I've found a lot of great build advice for battle masters and samurais using the the polearm master feat, but I don't understand how a player can manager the bonus actions.
If a fighter uses a bonus action on a maneuver or fighting spirit, then how can the extra 1d4 attack from the polearm feat be used to benefit from it?
Maneuvers don’t usually use bonus actions, most of them are just activated on a hit.
For Samurai, I guessed the logic is that their bonus action advantage is limited, so the PAM attack is for all the rounds where they would have nothing to do.
The thing about samurais or other classes that use their bonus action, for example, is that sometimes you plan for it in a way to compensate or accommodate for your bonus actions. If I built a samurai, then I might not want PAM myself just because I want to hit 20 STR and have GWM all by the time I hit lvl 8, and I'm not a variant human or custom lineage. But if I did have PAM or if I didn't mind settling for 18 STR (or found a belt), then I wouldn't exactly have any qualms with PAM's bonus action because fighting spirit can only be used so many times in an adventuring day, while PAM's bonus action has unlimited uses.
By that same token, if I wanted to build a GWM+PAM battlemaster, then I probably might not take maneuvers that use my bonus action. I might instead rely on maneuvers that can just be used as part of an attack, like Precision Attack.
Now, I don't think GWM has any conflicting issues with other subclasses that make heavy use of their bonus action, just because the main reason for taking it is to add a sweet +10 to your attacks.
I hadn't noticed that BM maneuvers mostly don't use bonus actions until Kronzypantz pointed it out. Battlemaster makes perfect sense as a polearm master now.
How does the other PAM ability work on all classes?
"While you are wielding a glaive, halberd, pike, quarterstaff, or spear, other creatures provoke an opportunity attack from you when they enter the reach you have with that weapon."
Does this grant an opportunity attack even if the enemy is stopping within reach, and not just passing through the polemaster's reach to another position?
E.g., an opponent moves towards me to attack me this round, but with PAM I can opportunity-attack it first?
Several Battlemaster maneuvers have great synergy with PAM, besides the aforementioned Precision Attack to cover for GWM.
To name a few, Pushing Attack to shove enemies away and make them obligated to move towards you and therefore probably triggering PAM OA attack, this is particularly nasty when paired with Sentinel. Goading Attack is also great when you are able to move out enemies reach.
I'm leaning towards samurai now for a what I think will probably turn into a long-term campaign, more for the wisdom saves, the persuasion proficiency, and the small temp-HP 3 times/day. The campaign seems pretty balanced between combat, exploration, and non-combat interaction, and I might not always be in a balanced party from week to week.
I really like PAM for the extra opportunity attacks, but I'm uncertain whether the feat is a good use of a Samurai's first ASI.
Samurai is a great and powerful sub-class, although bland. I recommend find creative ways to expand your combat repertoire just to not get bored quickly. Some multiclasses and feats can help a lot with that.
Samurai make the best archers in the game! Since you are able to generate advantage on demand through the cost of your bonus action, the best feat for Samurai is Sharpshooter. GWM is also amazing, but you have some minor bonus action conflict with the small benefits of GWM after killing or crit.
I don’t know if you already took a decision about race, but Wood Elves make outstanding and versatile Samurai archers thanks to Elven Accuracy. Get Sharpshooter at level 4, Elven Accuracy at 6 and at level 8 I recommend the lovely feat Wood Elf Magic, that gives you access to Druid cantrips (Guidance), Longstrider (meh) and Pass Without Trace (one of the best spells in the game). If you are able to setup Pass Without Trace properly with your party and generate surprise, it’s an entire round of your powerful boosted attacks with advantage probably doubled by Action Surge. It’s quite good and expands your utility to the party.
I hadn't noticed that BM maneuvers mostly don't use bonus actions until Kronzypantz pointed it out. Battlemaster makes perfect sense as a polearm master now.
How does the other PAM ability work on all classes?
"While you are wielding a glaive, halberd, pike, quarterstaff, or spear, other creatures provoke an opportunity attack from you when they enter the reach you have with that weapon."
Does this grant an opportunity attack even if the enemy is stopping within reach, and not just passing through the polemaster's reach to another position?
E.g., an opponent moves towards me to attack me this round, but with PAM I can opportunity-attack it first?
Yes, with PAM, you get to attack when they enter your reach, even if they are coming to attack you. But, it uses your reaction, so you only get to do it the first time an enemy does it. The second enemy just walks right up.
If you’re going high level, you might check out cavalier, which removes that restriction at level 17. Between that, PAM and sentinel, no one gets past you.
What’s the rest of the party like? As you say, GWM just add damage, but if other party members are doing damage, you might be better filling other niches and look at PAM or even an str boost, depending on your str score.
They’re also slasher (assuming you use a halberd or glaive) for some battlefield control, or crusher, so you can knock people around with the butt end attack. Those can be good to look at if you have an odd str score.
The party may be inconsistent in size and composition over time as players swap to other DMs' sessions in the campaign world. I don't know how much of a back-line I'll be guarding in any given week, or how much support I'll have.
That's why samurai seems like the best well-rounded sub-class. Wisdom saves, temp HP, and persuasion proficiency plug some of the common holes in the class on weeks when adaptability is required.
