Monstrous Compendium Vol. 1: Spelljammer Creatures
Frozen Sick
D&D Beyond Basic Rules
Basic Rules (2014)
Sign in to view your library & saved favorites.
Sign in- Marketplace
Monstrous Compendium Vol. 1: Spelljammer CreaturesFrozen SickD&D Beyond Basic RulesBasic Rules (2014)Sign in to view your library & saved favorites.
Sign in
Hey! I'm going to play Dnd for the first time with a couple friends. I really liked the idea of making a V. Human Battle Master with Pirate (Sailor) background.
We are starting on Lvl 5. So far, my build idea looks like this:
Ability Spread (Standard Array): 16 STR, 8 DEX, 14 CON, 10 INT ,14 WIS, 12 CHA (+1 on STR and CON from V. Human)
Skills: Atletics, Perception, Insight, Animal Handling, Intimidation
V. Human Feat: Sentinel
Fighting Style: Dueling (I plan on using Longsword + Shield)
Maneuvers: Menacing Attack, Riposte, Precision Attack
Lvl 4 feat: ?????
Note: it looks like most of the party are playing casters, so the rogue and I might be the only ones in melee most of the time (I'm not sure if the rogue is going into melee either).
I really don't know what to pick at level 4. Some feats like Shield Master or Martial Adept sound cool, but I dunno if my STR and CON are high enough to not need an ASI yet, so I wanted some advice. Thanks in advance!
(Also, please point it out if I made any wrong/bad choices. I'm still learning how to play)
I am new as well, but I have the 2024 rules and realize there are enough differences between 2014 and 2024 that it can be extremely confusing. Because you have 2014 I am not even sure what you have and what it means. Never heard of v human and ability bonus come from backgrounds not races. That is a huge difference building a character. Subclasses are at 3 vice 1.
To be honest, starting at level 5 is an unfavorable way to learn because there is so much at level 1, and all of the stuff added on via levels 2-5 can be extremely missed and forgotten. Good luck starting with 12 year old rules and starting at level 5, I hope if you do not get a bad taste of the game as it is really great. If you do get a bad taste, I hope it doesn't linger and you try again to play with others.
Generally speaking, you don't want to dump Dex as a Fighter. Not only does Dex affect AC when wearing medium and light armor, but it also affects your Initiative and many damaging area-of-effect spells and abilities are DEX-based so a low dex will hurt your saves. INT or CHA are much safer places for that 8, and maybe slide the 14 from WIS over to DEX.
A +2 STR ASI is a good choice. There aren't a whole lot of half-feats in 2014 rules. Fighters get an extra Feat/ASI at level 6, so you can take a feat then if you want.
Standard array should have a 15 score.
Put that in your strength.
Do a +2 to str and probably +1 to con
Then for level 4 feat, id suggest polearm master.
This requires you use a quarterstaff, spear, or polearm in one hand (keep shield in other). But the advantage is you get a bonus action attack, in addition to the 2 attacks in your Action.
Yep, did that! (I displayed it as 16 because of Variant Human bonus)
Doesn't Variant Human only give +1/+1?
Oh, I'll look into it! Thanks!
I see, I'll consider reorganizing the stat spread then. Thanks!
People suggest Polearm Master because it's the mechanically optimal choice, but you shouldn't feel compelled to play the optimized choice if you would rather do something else.
They did put the 15 into STR. They're using the 2014 rules, it said so in the title. Variant Human in 2014 gets +1 to two different abilities, an extra skill proficiency, and a feat (Standard human in 2014 gets three +1's, no bonus proficiency, and no feat).
Yeah, I'm considering it, but might not take it because I like the longsword and don't want it to conflict with Shield Master (bonus action) if I pick it in the future.
I started playing first edition way back when. I've been playing 2024 rules for two years now. I forgot variant human is only two +1's.
I guess the question is: do you want to optimize or do you want flavor. If you want flavor thats going to be entirely personal. If you want to optimize, then certain builds do more damage on average than other builds.
Couple of random thoughts: variant human is ok if you never fight in the dark or the dm handwaves the issues of fighting with a torch in one hand. Hard to sneak around in a dungeon if you have a flaming torch in one hand.
Fighters get a bunch more feats than other classes, so the benefit of being a variant human is less of a buff? You might consider a race with darkvision and better ability bonuses? Half Orc, maybe? +2 str, +1 con. Perfect for a fighter. Darkvision. And 1/lr, if you are reduced to 0hp, you can instead drop to 1hp.
Sentinel is OK. I wouldnt say its great.
Polearm master would definitely be better than sentinel. It gives you a bonus attack every turn. And it gives you a new way to get an opportunity attack: whene enemy enters your reach (default OA is when they leave your reach).
Also, the actual weapon being used is mostly flavor. Long sword or quarterstaff, its the same damage. The only place it matters is when you are dealing with feats like polearm master where the feat only works with certain weapons.
But damage is damage whether its from a sword or stick.
This is a new player, who says he's going to be playing for the first time. He's asking if he made any wrong/bad choices, that is not the same thing as him asking for the most optimized choices. There's nothing wrong with being a Human Fighter, there's nothing wrong with not having darkvision.
There's nothing wrong with Sentinel, it seems like the OP is choosing that feat as a way to make it more difficult for some enemies to get to the squishy backline casters. If that is the intent, Polearm Mastery would indeed be a good fit with Sentinel because of the increased reach of the weapon allowing for intercepting enemies from farther away.
First of all, OP asked:
"I really don't know what to pick at level 4.... I dunno if my STR and CON are high enough ... I wanted some advice. ... Also, please point it out if I made any wrong/bad choices...."
That is exactly what i answered. Half orc is probably a bit better than human, partly because it will give them a 17 STR, the free feat with variant human isnt quite as important with a fighter build because fighters get lots of feats, polearm master is probably a bit better than sentinel, so maybe consisder that before sentinel. I dont think either of them are half feats, so maybe consider Athlete or something that bumps str as first feat for the half orc at level4 getting str to 18, then at level 6 go with polearm master, and level 8 go sentinel.
That would mean level 8 they are a half orc with an 18 str, and feats that include Athlete, Polearm Master, and Sentinel.
Or if they start out as they originally planned, they're a human with Sentinel, a +2 str asi at level 4, polearm master at level 6, and athlete at level 8.
That means at level 8 either build has a +4 strmod, the same 3 feats, but the half orc has darkvision, and can pop up from zero hp once a day. Something the human can never do.
Im presenting a side by side comparison. They can choose whatever they want.
I never said any of it was WRONG. What i said were things like: "You might consider a race with darkvision and better ability bonuses? Half Orc, maybe? "
And i began my comment with the question: "do you want to optimize or do you want flavor"
Youre the first person to use the word "wrong" in this thread, not me, but you mischaracterize my comments as if i said this is "wrong", that is "wrong", and this other thing is "wrong"???
Maybe we're reading different threads....
If you're starting at level 5, you might well have enough cash money to just start with heavy armor. You've still got the saving throw problem, but it's survivable. (Also if you take shield master, it helps with that.)
The big secret is that, at most tables, it's really hard to make a bad character. The game is forgiving enough that, unless the DM is actively attempting to press the players hard, you will survive fine. At a table with new players, that's probably not the kind of game your DM is planning to run.
Your character is fine. Your choices are fine. For your level-4 feat, your main choices seem to be more strength, more con, or shield master.
You can reorganize your stats, but you don't need to. (Your high wisdom is probably more useful than an equivalent dex, because you can't tank all the incapacitating abilities that are wisdom saves.) The stat spread you picked can define your character's flavor; it makes them distinctive.