PHB In-Play: Furious Fighters

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After finishing up the PHB2, I got a lot of people requesting for me to go back to the basics.  So here we are at PHB1!

You’ll notice that I’m starting with the fighter and not the cleric.  With Divine Power looming, there’s no use touching a class that will doubtless have hundreds of new options in a week or two.  Divine classes will get their own special in play after Divine Power comes out.

Fighters.  Masters of weapon fighting, they’ve always been the red-headed stepchild of D&D –good in the early levels, good as fodder in the later levels.

WotC made up for decades of fighter abuse in 4th edition.  Fighters are worth playing at all levels of the game. You can highlight several features of the class that make fighters better, but the fundamental reason fighters win “most improved”?

It’s because there is one game, and every class plays it.

This is the most important aspect of 4th edition’s design when it comes to game balance.  In previous editions of the game, there were multiple “games”.  What the wizard did when he got going was something completely different than what the fighter did.  The fighter swung swords at things.  He beat people up with weapons.  The wizard…altered reality. It sounds like hyperbole until you start looking at spells like Wish, Invisibility, Fly, Flesh to Stone.  In previous editions, half of the Player’s Handbook was spells for casters.  Casters could get an incredible array of options to do whatever they wanted, whenever.  Each level brought new options. Fighters?  Still swinging swords.

How could casters not be stronger and dominate play?

But now, fighters and casters  play with similar rules.  They do different things, but exist within the same rules framework. The playing field is now even.  People who liked to play casters in previous editions cried about this –the wizard is nerfed! — but really guys?  Stop it.  Wizards are just fine and we’ll address them soon.

Right now we’re talking about the fighter.  While ostensibly defenders, a well-designed fighter can have striker-level damage, or provide strong control.  Weapons really matter to a fighter, and different weapons are conducive to different builds and styles.   Sword and shield (“Sword and board” if you’re down with the vernacular) and polearm fighters are great for defensive, controlling types.  Double-weapon wielding fighters and axe/hammer fighters push you towards the damage-dealing category. Many concepts for fighters can be successful, so it’s mostly a matter of style what it is that you need to do.

When making a fighter, the biggest question to ask is how much risk do I wish to take on?  Making a defense oriented fighter will mean less damage but less exposure to going down, while going offensive means that you’ll be a striker, without the striker mobility/evasion.  This is what makes strikers work.  They deal damage and they have several ways to punish retribution or avoid it completely. Fighters do not.  You will deal damage and then you will take return fire. You have increased hit points, yes, hit points have their limit.  You never have as many HP as you need once you start getting hit, so your best option is always to avoid being hit.

In accordance with this notion of risk, the builds here are divided between “safe” and “risky” builds.  The safe builds will lean towards high defense and battlefield control, while risky builds will deal maximum damage.

Safety First!

Kovari, Deva Fighter/Polearm Master

I challenge you to stay on your feet against this greatspear-wielding Deva warrior.   Utilizing knockdown assault, an absolutely bonkers power from the PH minis series (also available to us Character Builder junkies), Kovari can knock enemies prone from up to two squares (three with an action point).  Any enemy that attempts to move adjacent to the Deva can get stopped in their tracks, or on occassion tripped up (courtesy of , err, Trip Up).

Clad in plate armor, enemies who think they’ll have an easy time once they get in are likely to be dissapointed.  Kovari has plenty of HP and plenty of AC to fend them off, and Shrewd Repositioning will help her get back to her preferred ranges on the outside.

Damage with Kovari is not high, but her ability to keep the enemy off their feet and away from your allies is indisputable.

Kovari, level 11
Fighter Talents: Two-handed Weapon Talent

FINAL ABILITY SCORES

Str 19, Con 16, Dex 11, Int 14, Wis 19, Cha 9.

STARTING ABILITY SCORES

Str 16, Con 15, Dex 10, Int 11, Wis 14, Cha 8.

