WoW Warrior build?

[Skoonie]

Hello, long time lurker, first time poster. I'm still new to DnD and wanted to make a character based on something I'm more familiar with. Trying to translate my warrior from World of Warcraft onto here, but I could use some advice. This is what I have so far:

Variant Human (+1 Dex, +1 Con, Heavy Armor Master feat)

Battle Master 18/Barbarian 2

15 Str/13 Dex/15 Con/8 Int/10 Wis/10 Cha

Dueling Fighting Style

ASIs: Sentinel, +2 Str, Shield Master, +2 Str, +2 Con, +2 Con

Manuevers:
-Riposte
-Trip Attack
-Goading
-Parry
-Distracting Strike
-Rally
-Sweeping Attack
-Pushing Attack
-Feinting Attack

[Ravinsild]

Hello, long time lurker, first time poster. I'm still new to DnD and wanted to make a character based on something I'm more familiar with. Trying to translate my warrior from World of Warcraft onto here, but I could use some advice. This is what I have so far:

Variant Human (+1 Dex, +1 Con, Heavy Armor Master feat)

Battle Master 18/Barbarian 2

15 Str/13 Dex/15 Con/8 Int/10 Wis/10 Cha

Dueling Fighting Style

ASIs: Sentinel, +2 Str, Shield Master, +2 Str, +2 Con, +2 Con

Manuevers:
-Riposte
-Trip Attack
-Goading
-Parry
-Distracting Strike
-Rally
-Sweeping Attack
-Pushing Attack
-Feinting Attack

I would for sure not do heavy armor as a Barbarian. You cannot use some of your class features like Rage, and a few more I can't think off of the top of my head, with heavy armor on.

[Skoonie]

I would for sure not do heavy armor as a Barbarian. You cannot use some of your class features like Rage, and a few more I can't think off of the top of my head, with heavy armor on.

Ah, I forgot about that. So I should build him to rely on Dex instead?

[GreyBlack]

Hello, long time lurker, first time poster. I'm still new to DnD and wanted to make a character based on something I'm more familiar with. Trying to translate my warrior from World of Warcraft onto here, but I could use some advice. This is what I have so far:

Variant Human (+1 Dex, +1 Con, Heavy Armor Master feat)

Battle Master 18/Barbarian 2

15 Str/13 Dex/15 Con/8 Int/10 Wis/10 Cha

Dueling Fighting Style

ASIs: Sentinel, +2 Str, Shield Master, +2 Str, +2 Con, +2 Con

Manuevers:
-Riposte
-Trip Attack
-Goading
-Parry
-Distracting Strike
-Rally
-Sweeping Attack
-Pushing Attack
-Feinting Attack

Which spec are you looking at emulating? By grabbing Barbarian, I'm kinda assuming you're going for the Frenzy spec? But then by grabbing Shield Master and Heavy Armor Master, you're going more Prot?

If I were you, to emulate the Frenzy style of play, I'd look at maybe going Dual Wielding instead of either the Dueling Style or Shield Master. If you're looking to go Prot, I'd pull all of the Barbarian levels out, taking the Defense fighting style, and going that route.

If you want to go Arms Warrior, drop all of that and go Great Weapon Master.

[Skoonie]

Which spec are you looking at emulating? By grabbing Barbarian, I'm kinda assuming you're going for the Frenzy spec? But then by grabbing Shield Master and Heavy Armor Master, you're going more Prot?

If I were you, to emulate the Frenzy style of play, I'd look at maybe going Dual Wielding instead of either the Dueling Style or Shield Master. If you're looking to go Prot, I'd pull all of the Barbarian levels out, taking the Defense fighting style, and going that route.

If you want to go Arms Warrior, drop all of that and go Great Weapon Master.

I was kind of planning to emulate the most recognizable traits of a warrior than a specific playstyle (tanky melee damage dealer that wears plate armor and utilizes rage as a resource). I do have a preference for sword and board shenanigans, so maybe going dex for the Defensive Duelist feat is worth it?

