NEVERWINTER NIGHTS 2: MASK OF THE BETRAYER - FIGHTER FAQ By: HamsterSensei 18/10/2007 Version 1.2 ========== TABLE OF CONTENTS: I. Introduction II. Races III. Stat distribution IV. Skills V. Feats VI. Multi-classing VII. Sample Builds VIII. Contact Info IX. Version History X. Credits XI. Permissions and Copyright ========== I. INTRODUCTION The following contains an assortment of considerations and tips for building epic level fighter characters in NWN2: MotB. The addition of Epic levels in the expansion opens up many new avenues of opportunity, and the addition of new feats and incredibly high BABs significantly alters the balances of previous builds. Although much of the following will likely be self-evident to many experienced RPG-gamers, I hope that it may be of interest and use to some. Playing MotB as a fighter-based character is at once one of the most straightforward and enjoyable experiences. Your companions are good supporters who will complement your frontline strength well, and there is a natural satisfaction to playing the role of the protagonist who faces enemies head on, steel against steel. Having said that, with the flexibility and diversity of fighter-based builds possible, playing a fighter-based character is not necessarily the simplest or most routine. Gone are the days when all a fighter had to do was put on the heaviest armour, march to the frontline and swing repeatedly until everything evil was vanquished. Epic characters can, and should, do more than that. When playing a fighter-based character, the first choice facing you is what kind of fighter to opt for. The fighter is such a basic role that almost all classes can use fighter-levels as a minor multi-class, but that is not our concern here. At the same time, the fighter will rarely stand to gain from focusing exclusively on fighter-levels, as most of the benefits of taking fighter levels are gained with the 12th fighter level, after which there is a steep curve of diminishing returns. The first question to ask therefore, is what kind of fighter to play, which in effect means which multi-classes to select! Three basic strategies suggest themselves, and will form the basis of the discussions of this guide: Build A. Strength-based fighter using two-handed weapons Build B. Balanced fighter using dual-wield Build C. Dexterity-based fighter using missile weapons (i.e. longbow) As we go through each of the sections of this guide, I will discuss these three types of builds in turn. ========== II. RACES The first choice we face is which race to pick. A couple of special builds will face particular constraints (e.g. Dwarven Defender), but we will leave aside these and focus on fighters more generally. Multi-classing is an important concern here, so it is worth bearing in mind, because of the XP-penalties accrued by multi-classing outside of favoured classes. Remember, though, that prestige classes do not count in this respect, so you need worry only about base classes. That means that any race with fighter as a favoured class is a definite advantage, as is (of course) the human ability to take any class as a favoured class. Other classes that will often be used as multi-classes include Bard, Wizard, Sorcerer, and Cleric, so these can also be important, depending on which direction we want to go. Secondly, it�s worth looking at stat bonuses and penalties. It is generally safe for fighters to ignore penalties to wisdom and charisma, while penalties to intelligence, dexterity and constitution can be important dependent on the build. Any fighter will prefer a bonus to strength and should avoid penalties. Finally, some races come with handy racial abilities which can be both fun to play with and useful, although in most cases they are not crucial enough to alter a decision based on the two other concerns. What races suit our builds then? RACES FOR BUILD A: Earth Genasi: +2 Str, +2 Con, -2 Wis, -2 Cha, which are all but ideal stats, and favoured class fighter. Nice but not crucial perks include darkvision and acid resistance 5. Merge with stone is irrelevant (it absorbs a staggering 20 points of damage�). At only +1 level adjustment, this is a very good choice for a build A fighter. Wood Elf: +2 Str, +2 Dex, -2 Con, -2 Int, slightly less ideal as constitution and intelligence are more important than wisdom and charisma, but still a good stat distribution. Favoured class is ranger, which is no help, but with no level adjustment this is still a good choice for a build A fighter. Half-Orc: +2 Str, -2 Int, -2 Cha, which is pretty good. It would have been nice to get an even balance of points (2 positive vs. 4 negative means less points overall) and favoured class is barbarian, but at least you get darkvision in return and no level adjustment. Honourable mention also goes to Human and