Pathfinderize Fighters

[TheImpossibleDream]

Fighters are perfectly fine. Nerf the overbuffed classes instead.

[Egon the Monkey]

The trouble with pure fighters is that as a class all they can do is clobber something that's in front of them, and generally do it worse than other classes in EfU's setting because other classes have more class upgrades, loot and consumables access. I get the feeling we're barking up the wrong tree often with Fighter ideas. They don't lack for AB or even damage if they put their feats into it, they lack in everything else. Compare them with all the encouragements a Barbarian gets to not bother multiclassing, and the massive enhancement to their major class feature, Rage.

Rangers get wands, Paladins get wands, Barbarians get totems, Wilds loot, gear that complements their DI, all sorts of stuff. Fighters get nothing. Some equipment and consumables designed for pure fighters would go a long way.

Multiclasses tend to be taken to give access to wands, social skills, utility skills or Uncanny Dodge for finessers. The wands thing could be fixed with loot restricted to Fighters. The other skills, well how about Fighter Perks that effectively give you a free class skill? These would apply to pure Fighters only, and give you 1 rank in the chosen skill path for every 2 levels of Fighter. They would top up cross class skills to almost the same level as if they were a class skill. A Fighter would get two of these, effectively bringing him up to the 4 SP a level of Barbarians and Rangers. Rather than hardcoded skill bonuses, these would allow the class to be a lot more flexible without resorting to the old saw of "3 rogue levels"

Officer
"You have always led men, be them watchmen, thugs or soldiers. You have a way with inspiring them."
+1 Persuade per 2 Fighter levels.

Duelist
"In the field of single combat, you stand with the best. A feint here, a challenge there, and you have it all your own way."
+1 Taunt per 2 Fighter Levels.

Watchman
"You are the eyes on sentry duty, the expert patroller"
+1 Spot per 2 Fighter Levels

[Talir]

It's not at all a bad idea or decidedly hard to implement. But the different paths, if that's what you'd like, would require something defining for them and be more than just a single point in a skill every second level.

Or that's what I think anyhow.

[Egon the Monkey]

The idea is that Fighters would get 2 Skill Perks that would let them focus in what would otherwise be multiclass skills, and then another one that gives them some sort of novel bonus that would compare favourably to what you'd get by having Sneak Attacks, Bard Song, etc. I suppose they could always be combined. So... ton of ideas.

Officer
"You have always led men, be them watchmen, thugs or soldiers. You have a way with inspiring them."
+1 Charisma per 4 Fighter Levels
+1 Fear Saves per 3 Fighter levels
+1 Persuade per 2 Fighter levels.

Trailblazer
"Your ability to cut a path through the hard jungles of Ymph is unerring, and you are an expert at staying aware of its dangers"
Gain Tracking (Moderated by the fact you don't have any of the class skills for it or the ranger's Lore bonus to the Check)
+1 Poison Saves per 3 Fighter Levels
+1 Search per 2 Fighter levels.

Dance of Blades
"You disdain the heavy, clumsy combat of the armored knight, and prefer the swift dance of a sailor or fencer."
Gain Uncanny Dodge I, lose Heavy Armor Proficiency (Or feat disabled in heavy armor).
+1 Tumble per 3 Fighter Levels
+1 Taunt per 2 Fighter Levels

Polymath
"Your studies of combat are but one aspect among many of your quest for knowledge. You seek nothing less than perfection, and every day brings you closer"
+2 EFUSS Points per level
+1 Lore per 2 Fighter Levels

Crusader (Non-Evil Only)
"You are a bulwark of light on a dark island, a warrior sworn to hold back the tide of corruption"
+1 AB per 3 Fighter Levels vs Evil (Yes, sounds pretty strong but so is FE:Player Race)
+1 Fear Saves per 3 Fighter Levels
5% Negative DI

Grunt
"The manifest example of brawn over brains, for you muscle is always the answer to any given problem"
OOC Tool Item with the Crowbar power, to be RPed as smashing open doors/chests.
5% Physical Damage Immunity
+1 Intimidate per 2 Fighter Levels

[SanTelmo]

I enjoy fighter class the most from the warrior classes in NWN and I often find myself playing them. Although as EFU keeps characterizing all classes and giving them class-wise benefits to stay in class (For barbarian and rogue), I think Fighter could use the same as well. It is often only beneficial to take 4 or 6 fighter class levels and then multiclass to get access to wands or other perks. I dont see EFU either offering much item benefits or other benefits to pure warriors (there are some, yes but as Egon pointed out, they are not in the same extend as for other classes).