[GreyBlack]

I was kind of planning to emulate the most recognizable traits of a warrior than a specific playstyle (tanky melee damage dealer that wears plate armor and utilizes rage as a resource). I do have a preference for sword and board shenanigans, so maybe going dex for the Defensive Duelist feat is worth it?

While fine, just remember that, if you're wearing heavy armor, you don't get a dex bonus to AC, so you won't get the benefit from having a 13 or better Dex for defensive duelist. I'm assuming you're wearing heavy armor because the WOW warrior is a Plate class.

[Skoonie]

While fine, just remember that, if you're wearing heavy armor, you don't get a dex bonus to AC, so you won't get the benefit from having a 13 or better Dex for defensive duelist. I'm assuming you're wearing heavy armor because the WOW warrior is a Plate class.

Sorry, I was referring to another post on this thread. I'm fine going full Dex and donning medium armor if it would be better served for my character. Mostly just picked plate because warriors on WoW wear plate armor.

[JackPhoenix]

Sorry, I was referring to another post on this thread. I'm fine going full Dex and donning medium armor if it would be better served for my character. Mostly just picked plate because warriors on WoW wear plate armor.

Half-plate is medium... and let's be honest, some things that pass for plate "armor" in WoW would be hardly pressed to fit even that.

And ignore the rage part. Barbarian doesn't use rage as a resource, and the way the mechanic works in WoW is hard to translate into proper RPG.

[GlenSmash!]

There is a lot to unpack here. What parts of the WoW Warrior are you trying to emulate?

Also watch out for trap options. If you go Dex based you're better off not wearing Heavy Armor as it has strength requirements. Also certain Barbarian abilities like extra damage from Rage and Reckless Attack won't work unless you are attacking with Strength.

Anyway a WoW warrior wears the heaviest armor possible and prioritizes strength and Stamina (Constitution).

Strength based Fighter 16, 10, 16, 8, 14, 8 is a tough, strong, perceptive warrior. Plate and Shield makes for great AC. Heavy Armor Master for great damage reduction. Dueling is a great fighting style. Think of your Superiority dice as your "Rage".

[BoringInfoGuy]

I’m going to recommend you drop the idea of emulating a WoW character in D&D.

The games are different enough that bringing WOW expectations into a D&D session can cause problems.

For example, in WoW, the role of the healer is to stay back and heal. If you are expecting that, you are going to be annoyed at the Cleric standing in the thick of melee, Spirit Guardians and Spiritual Weapon doing respectable damage while the cleric dodges or adds even more damage with melee attacks empowered by Divine Strike.

And if you try to convince that Cleric he should “Stay back and heal” like a WoW healer, he’s going to be annoyed at you. WoW healing can be a frantic race to keep alive a bunch of fools who stand in the fire because moving will cause a minor drop in DPS.

Trying to tell a D&D Cleric to do the same thing is effectively telling a fellow player you don’t care if
He enjoys the game. The turn based system in D&D means that you spend most of your time in combat waiting your turn. When your turn does come up, you want to do more than see if anyone needs a heal this round.

(And yes, I’m having this problem right now in my group).

Build a D&D Fighter, and drop as many WoW based expectations as possible.

[Vogie]

There's no good way to BUILD a WoW style warrior, but you can certainly PLAY as though you're a WoW style Warrior.

You'll probably want to

go full fighter
A stat block like 10/15/15/8/13/10, emphasizing Dex & Con
Rock the Rapier & Shield
Medium Armor Master feat, allowing you to hit 20 AC with Half-Plate Medium armor plus shield once your Dex hits 16, without sacrificing stealth
Potentially grab the Charger Feat, allowing you to Dash-Attack a la the WoW ability Charge


If you do want to MC, after boosting your DEX & CON to at least 18, you could do a 1-2 level dip into Cleric. Something like War, Grave, Order or Forge would be ways to augment your abilities

[GreyBlack]

So I'm seeing a lot of suggestions and even the player saying that they're going to go full medium armor with a dex focus. To this I wonder... why _not_ go Barbarian? Barbarians are proficient in medium armor and shields, and you don't have to use the unarmored feature.