Shield Dwarf, although neither is as suited as the races above. RACES FOR BUILD B: Air Genasi: +2 Dex, +2 Int, -2 Wis, -2 Cha. It would have been great to have a bonus to strength instead of intelligence, but still a good distribution. In addition, the favoured class is fighter, and they get both Darkvision and Electricity resistance 5 as perks for +1 level adjustment. Drow: +2 Dex, +2 Int, +2 Cha, -2 Con � snatch the points from charisma and put them in strength, bump dexterity and keep constitution at 12. Favoured class is wizard, which is not ideal, but Drow do get the incredibly useful Spell Resistance to make up for it. Level adjustment is +2, which is painful, but still within reason. Wood Elf: +2 Str, +2 Dex, -2 Con, -2 Int. Wood Elf becomes even stronger as a build B type warrior, because the +2 Dex help you bump dexterity. Favoured class of Ranger can make for interesting Ranger- based dual-wielders, but they do not concern us here. Tiefling: +2 Dex, +2 Int, -2 Cha. Favoured class is rogue, which is why it ranks lower than Air Genasi, but you do get the same perks with darkvision and infernal resistance for the same +1 level adjustment. Honourable mention to Wild Elf and Moon Elf for the dexterity bonus, and to Human for the extra feat, which dual-wielders need more than build A fighters. Finally, don�t underestimate the atypical Shield Dwarf build � dual-wielding Dwarven Waraxes is fun! RACES FOR BUILD C: Drow: +2 Dex, +2 Int, +2 Cha, -2 Con � Drow are a natural first, as the high intelligence and favoured class wizard combines well with multi- classing to Arcane Archer (AA). In addition, Drow get the incredibly useful Spell Resistance. Level adjustment is +2, which is painful, but still within reason. Air Genasi: +2 Dex, +2 Int, -2 Wis, -2 Cha. Air Genasi are a close second, mainly because they cannot become AA (restricted to elves/half- elves). However, with the favoured class as fighter, the field is wide open, e.g. to Rogue combinations, and they still get both darkvision and Electricity resistance 5 as perks for +1 level adjustment. Wood Elf: +2 Str, +2 Dex, -2 Con, -2 Int, slightly less ideal as constitution and intelligence are more important than wisdom and charisma, but still a good stat distribution. Favoured class is ranger, which is no help in this case, although you could make interesting and similar Ranger-based builds with a Wood Elf. Honourable mention to Tiefling, Human and the other Elves, all of which can also be used. In addition, a build C fighter is one of the few roles I think Halflings could be useful in. In that case, go with Strongheart Halfling for the extra feat. ========== III. STAT DISTRIBUTION Depending on your style of play you may want to concentrate or spread out your stats. In the OC, it is often more enjoyable to be a jack-of- all-trades, to get the most from the game. In the following I will adopt the opposite approach: we want to concentrate stats for maximum efficiency and specialization. This means focusing on the relevant stats and lowering irrelevant stats. This is more viable in MotB because your companions can make up for your lack of abilities, even during conversations, etc. Needless to say, in multiplayer, spreading out is even less relevant. When assigning stats it is worth keeping stat progression during the game in mind: You will get 7 stat upgrades (levels 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24 and 28), but you can also raise stats with the Epic feats. In the end, only even numbers matter in most cases (although most feats require odd numbers), so aim for that. STATS FOR BUILD A: A fighter using a two-handed weapon lives by his strength, so your overall goal is to get this as high as possible. Any leftover points should go first to constitution for the hit points, and secondly to intelligence. You will not need more than 12 dexterity, as you will want to wear full plate (although Mithral full plate allows Dex 16 +3). This is well within range of regular magic stat modifiers, so keeping Dex at 8 or 10 is fine. Example: Earth Genasi Fighter A Str 20 +5 (16 points) Dex 8 -1 (0 points) Con 18 +4 (10 points) Int 14 +2 (6 points) Wis 6 -2 (0 points) Cha 6 -2 (0 points) Strength will be raised all 7 points to 27, and may receive even more points from Epic Feats. Intelligence is 14 for the extra skill points, some of which will go into Spellcraft to off-set the wisdom penalty to will-saves. Alternatively, if you aim to include Weapon Master (WM) you will need to raise dexterity to 13 for Dodge, lowering strength and constitution accordingly. Example: Earth Genasi Fighter A w. WM Str 19 +4 (13 points) Dex 13 +1 (5 points) Con 17 +3 (8 points) Int 14 +2 (6 points) Wis 6 -2 (0 points) Cha 6 -2 (0 points) STATS FOR BUILD B: A dual-wielding fighter needs very high dexterity, as