Fighters could use something to motivate staying in fighter class and help them appear as some who dedicate their lives to disciplined fighting-style or life-style, that clearly differs from that rogues, barbarians, rangers and paladins practice. Perks similar to rogues could be useful.

[Nihm]

I like the idea of pure fighters being more skilled with armor, shields, or weapons than the multiclasses, and being able to choose more development in one of those areas.

[The Tricksy Bird]

Something to make fighters have a little flair past level 4 or 6 seems like it could be a good idea.

[chezcaliente]

I like the flavour of Egon's suggestions. Pure fighter perks that give skill and/or save type bonuses to better capture your fighter's personality.

[cladwig1]

I play a fighter and what i have most difficult with is to find a good armor. I never seen a full plate or half-plate so far... Unless those fro sale at very high prices. It makes rangers or barbarians better because of that I think, but I dont know..

[Egon the Monkey]

It's been a feature since we moved out of the Underdark that Medium Armor is better if you can afford the Dexterity. You can pick up a good chainshirt for a couple of hundred GP and get 8 AC out of it with 14 Dex and Grace. 9-10 if you have tumble, 11 if you get your hands on a +1 chainshirt. +1 Chainmail etc is around too, and it's all fairly cheap. On the other hand expect to pay well over 1000 for mundane Fullplate or 4000 for custom, and you won't see +1 plates outside powerful DM loot. Most factions offer some sort of magic Full Plate to members, and that's considered a significant benefit of membership.

Something I think would definitely improve Fighters would be a shoploot set of affordable mundane Full Plate such as:

Shieldwall Plate (1000 Gold Pieces)
"This plate is extremely protective but complicated in design. Only an expert warrior could make good use of this armor.
//OOC: Do not use if you are a multiclass Fighter, unless it is a Prestige Class"
8 AC
Full Plate
Only Useable by: Fighter
Quality: Masterwork.

[lovethesuit]

I'd dip into Fighter for that, oh baby.

[Ebok]

Guard
"Sure, guarding this door or that bridge for hours on end isn't for everyone, but you're the exception. You actually enjoy it, watching the people that pass by, knowing how to spot trouble. That's cause you're the Guard."
+1 Wisdom per 4 Fighter Levels
+1 Listen per 2 Fighter levels
+1 Spot per 2 Fighter levels.

Mage Bound
"You exist to protect or combat practitioners of the Arcane. You  have undergone thorough training/blessings/tattooing that enable you to  preform this duty."
 See Invisibility 1/day at 8th
 +1 save vs mind-effecting per 3 Fighter Levels
 +1 Spellcraft  per 2 Fighter Levels

Trailblazer (another option)
"Your ability to cut a path through the hard jungles of Ymph is unerring, and you are an expert at staying aware of its dangers"
Gain Ranger/Druid movement speed increases within wilderness areas. Even in heavy armor.
+1 Poison Saves per 3 Fighter Levels
+1 Search per 2 Fighter levels.

[meow-mix]

These might seem OP. And they might be OP, but these would be level 8 pure fighter perks similar to rogues.
 
Mastery of Defense
You consistently have plunged into the deepest bloodshed of the fray, but unlike many others, you have returned alive.
 
- +1 dodge AC (persistent)
- 1x/day DR 20/+3 for 5 rounds.
 
Master of Single Combat
Two man enter, one man leave.
 
- 1x/day +2/+2 against a single marked target(probably target race), lasts for 10 rounds.
- 1x/day Suffer -75% movement speed, afflict target with -75% movement speed, lasts for 3 rounds (using tactics to prevent escape of single enemy).
 
Master of Command
Your presence on the field of battle strikes awe into ally and enemy alike.
 
- +5 intimidate (persistent)
- 1x/day Battletide (as clerical spell) for 8 rounds.

[Ebok]

Meow-mix, the idea was that these would be simple save/skill things gained a little bit at a a time throughout the leveled of the character.

[meow-mix]

Yeah, I read that.  But while that's...okay...this would be better.