Team fighting.

[Jervas Dudley]

I was wondering what feats, prestige class, etc. would help to make a pair of characters who fight together better. The idea that a friend and I have is that if we have to build characters together (due to coincidental death or tpk) that we would build them to work together, the only major one I've seen is Swarmfighting out of Complete Warrior.

I was wondering if anyone here had ideas or advice. Also if this isn't the right place to post this sorry, it didn't seem appropriate for the character builder thread since I just wanted general advice and I couldn't find any old threads about it.
Thanks,
Jervas

[JellyPooga]

Isn't there a Phalanx Fighting tactical feat in there as well which is good if you're armed similarly to your mates?

There's also a tactical feat in RotW (I think) called Wolfpack or somesuch, which makes ganging up on dudes better.

That's all I can really think of

[rollfrenzy]

Don't know about feats and things, But there was an interesting race you might try. I forget the name, it was in a dragon and in the dragon compendium. But they were twins who shared the same soul. Basically one character that inhabited two bodies. Might be an interesting experience if your planning to design the characters as a tag team. If I remember the Name I'll edit this post.

[Bears With Lasers]

Really, the best way to work together is just to use complementary tactics. For example, a battlefield controller and an archer.

[AoiRorentsu]

If you've got access to the Tome of Battle, being warblades focusing on the White Raven discipline can equal a ridiculous tag-team.

[Darrin]

If you've got access to the Tome of Battle, being warblades focusing on the White Raven discipline can equal a ridiculous tag-team.

Actually, since "ally" supposedly includes yourself, you can use Ruby Knight Vindicator + White Raven Tactics to be a completely obscene "army-of-one":

http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=764997

[Kantolin]

Evil Red wizards of Thay can work together. Making it kinda funny that they're the only core group that teams up like that.

An 'Aura-team' would be amusing, provided you creatived stacking auras. Maybe a Bard, Marshall, Dragon Shaman, and perhaps a Paladin. Just have to ensure that the effects utilized stack.

[Foxer]

I'm thinking of Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser. Basically you've got one sneaky guy with, say, improved initiative and improved disarm who tackles the opponent so the big guy (Fafhrd) can flank them and take them down, perhaps with a sneak attack.

Then there's Ajax and Teucer. Here you've got a tank with a tower shield, and his little buddy with a bow using him as moving cover.

But what I'd really like to see is an actual WWE-style tag-team. That would be hilarious if played right. ;P

[Bears With Lasers]

A Hexblade 4 (Dark Companion substitution level from PHB II)/Paladin of Tyranny 4/X and a spellcaster would make a good combo.

[Fireball.Man.Guy.]

Can always go 2 classes with Sneak Attack. They can flank with eachother, wich ends up putting out ridiculous amounts of bonus damage.

[SpiderBrigade]

Doesn't the DMG II have some kind of "team training" stuff?

[PaladinBoy]

I've seen at least one book with team tactics that well trained groups could basically develop like feats. Not sure which book that was, however. And I think those had more of an army squad in mind for the group than your standard group of adventurers.

[Viscount Einstrauss]

Heroes of Battle. The team just has to train together for X days or something, and they get a bonus when doing something as a team.

The team of wizard specialists that gave up the schools that some of their compatriots specialize in could be effective. And by effective, I mean it pretty much destroys all semblance of the game since a party of nothing but casters is trouble.

[Kantolin]

They also have Teamwork benifits in both the DMG2 and the PHB2. Those encourage cooperation, and thus I love them as such.

[JimmyDPawn]

The oppertunist ability is your friend.
Also, Combat tactician, giving everyone a bonus to hit/damage against targets you hit with AoO.

1+2: *Flank*
1: First (sneak) attack (+2 for flank)
2: Oppertunist (sneak) attack (+2 for flank)
1: Oppertunist (sneak) attack, rest of (sneak) attacks (+4 for flank/C.T)
2: First normal (sneak) attack, followed by others (+4 for flank/C.T)

I know it's pretty obvious, but I always get shivers thinking about it.

[VariaVespasa]

Isn't there a Phalanx Fighting tactical feat in there as well which is good if you're armed similarly to your mates?

There's also a tactical feat in RotW (I think) called Wolfpack or somesuch, which makes ganging up on dudes better.

That's all I can really think of

Phalanx Fighting- Complete Warrior, page 103. Requires +1 BAB and heavy shield proficiency. When using a shield and a light weapon you gain +1 ac. If you are within 5' of an ally who also has and is using the feat you gain an additional +2 ac on top of that for a total of +3, and +1 on your reflex saves.

3 ac from one feat and a co-operative friend seems like a heckuva deal to me.

[Viscount Einstrauss]

Oh yeah, I forgot about that. Part of the army that a good friend of mine statted out for me included a front line using that feat and mountain plating to make an unbreakable wall of bodies.

This was mostly effective because right behind them were a group of spear users, and behind them were spellswords. And that was just the infantry companies.

[the_tick_rules]

i believe it's PHB II when they intorduce squad feats.

[Jervas Dudley]

Thanks for all the tips. Unfortunately I don't have access to the Tome of Battle. Combining Phalanx with Swarmfighting looks like the best option, though since it will most likely be just the two of us the only advantage to swarmfighting will be occupying the same square as each other, the attack bonus will be mostly negligible. It will most likely be just two characters. A current favorite idea is him as a fighter (he hates not having a full BAB) and me as a cleric focusing on buffing. The Phalanx fighting will give us each +3 to AC.

[AoiRorentsu]

Actually, since "ally" supposedly includes yourself, you can use Ruby Knight Vindicator + White Raven Tactics to be a completely obscene "army-of-one":

http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=764997

Holy $&%^ that's a lot of damage! I gotta wonder though, where is the "ally" listed as including yourself?

Not that it matters (I mean, what is the definition of "is," anyway?), but Webster's defines an ally as "one that is associated with another as a helper," which is pretty explicit in not including one's self (because of the word "another").

I don't know what the RAW are or if there's some WotC decree or errata on this is, but the RAI, given that the whole point of the White Raven discipline is teamwork, and there is no "I" in team , should probably require a second. That being said, maybe you could use that redonculous build with another just like it?

[Bears With Lasers]

Customer Service has consistently and repeatedly indicated that White Raven Tactics can be used on yourself.

[MeklorIlavator]

I don't know what the RAW are or if there's some WotC decree or errata on this is, but the RAI, given that the whole point of the White Raven discipline is teamwork, and there is no "I" in team , should probably require a second. That being said, maybe you could use that redonculous build with another just like it?

But there is ME!

[The_Snark]

Vexing Flanker is a good teamwork-related feat if you're looking for more. If you have feats to spare, Adaptable Flanker is fairly good too, particularly if you use reach weapons.