Great weapon battlemaster advice

[chiefwaha]

Hello all. Sorry for the mess of thoughts here.

I've had a character die and am working on my replacement. I'm pretty sure I've got the overall ideas down, but I'm looking for advice and thoughts on optimizing and options for the future, since this is my first fighter. Also any thoughts on what might synergize well with the sentinel paladin that is also a frontliner. Trying to keep things mostly PHB, but other books are definitely allowed with GM approval.

4th level Dragonborn Battlemaster. This is the only thing that won't change, I'm willing to listen to changes on almost everything else.

Stats fill out after modifiers as: STR 19, DEX 12, CON 17, INT 10, WIS 15, CHA 8

Fighting style was originally going to be Great Weapon Fighting, but I'm thinking I will change that to Superior Technique or maybe Defense.

4th level feat is Great Weapon Master. I'm avoiding straight ASIs since the DM likes to level us slow, but gives out feats a lot as an alternative to advancement. Not sure if I'll go polearm master down the road for the certain bonus action, but I think I want GWM first regardless.

Which maneuvers work best with this? I'm thinking Precision and Trip for two of them. Riposte next to the Sentinel paladin might be pretty fun as well.

Thoughts, opinions, advice?

Thanks.

[LudicSavant]

Get some mobility options. Being a melee-reliant character that plods along 30 feet and/or has no answers to crowd control is a good way to lose Actions, and it doesn't take many lost Actions to make a meaningful difference.

[Ir0ns0ul]

I think you are pretty much settled up with this build. Really good stats. I would advocate to start with PAM at level 4, then you don’t need to get Precision right now and can go to town with nice maneuvers like Menacing and Distracting Attack.

A great thing about PAM is not only the extra bonus action attack, but if you do your movements right, you will leverage an opportunity attack all the time, which is much more reliable than Brace or even Riposte.

I would go with PAM, Defense; Distracting, Menacing and Trip Attack.

[stoutstien]

Hello all. Sorry for the mess of thoughts here.

I've had a character die and am working on my replacement. I'm pretty sure I've got the overall ideas down, but I'm looking for advice and thoughts on optimizing and options for the future, since this is my first fighter. Also any thoughts on what might synergize well with the sentinel paladin that is also a frontliner. Trying to keep things mostly PHB, but other books are definitely allowed with GM approval.

4th level Dragonborn Battlemaster. This is the only thing that won't change, I'm willing to listen to changes on almost everything else.

Stats fill out after modifiers as: STR 19, DEX 12, CON 17, INT 10, WIS 15, CHA 8

Fighting style was originally going to be Great Weapon Fighting, but I'm thinking I will change that to Superior Technique or maybe Defense.

4th level feat is Great Weapon Master. I'm avoiding straight ASIs since the DM likes to level us slow, but gives out feats a lot as an alternative to advancement. Not sure if I'll go polearm master down the road for the certain bonus action, but I think I want GWM first regardless.

Which maneuvers work best with this? I'm thinking Precision and Trip for two of them. Riposte next to the Sentinel paladin might be pretty fun as well.

Thoughts, opinions, advice?

Thanks.

Fight style- yea the great weapon option is kinda meh. Defense is nice and interception could really work well with a sentinel buddy hanging nearby. Doesn't scale the best but it stays relevant for a long time.
The Superior style is probably the most flexible pick just due to the number of good options now.

Maneuvers- Precision is mostly a given with GWM( don't forget to get advantage as often as possible) and trip can be nice if you have a melee heavy party but I'd take goading or menacing first and quick toss to handle the times you can't get close.

[kingcheesepants]

You'll want a ranged option for those times that you're fighting flying opponents or otherwise on terrain that makes reaching the opponent impossible. You can switch your Wis and Dex (so +1 wis +2 dex) and then pick up a heavy crossbow or a longbow (heavy crossbow is better at level 4 but longbow is better once multiattack is online). Javelins are also possible if you really don't want to use a dex based weapon but the range isn't very good. Another possible thing you can do is to pick up a wand of magic missiles or a similar magic item to give you a ranged attack for those times you can't reach your opponent.

Also as others have mentioned mobility is important in order to ensure that you spend as few turns as possible out of melee range. One cheap and effective option for movement is to get a mount. A PHB riding horse costs 75 gp and has 60 movement and the ability to dash, dodge or disengage. Additionally your effective size will be large which will increase your zone of control significantly. If you have a magic items wishlist you might consider asking for winged boots (or another flying option) or possibly boots of speed.

What type of Dragonborn are you going to be? If you haven't decided yet might I suggest being a Crystal Gem Dragonborn? At level 5 you get a once a day flying speed for 1 minute, you get free telepathy within 30 ft, and your breath weapon will deal radiant damage which is a better offensive damage type than any of the classic elements. The Metallic Dragonborn are also good given their additional breath effects but I think the flying and telepathy is overall better. If you are set on being chromatic for the character concept perhaps you can talk to your teammates and see if any of them have AoE spells especially ones which use concentration like stinking cloud. If you're a green chromatic dragonborn you can use your chromatic warding to make yourself immune poison and thus safe from your allies AoE effects, have fun while your enemies are puking their guts out and you stand in the cloud next to them completely fine. Or if your allies use AoE fire (like wall of fire) and you're a red dragonborn it'll be helpful.

[Amechra]

I think Superior Technique is a good choice, if only because it gives you more options and a little more endurance.

One thing I'd honestly suggest is taking a look at the "skill maneuvers" that Tasha's added — Ambush, Commanding Presence, and Tactical Assessment are decent ways to add a touch of out-of-combat utility to a Fighter.

[CTurbo]

Stats fill out after modifiers as: STR 19, DEX 12, CON 17, INT 10, WIS 15, CHA 8


4th level feat is Great Weapon Master. I'm avoiding straight ASIs since the DM likes to level us slow, but gives out feats a lot as an alternative to advancement. Not sure if I'll go polearm master down the road for the certain bonus action, but I think I want GWM first regardless.

Thanks.


Ok if the DM levels you up slowly, but gives out extra feats a lot.... wouldn't levels 4, 6, 8 etc be the perfect time to boost stats? I'd take the opportunity to max Str and get Con to 18 if it were me. I'd also swap Dex and Wis. Archery is an under-rated Fighting Style for melee focused Fighters that don't prioritize Dex.

As far as feats go, I would definitely take PAM before GWM, and I would probably also take Sentinel before GWM too.