well as strength, and so will have to lower constitution in return. Your end goal is dexterity 25 for Perfect Two-Weapon Fighting, combined with however much strength you can manage. On top of that you will probably want to include Weapon Master (WM) in your build, although there are viable dual-wielders without, which makes min. 13 intelligence mandatory. This makes lowering charisma and wisdom even more of a necessity. Example: Air Genasi Fighter B Str 16 +3 (10 points) Dex 19 +4 (13 points) Con 13 +1 (5 points) Int 14 +2 (4 points) Wis 6 -2 (0 points) Cha 6 -2 (0 points) Dexterity is set to 19 as the highest practical score. It will receive the first 6 ability score upgrades to get to 25 and Perfect Two-Weapon Fighting, the last point (and preferably one or more Epic feats) going to increase strength. Constitution has received a spare point as there are plenty of constitution bonus items that give odd-numbered bonuses (e.g. Boots of Hardiness +3, which takes constitution to 16 +3). Alternatively, you could drop WM from your build, and focus even more on strength. Example: Wood Elf Fighter B without WM Str 19 +5 (13 points) Dex 19 +4 (13 points) Con 10 +0 (4 points) Int 10 +0 (2 points) Wis 8 -1 (0 points) Cha 8 -1 (0 points) STATS FOR BUILD C: Fighters using missile weapons require high dexterity, to the exclusion of all else, with constitution and intelligence as secondary and tertiary stats. Strength can be kept low, as the various Girdles of Giant Strength will usually be sufficient to take advantage of any Mighty property of your bow. Intelligence is also kept high to take advantage of any wizard levels included for Arcane Archer (AA), although remember that AA is restricted to elves. Example: Drow Fighter C Str 10 +0 (2 points) Dex 20 +5 (16 points) Con 14 +2 (10 points) Int 14 +2 (4 points) Wis 8 -1 (0 points) Cha 10 +0 (0 points) All 7 points from ability score upgrades will go into dexterity, to bring it to 27 +8. Not much alternative here, as far as I can tell. You could drop intelligence and constitution slightly to bump strength, to make the build more versatile (i.e. close combat suited), but it is probably better to outsource that role altogether. ========== IV. SKILLS A number of skills can be important, but they tend to be the same for all three builds, so we will simply look at the most important skills, the moderately important skills and the least important, under those three groupings. THE MOST IMPORTANT FIGHTER BUILD SKILLS: Tumbling: Free AC bonus! What is not to like? Put at least 10 ranks into it, and if your multi-classing opens it up as a class skill then keep pumping it up to 30 ranks for +3 AC. In addition, the ability to avoid attacks of opportunity is useful if your build does not include Spring Attack (e.g. for WM). Spellcraft: Bonus to all Saves vs. spells, which is pretty much every save worth worrying about. 5 ranks equals +1, which is one of the reasons why it is much more efficient to invest in intelligence and spend points here, even as a cross-class skill, than to keep wisdom high. PARTIALLY USEFUL SKILLS: Diplomacy/Bluff/Intimidate: Useful in the OC, of course, for roleplaying purposes. Appraisal: It never hurts to get things cheaper when you shop. Also useful in some situations for roleplaying in the OC. Lore: Useful for roleplaying purposes, and a pre-requisite of Red Dragon Disciple, which is a strong Prestige Class option. Concentration: Potentially useful in some multi-classing builds. Heal: Potentially useful in some modules/campaigns/etc. where resting is restricted. Spot/Listen: Potentially useful, for detecting hidden enemies. Perform: If you can get it, e.g. by multi-classing to Bard, then even low levels of Perform will give useful aura bonuses. Use Magic Device: If you can get it, then it opens up the use of scrolls, wands, etc. with just a few ranks. SKILLS TO AVOID: Parry: Not useful, unless you plan to do a Duelist build, which falls outside the scope of this guide. With the proper Duelist build, it can be deadly. Taunt: No. Just no� Craft Weapon/Armour/anything�: Get your slaves/employees/companions to do this, instead of wasting valuable skill points yourself. ========== V. FEATS Getting the right feats, and not getting the wrong ones because you level up in the wrong order, is the essence of designing a proper build. You want to make sure that the feats you really need become available to you as soon as possible, but on the other hand you do not want to be stuck picking a feat you do not really need because the ones you want are not on the list yet. Let�s look at the feats that are essential for each of the three builds, and the minimum requirements to get them. GOOD FEATS FOR ALL FIGHTERS INCLUDE: Luck of Heroes: +1 AC & +1 Save (only at level 1) Blind Fight: To actually hit all the