FAVORED CLASS BONUS
For each fighter level you attain, gain:
+1 to hp total:
Adding to your hit points helps you
Feat chains are series of feats that build on each other, such as Mobility/
Dodge/Spring Attack; the last feats in such chains are often quite powerful, and your abundance of available feats allows you to work through the chain more quickly than characters of other classes.
BRUTE
(PAGE 17) SHIELD FIGHTER
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LEVELING UP
The next few pages explain the abilities you get at 2nd level and higher. Some of these abilities are just additions to your 1st-level abilities, and are noted in a Level Up bar: additional hit points and skill ranks, and increases to your base attack bonus, Fortitude save bonus, Reflex save bonus, and Will save bonus.
The information about what you gain at each level is also presented as Table 3–9: Fighter on page 56 of the Core Rulebook.
HP SKILL RANKS BAB FORT REF WILL
1d10 + Con 2 + Int +1 +1 — —
Your hit points increase by 1d10 + your Constitution modifier. Unlike at 1st level, you must roll for these hit points.
You also gain a number of skill ranks equal to 2 + your Intelligence modifier. If you’re human, don’t forget the bonus skill rank per level.
Your base attack bonus and Fortitude save bonus each go up by 1.
Bonus Feat: You gain a combat feat. Consider one of those suggested at 1st level.
Consider the Cleave feat if you don’t already have it, or Quick Draw (to draw your weapon as a free action) if you do.
If your Dexterity is 15 or higher, consider Two-Weapon Fighting, which allows you to attack with both your weapon and your shield on your turn. If not, consider Combat Reflexes (if you’re tired of enemies running past you), Quick Draw (to draw your weapon as a free action), or Step Up (to follow a moving opponent).
Bravery +1: This ability gives you a +1 bonus on saves against fear.
2nd Level
HP SKILL RANKS BAB FORT REF WILL
1d10 + Con 2 + Int +1 — +1 +1
Feat: You gain another feat. You could choose a combat feat, or improve some other aspect of your character, such as boosting one of your weaker saving throws (with Iron Will or Lightning Reflexes), adding to one or more skills (with feats like Athletic or Skill Focus), increasing your hit points (with Toughness), or improving your maneuverability (with Nimble Moves and Acrobatic Steps).
Consider the Great Cleave feat if you often fight many opponents at once, or Step Up to pursue a moving target. Great Cleave works just like Cleave, but there’s no limit to the number of enemies you could hit in one swing—great if you’re crowded in!
If you have Two-Weapon Fighting, consider Improved Shield Bash—it lets you keep the shield’s Armor Class bonus when you attack.
If not, consider Combat Reflexes or a feat suggested earlier for your theme.
Armor Training 1: You become more maneuverable while wearing armor. Reduce your armor’s armor check penalty by 1 (to a minimum of 0) and increase its maximum Dexterity bonus by 1. Medium armor no longer slows your movement.
3rd Level
HP SKILL RANKS BAB FORT REF WILL
1d10 + Con 2 + Int +1 +1 — —
Ability Score Increase: You gain a permanent +1 increase to one ability score of your choice. This should be added to an ability score that’s important to you—like Strength or Constitution —especially if you have an odd number in either of them, as your modifier increases at even numbers.
Bonus Feat: Choose Weapon Specialization with your main weapon. This increases your damage with that weapon by +2 and allows you take even better feats at higher levels.
4th Level
As a fighter, you should pay close attention to the weapons and armor available to you as you advance in level. Choosing your abilities (such as weapon training) carefully and tailoring your selections to the magic weapons you’ve found while adventuring will give you an edge in combat and ensure that your feats and class features don’t go to waste.
FIGHTER
Many of the feats available to fighters involve improving your skills with a particular weapon or a particular facet of combat (such as critical hits). While it might be tempting to try to be good at everything, choosing a focus can help you become an unstoppable force in battle.
HP SKILL RANKS BAB FORT REF WILL
1d10 + Con 2 + Int +1 — — —
Feat: You gain another feat.
Weapon Training 1: Find your melee weapon in the list of weapon groups (Core Rulebook 56) and select that weapon group. This ability gives you a +1 bonus on attack and damage rolls when using any weapon in that group, as well as on combat maneuver checks (see page 132) while using any weapon in that group and to Combat Maneuver Defense (see page 115) against weapons of that group.
5th Level
HP SKILL RANKS BAB FORT REF WILL
1d10 + Con 2 + Int +1 — +1 +1
Feat: You gain another feat. Consider Critical Focus, especially if your weapon’s critical threat range is 19–20 or 18–20.
Weapon Training 2: The bonus for the weapon group you chose at 5th level increases by 1. You also get to pick a second weapon group and gain a +1 bonus for that group as well; consider choosing whatever group your ranged weapon belongs to, or choose the close weapon group if you’re using a shield.
9th Level
HP SKILL RANKS BAB FORT REF WILL
1d10 + Con 2 + Int +1 — — —
Feat: You gain another feat.
Armor Training 2: Your armor training ability improves, reducing your armor’s armor check penalty by 1 (to a minimum of 0) and increasing its maximum Dexterity bonus by 1. Heavy armor no longer slows your movement.