So, assuming standard point buy, you go (before racial bonus) 15/15/15/8/8/8, you use a Variant human bringing you to 16/16/16/9/9/9, at 4th level you take Medium Armor Master, and then just use your rage resource for tanking and damage abilities. Maybe grab the Martial Adept feat?

[Skoonie]

So I'm seeing a lot of suggestions and even the player saying that they're going to go full medium armor with a dex focus. To this I wonder... why _not_ go Barbarian? Barbarians are proficient in medium armor and shields, and you don't have to use the unarmored feature.

So, assuming standard point buy, you go (before racial bonus) 15/15/15/8/8/8, you use a Variant human bringing you to 16/16/16/9/9/9, at 4th level you take Medium Armor Master, and then just use your rage resource for tanking and damage abilities. Maybe grab the Martial Adept feat?

That sounds great! I also forgot to ask, are maneuvers usable while raging? I haven't found anything that says it doesn't but it's kind of silly to make this build and not even think about that.

[Randomthom]

So I'm seeing a lot of suggestions and even the player saying that they're going to go full medium armor with a dex focus. To this I wonder... why _not_ go Barbarian? Barbarians are proficient in medium armor and shields, and you don't have to use the unarmored feature.

So, assuming standard point buy, you go (before racial bonus) 15/15/15/8/8/8, you use a Variant human bringing you to 16/16/16/9/9/9, at 4th level you take Medium Armor Master, and then just use your rage resource for tanking and damage abilities. Maybe grab the Martial Adept feat?

I think GreyBlack meant standard human with the above description.

If Barbarian, I'd recommend 15/14/15/8/10/8 going variant human giving you 16/14/16/8/10/8.
If Fighter, I'd go 15/10/15/10/11/10 & take Dueling fighting style.

PROT
BarbProt: 1. Shield Master, 4. Sentinel, 8. +2 Str, 12. +2 Str
FightProt: 1. Duelist/Defense style 1. Shield Master, 4. Sentinel, 6. +2 Con, 8. +2 Str, 12. Resilient (Wis)
Battlemaster Manoeuvrers: Trip, Evasive, Goading, Menacing, Disarm, Lunging, Commanders' Strike

ARMS
BarbArms: 1. Polearm Master, 4. +2 Strength, 8. Great Weapon Master, 12. +2 Strength
FightArms: 1. GWF style, 1. Polearm Master, 4. +2 Strength, 6. Great Weapon Master, 8. +2 Strength, 12. Sentinel

FURY
BarbFury: Don't
FightFury: Don't (but if you must, use fighter of these 2 classes)

Oh, and yes, Manoeuvrers are usable while raging.

[GreyBlack]

I think GreyBlack meant standard human with the above description.

If Barbarian, I'd recommend 15/14/15/8/10/8 going variant human giving you 16/14/16/8/10/8.
If Fighter, I'd go 15/10/15/10/11/10 & take Dueling fighting style.

PROT
BarbProt: 1. Shield Master, 4. Sentinel, 8. +2 Str, 12. +2 Str
FightProt: 1. Duelist/Defense style 1. Shield Master, 4. Sentinel, 6. +2 Con, 8. +2 Str, 12. Resilient (Wis)
Battlemaster Manoeuvrers: Trip, Evasive, Goading, Menacing, Disarm, Lunging, Commanders' Strike

ARMS
BarbArms: 1. Polearm Master, 4. +2 Strength, 8. Great Weapon Master, 12. +2 Strength
FightArms: 1. GWF style, 1. Polearm Master, 4. +2 Strength, 6. Great Weapon Master, 8. +2 Strength, 12. Sentinel

FURY
BarbFury: Don't
FightFury: Don't (but if you must, use fighter of these 2 classes)

Oh, and yes, Manoeuvrers are usable while raging.