concealed enemies (note: included in RDD builds) Weapon Focus, Greater Weapon Focus, Epic Weapon focus: bonus to Hit (level 1, Fighter level 8 and level 21) Weapon Specialization, Greater Weapon specialization, Epic Weapon Specialization (Fighter level 4, Fighter level 12 and level 21) LESS IMPORTANT, BUT USEFUL FEATS INCLUDE: Armour Skin: +1 AC. Not as useful as Luck of Heroes, but a decent pick if you can afford it. (Level 21) Dodge: Particularly if aiming at WM. (Dex 13) Epic Resilience: no auto-fail for Saves on a natural 1. The ability to avoid failing a saving throw on a natural 1 is great. Unfortunately, the requirements of this feat are so high as to make it a very late- comer, at which point there may be more important feats to take, and at epic levels opponents who throw spells could easily have DCs high enough to make you fail on a 1 even with this feat. (Epic Toughness) Epic Prowess: +1 to Hit. Less important than it might look, but worth including if you have a spare feat. (level 21) Power Critical: When you can hit someone, you can usually also hit them again. More useful than Improved Critical though. Toughness, Epic Toughness: Not nearly as useful as you would think � maximum 30HP, or about half of an average enemy attack when you�re epic level - although if you have the extra feat handy� (Note: Toughness is included in FB builds) FEATS THAT YOU SHOULD PROBABLY AVOID: Improved Critical: You are going to use a Keen weapon instead. If nothing else, get a Scabbard of Keen Edges and cast it yourself. Improved Initiative: Very few fights are resolved over who rolls the highest initiative. Monkey Grip: Using a Tower Shield with a Halberd is fun, but if you want to use a shield then you will make better use of a feat by taking Exotic Weapon Proficiency and using Bastard Sword or Dwarven Waraxe. Exotic Weapon Proficiency: Generally not worth it � Scimitars are better than Bastard Sword/Katana against foes that take crits, and only marginally worse against foes that do not (1-6 vs. 1-10). This small difference can be important in the early levels, but becomes insignificant at epic levels. Improved Parry: See Parry skill. Mobility, Spring Attack: Take Tumble skill instead. Only take them if needed as requirements for WM. Combat Expertise, Feint, Disarm, Whirlwind attack, Called Shot: Not worth it. You will rarely, if ever, want to use them. Combat Expertise is the most useful if you have to select one. (Most require Int 13) Skills and Saves Feats (All): You will never want to pick a Skills and Saves feat, except perhaps to meet the requirements of a prestige class. If you have to select one, then Able Learner is probably the most useful, allowing you to purchase non-class skills cheaper. Expose Weakness: No. Even if you somehow managed to get Evasion, this is not worth it. With e.g. Dex 30 +10 you are sacrificing 4 to 6 attacks to deal 50 damage over 5 rounds and get +3 to hit. If it worked like Ki Damage or Smite Evil, then perhaps. Overwhelming Critical: The slight bonus (typically +3.5 or 7 to critical damage) is not worth it. Great Constitution: Epic Toughness is better � it corresponds roughly to two feats of Great Constitution, so what is there to doubt? FEATS FOR FIGHTER A: Power Attack, Improved Power Attack: These work well for strong two- handed weapon-wielders, i.e. fighter A. Essential for any build including Frenzied Berserker (FB)! Cleave, Great Cleave: With less attacks than a dual-wielder, it helps to get free attacks from Cleave and Great Cleave. (Str 13, Power Attack) Great Strength: Yes. As many as possible. But make sure to end up with an even number. In addition, consider that Dodge, Mobility, Spring Attack, Combat Expertise and Whirlwind Attack are all required for WM. FEATS FOR FIGHTER B: Two-Weapon Fighting, Improved Two-Weapon Fighting, Greater Two-Weapon Fighting, Perfect Two-Weapon Fighting: Mandatory for dual-wielders. (Dex 13; BAB +6, Dex 15; BAB 11, Dex 19; level 21, Dex 25) Great Strength: Yes. As many as possible. But make sure to end up with an even number. Two-Weapon Defence, Improved Two-Weapon Defence: Bonus to AC while dual-wielding is useful, but should be weighed against e.g. Luck of Heroes and Armour Skin, which are similar but better. (Dex 15; BAB +6, Dex 17) In addition, consider that Dodge, Mobility, Spring Attack, Combat Expertise and Whirlwind Attack are all required for WM. (Dex 13 & Int 13) FEATS FOR FIGHTER C: Great Dexterity: Yes. As many as possible. But make sure to end up with an even number. Point Blank Shot, Rapid Shot, Improved Rapid Shot: Mandatory for Fighter C. (Dex 13) Mobility: Much more useful here, to avoid attacks of opportunity when firing in close combat Improved Critical: There are no keen bows� Manyshot: Less useful than Rapid Shot, but required for Improved Rapid Shot. Weapon