# Feat selection for a two-handed weapon fighter



## comareddin

Hello everyone. I am building a goliath fighter that uses a huge greatsword. His stats at the moment are
STR:20
DEX:11
CON:17
INT:14
WIS:10
CHA:7

What feats would you suggest to be picked up by this fighter as he makes his way to the 10th level?


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## IcyCool

You use a huge greatsword?  Well then, your first feat should be Monkey Grip.  Otherwise you can't use that nifty sword.


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## Jdvn1

Just work your way through the Power Attack and Combat Expertise Chains.

Also, from the Draconomicon, there's a great feat called Sense Weakness.  It lets you ignore 5 points of all DR's.  Prereq's are Combat Expertise and Weapon Focus.


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## comareddin

Goliaths have the powerful build ability which allows them to wield weapons as if the goliath was a size large creature.

By the way, I am open to suggestions from any books.


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## Jdvn1

Right, that means they can use Large greatswords with no penalty.  You need Monkey Grip for the Huge.


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## Pinotage

comareddin said:
			
		

> Goliaths have the powerful build ability which allows them to wield weapons as if the goliath was a size large creature.
> 
> By the way, I am open to suggestions from any books.




Yes, but size large creatures still can only wield large two-handed weapons without penalty. If you want to use a huge greatsword, you'd require the monkey-grip feat. That's if the two of them stack.

Pinotage


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## Jdvn1

Powerful Build and Monkey Grip?  Yeah, they stack.


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## comareddin

Ok so I made a typo. My fighter is wielding a blade with two hands and that blade's base damage is 3d6. I don't really know if it counts as a large greatsword or huge greatsword.


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## dagger

Well if a human takes monkey grip he can use a large greatsword that does 3d6, so you are able to use the same weapon with no penalty. Out of curiosity what does 3d6 scale up to?


Some Feats:

Improved Buckler Defense (does work with a two handed weapon according to errata I saw on Wizards boards). If you don’t want to mess with that, then just buy an animated shield to up your armor class.

Power Attack, Cleave...

Find a 9th level wizard and have him enlarge you permanently, 10 ft reach and huge greatsword with no penalty. Then throw in combat reflexes or Whirlwind attack. OUCH

Improved Crit or a keen weapon.

Power Critical to make sure you confirm those crits.


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## Crothian

dagger said:
			
		

> Well if a human takes monkey grip he can use a large greatsword that does 3d6, so you are able to use the same weapon with no penalty. Out of curiosity what does 3d6 scale up to?




3d8


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## JoeGKushner

If the GM allows it, I think it's from both Feats by AEG and in Mongoose's Ultimate Feat Book, Two Handed Power Strike. It doubles your strength bonus instead of just 1.5.

Weapon Specialization, and some others, like Improved Sunder, will make you a weapon destroying machine.


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## nimisgod

Does Monkey Grip 3.5 and Powerful Build really stack? Their wording seems to imply otherwise...

And 3d6 scales to 4d6, IIRC


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## Thanee

There are scarcely few feats, which can compete with Power Attack/Cleave and Combat Expertise/Improved Trip for a two-handed fighter.

The Weapon Focus and Weapon Specialization standard feats are a given, anyways, as is Iron Will.

Combat Reflexes and Karmic Strike are also good to consider, if your AC is not overly high.

Bye
Thanee


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## Thanee

nimisgod said:
			
		

> Does Monkey Grip 3.5 and Powerful Build really stack? Their wording seems to imply otherwise...




IIRC they do not stack.

Bye
Thanee


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## Thanee

1: Power Attack (1st level)
1: Cleave (fighter bonus)
2: Weapon Focus (fighter bonus)
3: Iron Will (3rd level)
4: Weapon Specialization (fighter bonus) ~ +1 Con
6: Combat Expertise (6th level)
6: Improved Trip (fighter bonus)
8: Improved Toughness (fighter bonus) ~ +1 Str

Bye
Thanee


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## comareddin

What and where is Karmic Strike if I may ask?


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## HeavyG

dagger said:
			
		

> Find a 9th level wizard and have him enlarge you permanently




Goliaths are not affected by Enlarge Person. I don't think it's an accident that both races with Powerful Build that I know of (Goliath and Half Giant) can't be enlarged with that spell.

Of course, there's always Expansion if you're a Psychic Warrior, but that's very cheesy.


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## Jdvn1

Thanee said:
			
		

> IIRC they do not stack.



Oh, hm.  Saw some people make some builds and they stacked the two.  Guess they got it wrong.


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## Jdvn1

comareddin said:
			
		

> What and where is Karmic Strike if I may ask?



Complete Warrior.

IIRC, it gives you an AoO against anyone that hits you with a melee attack.  Or something like that.


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## JoeGKushner

Thanee said:
			
		

> IIRC they do not stack.
> 
> Bye
> Thanee




Why not? Page reference? I ask because I've used it for a half-giant psychic warrior and have allowed it to be used but didn't see anything that would necessarily get in the way of it.


