So i currently play a level 3 UA Brute Fighter and was wondering if i should take a feat or ASI for level 4 and i cannot decide between GWM and Sentinel.
I also want to Multiclass 3 levels into Beartotem-Barb after level 5, but my campaign is using the optional flanking-rule which makes Reckless Attack useless most of the time.
The goal of my Char is to max out my DPR and be a beast when it comes to fighting. I am using a Greatsword and am using GWF. I will probably get a 2d6+2d4 Greatsword really soon which would make GWM worse.
What do you guys think about those two things and what would be mathematically better?
Edit 1: I am a Goliath with Point buy and right now i have 16/14/16/8/12/8
In that case I would recommend just going for the higher strength modifier, Sentinel is good but increasing your likelihood to hit and damage per round is too. I'd take a Feat if I really wanted one at your 6th level ASI then bump STR to 20 at 8th level.
I would wait until later levels to get GWM. This way the damage is more needed and the -5 to hit is less impactful. Also you should want to take advantage of the extra ASI that fighters get. So ASI at 4, Sentinel at 6 and GWM at 8.
After that it is up to you. I think most folks would recommend a reach weapon like a halberd or glaive rather than a great sword to better take advantage of Sentinel but that is mostly a moot point I think. Not sure I would recommend barbarian but for some reason they removed the brute from DND Beyond and I no longer remember off hand what the brute gets at higher levels. I doubt you would loose much but why not a 4 level dip and keep the ASI?
Seconded. Getting to that 18 strength is a big difference in every encounter and a ton of out of combat stuff, but the feats you mentioned, while solid, can wait.
when i would take 4 levels into Barb i would delay my extra attack 3 even further and at max level (probably would not get there) i would miss out ob action surge 2
my thinking was: if a get only 1 extra attack out of GWM it would outshine the +1 damage and the chance i get that extra attack is pretty high, because i deal de most damage in my team by far
tbh i dont really see hat strength does for me out of combat
If you really want to multiclass into barb, I would suggest going no more than Barb 3. It's fine to lose out on one ASI/Feat, since the Fighter gets so many of them anyways. but losing out on a second Action Surge and third Indomitable is pretty huge.
GWM with advantage is almost as good as a straight roll for most monsters. If monsters have higher ACs (18 or higher), then advantage isn't that helpful. If a monster's AC is around 14-16, then GWM with advantage is pretty good.
Not sure why you'd be contemplating Sentinel if your main goal is dealing damage instead of tanking, but IMO Sentinel really does nothing to increase your DPR.
Strength is useful out of combat if you have a lot of heavy objects being thrown at your character (literally). Or if you don't have a rogue. Sometimes your only lockpick is a battering ram.
My suggestion is that you take GWM at 4th level, unless your DM is a fan of throwing a lot of knights (and similar monsters that use their AC for survivability rather than just having large HP pools) at you and your party. At 6th level, take PAM, since the BA attack it grants can also be used with GWM, so you essentially have 3 attacks at level 6, since the d4 vs d10 doesn't matter when you have +10 to damage.
If you want DPR with no regard to general survivability, there's no need to go barb. Just go straight fighter 20 for that 4th attack.
In my opinion you have to have a really good reason to opt for a feat early on rather than increasing your main stat up. Having played a druid that took an early feat rather than opting for the stat boost, I can tell you having +4 wisdom when everyone else is rocking +5 STR/Dex/CHA sucks. Your DC's are lower, you're less likely to hit anything (Which also makes GWM worse even with advantage you're going from +5/+6 to hit to +0/+1)
The only thing I'll say is that if the prospect of taking the stat boost bores you and you really want to take the feat then just do it. You're the person playing the character if you think you'll have more fun with GWM then you already have your answer.
So i currently play a level 3 UA Brute Fighter and was wondering if i should take a feat or ASI for level 4 and i cannot decide between GWM and Sentinel.
I also want to Multiclass 3 levels into Beartotem-Barb after level 5, but my campaign is using the optional flanking-rule which makes Reckless Attack useless most of the time.