Finesse: In case you want to fight with a Rapier. But then, why would you want that? One Shot: Probably not worth it - from the description I get the impression that it works similar to Expose Weakness, i.e. as a full attack action, although I have not tested it. If it worked like Ki Damage or Smite Evil, then it would be incredible! But better than Manyshot if you have spare feats. (level 21, Dex 27) ========== VI. MULTI-CLASSING With 30 levels to play with, and the ability to select up to four classes, multi-classing is where all the rave is these days. As a class, fighters do not benefit much from progressing beyond level 12, where they can select Greater Weapon Specialization, and after which you typically end up having to pick several feats you do not need, simply because you have already taken everything you do need. Thus, the most obvious choice is to multi-class. There are plenty of different routes to take, but some lend themselves more easily to a strong build than others. Let us look at a few. ARCANE ARCHER: AA is for Fighter C what WM is for Fighter B. With high BAB but moderate HP (8/lv) and good skill points (4/lv) it is a strong class to round off your capabilities, added to which its unique bonuses are almost mandatory for an archer. Requirements: Take 1 level of Wizard, including the rat, rabbit or Weasel familiar for a bonus to saves. Bonuses: +5 to all arrows at AA lv9; various secondary abilities. BLACKGUARD: Blackguard is normally a great way for Rogue-based builds to increase their fighting skills, as well as for evil characters in general to play an anti-paladin. But why bother with it as a more classic fighter? The single, and very persuasive, reason is the Epic Divine Might feat. While traditional Divine Might was rarely worth it for fighters, requiring that they boost charisma when they could get better value with strength, the doubling (!) of the length and bonus of Epic Divine Might makes it a viable option. Especially because it means that you get to add +8 dam from your charisma boosting magic item, on top of the +4 to +9 dam from the strength-enhancer that most fighters will wear. A good-aligned version is also possible with Paladin instead of Blackguard, although you will often have to work your way around the alignment requirements of Paladin (Lawful), as they conflict with e.g. FB and Bard (non-lawful) through roleplaying to achieve the requisite alignment losses and gains. Using Paladin will also force you to spend an extra level to obtain Divine Shield. As the only class ruled out by an alignment requirement of Evil is Paladin, the choice seems obvious�Go Blackguard! Requirements: 5 Hide, Power Attack, Cleave Bonuses: Epic Divine Might: +2 x Cha to dam(!), Divine Shield, Save bonuses and +1d6 Sneak Attack as perks. FRENZIED BERSERKER: A powerhouse�A powerhouse gone mad! With 12 HP/lv this is already a good choice, and the special feats are a wonder for Fighter A, bumping two-handed weapon damage into the extreme. Requirements: Nothing beyond the recommended feats for Fighter A. Bonuses: Toughness, Supreme Cleave and Enhanced Power Attack at lv5. Frenzy is useless, as it does not stack with magic bonuses and you will be wearing equipment which works better than the frenzy (and doesn�t deal damage to you every round�). You could also go all the way to lv10 for Supreme Power Attack, but 5 levels for +4 dam are probably not worth it. RED DRAGON DISCIPLE: Taking your strength waaaaaay beyond normal, RDD is a fantastic choice for both Fighter A and B. Requirements: Lore 8, and 1 Bard level. Take Perform 3-5 (depending on Cha), so you can activate Inspire Courage for +1 to Hit and Dam. Bonuses: +8 Str, +2 Con, +2 Int, +2 Cha, +4 AC at lv10. Perks include a firebreath attack, the Blindfighting feat, darkvision, and immunities to sleep, paralysis, fear and fire! RDD is an incredibly powerful prestige class, and with 30 levels you have got plenty of room to fit it in. In fact, it is so powerful that it is hard to see how either Fighter A or B can build better without it. If you plan to include it, remember that this can affect your starting stats, because you can lower e.g. Int by 2 and pick it up at RDD lv9. This makes it easier to meet the requirements of e.g. WM�Note also that you should try to get to RDD lv9 as fast as possible, as the +2 Int will give you an extra skill point for every level thereafter, i.e. potentially +16 skill points (Fighter 4, Bard 1, RDD 9) at level 30. WEAPON MASTER: Weapon Master will make your critical damage sky-rocket, which is great against enemies that take crits, and practically useless against enemies that do not. The OC is full of enemies that do not, which in combination with its extremely high requirements makes it less of an obvious choice than it otherwise would be, but it