Looking to build a polearm warrior

[Klorox]

I’m open on what class to choose, but I’d like to build a polearm wielding warrior. My proposed build will be a variant human fighter, but I look forward to seeing what you guys come up with as well.

Well, here it goes:

Vhuman fighter
16/12/14/8/14/10
Feat: polearm mastery
Level 1: Fighting style: defense
Level 3: battle master archetype (precision, riposte, trip. Maybe lunging attack?)
Level 4: sentinel
Level 8: great weapon master
Improve STR every chance from there

[CheddarChampion]

This is a build that people usually agree is powerful.
It is also associated with a stereotype of player: powergames, only cares about fighting, doesn't socialize with other players.
If you go to a table with this build in hand people might look at you funny. Just a heads up.

[Errata]

The essential parts of that build are really: Good Strength, Martial Class, Polearm Master, Sentinel. That's it. The class is flexible, and depending on what level range you expect to play the character, the race might be too (if you can get to level 8 and get both feats without V human). Personally, I would try to go for something more interesting with the class.

For a Polearm Sentinel build, 7 levels of Conquest Paladin can be a lot of fun. Use all your spell slots on Wrathful Smite, and the channel divinity on the subclass fear ability instead of damage. With that conquest aura, once they are afraid of you, they have zero movement. They can't move toward you or away from you, and if you use an attack to shove them prone, they can't even stand up, so you get advantage until they save or are dead. Wrathful smite is particularly brutal for this, because they don't get an auto save on each turn. They have to waste their whole action just to do an ability check, which is one of the things that fear disadvantages. They are effectively locked down once you get fear on them.

After you get the level 7 aura, your options open up. But sorcerer is a good option to get enough spell slots to wrathful smite all the time, and maybe do some metamagic. Or stick with Paladin. You'll want level 3 spells to learn fear. There are diminishing returns multiclassing with another martial class.

If your campaign is expected to run to level 12+, you could consider Dragonborn, so you can learn the good non-concentration AOE fear once per short rest, to augment your other fear abilities.

[Vorpalchicken]

You're fine. I think it's a common enough build that no one will look at you funny. Optimization and role playing don't have to be mutually exclusive.

[Klorox]

You're fine. I think it's a common enough build that no one will look at you funny. Optimization and role playing don't have to be mutually exclusive.

Bingo. Pole arms are cool.

[CTurbo]

Vhuman Battlemaster Fighter with Defense Style 16 Str, 14 Dex, 14 Con, 8 Int, 13 Wis, 10 Cha

level 1 - Polearm Master
level 4 - Sentinel
level 6 - +2 Str
level 8 - Great Weapon Master
level 12 - Ritual Caster
level 14 - +2 Str
level 16 - Res(Wis)
level 19 - Lucky