Dwarves Defender advice

[MThurston]

Starting as Fighter
S 16, D 10, C 16, I 10, W 13, C 12

Folk Hero

Defensive Fighting Style

A.C. 18

[JNAProductions]

How do you get AC 18? Should be 17 or 19, depending on shield or not.

Also, I thought you hated powergaming. Why would you need mechanical advice?

[Man_Over_Game]

As a Defender, using the Defensive Fighting Style and 16 Constitution, I'd recommend going straight Cavalier. Your team will thank you, and it's a lot of fun. Don't fall into the group of people who say "Cavalier only works with horses", because that's horsesh**. If anything, I'd recommend being a Cavalier without a mount because you cannot hit-and-run as a Cavalier as you normally would on a mount. I'd only use a mount when you can get Mounted Combatant, but it's not required for the Cavalier to be great, it'd only make it slightly better.

[MThurston]

I was thinking of Battle Master for some of the maneuvers to control the target I would be on.

I will have to look at Cavalier.

[MThurston]

Chain Mail plus shield is 18 A.C..

Looked up Cavalier and liked it. How does Protection work with the Cavalier ability?

[Man_Over_Game]

Chain Mail plus shield is 18 A.C..

Looked up Cavalier and liked it. How does Defensive work with the Cavalier ability?

The Cavalier forces enemies to attack him, or he is rewarded extra attacks. Generally, this means that you're going to be attacked more often, which puts your enemies in a difficult position if your AC is high.

They're damned if they attack you and they're damned if they don't, which is a good position to be in.

[ImproperJustice]

If you make it to the late game, the Champion’s hit point regen + Sentinel is really nice.


Also, Dwarven fighters with a Dwarven Thrower is pretty slick.

[MThurston]

Cavalier has a built in Sentinel at 10th level.

[CheddarChampion]

Chain Mail plus shield is 18 A.C..

Add in the defensive fighting style's +1 and you get 19 AC.

[MThurston]

Add in the defensive fighting style's +1 and you get 19 AC.

Protection is what I have. Sorry.

[stoutstien]

Protection is what I have. Sorry.
As others have said the caviler is built to defend but has a really crowded reaction already so defense is better off.
Lv 3- mark gives enemy disadvantage on ALL attacks while you are within 5 Feet is like protection but actually good. Then you have the ba attack if they do damage an ally. Cool part here is you can punish them for causing any damage not just attacks.
Lv 7 - here is a great reaction. Add 1d8 to ac of an ally and if it still hits the attack only does half damage.
Lv 10- now if you are in reach of a enemy you can shut them down form shifting around you. This is a huge boon that covers a weaknesses in any "hit me not them" builds.
Lv 15- mini charge.
Lv 18- you can take an AOO after every bodys turn...all day. With the lv 10 feature and if you pick up sentinel you are a going to be making a lot of them.

[MThurston]

As others have said the caviler is built to defend but has a really crowded reaction already so defense is better off.
Lv 3- mark gives enemy disadvantage on ALL attacks while you are within 5 Feet is like protection but actually good. Then you have the ba attack if they do damage an ally. Cool part here is you can punish them for causing any damage not just attacks.
Lv 7 - here is a great reaction. Add 1d8 to ac of an ally and if it still hits the attack only does half damage.
Lv 10- now if you are in reach of a enemy you can shut them down form shifting around you. This is a huge boon that covers a weaknesses in any "hit me not them" builds.
Lv 15- mini charge.
Lv 18- you can take an AOO after every bodys turn...all day. With the lv 10 feature and if you pick up sentinel you are a going to be making a lot of them.

Ran him last night as level 1. I took protection and it stopped 8 hits. Did what I wanted it to do.

We would not have survived with out me taking It.

[stoutstien]

Ran him last night as level 1. I took protection and it stopped 8 hits. Did what I wanted it to do.

We would not have survived with out me taking It.
Your DM has extremely soft hands.

[MThurston]

Your DM has extremely soft hands.

The DM did it correctly.

First fight the kobolds did it.

Second fight the bandits did it twice. The second one didn't see me use it and the DM rolled to see who he attacked.

Third fight another bandit from a different area.

Forth fight, again another bandit from a different area.

Last fight was skeletons that just attack. He rolled who the skeletons attacked. I just made sure that I was always an option.

If you have a GOOD DM they don't hold that fighting style against you.

Example.

