Trying to decide if there's merit to having a quarterstaff Fighter. Not looking to be overly optimised, but don't want to needlessly cripple my character either.
The main value, I see, with a quarterstaff Fighter, is psychological. Valuable against Opponents that assume staves mean Casters, and also a weapon that is easily brought through security checkpoints (old man's walking stick).
As far as I can tell, every fighter can be a quarterstaff fighter. Put down your normal weapons and pick up a quarterstaff and you are fully proficient. You're just dealing d8 damage with two hands or d6 with one hand rather than your normal dice.
Maybe it's better to say that every Strength fighter can be a quarterstaff fighter.
But...Great Weapon fighting style works with one in two hands but Great Weapon Master feat doesn't. Dueling style should work with one handed staff. I suppose with the feat for it and the style you could fight with two staffs but it might look weird (or staff and sword).
So really, carrying a walking stick into the castle or creating one from a curtain rod should be in the repertoire of many fighters.
Grab the Magic Initiate Feat, choose Druid, and get Shillelagh. You've now turned the branch you pulled off a tree into something that could kill a Tarrasque. It makes your quarterstaff magical and deals a d8 even in one hand. Combine that with the Dual Wielder feat and that's 3d8 magical bludgeoning damage per round by level 6
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“Basically, if you tell anyone, we’ll kill you. We’re pretty good at that sort of stuff”-Salros Viper, Whispers Bard, paid assassin
If you really wanted to do it as fighter you certainly could. The main issue I see if what is your plan for armor? If you want to trick people into thinking you're a caster you probably shouldn't be wearing armor or using a shield which means you are going to have trouble getting a decent armor class. I don't think it would be very effective. Maybe if you took Eldritch Knight for mage armor but even then your AC isn't great workout a good Dex score too. So you're need high strength, Dex, and con. Probably some points in int too and charisma for trucking people into thinking you're a mage. It could work. This option would even give you some spells to really sell the deception.
I feel like this build concept is perfect for a monk. You could use a staff and use your dexterity for it instead of strength, get armor from wisdom, and still be very effective. Maybe put some points in charisma and deception so you can fool people into thinking you're a wizard or sorcerer.
Grab the Magic Initiate Feat, choose Druid, and get Shillelagh. You've now turned the branch you pulled off a tree into something that could kill a Tarrasque. It makes your quarterstaff magical and deals a d8 even in one hand. Combine that with the Dual Wielder feat and that's 3d8 magical bludgeoning damage per round by level 6
Doesn't combine well with Dual Wielder - "The spell ends if you cast it again or if you let go of the weapon."
Here’s a question, if you cast shillelagh on the quarterstaff and you have polearm master, would the bonus action attack on following turns use your strength mod or wisdom mod for the attack roll?
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Trying to decide if there's merit to having a quarterstaff Fighter. Not looking to be overly optimised, but don't want to needlessly cripple my character either.
The main value, I see, with a quarterstaff Fighter, is psychological. Valuable against Opponents that assume staves mean Casters, and also a weapon that is easily brought through security checkpoints (old man's walking stick).
Maybe I should just play another class.
Thoughts?
Maybe for a one-handed polearm master build, although it is about the same a spear -thrown range. Glaive or halberd would be better gor two hands.
As far as I can tell, every fighter can be a quarterstaff fighter. Put down your normal weapons and pick up a quarterstaff and you are fully proficient. You're just dealing d8 damage with two hands or d6 with one hand rather than your normal dice.
Maybe it's better to say that every Strength fighter can be a quarterstaff fighter.
But...Great Weapon fighting style works with one in two hands but Great Weapon Master feat doesn't. Dueling style should work with one handed staff. I suppose with the feat for it and the style you could fight with two staffs but it might look weird (or staff and sword).
So really, carrying a walking stick into the castle or creating one from a curtain rod should be in the repertoire of many fighters.
Grab the Magic Initiate Feat, choose Druid, and get Shillelagh. You've now turned the branch you pulled off a tree into something that could kill a Tarrasque. It makes your quarterstaff magical and deals a d8 even in one hand. Combine that with the Dual Wielder feat and that's 3d8 magical bludgeoning damage per round by level 6
“Basically, if you tell anyone, we’ll kill you. We’re pretty good at that sort of stuff”-Salros Viper, Whispers Bard, paid assassin
If you really wanted to do it as fighter you certainly could. The main issue I see if what is your plan for armor? If you want to trick people into thinking you're a caster you probably shouldn't be wearing armor or using a shield which means you are going to have trouble getting a decent armor class. I don't think it would be very effective. Maybe if you took Eldritch Knight for mage armor but even then your AC isn't great workout a good Dex score too. So you're need high strength, Dex, and con. Probably some points in int too and charisma for trucking people into thinking you're a mage. It could work. This option would even give you some spells to really sell the deception.
I feel like this build concept is perfect for a monk. You could use a staff and use your dexterity for it instead of strength, get armor from wisdom, and still be very effective. Maybe put some points in charisma and deception so you can fool people into thinking you're a wizard or sorcerer.
Arcane trickster might also be a good option that fits everything about this concept except the staff part.
Doesn't combine well with Dual Wielder - "The spell ends if you cast it again or if you let go of the weapon."
Here’s a question, if you cast shillelagh on the quarterstaff and you have polearm master, would the bonus action attack on following turns use your strength mod or wisdom mod for the attack roll?