remains a powerful option for both Fighter A and B. Requirements: Intimidate 4, and practically every bloody feat in the game� Bonuses: +1 Crit multiplier, +2 Crit range, +1 to hit and Ki Damage (which is less useful at higher levels where most of your damage tends to be static bonuses, rather than dice rolls). CLASSES THAT YOU PROBABLY SHOULD NOT WORRY ABOUT: Most builds that include other Base classes are better conceived as e.g. Cleric builds with Fighter levels (for the BAB and feats), than as Fighters. These do not concern us here, but let us look at other potential prestige classes: Blackguard / Divine Champion: Both of these get bonuses from charisma, and thus tend to require more specialized builds that emphasize this stat. Duelist: Similar in many ways to Fighter C, but requires a very different approach. Dwarven Defender: A very strong choice for Dwarves, but also requires a more specialized approach, somewhere between Figher A and B. Eldritch Knight: Better for Wizard-based builds. Harper Agent: High requirements and very little bonuses to saves. Pass it over. Neverwinter Nine: Better suited to Rogues, for the +2d6 Sneak attack at lv3, but not very interesting for anyone. Shadowdancer: Very good for a fighter/rogue type build similar to Fighter B, with a couple of levels in Rogue to help meet the requirements, and all 10 levels of Shadowdancer combined with e.g. Fighter 10 and WM 7, or Fighter 12 Invisible Blade 5. But requires a more specialized approach. ========== VII. SAMPLE BUILDS FIGHTER A: EARTH GENASI Fighter 14, Bard 1, Red Dragon Disciple 10, Frenzied Berserker 5 This is an extremely solid build, with an easy and enjoyable progression. All of the main abilities are in place by level 20, after which it is simply a matter of picking up epic feats with the fighter levels to improve on the existing abilities. Strength enhancing magic items, full-plate armour and as vicious a Greatsword as possible will complete the picture, but anything giving Dex +4 is also a good addition. Variations with Greataxe as Weapon Focus are equally viable. Level 1: Level 30: Key stats: Str 20 +5 38 +14 HP: 536 Dex 8 -1 8 -1 Un-armoured AC: 18 Con 18 +4 20 +5 BAB: 26 = 6 att./rnd. Int 14 +2 16 +3 AB: +40, Damage: 2-12 +47 Wis 6 -2 6 -1 (w. non-magic Greatsword using Imp. Power att.) Cha 6 -2 8 -1 Fort 26, Reflex 10, Will 13 Notable skills: Tumble 30, Spellcraft 30, Appraisal 15 (30 optional skill points) Progression: 1: Fighter � Luck of Heroes, Weapon Focus: Greatsword 2: Fighter 2 � Power Attack 3: Fighter 3 � Cleave 4: Fighter 4 � Weapon Specialization: Greatsword, +1 Str 5: Bard 1 � Perform 4 for Inspire Courage, Increase Lore to 8 6: RDD 1 � Great Cleave 7: RDD 2 8: RDD 3 - +1 Str 9: RDD 4 � Improved Power Attack 10: RDD 5 � (Blindfight) 11: RDD 6 12: RDD 7 � Power Critical: Greatsword (optional), +1 Str 13: RDD 8 14: RDD 9 15: RDD 10 � Combat Expertise (optional) 16: FB 1 � (Toughness), +1 Str 17: FB 2 18: FB 3 � Improved Combat Expertise (optional) 19: FB 4 20: FB 5 - +1 Str 21: Fighter 5 � Armour Skin 22: Fighter 6 � Epic Prowess 23: Fighter 7 � Great Strength I 24: Fighter 8 � Greater Weapon Focus, +1 Str 25: Fighter 9 � Epic Weapon Focus 26: Fighter 10 � Epic Toughness 27: Fighter 11 � Great Strength II 28: Fighter 12 � Greater Weapon Specialization, +1 Str 29: Fighter 13 � Great Strength III 30: Fighter 14 � Epic Weapon Specialization FIGHTER A: AASIMAR DIVINE MIGHT VARIANT Fighter 16, Blackguard 4, Frenzied Berserker 10 (Thanks to Kitano for bringing this build to my attention) The Aasimar build here is a variation on Fighter A that uses the extremely powerful Epic Divine Might feat to dramatically increase both offensive and defensive abilities. In addition, it is a fun and thoroughly evil build that will give you a good excuse to try taking the route of maximum mayhem. You could also hold FB after the first 5 levels (lv 14), and either develop a fourth class or take more Fighter levels. Strength, constitution and charisma enhancing magic items, full-plate armour and as vicious a Greatsword as possible will complete the picture, but anything giving Dex +4 is also a good addition. Variations with Greataxe as Weapon Focus are equally viable. Level 1: Level 30: Key stats: Str 18 +4 24 +7 HP: 320 Dex 8 -1 8 -1 Un-armoured AC: 11 Con 9 -1 9 -1 BAB: 30 = 6 att./rnd. Int 10 +0 16 +3 AB: +36, Damage: 2-12 +40 Wis 10 +0 6 -1 (w. non-magic Greatsword using Imp. Power att.) Cha 19 +4 24 +7 Fort 28, Reflex 16, Will 17 Notable skills: Tumble 10, Spellcraft 10, Appraisal 8 (16 optional skill points) NB. Note that buffing with Epic Divine Might and Divine Shield will raise damage by +14 and AC by +7, for an un-equipped character, and by +22 dam and +11 AC for a character using +8 Cha enhancing items. This makes it competitive with the Earth Genasi