Best 5e build for a Polearm expert type character.

[Nosta]

I am new to 5e and am looking to play a martial character who Excells at using polearm type weapons.
I am not sure what level the character will be but assume between 4 & 7

[CTurbo]

I like Fighters best for Polearm Master characters since Fighters get so many ASIs/feats you can still get Str maxed pretty easily while taking the necessary feats like PAM and Sentinel

Battle Master is top choice, but Champion is fine too

[GlenSmash!]

Yup, Fighters are great at this. PAM pairs really nicely with Sentinel, also Great Weapon Master. If going the GWM route Samurai works really well.

Alternatively, Barbarians make great PAM users too. You'll have fewer swings than the fighter, but hit harder.

[Nosta]

Could I get some advice on Stating a level 5 Human battle master who uses a pole-arm

I want to take a feat at level 1 but not sure what and one at level 4

I am not sure what stats i should use for a 20 point game

[Man_Over_Game]

Vengeance Paladin.

This will grant you the unique ability of moving after an attack of opportunity.

You can also use Vow of Enmity at 10 feet range, granting advantage on all your attacks against a target. You can stay out of their inferior range with your reach when you attack, and then you back up to 15 feet away. If they get close to attack you, you can use your Polearm Master attack of opportunity, which with Sentinel will stop them from moving within reach of your weapon, you can maneuver again from your Paladin feature, and continually poke a boss with 5 foot increments without him ever reaching you. If he does reach you with his 5 foot reach, you can use your Bonus Action to smack him with Polearm Master bonus action at 5 feet range, which gets the benefits of Improved Divine Smite at level 11. And all of this is enhanced since you have advantage on your attacks against the target.

If you're against a swarm, this allows you to stop the first/closest one that approaches your team, then back up into your party so you don't get surrounded. You can also lock down one major target (like a mage) with Abjure Enemy so it's out of combat (Gets bonuses vs. Fiends and Undead). You also get Hunter's Mark as a possible spell, which works well with your bonus action attack.


The features are expensive, as you need 2 for this to work (Paladins get 2 total by level 8) but it's definitely worth it.

[CTurbo]

Could I get some advice on Stating a level 5 Human battle master who uses a pole-arm

I want to take a feat at level 1 but not sure what and one at level 4

I am not sure what stats i should use for a 20 point game

Variant Human with PAM at level 1

16 Str, 16 Con

Take +2 Str at level 4
Take Sentinel at level 6
Take +2 Str, GWM, and Res(Wis) with your next 3 ASIs(level 8, 12, and 14) in any order

Get into Plate as soon as possible.

Take Riposte, Trip Attack, and any other maneuver you would be interested in.

Kill all the things

[GlenSmash!]

Variant Human with PAM at level 1

16 Str, 16 Con

Take +2 Str at level 4
Take Sentinel at level 6
Take +2 Str, GWM, and Res(Wis) with your next 3 ASIs(level 8, 12, and 14) in any order

Get into Plate as soon as possible.

Take Riposte, Trip Attack, and any other maneuver you would be interested in.

Kill all the things

I second this. Precision Attack would be a must for me though.

[McSkrag]

Variant Human with PAM at level 1

16 Str, 16 Con

Take +2 Str at level 4
Take Sentinel at level 6
Take +2 Str, GWM, and Res(Wis) with your next 3 ASIs(level 8, 12, and 14) in any order

Get into Plate as soon as possible.

Take Riposte, Trip Attack, and any other maneuver you would be interested in.

Kill all the things

Thirded! That's a super solid build.

I also second GlenSmash!'s Precision Attack suggestion. It is super helpful for landing those GWM -5/+10 blows when you really need to hit.

[sambojin]

Grab Commanders Strike when you get more manoeuvres too. Then you can not only stop them in their tracks, but let your allies move into better positions as you smack them.

