In the last session my Sorcerer died and I had to create a character quickly. That night I was not very creative and it became a dwarf fighter. Link: https://ddb.ac/characters/42886773/mwKvIb
I have never played a fighter before, because it has always read as very boring so far.
Now I have to think for tomorrow how it should go on level 3.... Our campaign goes to level 20.
In our party are a warlock, Artificer and Blood Hunter.
So far, I've been looking at the Rune Knight. Maybe with the talents Crusher and Sentinel? But the runes read a bit lame up to level 7. Is it me or how does the Rune Knight play?
Alternatively, I looked at the Echo Knight with the talent GWM. Can you recommend that?
Or do you have any ideas how to make it more than just a melee machine?
If you don't want to be a melee machine how about making an archery focused Battle Master? I had a lot of fun with one of those. The Sharpshooter Feat and Precision Attack are a great combo.
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Canto alla vita alla sua bellezza ad ogni sua ferita ogni sua carezza!
I sing to life and to its tragic beauty To pain and to strife, but all that dances through me The rise and the fall, I've lived through it all!
I'm going to take "melee machine" not literally, and assume you mean, be able to do things well out of combat. The first place to go is your background. Choose one that seems like it will make an interesting character, and that will go a long way to making you feel like someone that's not just a fighting machine. While soldier is sometimes the default for a fighter, you could just as easily take anything, and then come up with the reason that they started training as a warrior. Imagine a hermit, or a guild artisan, or a noble background. Now you've got some skill proficiencies for out of combat use, and built in some more interesting role playing depth by choosing an atypical background for the character.
Rune knight can be quite good for helping boost those skill proficiencies when out of combat. Samurai get some useful social skills.
For specifics to the character you linked to. Before you start taking feats, I'd put that level 4 ASI one point into str and the other in con to get rid of those odd numbers. And considering your party composition, you're probably going to be tanking, I'd suggest weapon and shield instead of two-hander. As your extra attacks come online you'll still be doing solid damage, and you'll be happy with the higher AC. Sentinel is a good feat for tanks. Crusher is, also, but can't be used with a glaive. Though you could really go for the dwarfiness and go hammer and shield, then crusher will work for you.
I'm going to take "melee machine" not literally, and assume you mean, be able to do things well out of combat.
That's exactly what I mean. :)
If I wanted to go for damage only, I would play a champion with quaterstaff and shield. There is a nice polearm build for that.
I think you can get very creative with the Echo Knight. Also outside of the fight. And that's where the fun is for me. Just in terms of flair, I don't know how to play it with a dwarf.
Why did you decide on a fighter? Or their subclass?
I’ve like fighters since 1e. I enjoy the simplicity of being able to solve most of life’s problems by smashing it with a broadsword. No worrying about if you have the right spell prepared, or positioning for flanking or where to situate the AoE spell so you don’t catch any allies in it. Just go hit things. I enjoy most other classes too, but I always come back to fighters.
And I also find it freeing that they aren’t expected to fill an out of combat role. You can always choose to give yourself a good cha or int and choose the right background to give you skill proficiencies so you can do what you want. Rather than, I’m a rogue, so I find traps, or I’m a bard so I’m the diplomat, you can bend the character to do anything. You get plenty of asi so you can boost abilities or take the skilled feat and fill any role.
I usually pick a subclass that looks fun and isn’t something I’ve done before.
I wanted to make the Hoplite version of the fighter. Tower shield, Studded Leather armor, and Great Lance as his/her main weapon. Using the Great Lance and the Shield, both as weapons, plus the Shield being used in normal mode, I think this Fighter should kick BIG arses.
I wanted to make the Hoplite version of the fighter. Tower shield, Studded Leather armor, and Great Lance as his/her main weapon. Using the Great Lance and the Shield, both as weapons, plus the Shield being used in normal mode, I think this Fighter should kick BIG arses.
I really, really, really, love the Rune Knight (my opinion here will be incredibly biased), in fact it is my favourite subclass now.
The runes are amazing, not necessarily for their combat functions, but out of combat they give you so many options.
I really like the Fire rune because it gives you expertise on EVERY tool you are proficient with. You already have proficiency with Smith's tool because of Rune Knight, but anything in a background is fair game too. Take something with access to Thieves' tools and bam, you've got some useful expertise right there. You can also take herbalism kits, or anything, really, just go nuts. Want to be a pro Dragonchess player? Check. A carpenter? Check. Really the options are amazing. I believe that tools aren't going to see usage in many campaigns based on my experiences, but try to find creative ways to use them.
Then do you want frost for advantage on intimidation and animal handling, or cloud for sleight of hand and deception (works especially well if you're willing to cheat at games which you're proficient with), or stone for insight and some serious darkvision! These give you some amazing options out of combat which you can really heavily roleplay into, so I really love it.
A Feat that I really love (if you have Tasha's) is Skill Expert - you get an ability score upgrade (bring Str to 18?), a new skill (maybe something your runes complement), AND expertise in one skill, which you could drop in intimidation if you went down that route, or whatever suits you.
Maybe flip your Int and Cha scores if you really want to get into the RP, but really whatever you choose you'll be great, your stats are very good.
Also once you hit 15 you can use all your runes (5 options by this stage) twice per short rest, so you get some really good versatility without having to worry too much about burning out.
Hello all,
In the last session my Sorcerer died and I had to create a character quickly. That night I was not very creative and it became a dwarf fighter.
