Below is the variant suggested for my earlier Greatsword Master that maximizes WM levels for better AB. Through level 27 the build is more or less equivalent to Greatsword Master v1, except it takes Overwhelming Critical later and Dev Crit must wait until level 28. If one were only planning on topping the character out around level 27 (e.g. playing through SoU/HotU from level 1) then I still recommend the earlier build as it delivers Dev Crit by level 24 for maximal opportunity to use it in the campaign.

However, if one were shooting for the top at level 40, then this variant of the build is recommended--you get +6 to your AB at a cost of only 60 hit points and a slightly reduced Will save.

You can pretty much use this as a template for any single-wield or two-handed weapon master. With the v2 variant, even small races starting at Str 16 don't need much adjusting, as they will still have Str 23 in time for Overwhelming Crit and Str 25 in time for Dev Crit.

As usual, this is a build for fun, not perfection. Enjoy.

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Greatsword Master v2

Level-by-level Advancement:
F#=Fighter level, WM#=Weapon Master level
C=Concentration, D=Discipline, I=Intimidate, H=Heal, L=Listen, Sp=Spot, T=Tumble, sv=save points
(*optional skill or feat)

1. Elven Fighter (any alignment) -> Str 18 Dex 13 Con 12 Int 13 Wis 8 Cha 8 > D4 I2 T2 | Dodge, Weapon Focus (greatsword)
2. F2 -> D1 sv2 | Mobility
3. F3 -> D1 I1 T1 | Expertise
4. F4 -> +Str > D1 sv2 | Weapon Specialization (greatsword)
5. F5 -> D1 I1 T1
6. F6 -> C1* D1 H1* | Spring Attack, Whirlwind Attack
7. WM1 -> D1 T1 | Weapon of Choice (greatsword)
8. WM2 -> +Str > D1 L1* Sp1*
9. WM3 -> D1 T1 | Improved Critical (greatsword)
10. WM4 -> D1 L1* Sp1*
11. WM5 -> D1 T1
12. WM6 -> +Str > D1 L1* Sp1* | Toughness
13. WM7 -> D1 T1
14. WM8 -> D1 L1* Sp1*
15. WM9 -> D1 T1 | Power Attack
16. WM10 -> +Str > D1 L1* Sp1*
17. F7 -> D1 T1
18. F8 -> C1* D1 H1* | Cleave, Great Cleave
19. F9 -> D1 T1
20. F10 -> +Str > C1* D1 H1* | Blind-Fight*
21. F11 -> D1 T1 | Epic Weapon Focus (greatsword)
22. F12 -> C1* D1 H1* | Epic Weapon Specialization (greatsword)
23. WM11 -> D1 T1
24. WM12 -> +Str > D1 L1* Sp1* | Great Strength I
25. WM13 -> D1 T1 | Overwhelming Critical (greatsword)
26. WM14 -> D1 L1* Sp1*
27. WM15 -> D1 T1 | Great Strength II
28. WM16 -> +Str > D1 L1* Sp1* | Devastating Critical (greatsword)
29. WM17 -> D1 T1
30. WM18 -> D1 L1* Sp1* | Great Strength III
31. WM19 -> D1 T1 | Epic Prowess
32. WM20 -> +Str > D1 L1* Sp1*
33. WM21 -> D1 T1 | Great Strength IV
34. WM22 -> D1 L1* Sp1* | Armor Skin
35. WM23 -> D1 T1
36. WM24 -> +Str > D1 L1* Sp1* | Great Strength V
37. WM25 -> D1 T1 | Epic Toughness I
38. WM26 -> D1 L1* Sp1*
39. WM27 -> D1 L1* Sp1* | Great Strength VI
40. WM28 -> D1 L1* Sp1* | Epic Toughness II

Breakpoints:
(*some values assume optional feats/skills were chosen as above)
!Mundane full plate and mundane greatsword assumed equipped!

@13: Elven Fighter 6/Weapon Master 7 -> Str 21 Dex 13 Con 12 Int 13 Wis 8 Cha 8 > C1* D16 H1* I4 L3* Sp3* T8 >> AC 20 BAB 13 Fort 8 Refl 8 Will 3 HP 66-156 greatsword (+20/+15/+10 | dmg 11-21 threat 15-20/x3 crit 33-63)

@20: Elven Fighter 10/Weapon Master 10 -> Str 23 Dex 13 Con 12 Int 13 Wis 8 Cha 8 > C3* D23 H3* I4 L5* Sp5* T11 >> AC 21 BAB 20 Fort 11 Refl 11 Will 5 HP 87-240 greatsword (+28/+23/+18/+13 | dmg 13-23 threat 15-20/x3 crit 39-69)

@27: Elven Fighter 12/Weapon Master 15 -> Str 26 Dex 13 Con 12 Int 13 Wis 8 Cha 8 > C5* D30 H5* I4 L7* Sp7* T15 >> AC 22 BAB 24 Fort 14 Refl 14 Will 8 HP 108-324 greatsword (+37/+32/+27/+22 | dmg 20-30 threat 15-20/x3 crit 61-96)

Fin: Elven Fighter 12/Weapon Master 28 -> Str 34 Dex 13 Con 12 Int 13 Wis 8 Cha 8 > C5* D43 H5* I4 L15* Sp15* T20 >> AC 23 BAB 30 Fort 21 Refl 21 Will 15 HP 187-520 greatsword (+53/+48/+43/+38 | dmg 26-36 threat 15-20/x3 crit 79-114) Is there a reason for elf ebing the race you picked? I would say human offers a lot more in the form of more skill points and an extra feat. Just curious.
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Click Here No reason you can't change to a human and benefit from an extra feat at 1st level and another 43 skill points to use as ye please. Cross-classing spellcraft could be a good idea to help boost spell saves.