The only other suggestion I have is to seriously consider Magical Initiate (wizard) as a feat and grab Find Familiar. With an Owl that help action is essentially free advantage for your first attack damn near continuously, with no opportunity attacks in return against the Owl. That does up your DPR a bit, and makes it far easier to pull off your useful manoeuvres as a setup for GWM (help-advantage trip, then keep thwomping them on the ground with GWM, then back up a step). Initiative order can get screwy, but it's overall very useful. You'll waste far fewer superiority dice if you've got advantage on the attack you use them on much of the time. Combined with Precision Attack, it also makes GWM almost a sure-thing, even without tripping them. You'll love it, your rogue will love it, and it lets you scout a bit too. The owl will hate it. Too bad :)


(also gives you 120' darkvision when you really need it, which can be very handy on a Variant Human. The +4 perception sight/hearing with advantage is something that Fighters don't often have either, and with familiar telepathy, you just have to work out a basic code for "hey boss, I see something that I think you'll want to chop up!". If you ever really think you'll need it and have the time for it, you can swap out the Owl for a Bat for a limited time for 60' Blindsight. Or if your DM is feeling really generous, a Tressym for anti-invis and poison detection)

(since you'll have terrible Intelligence, you can mess around with your cantrips a bit. Minor Illusion might be out because most things will see right through them, so is any attack cantrip. So you'll probably want Mage Hand and then either Prestidigitation or Mold Earth. Or whatever. Maybe Light? Create Bonfire? Friends? Whatever you want really. It's the Familiar you want, the cantrips are just nice little bonuses to have fun with, or to make your adventuring day easier)

[TheBirba]

I think Ranger can also make a good PAM fighter, check my signature!

[Nosta]

ok going with

Variant Human with PAM at level 1

16 Str, 16 Con

Take +2 Str at level 4
Take Sentinel at level 6
Take +2 Str, GWM, and Res(Wis) with your next 3 ASIs(level 8, 12, and 14) in any order

can some one explain how combat should look for this character.

I know in 3.5 Reach weapons had trouble foes getting pass its reach how do i handle that in 5e?

[GlenSmash!]

ok going with

Variant Human with PAM at level 1

16 Str, 16 Con

Take +2 Str at level 4
Take Sentinel at level 6
Take +2 Str, GWM, and Res(Wis) with your next 3 ASIs(level 8, 12, and 14) in any order

can some one explain how combat should look for this character.

I know in 3.5 Reach weapons had trouble foes getting pass its reach how do i handle that in 5e?

You won't have the same problem with enemies up close as you would with 3.5.

The basic strategy is to get to within 10 ft of an enemy and attack (including the bonus action attack) then drop back 5ft (which you can do without drawing an Attack of Opportunity since you were never in within your enemy's reach. On your enemies turn if they want to hit you they have to enter your reach, thus drawing the PAM reaction attack.

[Nosta]

You won't have the same problem with enemies up close as you would with 3.5.

The basic strategy is to get to within 10 ft of an enemy and attack (including the bonus action attack) then drop back 5ft (which you can do without drawing an Attack of Opportunity since you were never in within your enemy's reach. On your enemies turn if they want to hit you they have to enter your reach, thus drawing the PAM reaction attack.

Oh! Nice.

is it true that the power scale in 5e is much smaller than Pf and 3.5 for Damage and such? I don't want to Dps it to death but i want to be able to pull my own weight in battle

[th3g0dc0mp13x]

Purely with Pam you will be pulling your own weight. Unless you're playing with DPS optimizers.

Edit: even with them you'd probably be just fine as you'll be doing more attacks then them.

The primary thing to pulling your weight in combat is full use of your action economy. Your action is nearly always accounted for, PAM gives a Bonus action attack and a really good chance to use your reaction.

[GlenSmash!]

Purely with Pam you will be pulling your own weight. Unless you're playing with DPS optimizers.

Edit: even with them you'd probably be just fine as you'll be doing more attacks then them.

The primary thing to pulling your weight in combat is full use of your action economy. Your action is nearly always accounted for, PAM gives a Bonus action attack and a really good chance to use your reaction.

This.

PAM is one of the biggest DPR feats by virtue of 5Es action economy. Try to use your bonus action attack in as many rounds as you can, and reaction attack in as many rounds as you can and you'll be set.

[ad_hoc]

The chance of finding a magic polearm is essentially 0 so a way to make your attacks magical, at least for a time, is important.

It could come from another party member, but is better if you can do it.

[th3g0dc0mp13x]

The chance of finding a magic polearm is essentially 0 so a way to make your attacks magical, at least for a time, is important.

Really? Do most DM's not curate the magic items that drop? Or did I miss that this was AL?

[prototype00]

Really? Do most DM's not curate the magic items that drop? Or did I miss that this was AL?

AL is different in Season 8, by the by, magical polearm weapons (and magical hand crossbows if you happen to lean that way) are as common and easy to access as any other magical weapon.

[ad_hoc]

Really? Do most DM's not curate the magic items that drop? Or did I miss that this was AL?