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I've found a lot of great build advice for battle masters and samurais using the the polearm master feat, but I don't understand how a player can manager the bonus actions.
If a fighter uses a bonus action on a maneuver or fighting spirit, then how can the extra 1d4 attack from the polearm feat be used to benefit from it?
You do only get one bonus action.
This is also the trouble with Great Weapon Master and builds that use a lot of bonus actions.
Seems like polearm master is more for the Champion subclass.
Maneuvers don’t usually use bonus actions, most of them are just activated on a hit.
For Samurai, I guessed the logic is that their bonus action advantage is limited, so the PAM attack is for all the rounds where they would have nothing to do.
The thing about samurais or other classes that use their bonus action, for example, is that sometimes you plan for it in a way to compensate or accommodate for your bonus actions. If I built a samurai, then I might not want PAM myself just because I want to hit 20 STR and have GWM all by the time I hit lvl 8, and I'm not a variant human or custom lineage. But if I did have PAM or if I didn't mind settling for 18 STR (or found a belt), then I wouldn't exactly have any qualms with PAM's bonus action because fighting spirit can only be used so many times in an adventuring day, while PAM's bonus action has unlimited uses.
By that same token, if I wanted to build a GWM+PAM battlemaster, then I probably might not take maneuvers that use my bonus action. I might instead rely on maneuvers that can just be used as part of an attack, like Precision Attack.
Now, I don't think GWM has any conflicting issues with other subclasses that make heavy use of their bonus action, just because the main reason for taking it is to add a sweet +10 to your attacks.
I hadn't noticed that BM maneuvers mostly don't use bonus actions until Kronzypantz pointed it out. Battlemaster makes perfect sense as a polearm master now.
How does the other PAM ability work on all classes?
"While you are wielding a glaive, halberd, pike, quarterstaff, or spear, other creatures provoke an opportunity attack from you when they enter the reach you have with that weapon."
Does this grant an opportunity attack even if the enemy is stopping within reach, and not just passing through the polemaster's reach to another position?
E.g., an opponent moves towards me to attack me this round, but with PAM I can opportunity-attack it first?
Several Battlemaster maneuvers have great synergy with PAM, besides the aforementioned Precision Attack to cover for GWM.
To name a few, Pushing Attack to shove enemies away and make them obligated to move towards you and therefore probably triggering PAM OA attack, this is particularly nasty when paired with Sentinel. Goading Attack is also great when you are able to move out enemies reach.
I'm leaning towards samurai now for a what I think will probably turn into a long-term campaign, more for the wisdom saves, the persuasion proficiency, and the small temp-HP 3 times/day. The campaign seems pretty balanced between combat, exploration, and non-combat interaction, and I might not always be in a balanced party from week to week.
I really like PAM for the extra opportunity attacks, but I'm uncertain whether the feat is a good use of a Samurai's first ASI.
Samurai is a great and powerful sub-class, although bland. I recommend find creative ways to expand your combat repertoire just to not get bored quickly. Some multiclasses and feats can help a lot with that.
Samurai make the best archers in the game! Since you are able to generate advantage on demand through the cost of your bonus action, the best feat for Samurai is Sharpshooter. GWM is also amazing, but you have some minor bonus action conflict with the small benefits of GWM after killing or crit.
I don’t know if you already took a decision about race, but Wood Elves make outstanding and versatile Samurai archers thanks to Elven Accuracy. Get Sharpshooter at level 4, Elven Accuracy at 6 and at level 8 I recommend the lovely feat Wood Elf Magic, that gives you access to Druid cantrips (Guidance), Longstrider (meh) and Pass Without Trace (one of the best spells in the game). If you are able to setup Pass Without Trace properly with your party and generate surprise, it’s an entire round of your powerful boosted attacks with advantage probably doubled by Action Surge. It’s quite good and expands your utility to the party.
It's a level 2 fighter already a couple sessions into the campaign, made for melee and only a 14 Dex.
And I suspect most sessions will be a little light on front-line melee characters.
GWM will do to get it started at level 4, but that just adds a lot of damage.
I guess I'll just take PAM/sentinel at 6 & 8 to make it interesting anyway. Or a BM maneuver through the feat.
Yes, with PAM, you get to attack when they enter your reach, even if they are coming to attack you.
But, it uses your reaction, so you only get to do it the first time an enemy does it. The second enemy just walks right up.
If you’re going high level, you might check out cavalier, which removes that restriction at level 17. Between that, PAM and sentinel, no one gets past you.
What’s the rest of the party like? As you say, GWM just add damage, but if other party members are doing damage, you might be better filling other niches and look at PAM or even an str boost, depending on your str score.
They’re also slasher (assuming you use a halberd or glaive) for some battlefield control, or crusher, so you can knock people around with the butt end attack. Those can be good to look at if you have an odd str score.
The party may be inconsistent in size and composition over time as players swap to other DMs' sessions in the campaign world. I don't know how much of a back-line I'll be guarding in any given week, or how much support I'll have.
That's why samurai seems like the best well-rounded sub-class. Wisdom saves, temp HP, and persuasion proficiency plug some of the common holes in the class on weeks when adaptability is required.