The goal of my Char is to max out my DPR and be a beast when it comes to fighting. I am using a Greatsword and am using GWF. I will probably get a 2d6+2d4 Greatsword really soon which would make GWM worse.
What do you guys think about those two things and what would be mathematically better?
Edit 1: I am a Goliath with Point buy and right now i have 16/14/16/8/12/8
What are your current stats? Hard to judge if an ASI is better than a feat without seeing your stat spread.
Check out my latest homebrew: Mystic Knight (Fighter) v1.31
16/14/16/8/12/8
In that case I would recommend just going for the higher strength modifier, Sentinel is good but increasing your likelihood to hit and damage per round is too. I'd take a Feat if I really wanted one at your 6th level ASI then bump STR to 20 at 8th level.
Check out my latest homebrew: Mystic Knight (Fighter) v1.31
I would wait until later levels to get GWM. This way the damage is more needed and the -5 to hit is less impactful. Also you should want to take advantage of the extra ASI that fighters get. So ASI at 4, Sentinel at 6 and GWM at 8.
After that it is up to you. I think most folks would recommend a reach weapon like a halberd or glaive rather than a great sword to better take advantage of Sentinel but that is mostly a moot point I think. Not sure I would recommend barbarian but for some reason they removed the brute from DND Beyond and I no longer remember off hand what the brute gets at higher levels. I doubt you would loose much but why not a 4 level dip and keep the ASI?
Current Characters I am playing: Dr Konstantin van Wulf | Taegen Willowrun | Mad Magnar
Check out my homebrew: Items | Monsters | Spells | Subclasses | Feats
Seconded. Getting to that 18 strength is a big difference in every encounter and a ton of out of combat stuff, but the feats you mentioned, while solid, can wait.
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when i would take 4 levels into Barb i would delay my extra attack 3 even further and at max level (probably would not get there) i would miss out ob action surge 2
my thinking was: if a get only 1 extra attack out of GWM it would outshine the +1 damage and the chance i get that extra attack is pretty high, because i deal de most damage in my team by far
tbh i dont really see hat strength does for me out of combat
If you really want to multiclass into barb, I would suggest going no more than Barb 3. It's fine to lose out on one ASI/Feat, since the Fighter gets so many of them anyways. but losing out on a second Action Surge and third Indomitable is pretty huge.
GWM with advantage is almost as good as a straight roll for most monsters. If monsters have higher ACs (18 or higher), then advantage isn't that helpful. If a monster's AC is around 14-16, then GWM with advantage is pretty good.
Not sure why you'd be contemplating Sentinel if your main goal is dealing damage instead of tanking, but IMO Sentinel really does nothing to increase your DPR.
Strength is useful out of combat if you have a lot of heavy objects being thrown at your character (literally). Or if you don't have a rogue. Sometimes your only lockpick is a battering ram.
My suggestion is that you take GWM at 4th level, unless your DM is a fan of throwing a lot of knights (and similar monsters that use their AC for survivability rather than just having large HP pools) at you and your party. At 6th level, take PAM, since the BA attack it grants can also be used with GWM, so you essentially have 3 attacks at level 6, since the d4 vs d10 doesn't matter when you have +10 to damage.
If you want DPR with no regard to general survivability, there's no need to go barb. Just go straight fighter 20 for that 4th attack.
In my opinion you have to have a really good reason to opt for a feat early on rather than increasing your main stat up. Having played a druid that took an early feat rather than opting for the stat boost, I can tell you having +4 wisdom when everyone else is rocking +5 STR/Dex/CHA sucks. Your DC's are lower, you're less likely to hit anything (Which also makes GWM worse even with advantage you're going from +5/+6 to hit to +0/+1)
The only thing I'll say is that if the prospect of taking the stat boost bores you and you really want to take the feat then just do it. You're the person playing the character if you think you'll have more fun with GWM then you already have your answer.
Check out my latest homebrew: Mystic Knight (Fighter) v1.31