AC: 28 Fort: 23 Reflex: 19 Will: 21
HP: 101 Surges: 12 Surge Value: 25

TRAINED SKILLS

Intimidate +9, Athletics +12, Heal +14

UNTRAINED SKILLS

Acrobatics +3, Arcana +7, Bluff +4, Diplomacy +4, Dungeoneering +9, Endurance +6, History +9, Insight +9, Nature +9, Perception +9, Religion +9, Stealth +3, Streetwise +4, Thievery +3

FEATS

Level 1: Weapon Expertise (Polearm)
Level 2: Weapon Proficiency (Greatspear)
Level 4: Toughness
Level 6: Weapon Focus (Spear)
Level 8: Auspicious Lineage
Level 10: Armor Proficiency (Plate)
Level 11: Polearm Gamble

POWERS

Fighter at-will 1: Cleave
Fighter at-will 1: Knockdown Assault
Fighter daily 1: Lasting Threat
Fighter daily 5: Hounding Longarm
Fighter daily 9: Stop Thrust
Fighter encounter 1: Lunging Strike
Fighter encounter 3: Dance of Steel
Fighter encounter 7: Trip Up
Fighter utility 10: Menacing Stance
Fighter utility 2: Shrewd Repositioning
Fighter utility 6: Unstoppable

ITEMS

Magic Greatspear +3, Periapt of Cascading Health +2, Martyr’s Gith Plate Armor +3

Kill ‘em All

Fraene, Half-Orc Fighter/Shock Trooper

I love tempest fighters.  They seem just like melee rangers at first –dual weapon, focus on being nimble, etc.  — but =what tempest fighters have that rangers don’t is the ability to make someone fight them.  It’s not hard to get away from a melee ranger.  Take your opportunity attack and flee. The tempest fighter can abuse combat challenge to make sure you don’t go anywhere.  Though lacking the ranger’s evasion capabilities, the tempest fighter makes up for that with stickiness and ability mark foes.

The best race for tempest fighter in my opinion is drow –they get combat advantage for free in the opening of the fight with cloud of darkness. Combo cloud with the nimble blade feat (+1 with a light blade when you have combat advantage), and the drow never misses, and can set up a million different scenarios that are unpleasant for his opponents.

Next best is half-orc, for the simple fact that they are the only race in the PHB series that get a bonus to Strength and Dexterity.  Stats-wise they plug right into the Tempest fighter build.  Add in a little kick from Furious assault, and you have a one-man, dual-wielding party.

Playing a tempest fighter is simple — keep moving!  If you think you’re going to sit center-field and stop all the monsters single-handedly, you are going to get chomped on.  You don’t have the AC or HPs to do this well. Mark and move.  If the monsters are going to come after you, then at least make them chase you.

Fraene, level 11
Fighter Talents: Tempest Technique

FINAL ABILITY SCORES

Str 21, Con 12, Dex 21, Int 11, Wis 14, Cha 9.

STARTING ABILITY SCORES

Str 16, Con 11, Dex 16, Int 10, Wis 13, Cha 8.

AC: 26 Fort: 22 Reflex: 21 Will: 17
HP: 87 Surges: 10 Surge Value: 21

TRAINED SKILLS

Streetwise +9, Endurance +12, Athletics +14

UNTRAINED SKILLS

Acrobatics +9, Arcana +5, Bluff +4, Diplomacy +4, Dungeoneering +7, Heal +7, History +5, Insight +7, Intimidate +6, Nature +7, Perception +7, Religion +5, Stealth +9, Thievery +9

FEATS

Level 1: Weapon Proficiency (Double sword)
Level 2: Weapon Expertise (Light Blade)
Level 4: Weapon Focus (Light Blade)
Level 6: Improved Initiative
Level 8: Nimble Blade
Level 10: Two-Weapon Fighting
Level 11: Agile Tempest

POWERS

Fighter at-will 1: Dual Strike
Fighter at-will 1: Footwork Lure
Fighter daily 1: Tempest Dance
Fighter daily 5: Nimble Bladestorm
Fighter daily 9: Fighter’s Recovery
Fighter encounter 1: Distracting Spate
Fighter encounter 3: Rain of Blows
Fighter encounter 7: Sudden Surge
Fighter utility 10: Defensive Resurgence
Fighter utility 2: Pass Forward
Fighter utility 6: Agile Approach

ITEMS

Magic Chainmail +3, Parrying Double sword +3, Skull Bracers (heroic tier)

What fighter builds do you like?  Please share.

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