Me: We have been in 4 fights now and no enemy ever attacks anyone but me. Any reason?

DM: Well I know you have Protection fighting style.

Me: The enemies don't know that.

[CheddarChampion]

I took protection and it stopped 8 hits.

How many of those hits would have missed anyway? Does "8" take that into account?

[stoutstien]

The DM did it correctly.

First fight the kobolds did it.

Second fight the bandits did it twice. The second one didn't see me use it and the DM rolled to see who he attacked.

Third fight another bandit from a different area.

Forth fight, again another bandit from a different area.

Last fight was skeletons that just attack. He rolled who the skeletons attacked. I just made sure that I was always an option.

If you have a GOOD DM they don't hold that fighting style against you.

Example.

Me: We have been in 4 fights now and no enemy ever attacks anyone but me. Any reason?

DM: Well I know you have Protection fighting style.

Me: The enemies don't know that.
I didn't say your DM was wrong. I said he has soft hands. If in four fights you successfully use protection fighting style he's he's letting you bowl with the bumpers up. Some clues that he's doing that:
-The dm rolling to randomize attack patterns of npcs.
They kobold have a ranged attack which protection does nothing for. and kobalt have no reason to engage in melee unless they absolutely have to. Evidence States he's literally throwing them into a meat grinder or the party to put it bluntly.
why did the bandits take turns attacking? you only have one reaction so you could have stopped the first bandits attack but not the second.
The DM is focus firing on you because he knows you want to "tank".
I stand corrected, he's not soft handed. He is straight up taking a dive in the second round. must bring him really good pizza.

[MThurston]

I didn't say your DM was wrong. I said he has soft hands. If in four fights you successfully use protection fighting style he's he's letting you bowl with the bumpers up. Some clues that he's doing that:
-The dm rolling to randomize attack patterns of npcs.
They kobold have a ranged attack which protection does nothing for. and kobalt have no reason to engage in melee unless they absolutely have to. Evidence States he's literally throwing them into a meat grinder or the party to put it bluntly.
why did the bandits take turns attacking? you only have one reaction so you could have stopped the first bandits attack but not the second.
The DM is focus firing on you because he knows you want to "tank".
I stand corrected, he's not soft handed. He is straight up taking a dive in the second round. must bring him really good pizza.

SMH. Troll on.

[MThurston]

How many of those hits would have missed anyway? Does "8" take that into account?

I didn't count the first number being a miss. I had two people that were next to me during fights. One was A Barb with a 15 A.C. and the other had an A.C. of 13. I want to say he was playing a Bard.

The Bard was at the end with the skeletons that are not intelligent fighters.

[stoutstien]

SMH. Troll on.
Shrugs* it your table. But it explains why you think dragonborn breath is so good. Your DM places npc in position so his players can full advantage. Not wrong. Not right. Just a play style choice.

[MThurston]

Shrugs* it your table. But it explains why you think dragonborn breath is so good. Your DM places npc in position so his players can full advantage. Not wrong. Not right. Just a play style choice.

Proving the Troll point.

[Malifice]

How does Protection work with the Cavalier ability?

Excellent; but it does use your reaction.

For bonus point go a Vuman instead of Dwarf, and select Sentinel feat at 1st level.

At 4th, take GWM to really dish out the pain (or HAM for tankiness).

[MThurston]

Excellent; but it does use your reaction.

For bonus point go a Vuman instead of Dwarf, and select Sentinel feat at 1st level.

At 4th, take GWM to really dish out the pain (or HAM for tankiness).

I need to use a shield so GWM is a no go. Sentinel is an option but the Cavalier gets a water down version at 10th level.

The nice part is this at 3rd level.

I throw my shield out and give disadvantage to one attacker. I then attack another target to give them disadvantage if they don't attack me.

Keeping two targets disadvantaged. The shield is done as a reaction and if someone swing at someone else I can use my bonus action to attack them on my next turn.

Sentinel will use up my reaction which interferes with my Protection ability.

With only one target, it is usable but again I get a watered down version at 10th.

[stoutstien]

Proving the Troll point.
Ad hominem
Petitio principii
ignoratio elenchi
Man it been years since I needed to spell latin

[MThurston]

Ad hominem
Petitio principii
ignoratio elenchi
Man it been years since I needed to spell latin

And the Troll returns.

[Roland St. Jude]

Sheriff: Cut it out, both of you.