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## comareddin

Well I did my selection for the first 6 levels. I thank all of you for your wonderful inputs.

1. Power Attack, Two-Handed Power Strike (From Mongoose Book *2 STR modifier)
2. Weapon Focus
3. Combat Expertise
4. Weapon Spec
6. Improved Disarm, Ironwill

The remaining I am undecided about but of course I have yet to play those levels


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## reveal

I have allowed this in a one-shot but, looking at them again, I don't think Powerful Build and Monkey Grip stack.

Goliaths are Medium creatures.

Monkey Grip states that "[y]ou can use melee weapons *one size category larger than you are* with a -2 penalty on the attack roll..." (Emphasis added)

Powerful Build states that "[a] goliath can use weapons designed for a creature one size larger without penalty." It does not actually state that the goliath is considered a size category larger when it comes to weapons, only when it comes to size modifiers on opposed checks and on special attacks made against the goliath.

So, technically, it looks like Monkey Grip is a wasted feat for the Goliath. He/she can already use a Large weapon without penalty.


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## JoeGKushner

That's a good interpetation.

I never thought of it like that.


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## Shin Okada

Should it definitely be a greatsword? With a level of Exotic Weapon Master class, a bastard sword tend to inflict more damages. For example, your Gliath with strength 20 will inflict 3d6+7 damages (average 17.5) with a greatsword, and 2d8+10 damages (average 19) with a bastard sword if he is an Exotic Weapon Master with Uncanny Blow trick.


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## Thanee

reveal said:
			
		

> So, technically, it looks like Monkey Grip is a wasted feat for the Goliath. He/she can already use a Large weapon without penalty.




Yeah, that's exactly the reason. They both are based on the size of the creature, not the size of weapon it can wield, therefore they both give exactly the same benefit, which does not do anything additional, if you have it twice. Can use large weapons + can use large weapons = can use large weapons. 

Bye
Thanee


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## Blacklamb

Shin Beat me to the Exotic Weapon Master/Uncanny Blow Idea, but it's really a must have IMO.


Blacklamb


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## R-Hero

Check out Jollydoc's Shackled City in Story Hour,  I was playing a goliath fighter/goliath liberator.  I just posted his stats.  Might be a good reference.

Consider burning a feat for exotic weapon prof and use a (Large) Goliath Greathammer. (exotic weapon in races of stone)

3d6+str bonus+magic bonus, Crits are x4     

17 level Ganguokia was toting,

*3d6+ 2d6+17 Damage     +3 Holy Adamantine Goliath Greathammer (Large) 
Critical 19-20x4       +2 to Sunder Attacks*

Awesome power coupled with power attack and the adamatine bypassed hardness on object smashing.


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## Trainz

dagger said:
			
		

> Improved Buckler Defense (does work with a two handed weapon according to errata I saw on Wizards boards). If you don’t want to mess with that, then just buy an animated shield to up your armor class.




I couldn't find it, but would very much like to see that errata. Link please ?


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## dagger

After 10 minutes of searching I can't find it, found this:

CruelDM  
Member   Join Date: Oct 2004 



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Quote:
Originally Posted by 3.5 PHB pg. 124
Buckler: This small shield is worn strapped to your forearm. You can use a bow or crossbow without penalty while carrying it. *You can also use your shield arm to wield a weapon (whether you are using an off-hand weapon or using your off-hand to help wield a two-handed weapon),* but you take a -1 penalty on attack rolls while doing so because of the extra weight on your arm. This penalty stacks with those that may apply for fighting with your off-hand or fighting with two weapons. In any case, if you use a weapon in your off-hand, you dont get the bucklers AC bonus for the rest of the round. 


So, as we can all clearly see, by the RAW, you can use a buckler when wielding a two-handed weapon, but if you do you suffer a -1 to attack with any weapon in your off-hand (including a two-handed weapon other than a bow) and lose the AC benefit for the rest of the round.

Improved Buckler Defense feat allows you to retain the AC benefit even if you use the off-hand to attack (yes even when attacking with a two-handed weapon). _


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## Trainz

Thanks, good enough for me.

I mean, I always felt that it would make as much sense (if not more) on a two hander than on a two weapon. You say it's errata, I beleive it.

Or _want_ to anyway...


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## Elephant

JoeGKushner said:
			
		

> If the GM allows it, I think it's from both Feats by AEG and in Mongoose's Ultimate Feat Book, Two Handed Power Strike. It doubles your strength bonus instead of just 1.5.
> 
> Weapon Specialization, and some others, like Improved Sunder, will make you a weapon destroying machine.




Personally, I'd go for Improved Disarm.  Improved Sunder breaks part of your loot, and after all, part of the game IS about "killing monsters and taking their stuff"


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## Darthjaye

Improved Buckler Defense is in the Complete Warrior


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