build: The Aasimar has less HP and a lower AB, but does more damage and has higher AC. Progression: 1: Fighter � Luck of Heroes, Weapon Focus: Greatsword 2: Fighter 2 � Power Attack 3: Fighter 3 � Cleave 4: Fighter 4 � Weapon Specialization: Greatsword, +1 Str 5: Fighter 5 6: Fighter 6 � Great Cleave 7: FB 1 � (Toughness) 8: FB 2 - +1 Str, Hide to 5 9: FB 3 - Improved Power Attack 10: BG 1 11: BG 2 12: BG 3 � Divine Might, +1 Str 13: FB 4 14: FB 5 15: BG 4 � Divine Shield 16: FB 6 � +1 Cha 17: FB 7 18: FB 8 � Blindfight 19: FB 9 20: FB 10 - +1 Cha 21: Fighter 7 � Epic Divine Might 22: Fighter 8 � Greater Weapon Focus 23: Fighter 9 � Great Strength I 24: Fighter 10 � Epic Weapon Focus, +1 Cha 25: Fighter 11 � Great Charisma I 26: Fighter 12 � Greater Weapon Specialization 27: Fighter 13 � Great Strength II 28: Fighter 14 � Epic Weapon Specialization, +1 Cha 29: Fighter 15 � Great Strength III 30: Fighter 16 � Epic Prowess (Armor Skin optional alternative) FIGHTER B: AIR GENASI Fighter 12, Bard 1, Red Dragon Disciple 10, Weapon Master 7 The trickiest thing about this build is getting in the Weapon Master requirements, while reserving as many Fighter levels as possible, and still getting Epic Weapon Specialization. To do the latter, it is necessary to hold either WM 7 or RDD 10. The latter turns out to be preferable, despite the high bonuses, because RDD has Spellcraft as class skill. This makes for a more uneven progression, which may prove more challenging, but which is devastating when complete. Put 2 high-quality scimitars in the hands of this guy (or gal), and he (or she) is basically ready to go (or�no, wait�). Most armour will inhibit almost as much as aid, so a good alternative is Bracers of Dexterity combined with some kind of robe or clothing. Girdles of Giant Strength and anything with a constitution bonus are also high on the list. Finally, a Ring of Improved Evasion will work extremely well, due to the high Reflex Save. Level 1: Level 30: Key stats: Str 18 +4 28 +9 HP: 316 Dex 19 +4 25 +7 Un-armoured AC: 27 (while dual-wielding) Con 9 -1 11 +0 BAB: 26 = 12 att./rnd.(!) Int 12 +1 14 +2 AB: +40, Damage: 1-6 +15 Wis 6 -2 6 -2 (w. non-magic Scimitars) Cha 6 -2 8 -1 Fort 18, Reflex 22, Will 14 Notable skills: Tumble 30, Spellcraft 30, Appraisal 4 (8 optional skill points) NB. If you feel you are running low on HP with this build, it is perfectly possible to lower initial strength to 16 and use some of the 6 points to raise constitution. Progression: 1: Fighter � Luck of Heroes, Weapon Focus: Scimitar 2: Fighter 2 � 2-Weapon Fighting 3: Fighter 3 � Dodge 4: Fighter 4 � Weapon Specialization: Scimitar, +1 Dex 5: Bard 1 � Perform 4 for Inspire Courage, Lore 8 6: RDD 1 � Mobility 7: RDD 2 8: RDD 3 - +1 Dex 9: RDD 4 � Spring Attack 10: RDD 5 � (Blindfight) 11: RDD 6 12: RDD 7 � Improved 2-weapon Fighting, +1 Dex 13: RDD 8 14: RDD 9 15: Fighter 5 � Combat Expertise 16: Fighter 6 � Whirlwind Attack, +1 Dex, Intimidation 4 17: WM 1 18: WM 2 � Greater 2-Weapon Fighting 19: WM 3 20: WM 4 - +1 Dex 21: WM 5 � Armour Skin 22: WM 6 23: WM 7 � 2-Weapon Defence 24: Fighter 7 - +1 Dex 25: Fighter 8 � Greater Weapon focus, Perfect 2-Weapon Fighting 26: Fighter 9 27: Fighter 10 � Epic Weapon Focus, Great Strength I 28: Fighter 11 - +1 Str 29: Fighter 12 � Greater Weapon Specialization, Epic Weapon Specialization 30: RDD 10 FIGHTER B: DROW DIVINE MIGHT VARIANT Fighter 15, Bard 1, Red Dragon Disciple 10, Blackguard 4 Making a dual-wielding fighter capable of using Epic Divine Might is just barely possible, if you build with a Drow and take RDD. The end bonuses will be slightly lower than for a fighter A, but with 12 attacks instead of 6 the average output of Epic Divine Might will be substantially higher. As is, damage will be increased by Epic Divine Might to 1-6 +25, but with a +8 Cha enhancer, it will be 1-6 +33, with non-magic scimitars! On the other hand overall defence will be lower than the Fighter A version, as it is difficult to fit Divine Shield into the build. Even so this Drow champion of Lolth is a dangerous fighter indeed! As with above, high-quality scimitars are the highest priority � AB is pretty low for a fighter, so base enhancements will be important to increase to hit. Most armour will inhibit almost as much as aid, so a good alternative is Bracers of Dexterity combined with some kind of robe or clothing. Girdles of Giant Strength and anything with a constitution bonus are also high on the list. Finally, a Ring of Improved Evasion will work extremely well, due to the high Reflex Save. Level 1: Level 30: Key stats: Str 14 +2 22 +6 HP: 376 Dex 18 +4 25 +7 Un-armoured AC: 28 (while dual-wielding) Con 12 +1 14 +2 BAB: 26 = 12 att./rnd.