The human can also choose to take exotic weapon prof, and then specialize in bastard sword (or katana) rather than greatsword. This gives you a bit less damage output, but lets you fight with a shield for better AC.

Or the human could specialize in the scythe with his exotic prof. This gives him at level 40 with a mundane scythe 2d4+18(1.5x Str bonus)+2(Weapon Spec)+4(Epic Weapon Spec)=26-32 dmg per hit, with a crit threat of 17-20/x5 (16-20/x5 if keen) and crit damage of 133-178.

Other races wishing to go exotic (esp. halflings and gnomes who want to wield bastard swords or katanas instead of longswords) will have to shuffle feats around (delaying weapon specialization until post WM levels unless they want to take their WM levels from 11-20 instead of 7-16, and probably sacrificing Blind-Fight).

My recommendation for the halflings and gnomes who want to 2h wield a slashing weapon is to go with the scimitar for the extra crit range. At 40th level (Str 32, assuming they started with Str 16), they'll do 1d6+16(1.5x Str bonus)+2(Weapon Spec)+4(Epic Weapon Spec)=23-28 dmg per hit, with a crit threat of 13-20/x3 (10-20/x3 if their scimitar is keen), and crit damage of 70-90. They'll be critting a lot though.

If they wish to go the exotic route and wield a katana or bastard sword, they'll do 1d10+16+2+4=23-32 dmg per hit, with a crit threat of 15-20/x3 (13-20/x3 for keen) and crit damage of 70-102. Give a shorty a dwarven waraxe focus, and their crit threat will be 17-20/x4 (16-20/x4 if keen) and they'll score 98-140 dmg crits.

I chose elf because I like the image of a slender elf with a greatsword his height and half again slung over his shoulder. I've also played a hobbit katana master, but he went with a build more along the lines of the fighter-heavy Greatsword Master v1 build (33 fighter/7 WM). Also, if you're playing non-evil, you could always make levels 17-22 Champion of Torm instead of fighter. You couldn't take concentration as a class skill at those levels (although you don't really have many points in it to begin with), but you'd get +3 to all of your saves.

Steve Maybe consider dropping 3 WM levels for 3 rogue?

-DaMouse Instead of dropping 3 WM levels, drop a min of 2 and up to 4 fighter levels and change them with Rogue. I usually play 8 FTR/ 4 RGE/ 28 WM.

Rooker
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With great strength comes great power. Benefit from more than 3 rogue? benefit from those 3 extra WM?

-DaMouse

Edited By DaMouse404 on 03/18/05 06:46

Every 3 WM is +1 to AB. 3 or 4 rogue depends on what skills I plan on having and if I need more skill points than what I could get with just FTR or WM.
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With great strength comes great power. Erm....

Rogue levels placed propperly in your level progression mean 40 tumble which translates to +4 AC, assuming that you get it cross classed in a non rogue build, otherwise its +8AC and evasion (which is always nice). This guy doesn't need +4AC or Evasion to dish out damage.
Quote: Posted 03/19/05 09:10:03 (GMT) -- Nukenin

This guy doesn't need +4AC or Evasion to dish out damage.

But for the loss of 1 feat and 1 AB they're very nice for making him be able to deal the damage without taking so much

-DaMouse I'd actually tried to edit that and elaborate to great detail, but alas, I didn't complete the edit in time and the bulk of my ranting and rambling was lost to the ether.

Suffice it to say that the build is really meant for tackling the NWN OC or SoU/HotU or other PvM modules, and in those endeavours, there has never been a pressing need for maximizing tumble (indeed, in some incarnations the character didn't even bother with tumble period), and the character's HP totals serve as an effective sponge for trap damage and the other sorts of damage that one would normally have subjected to the benefits of Evasion.

On the other hand, if the player feels like mixing in a desired amount of rogue or other class levels to tailor to his or her tastes, it is a fairly easy template to alter here or there. IMHO it'd be more fun to return the char to a 7 WM levels only base and then mix fighter/rogue levels close to 50/50. And get Improved Knockdown, as you're not going to be getting sneak attacks from hiding--you're going to get sneak attacks from standing above the foe you just knocked to his backside.

Anyway, I think that is the gist of what I'd posted.
Quote: Posted 03/19/05 09:10:03 (GMT) -- Nukenin

This guy doesn't need +4AC or Evasion to dish out damage.
Mobs on the PW I play on get to around +65bab (bosses and wondering epic spwns even higher) for a damage avg rate of over 60hp; and usually have an hp oh easily over 2k.

In cases like this the +4ac will be highly useful.
Quote: Posted 03/23/05 13:42:02 (GMT) -- Khandahr

Mobs on the PW I play on get to around +65bab (bosses and wondering epic spwns even higher) for a damage avg rate of over 60hp; and usually have an hp oh easily over 2k.

In cases like this the +4ac will be highly useful.

With AB like that, a plate-wearer is going to get hit regardless. Mobs like that are probably meant to be tackled by groups rather than a single tries-to-do-everything über-character. In the group situation, this character's role is simply to dish out melee damage and absorb melee hits for the healers to deal with.

Of course, on a server where every PC is expected to be level 40 with Tumble 40, neither this character nor any other will really be exciting to play, in the long run. I suggest a server where the typical PC is expected to spend much of his or her time in the low teens. A lot more challenging and exciting. All strictly IMHO.