[4E]Dragonborn Fighter build help (long post)

[Roderick_BR]

Ok, I'm still plowing through the books, when work and family allows, so I'm not fully keen on how character creation works. By what I understood:

• You have 2 at-wills, that you can spam as much as you want (with minor limits, like the healing ones)
• You can learn a number of encounter powers, but can still use only one each encounter.
• You can learn a number of daily power, but can only use one each day.
• You can learn a number of utility powers (utility powers at every even level, and attacks ever odd level), and can use it ??? times each ???
• You get 1 feat every 2 levels.
• Add racial bonuses to powers and/or feats.

Ok. That's what I get thus far.
What I need, is a viable build for a 5th level dragonborn fighter, and good tactics to use it.
The stats are more or less like this: +4 modifier for Strength and Dexterity, +3 modifier for Constitution, +1 modifier to the other scores. I'm assuming the player already used the bonus from high level. He used his feats to enhance his dragon breath power. As weapons, he uses some sort of hammer, a "chain", as he called it (I'm assuming the spiked chain), and a shield (I guess, because he said he got Tide of Iron).
He got, as I said, Tide of Iron, his dragon breath, and I don't know what others poers he got.
I apologise for so little information, but I'm helping out a friend, and he didn't had all the specs at the top of his head.

The party: Another dragonborn fighter that uses a greataxe, a dwarven warlord, a half-elf paladin.
The problem: The guy I'm helping is a kid that is kind of a noob, but he's shown to be willing to play the game and learn the rules. While in the past we made fun of his barbarian's suicidal tactics, I think it's time we move on and teach the boy. Thing is, he said his brother (the paladin) and the others STILL make fun of him, and often says his character will die, and generally mess with him, like telling him to attack first to get killed, not getting helped by his allies and even being hit by AoE splashs because the others doesn't bother with avoiding hitting him.

This is one case where I usually talk to the guys and we settle things out. But since it is the 2nd time it happened (in the first time they got scolded by the kid's mother), AND I want the kid to learn how to play the game, I need help to make an effective character, AND hints on how to use his powers in battle.
Broken builds are welcome. The kids need their lesson, and I want to be there to see. And I want to do it by showing how a person can learn how to do things, if people can help him to learn. I don't want to one-up them, just make the kid be a good addition to the party.

I'm thinking about entering the game myself (I know they won't refuse me), and I'm thinking about either playing a cleric, to help buffing the kid (since the warlord isen't) or make a warlock or wizard, and benefit from the kid's defense. Maybe a halfling.

Ironically enough, in the same day he told me about it, I played an online game, and joined a party as the tank, and found out how effective it can be to be part of an effective team (I don't play often, and don't play WoW, so it was still new to me)

So, I'm here asking for help to the Playgroundians. Effective tactics for a dragonborn fighter. He has no specific weapon feats, and his powers are not weapon specific, so he can use most any weapon without much problem. When going to 6th level, he may retrain something.
Also, a build for a halfling wizard, or halfling warlock, around 3rd level. Since most of the others playes aren't helping him, I need a build that synergises well with his character.
Thanks in advance.

[wodan46]

First off, you can use every encounter power every encounter, and every daily power every day. Utilities specify whether or not they are encounter or daily, based on the coloring among other things.

At level 5, you will have the following
The 2 At-Wills you started with
Level 1 and 3 Encounter Powers
Level 1 and 5 Daily Powers
Level 2 Utility Power
Dragonborn Racial Features, including the Breath Encounter Power, Improved Healing Surges, and a bonus when Bloodied.
3 Heroic Feats
+2 Str, +2 Cha, and +1 to 2 different stats
+2 to BAB, Defense, Skill, and Ability checks based on level
Also, you have the Fighter Class Features, which include the Fighter's Challenge, +2 to opportunity attacks, +1 to attacking in general, profiency in most weapons, and so on.

[Charity]

Ok, I'm still plowing through the books, when work and family allows, so I'm not fully keen on how character creation works. By what I understood:

• You have 2 at-wills, that you can spam as much as you want (with minor limits, like the healing ones)
• You can learn a number of encounter powers, but can still use only one each encounter.
• You can learn a number of daily power, but can only use one each day.
• You can learn a number of utility powers (utility powers at every even level, and attacks ever odd level), and can use it ??? times each ???
• You get 1 feat every 2 levels.
• Add racial bonuses to powers and/or feats.

Ok. That's what I get thus far..

Not quite
You can use EACH encounter power once (occasionally more than once) per encounter and similarly you can use each daily once a day.
Utility powers are the same there are at will's/encounters/ dailies that are used in the same fashion as their namesakes.

