judo FIGHTER!

[Ardantis]

Been a while since I've posted...

I'm a roleplayer who is famous for his hilarious, mechanically one-note characters. I want to make a more effective, but still unique and amusing, character for 3.5.

I love the diversity of fighters- potentially useful at every level, but requiring intelligent feat selection and play style. Also (plus for me) very flavor-flexible.

From what I can tell, fighters can be dps, tanks, or, most interestingly, status impairment "debuffers."

Taking this last idea to an impractical extreme, I developed this feat progression using the PHB and Complete Warrior.

Required stats: Str 15, Dex 15, Int 13

Race: Human

Feats:

Level 1: Dodge, Power Attack, Improved Unarmed Strike
Level 2: Combat Expertise
Level 3: Improved Trip
Level 4: Combat Reflexes
Level 5: No feats
Level 6: Defensive Throw, Improved Bull Rush
Level 7: No feats
Level 8: Mobility
Level 9: Elusive Target
Level 10: Shock Trooper
Level 11: No feats
Level 12: Close-Quarters Fighting, Improved Grapple

As I envision it, levels 1-5 would play like a conventional sword'n'board, Power Attacking for damage and Expertise for tanking, with the occasional trip thrown in. At level six, Defensive Throw makes the character much more reactive, potentially forgoing the sword for the opportunity to go "full judo."

Improved Bull Rush, followed by Elusive Target and Shock Trooper, make for a shield and open palm combo worthy of a ridiculous John Woo villain (more like Bruce Lee villain if you take into account my Dex +2 armor) who is constantly smashing into foes (and them into one another!) and tanking Power Attacking foes, causing them to smack each other comically before falling down.

By level twelve, Close Quarters Fighting for avoiding grapplers and grabbers, and perhaps Improved Grapple for tackling pesky rogues and spellcasters.

I figure from there, the character can go two ways- towards Reaping Mauler for extra grapple goodness (and some damage potential,) or towards some shield feats and more disabling feats for effects like daze, disarm, flatfooted, and of course more tripping.

Any thoughts/improvements? I would prefer sticking to core + the complete series, but any thoughts are appreciated.

[SurlySeraph]

Well, you could make a more effective build with the same capabilities more easily using a Warblade (or, better, an unarmed Swordsage using a lot of Setting Sun maneuvers), and this build gives up a lot of power for versatility, but in a low-optimization game it's workable.

[PId6]

This can really be done much better using ToB. However, if that's not allowed...

LA 1/Passive Way Monk 2/Zhentarim Fighter 9

Race: Goliath (Races of Stone)
Stats: Str 15, Cha 15
Skills: Max Intimidate

1 Bonus: Combat Expertise, Improved Unarmed Strike, Flurry of Blows
1: Combat Reflexes
2 Bonus: Improved Trip
3 Bonus: Power Attack
3: Improved Bull Rush
4 Bonus: Dungeoncrasher (Dungeonscape)
5 Bonus: Skill Focus [Intimidate] (Zhentarim)
6 Bonus: Knock-Down
6: Imperious Command (Drow of the Underdark)
7 Bonus: Extended Intimidation (Zhentarim)
8 Bonus: Improved Dungeoncrasher (Dungeonscape)
9: Knockback (Races of Stone)
10 Bonus: Shock Trooper
11 Bonus: Swift Demoralization (Zhentarim)

For the next level, take a one level dip in Barbarian for Pounce.

Take the Never Outnumbered skill trick. Now you can demoralize lots of people at the same time as a swift action, and they are cowering for 1 round if they fail the check. Fantastic debuff ability for fighters. The rest of the build consists of other options, such as charge + Shock Trooper, Shock Trooper + Knockback, Knockback + Shocktrooper + Improved Trip, Knockback + Dungeoncrasher, etc. It's interesting and versatile for a fighter, and is quite powerful besides.

Currently, you use a Guisarme for reach + trip, and wear armor spikes for adjacent spaces. Next level take Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Spiked Chain) and upgrade.

[Ardantis]

You have confused the heck out of me. I get Never Outnumbered, hella awesome, but it sounds like I just really need to check the heck out of ToB.

Let me say heck again, just to be complete.

When it comes to debuffing, I'd much rather be interrupting/negating attacks and actions over reducing attack rolls, damage, or saves. Do the mentioned ToB classes/schools do that?

Oh and thanks for the responds.

[Snake-Aes]

many of the things that make ToB a good choice of play for melee is the different array of things you can do.

The Setting Sun discipline specifically is built around judo. You get to throw people around, make their attacks hit their own allies, foil the enemy's charge/grapple/trip/disarm... Overall an excellent way to control the battlefield via smashing faces.

If you really want to do more fighter than anything else, then putting a pair of levels on Swordsage across the progression will net you excellent tools to be incredibly annoying.

[SurlySeraph]

You have confused the heck out of me. I get Never Outnumbered, hella awesome, but it sounds like I just really need to check the heck out of ToB.

Let me say heck again, just to be complete.

When it comes to debuffing, I'd much rather be interrupting/negating attacks and actions over reducing attack rolls, damage, or saves. Do the mentioned ToB classes/schools do that?

Oh and thanks for the responds.

Indeed they do. You can download and read the Setting Sun maneuvers here to get a better sense of how they work.

[9mm]

Well, you could make a more effective build with the same capabilities more easily using a Warblade (or, better, an unarmed Swordsage using a lot of Setting Sun maneuvers), and this build gives up a lot of power for versatility, but in a low-optimization game it's workable.

unarmed swordsage could work, warblade however does not give him what he'd want/need (warblade bonus feats =/= fighter bonus feats).

Ok given that your using shield then unarmed lets start by dropping improved unarmed in favor of a simple spiked ghaughtlet, reason being it will do more damage, frees a feat, and you have no real reason to not just two hand shieldbash. consider replacing with either improved shield bash or looking farther ahead; EWP: boomerang; angling to grab boomerang daze over defensive throw (or delaying something else to grab it sooner) and grabbing Robliers at 12 over improved grapple. the reason for this is rather simple; the aptitude enhancement(+1, ToB) will mean any attacks you make would have a chance to daze; neatly getting the majority of the shield de-buffs with half the work while also granting you a strong ranged offence to boot. Also I feel that elusive target doesn't quite fit this build, but I'm leaving it there because you (I hope) have it there more for flavor also it can help avoid death by ubercharger.

Finally: avoid reaping mauler; it doesn't do half of what it seems to do; just grab choke hold out of Oriental adventure if you insist on doing grappling, however late game is a bad time to start focusing on that particular tatic IME.