(!) Int 10 +0 12 +1 AB: +35, Damage: 1-6 +13 Wis 8 -1 8 -1 (w. non-magic Scimitars) Cha 18 +4 22 +6 Fort 28, Reflex 24, Will 20 Notable skills: Tumble 30, Spellcraft 5 (note: Tumble was prioritized over Spellcraft due to the high inherent SR of Drow) Progression: 1: Fighter � Luck of Heroes, Weapon Focus: Scimitar 2: Fighter 2 � Power Attack 3: Fighter 3 � Cleave 4: Fighter 4 � Weapon Specialization: Scimitar, +1 Dex 5: Bard 1 � Perform 3 for Inspire Courage, Lore 8, Hide 5 6: RDD 1 � 2-weapon Fighting 7: RDD 2 8: RDD 3 - +1 Dex 9: RDD 4 � Improved 2-weapon Fighting 10: RDD 5 � (Blindfight) 11: RDD 6 12: RDD 7 � 2-weapon Defense (optional), +1 Dex 13: RDD 8 14: RDD 9 15: RDD 10 � Improved 2-weapon Defense (optional) 16: BG 1 � +1 Dex 17: BG 2 18: BG 3 � Divine Might 19: Fighter 5 20: Fighter 6 - Greater 2-Weapon Fighting, +1 Cha 21: Fighter 7 � Epic Divine Might 22: Fighter 8 - Greater Weapon focus 23: Fighter 9 � Greater Dexterity 24: Fighter 10 - Epic Weapon Focus, +1 Dex 25: Fighter 11 � Greater Dexterity II 26: Fighter 12 - Greater Weapon Specialization 27: Fighter 13 � Perfect 2-weapon Fighting 28: Fighter 14 - Epic Weapon Specialization, +1 Cha 29: Fighter 15 � Epic Prowess 30: Fighter 16 - Armour Skin FIGHTER C: DROW Fighter 20, Wizard 1, Arcane Archer 9 This is a build supremely focused on archery. More versatile and ultimately more powerful builds may be possible by adding more Wizard levels, or even throwing in a different prestige class (e.g. Shadowdancer for Uncanny Dodge). But this basis should work well for most. With the monumental dexterity most armour is out of the question, so look for good magical robes or clothing to supplement the abilities. Additionally, any Longbow with high damage is welcome, while to hit bonuses are less important as they are not really needed. Strength enhancement may be needed, depending on whether the weapon of choice has Mighty or not. Also note that Spellcraft is a lot less important, making it possible to pick up some other skills, as the natural SR of the Drow will ward off almost anything. On the other hand, immunity to Fear or Mind-influences could be important, due to the low Will Save. Level 1: Level 30: Key stats: Str 10 +0 10 +0 HP: 396 Dex 20 +5 28 +9 Un-armoured AC: 22 Con 14 +2 14 +2 BAB: 29 = 7 att./rnd. (with Imp. Rapid Shot) Int 14 +2 14 +2 AB: +47, Damage: 1-8 +11 Wis 8 -1 8 -1 (w. non-magic longbow and non-magic arrows) Cha 10 +0 10 +0 Fort 20, Reflex 21, Will 10 Notable skills: Appraisal 15, Spellcraft 10, Spot 20, Tumble 10, Use Magic Device 15 (80 optional skill-points) Progression: 1: Fighter � Luck of Heroes, Weapon Focus: Longbow 2: Wizard 1 � Rabbit familiar (+1 all saves) 3: Fighter 2 � Point Blank Shot, Dodge 4: Fighter 3 - +1 Dex 5: Fighter 4 � Weapon Specialization: Longbow 6: Fighter 5 � Rapid Shot 7: Fighter 6 - Manyshot 8: AA 1 - +1 Dex 9: AA 2 � Improved Critical: Longbow 10: AA 3 11: AA 4 12: AA 5 � Improved Rapid Shot, +1 Dex 13: AA 6 14: AA 7 15: AA 8 � Mobility 16: AA 9 - +1 Dex 17: Fighter 7 18: Fighter 8 � Greater Weapon Focus: Longbow, Blindfight 19: Fighter 9 20: Fighter 10 - Power Critical: Longbow, +1 Dex 21: Fighter 11 � Armor Skin 22: Fighter 12 - Greater Weapon Specialization 23: Fighter 13 � Epic Weapon Focus 24: Fighter 14 � Epic Weapon Specialization, +1 Dex 25: Fighter 15 � Greater Dexterity I 26: Fighter 16 � Epic Prowess 27: Fighter 17 � One Shot 28: Fighter 18 � Weapon Finesse, +1 Dex 29: Fighter 19 � Toughness 30: Fighter 20 � Epic Toughness ========== VIII. CONTACT INFO. You can mail comments, critique and helpful suggestions to: [email protected] Be sure to include �MotB Fighter FAQ� in the subject, or you risk getting sorted as junk-mail. ========== IX. VERSION HISTORY 1.1 � corrected some typos and miscalculations. Added information from Kitano on Epic Divine Might oriented builds, and two BG-based examples. 1.0 � first version uploaded to GameFaqs on October 13 2007. ========== X. CREDITS I have shamelessly let myself be inspired by (i.e. stolen from) a number of FAQs, mostly posted on GameFaqs.com. Mad props to Dan Simpson for writing superior FAQs for almost every great RPG on the market. We miss you Dan, where are you? Credits also to G Admiral Thrawn who has a useful Fighter FAQ for Neverwinter Nights and Captain KO who has a useful Fighter FAQ for Neverwinter Nights 2. Thanks to Kitano for pointing out the advantages of Epic Divine Might and how to take advantage of them with Paladin or BG. Thanks to Shawn Xu for pointing out an error in the Fighter B: Air Genasi build. ========== XI. PERMISSIONS AND COPYRIGHT This Document is Copyright 2007 by HamsterSensei Neverwinter Nights 2 is Copyright 2006 by Atari/Obsidian Mask of the Betrayer is Copyright 2007 by Atari/Obsidian This FAQ may be posted on any site so long as NOTHING IS CHANGED and you EMAIL ME telling me that you are posting it. You may not charge for, or in any way profit from this FAQ.