If there is another fighter in the group, and you have a good dex, then you might want to go heavy blade (possibly bastardsword) or spear and shield, take tide of iron and sheild push and knock them around the place with pushes, add in a couple of burst 1 attacks and you should be pretty solid. Upgrading your breath weapon to blast 5 is also a good call, especially if you can position the enemy for maximum effect.

[JeminiZero]

• You can learn a number of encounter powers, but can still use only one each encounter.
• You can learn a number of daily power, but can only use one each day.

I believe this bit is wrong. You learn a number of encounter powers, you can use one EACH encounter. Say you have encounter powers 1 and 2. You can use both in one encounter (e.g. unleash 1 and then 2), but you can use them only once in each encounter (so you can perform 1 once per encounter and 2 once per encounter, but not 1 twice per encounter) unless you use some other power that lets you recharge encounter powers.

Same thing for Daily powers.

Edit: Egads! Ninja'ed Twice

[Cormac]

I havent got the books in front of me, so i can't tell you all the specific powers to go for, but, i would recommend the following stat arays, including bonuses to str and cha

S-20
C-13
D-12
I-8
W-10
C-13

or

18
14
14
8
10
15

I think going with a shield makes a lot of sense. I would recommend picking up proficiency in bastard sword. If you go for the second array, if you pump con at 4th level you can get plate armor. Weapon focus is pretty good too. Also toughness can be worth it.

You will be able to do a fair amount of damage, but one of your primary functions is to take a hit so that the strikers and controllers dont have to. So get into the battle and mark the baddest damage doer and stay on him tell he's dead.

[Roderick_BR]

Oh, thanks, guys. Now I got it. It'll be easier to plan things now.
Yeah, I'm thinking about telling him to use a spear and a shield. I guess that works.
Thanks a lot!

Oh, if I use a power that forces an enemy to shift, does it always provoke AoO to the fighter, or only when the power says so? I think each power says when moving a target makes them provoke AoO.

[Charity]

Cha is no use to a fighter wheras wisdom is, having low scores other than str will scupper your defences and also seriously restrict your paragon and epic tier feat choices, I would be tempted to stick with an 18 in STR also for defences stats come in pairs so defensively speaking you only need a high stat in one of each pair.

Oh, thanks, guys. Now I got it. It'll be easier to plan things now.
Yeah, I'm thinking about telling him to use a spear and a shield. I guess that works.
Thanks a lot!

Oh, if I use a power that forces an enemy to shift, does it always provoke AoO to the fighter, or only when the power says so? I think each power says when moving a target makes them provoke AoO.

A spear comes into it's own in the paragon levels, I'd go with a sword until then and then retrain into the spear skills, though you might consider that a bit twinky.
Forced movement never prevokes.
Fear attacks move them during their own turn AFAIK.
You cannot make an opportunity attack during your own turn.

[Roderick_BR]

Forced movement never prevokes.
Fear attacks move them during their own turn AFAIK.
You cannot make an opportunity attack during your own turn.

Yeah, I thought so. But if someone else is doing it? Like, I play a caster that moves the enemy around, while the fighter wacks it like a pinata? I guess it works mostly for the fear effects only. Like, if an enemy does passes the fighter (getting an AoO), can I scare it, forcing it to run past the fighter again, provoking more AoO?
I'm still undecided about making a cleric, wizard, or warlock. I may go cleric, or wizard, depending on how I can affect the battle around the fighters.

[Charity]

Yeah, I thought so. But if someone else is doing it? Like, I play a caster that moves the enemy around, while the fighter wacks it like a pinata? I guess it works mostly for the fear effects only. Like, if an enemy does passes the fighter (getting an AoO), can I scare it, forcing it to run past the fighter again, provoking more AoO?
I'm still undecided about making a cleric, wizard, or warlock. I may go cleric, or wizard, depending on how I can affect the battle around the fighters.

Forced movement doesn't prevoke.
So if the monster is pushed pulled or slid then no provoke.
Also not it is moved outside of its own turn.
If the monster is under a fear type effect then the DM moves the monster in it's turn and can therefore avoid opp attacks, however if it does move in it's turn next to the fighter then he gets to bop it, and he adds his wis mod to hit and he can stop its move if he chooses (note it can use a second action to move again (it possibly will have to under fear effect) and the fighter only gets one opp attack per monster round.)

As to what to play, 4e is tough without a leader (cleric or warlord) paladins can pick up some of the slack but they are no substitute for a clerics healy goodness.