You'd be correct; I changed it for a second because I thought that Medium Armour Master would provide a half feat, but when I rechecked it, I was wrong and just didn't change the variant human wording. Everything else is correct.

[Garresh]

Ignoring that obvious issue that WoW mechanics don't translate super well, I'd say you're pretty close on the mark so far. Barbarian is a definite nono though. Despite sharing the name Rage, they have nothing in common. Your definitely got the two most important feats via Shield Master and Sentinel.

After that, you have a lot of judgment call om what you want to do. The simple Battle Master build is going to work just fine imho. But if you have the levels to spare, there are some interesting side options. For one, twl levels in Rogue gets you cunning action, allowing you to dash as a bonus action which simulates a charge.

I don't know too much about WoW fighters(I mained mage and druid srry) , but if tanking ia the goal, the Cavalier is an incredibly sticky subclass. Very good at drawing aggro. Also there's some nice Cantrips you can pick up via Magic Initiate or going 1 more level om Rogue for Arcane Trickster, though it probably veers way too far off course. Lightning Lure pulls targets closer to you. And if you go Warcaster you can Booming Blade on an opportunity attack. It's redundant with sentinel, but then if they try to magically move they still eat a bunch of damage.

But yeah, all things considered, you're fairly close just ditching barbarian. I can't honestly think of any way to make getting hit increase a resource for you though.

Edit: The main reason I advise against barbarian is because it just doesn't really fit that well. It's a limited resource which doesn't really match up with the whole warrior mechanic. If you're looking for better Athletics, you can grab a level in rogue. Then again, if you go 1 level in rogue and then a bit in barb you have advantage and expertise on Athletics. There's a lot of room for interpretation.

[Mongobear]

Having mained a Warrior since Vanilla/Beta until Legion, I can weigh in here. You're best bet is to pick one spec and build for it. Trying to build a single character that does all three will leave you mediocre at each thing.

Arms - Great Weapon focused Champion, definitely GWM, maybe PAM and/or Sentinel if you want, Mobile and Charger could work too, maybe even one of the UA Weapon style Feats if you prefer the old school talent trees specializing in Sword/Axe/Mace, you're a fighter so you have plenty of Feats to spare. I'd say Half-Orc, as Arms was known for more powerful crits.

Fury - TG isn't possible, but they were empirically always a TWFing spec. I'd use the new UA Rune Knight 20. TWFing style, Dual Wielder feat, maybe Mobile and Tough, or Resilient(Wis) as they had a skill I can't remember the name of that removed CC effects. Could technically do this as a Light/Medium armor Dex build, but that's closer to Combat Rogue.

Protection - Eldritch Knight 20. I'm serious. Shield and Absorb Elements for your "active mitigation". All the usual heavy armor, shields, etc for high AC, and you can use spells and cantrips to control a battlefield. HAM, Shield Master, War Caster, Mobile, Tough, Defensive Duelist, and Mage Killer all have possible uses.

[Skoonie]

You'd be correct; I changed it for a second because I thought that Medium Armour Master would provide a half feat, but when I rechecked it, I was wrong and just didn't change the variant human wording. Everything else is correct.


Ignoring that obvious issue that WoW mechanics don't translate super well, I'd say you're pretty close on the mark so far. Barbarian is a definite nono though. Despite sharing the name Rage, they have nothing in common. Your definitely got the two most important feats via Shield Master and Sentinel.

After that, you have a lot of judgment call om what you want to do. The simple Battle Master build is going to work just fine imho. But if you have the levels to spare, there are some interesting side options. For one, twl levels in Rogue gets you cunning action, allowing you to dash as a bonus action which simulates a charge.

