@@ExploringtheBuild If you do play the build, I would suggest dropping GWF after 8 and picking up archery. With GWM you would actually be doing ok damage with a longbow and sometimes you just can't get into melee combat.
That’s a great point! Honestly I like the idea of being a versatile fighter in terms of range/melee so I’d probably pick up Archery at level 7 with the Champion’s extra fighting style anyway. But you make a good point; great weapon fighter could probably get swapped out for something else entirely.
I really like graze+poisoner a lot, especially on a champion. With the crit house rules I play with (max+rolled weapon damage) this will have a high floor and a high ceiling for damage.
My favorite thing about the new Fighter base is that it retroactively makes the most maligned subclass better. The Purple Dragon Knight/Banneret has always suffered from this identity crisis where the only difference between it and a base Fighter is that... it can use its base Fighter abilities to help the party. Once per short rest each. Now, with 3 uses of Second Wind per long rest at 5th level, you could heal yourself one turn, boost a failed ability check, and then heal your party members the next turn. Also, getting one use of Second Wind back per short rest and all of them on a long rest is wonderful.
Yes! I agree it’s awesome that the PDK/Banneret got a shadow buff from the changes to fighter. I think it unfortunately still has that identity crisis, but with the revisions or buffs to the features it at least pushes the subclass towards a true support role. Multiple second wind’s for a good amount of team healing, using that team healing out of combat with a skill check, getting to move after using it. Plus the buff to indomitable is a nice bonus. It really does make the subclass a lot more appealing!
The poison + graze does not work, due to the text on graze, which specifically says that the damage cannot be increased by any means other than increasing your attack stat.
I’d argue it actually does work. The reason being Poisoner is not increasing the damage done by graze but rather its own separate instance of damage. For example if we landed a crit the poison damage wouldn’t double because it requires a Con save, it’s not part of the attack itself. Here it can be applied since graze deals damage but it still requires the con save to actually work. The poison is not part of the graze damage. Though it is a very niche combo I will admit.
I would go a sword and board, so I can go two weapon fighting + dueling (if DM allows, it's RAW)+ Dual wielder + Elven accuracy + charger and get a 71% crit chance with 1 of 4 attacks (crit on 19-20)
I would go a sword and board with shillelagh + fog cloud, so I can go blind fighting + dueling + PAM + Elven accuracy + charger and get a 61% crit chance with 1 of 3 attacks (crit on 19-20)
My biggest issue with the Champion, both 2014 and 2024 ones, that wasn't really addressed in any way in the update, is that fighters just don't really get a whole lot out of crits, they have no inherent bonus dice to add to damage (or really anything else proccing of crits for that matter), so your crit is going to add a max of 2d6 damage, which is really underwhelming.
That is very fair. I like that champion has more of a chance to crit, but it would be nice to see some extra effects added to that as well. They went a step in the right direction with the new remarkable athlete bonus but some extra features would be cool.
You shouldn't take Boon of Fortitude as your first epic boon ever, simply because Boon of Recovery is just better in every way, you should take that instead if you want to be more tanky. Just the Last Stand part of recovery already increases your effective hit points a LOT more than Boon of Fortitude, and on top of that it gives you 10d10 free healing every long rest.
That is actually a great point! I must have completely overlooked recovery when looking at the Epic Boons. I agree and would definitely take Recovery in that case
lol what? He went out of his way to explain that Fighters are his favourite class and plays them in tons of variations and what you took from that was that he said “FiGhTeR bAd AnD bOrInG”? Also… you may have also not noticed but this is very specifically a 5e build, not Pathfinder. Can’t speak to PF but dumping Constitution in favour of Intelligence for a Fighter is (generally speaking) not gonna work out all that well.
Personally, I would NEVER use a greatsword, it has literally the worst weapon mastery in the game, I would go for Halberd personally, having the best weapon mastery, and also being eligible for polearm master for nice additional attacks.
Yea that’s fair, Halberd with Cleave and Polearm master can be a lot more useful for sure. I just have a soft sport for greatswords personally. But you are right Halberd is probably the more valuable of the two weapons.
So every single fighter in 5e, even the non-optimized ones, are stupid, ugly and boorish 'cuz they all dump INT and CHA every single time (Except for eldritch knights)? Perhaps it's because I mostly play Pathfinder, and because of the way its skill system works dumping INT is just a horrible idea. I normally dump CON on a fighter. Especially if I'm wearing heavy armor and taking the tough feat.