Link: https://ddb.ac/characters/42886773/mwKvIb
I have never played a fighter before, because it has always read as very boring so far.
Now I have to think for tomorrow how it should go on level 3.... Our campaign goes to level 20.
In our party are a warlock, Artificer and Blood Hunter.
So far, I've been looking at the Rune Knight. Maybe with the talents Crusher and Sentinel? But the runes read a bit lame up to level 7. Is it me or how does the Rune Knight play?
Alternatively, I looked at the Echo Knight with the talent GWM. Can you recommend that?
Or do you have any ideas how to make it more than just a melee machine?
If you don't want to be a melee machine how about making an archery focused Battle Master? I had a lot of fun with one of those. The Sharpshooter Feat and Precision Attack are a great combo.
Canto alla vita
alla sua bellezza
ad ogni sua ferita
ogni sua carezza!
I sing to life and to its tragic beauty
To pain and to strife, but all that dances through me
The rise and the fall, I've lived through it all!
I'm going to take "melee machine" not literally, and assume you mean, be able to do things well out of combat. The first place to go is your background. Choose one that seems like it will make an interesting character, and that will go a long way to making you feel like someone that's not just a fighting machine. While soldier is sometimes the default for a fighter, you could just as easily take anything, and then come up with the reason that they started training as a warrior. Imagine a hermit, or a guild artisan, or a noble background. Now you've got some skill proficiencies for out of combat use, and built in some more interesting role playing depth by choosing an atypical background for the character.
Rune knight can be quite good for helping boost those skill proficiencies when out of combat. Samurai get some useful social skills.
For specifics to the character you linked to. Before you start taking feats, I'd put that level 4 ASI one point into str and the other in con to get rid of those odd numbers. And considering your party composition, you're probably going to be tanking, I'd suggest weapon and shield instead of two-hander. As your extra attacks come online you'll still be doing solid damage, and you'll be happy with the higher AC. Sentinel is a good feat for tanks. Crusher is, also, but can't be used with a glaive. Though you could really go for the dwarfiness and go hammer and shield, then crusher will work for you.
That's exactly what I mean. :)
If I wanted to go for damage only, I would play a champion with quaterstaff and shield. There is a nice polearm build for that.
I think you can get very creative with the Echo Knight. Also outside of the fight. And that's where the fun is for me. Just in terms of flair, I don't know how to play it with a dwarf.
Why did you decide on a fighter? Or their subclass?
I’ve like fighters since 1e. I enjoy the simplicity of being able to solve most of life’s problems by smashing it with a broadsword. No worrying about if you have the right spell prepared, or positioning for flanking or where to situate the AoE spell so you don’t catch any allies in it. Just go hit things. I enjoy most other classes too, but I always come back to fighters.
And I also find it freeing that they aren’t expected to fill an out of combat role. You can always choose to give yourself a good cha or int and choose the right background to give you skill proficiencies so you can do what you want. Rather than, I’m a rogue, so I find traps, or I’m a bard so I’m the diplomat, you can bend the character to do anything. You get plenty of asi so you can boost abilities or take the skilled feat and fill any role.
I usually pick a subclass that looks fun and isn’t something I’ve done before.
I wanted to make the Hoplite version of the fighter. Tower shield, Studded Leather armor, and Great Lance as his/her main weapon.
Using the Great Lance and the Shield, both as weapons, plus the Shield being used in normal mode, I think this Fighter should kick BIG arses.
My Ready-to-rock&roll chars:
Dertinus Tristany // Amilcar Barca // Vicenç Sacrarius // Oriol Deulofeu // Grovtuk
That's either 3e or a lot of homebrew.
I have a weird sense of humor.
I also make maps.(That's a link)
It's either homebrew or 3rd party books. Shields were useless in 3E.
Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
I really, really, really, love the Rune Knight (my opinion here will be incredibly biased), in fact it is my favourite subclass now.
The runes are amazing, not necessarily for their combat functions, but out of combat they give you so many options.
I really like the Fire rune because it gives you expertise on EVERY tool you are proficient with. You already have proficiency with Smith's tool because of Rune Knight, but anything in a background is fair game too. Take something with access to Thieves' tools and bam, you've got some useful expertise right there. You can also take herbalism kits, or anything, really, just go nuts. Want to be a pro Dragonchess player? Check. A carpenter? Check. Really the options are amazing. I believe that tools aren't going to see usage in many campaigns based on my experiences, but try to find creative ways to use them.
Then do you want frost for advantage on intimidation and animal handling, or cloud for sleight of hand and deception (works especially well if you're willing to cheat at games which you're proficient with), or stone for insight and some serious darkvision! These give you some amazing options out of combat which you can really heavily roleplay into, so I really love it.
A Feat that I really love (if you have Tasha's) is Skill Expert - you get an ability score upgrade (bring Str to 18?), a new skill (maybe something your runes complement), AND expertise in one skill, which you could drop in intimidation if you went down that route, or whatever suits you.
Maybe flip your Int and Cha scores if you really want to get into the RP, but really whatever you choose you'll be great, your stats are very good.
Also once you hit 15 you can use all your runes (5 options by this stage) twice per short rest, so you get some really good versatility without having to worry too much about burning out.
I really like Battlemaster because the mundane flair, although it’s super versatile. Rune Knight is great and you’ll love it, lots of options.