdjustments.htm) for 3,000 xp. You'll start at 7th level with no level adjustment and only 3,000 xp below 8th level, you should get more xp per encounter for being lower level and eventually catch up.



Go Crusader 5/ Binder 1/ Hellreaver 5/ Crusader 9 for your build. This build is very tanky and can keep itself and its allies healed while dealing damage every round.

Crusader is in Tome of Battle: Book of Nine Swords. Binder is in Tome of Magic, you want to keep Naberius bound for the fast ability healing. Hellreaver is in Fiendish Codex II, it's great for healing yourself and your allies without sacrificing any attacks, among other things.

The ideal race for this would be a Water Orc (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/races/elementalRacialVariants.htm#racesOfWater) with Dragonborn of Bahamut (Races of the Dragon) added on, pick the breath weapon version. Get Entangling Exhalation in that same book and use that to keep as many opponents as possible slowed. For a +1 LA you can add Mineral Warrior (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ex/20031003e) after Dragonborn and you'll get damage reduction, natural armor, even better (important) stats, and a burrow speed in addition to your land and swim speeds.



Go with a Goliath, Fighter 9/ Warblade 10/ Fighter 1 for your build. This build can do tons of damage and keep opponents from fighting back by knocking them away with every hit and intimidating them into cowering or running away.

Goliath is in Races of Stone. Warblade is in Tome of Battle: Book of Nine Swords. You want the Dungeoncrasher alternate class feature for Fighter from Dungeonscape, the Zhentarim Soldier substitution levels (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20060327a) (reflavored if needed), and of course free Dead Levels (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/cwc/20061013a) class features.

You'll want EWP: Spiked Chain, Power Attack, Improved Bull Rush, Knock-Back (Races of Stone), Combat Reflexes, and plan to get Weapon Supremacy in PH2 with your Fighter 10 bonus feat at 20th level. Take the Never Outnumbered skill trick in Complete Scoundrel, Imperious Command in Drow of the Underdark, and wear Fearsome armor from that same book (it's a more recent version than the one in MIC). You'll want a decent Dex score so wear mithral full plate or even mithral breastplate. Wear Armbands of Might (MIC) and you can get an enhancement bonuses to Strength and/or Dex added to that for the same price as the DMG stat items of the same bonus (MIC p234). Whenever you hit something Knock Back bull rushes them for free, if they hit a solid obstacle you deal Dungeoncrasher damage. You can get flight (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?187851-3-5-Lists-of-Necessary-Magic-Items) and fly above opponents, using Knock Back to bull rush them into the ground for Dungeoncrasher damage.

[Troacctid]

I keep a list of prestige classes that I think would be cool choices for non-casters. Here's what I have for Fighters:


Black Blood Cultist
Bloodstorm Blade
Deepstone Sentinel
Eternal Blade
Hellreaver
Horizon Walker
Infused
Ironsoul Forgemaster
Jaunter
Master of Masks
Primeval
Sanctified One
Tainted
Thrall of Demogorgon
Thrall of Juiblex
Thrall of Orcus
Warshaper
Wildrunner

[Darrin]

Seconding Hellreaver (Fiendish Codex II) and Horizon Walker (DMG). Hellreaver's Holy Fury points gives you an interesting little submenu of things you can do, including some healing, some offensive stuff, and some defensive stuff.

If you're doing a Frontline Meatbag in Core, then odds are pretty good you'll wind up with some sort of Fighter/Ranger/Barbarian multiclass, and that flows very easily into Horizon Walker.

[Sbarbazulein]

TOB was definitly what I was looking for: to have a melee centered character that is not all about the overused charge combo and is more versatile. Warshaper might be a nice addition to a Crusader (I reallly like this class and the fact that you can't run out of maneuvers)and I'll see if the DM allows it. The "fear lord" as I named it is defnitly the next character I'll be doing so thx for the build tips.
Thanks to everyone for your precise and fast answer, really appreciated !

[Kyrell1978]

I always found the Warblade to be more useful than the Crusader myself. They don't get some of the disciplines that the Crusader does, but you always have the maneuvers that you choose instead of that random mechanic, and they can refresh their pool of readied maneuvers with a flourish as a swift action so long as they follow it with a melee attack. I know several guys that loved the swordsage as well.

[ExLibrisMortis]

An Intimidate barbarian/crusader goes nicely with Champion of Gwynharwyf, if you're willing to be exalted CG. You can even ask your DM to replace the CoG spellcasting progression (paladin-like casting) with a maneuver progression, taken straight from a Tome of Battle PrC.