Magic item shop style choose your magic items is not the standard in 5e. Of course, every table is different. Everyone in the party can have whatever magic items and it is still D&D. It's just not the default.

I have no idea about what AL does.

[Nosta]

well this is for a one shot for my Birthday cause i want to try 5e and my one friend Gm'd once for his wife and there friends

He may allow one magic item

or none at all

[ad_hoc]

well this is for a one shot for my Birthday cause i want to try 5e and my one friend Gm'd once for his wife and there friends

He may allow one magic item

or none at all

If it is for a one shot then don't worry about it.

The vast majority of monsters don't have immunity against mundane weapons, just the special ones have resistance so they take 1/2 damage. In 5e you can hack apart a ghost with anything.

[Nosta]

So what should Damage look like
What all Goes in to Damage?
Do I add Str? Or what?

[CTurbo]

So what should Damage look like
What all Goes in to Damage?
Do I add Str? Or what?


Yes you add your Str mod to damage. Your main attack with a Glaive or Halberd will be a 1d10+Str and your bonus action attack will be 1d4+Str. If you take the Great Weapon Master feat, you can choose to take a -5 to your attack in order to add a +10 to the damage which would make it a 1d10+Str+10 if you hit.

[Xihirli]

Bugbear Battlemaster with Lunging Attack.
20' melee attack range.

I really do recommend throwing a Bugbear on top of any build based around reach.
Barbarians are great because the Bonus Action attack from Polearm master doesn't have a lot of competition for use and gets a big damage boost from Rage.

Reckless Attack tends to get more useful the more attacks you have, and Polearm master gives you a consistent third attack, compared to Action Surge from a dip giving you two more attacks once per short rest.

[th3g0dc0mp13x]

So what should Damage look like
What all Goes in to Damage?
Do I add Str? Or what?

Depends on the level. I'm going to assume 16 str for simplicity sake.

Level 4
Standard: Action: 1d10+3, Bonus Action: 1d4+3, Possible Reaction: 1d10+3. Equals 22.5 Damage per round.
Nova: you can action surge for 1 more Action and use superiority dice for 1 nova round of 3d10+9+1d4+3+4d8=49 average DPR This uses nearly all of your short rest resources though.

Level 5
Standard: Action: 2d10+6, Bonus Action: 1d4+3, Possible Reaction: 1d10+3. Equals 31 Damage per round.
Nova: Action: 2d10+6, Action Surge: 2d10+6, Bonus Action: 1d4+3, Possible Reaction: 1d10+3, Superiority Dice: 4d8. Equals 66 DPR

Level 6 you would get another ASI which can go one of two ways.

1. Add 2 STR: this increases your chance to hit and your damage per hit. Increase DPR by 1 per attack.
Standard: Action: 2d10+8, Bonus Action: 1d4+4, Possible Reaction: 1d10+4. Equals 35 Damage per round.
Nova: Action: 2d10+8, Action Surge: 2d10+8, Bonus Action: 1d4+4, Possible Reaction: 1d10+4, Superiority Dice: 4d8. Equals 72 DPR


2. Take the GWM feat: this decreases your chance to hit heavily but doesn't have to be used. For a battlemaster you can trip with your first attack and then once you have advantage use this power.

Standard: 2d10+26, 1d4+13, 1d10+13=71 DPR.
Nova 4d10+52, 1d4+13, 1d10+13, 4d8= 126 DPR


Level 7: Add another superiority dice.

[Lunali]

Magic item shop style choose your magic items is not the standard in 5e. Of course, every table is different. Everyone in the party can have whatever magic items and it is still D&D. It's just not the default.

I have no idea about what AL does.

Magic item shop isn't standard in 5e, but DMs will often fudge the drops to make them actually useful to the players.

[ad_hoc]

Magic item shop isn't standard in 5e, but DMs will often fudge the drops to make them actually useful to the players.

You don't think random items are useful? They're magic items! They're either powerful as is or just take some creativity.

However you frame it, whether the character goes into a shop or the player asks the DM for an item to appear in an adventure, it is choosing items.

[Lunali]

You don't think random items are useful? They're magic items! They're either powerful as is or just take some creativity.

However you frame it, whether the character goes into a shop or the player asks the DM for an item to appear in an adventure, it is choosing items.

I was thinking more the DM rolls a greatsword and decides to make it a longsword because no one can even use the weapon. If you know the item is going to end up getting sold, it's more fun to fudge it a little, you don't have to make it ideal for the party, just something they'll probably still use.