I don't know too much about WoW fighters(I mained mage and druid srry) , but if tanking ia the goal, the Cavalier is an incredibly sticky subclass. Very good at drawing aggro. Also there's some nice Cantrips you can pick up via Magic Initiate or going 1 more level om Rogue for Arcane Trickster, though it probably veers way too far off course. Lightning Lure pulls targets closer to you. And if you go Warcaster you can Booming Blade on an opportunity attack. It's redundant with sentinel, but then if they try to magically move they still eat a bunch of damage.

But yeah, all things considered, you're fairly close just ditching barbarian. I can't honestly think of any way to make getting hit increase a resource for you though.

Edit: The main reason I advise against barbarian is because it just doesn't really fit that well. It's a limited resource which doesn't really match up with the whole warrior mechanic. If you're looking for better Athletics, you can grab a level in rogue. Then again, if you go 1 level in rogue and then a bit in barb you have advantage and expertise on Athletics. There's a lot of room for interpretation.



Having mained a Warrior since Vanilla/Beta until Legion, I can weigh in here. You're best bet is to pick one spec and build for it. Trying to build a single character that does all three will leave you mediocre at each thing.

Arms - Great Weapon focused Champion, definitely GWM, maybe PAM and/or Sentinel if you want, Mobile and Charger could work too, maybe even one of the UA Weapon style Feats if you prefer the old school talent trees specializing in Sword/Axe/Mace, you're a fighter so you have plenty of Feats to spare. I'd say Half-Orc, as Arms was known for more powerful crits.

Fury - TG isn't possible, but they were empirically always a TWFing spec. I'd use the new UA Rune Knight 20. TWFing style, Dual Wielder feat, maybe Mobile and Tough, or Resilient(Wis) as they had a skill I can't remember the name of that removed CC effects. Could technically do this as a Light/Medium armor Dex build, but that's closer to Combat Rogue.

Protection - Eldritch Knight 20. I'm serious. Shield and Absorb Elements for your "active mitigation". All the usual heavy armor, shields, etc for high AC, and you can use spells and cantrips to control a battlefield. HAM, Shield Master, War Caster, Mobile, Tough, Defensive Duelist, and Mage Killer all have possible uses.

Thank you all so much for your advice! I'll ditch barbarian and just go straight Battle Master from here on. Should I pick up the Martial Prowess feat or whatever it's called to get an extra superiority die and maneuvers or am I good to go without it?

Also, Garresh, doesn't Cavalier require you to have a mount of some kind? Or can the class work well enough without it?

[Mongobear]

Thank you all so much for your advice! I'll ditch barbarian and just go straight Battle Master from here on. Should I pick up the Martial Prowess feat or whatever it's called to get an extra superiority die and maneuvers or am I good to go without it?

Also, Garresh, doesn't Cavalier require you to have a mount of some kind? Or can the class work well enough without it?

Happy to help, I loved WoW back in the day, especially Warrior. I felt like such a juggernaut when piloting him.

As far as BM and the Feat, iirc it give 2 dice doesn't it? It's worth considering as BM since the dice grow to match your level based one, if you have the spare Feats and already maxxed ur stats, go for it. More resources are never bad.

For Cavalier--It was designed with Mounts in mind, but not required. Iirc, only one of their features is specific to a Mount, the rest work perfectly fine on foot. I forgot about them I my assessment earlier, they'd make good Protection Warriors as well, as well as Samurai working for Arms.

BM is good enough that it could work for all 3 specs if built right.

[GreyBlack]

Thank you all so much for your advice! I'll ditch barbarian and just go straight Battle Master from here on. Should I pick up the Martial Prowess feat or whatever it's called to get an extra superiority die and maneuvers or am I good to go without it?

Also, Garresh, doesn't Cavalier require you to have a mount of some kind? Or can the class work well enough without it?

Cavalier doesn't require any sort of mount. You gain some fun little side benefits for mounts, but the big stuff makes cavalier ideal for tanking.