7th Level
HP SKILL RANKS BAB FORT REF WILL
1d10 + Con 2 + Int +1 +1 +1 +1
Attack Bonus: Now that your base attack bonus is +6, you gain a second attack (at an attack bonus of +1) whenever you make a full attack (see page 122). From now on, any bonuses to your BAB apply to this attack as well.
Bonus Feat: You gain a combat feat. If your Dexterity is at least 13, consider Dodge to increase your Armor Class. Dodge also unlocks other useful feats like Mobility and Spring Attack.
Consider Improved Bull Rush (which allows you to push opponents) or Improved Overrun (which lets you move through opponents).
If you’re often making shield bash attacks, consider Double Slice (which allows you to add your full Strength bonus on those attacks), Improved Two-Weapon Fighting (which gives you a second attack with your off-hand weapon), or Shield Slam (which allows you to push opponents with a shield bash). Otherwise, look over the feats recommended for lower levels.
Bravery +2: Your bravery bonus against fear attacks increases by 1.
6th Level
HP SKILL RANKS BAB FORT REF WILL
1d10 + Con 2 + Int +1 +1 — —
Ability Score Increase: You gain a permanent +1 increase to an ability score of your choice.
Bonus Feat: You gain a combat feat. Greater Weapon Focus increases your attack bonus with your main weapon and is required if you want Greater Weapon Specialization at 12th level.
If you’re having an easy time hitting but want to deal more damage, consider Improved Critical to increase how often you threaten a critical hit.
If you prefer to boost defense instead of offense, consider Greater Shield Focus to increase your Armor Class by an additional 1 when using a shield.
8th Level
HP SKILL RANKS BAB FORT REF WILL
1d10 + Con 2 + Int +1 +1 — —
Bonus Feat: You gain a combat feat. Spellbreaker is a useful feat for killing enemy spellcasters. Otherwise, consider Weapon Focus or Weapon Specialization with a ranged or backup weapon.
Consider the Lunge feat to give yourself more reach and mobility in battle (as you don’t have to move as far to get opponents into range of your weapon). Dazzling Display lets you show off an impressive weapon maneuver to give multiple enemies a fear-based –2 penalty on attacks, saves, and checks. This also unlocks Shatter Defenses for later, which lets you slip past enemies or attack them without their Dexterity bonus to AC.
Consider Greater Weapon Focus or Greater Shield Focus—whichever one you didn’t choose at 8th level.
Bravery +3: Your bravery bonus against fear attacks increases by 1.
10th Level
HP SKILL RANKS BAB FORT REF WILL
1d10 + Con 2 + Int +1 — — —
Attack Bonus: Now that your base attack bonus is +11, you get a third attack (at an attack bonus of +1) whenever you make a full attack (see page 122). From now on, any bonuses to your BAB apply to this attack as well. If you have Vital Strike, using that feat is even more effective with a third attack to give up.
Feat: You gain another feat. Consider increasing your damage output with Improved Vital Strike (which is a better version of Vital Strike), debilitating your opponents with a critical feat (such as Bleeding Critical or Sickening Critical), or making progress on a feat chain (like Dodge/
Mobility/Spring Attack or Power Attack/Bull Rush/Greater Bull Rush).
Armor Training 3: Your armor training ability improves, reducing your armor’s armor check penalty by 1 (to a minimum of 0) and increasing its maximum Dexterity bonus by 1.
If you make shield bash attacks, Shield Master negates your two-weapon fighting penalties with the shield, and lets you add your shield’s defensive enhancement bonus on your attack roll.
11th Level
HP SKILL RANKS BAB FORT REF WILL
1d10 + Con 2 + Int +1 +1 +1 +1
Ability Score Increase: You gain a permanent +1 increase to an ability score of your choice.
Bonus Feat: You gain a combat feat. Consider selecting Greater Weapon Specialization to increase your favorite weapon’s damage by an additional +2. Consider selecting Penetrating Strike if you want to be more effective at fighting monsters with damage reduction. If you have a critical feat, consider selecting a second one, as that will unlock Critical Mastery once you reach 14th level.
12th Level
HP SKILL RANKS BAB FORT REF WILL
1d10 + Con 2 + Int +1 — — —
Feat: You gain another feat. Staggering Critical is a great option for slowing down deadly opponents.
Weapon Training 3: The bonuses for all your current weapon groups increase by 1. You get to pick a third weapon group and get a +1 bonus for that group as well. Consider choosing a backup melee weapon with a different damage type (bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing) than your main melee weapon.
13th Level
HP SKILL RANKS BAB FORT REF WILL
1d10 + Con 2 + Int +1 +1 — —
Bonus Feat: You gain a combat feat. If you have at least two critical feats, consider Critical Mastery, which lets you apply two critical effects per critical hit.
Bravery +4: Your bravery bonus against fear attacks increases by 1.
14th Level
FIGHTER
When selecting feats for a high-level fighter, look to of the feats that are at the end of a chain of feats, like Stunning Critical. These feats are some of the most powerful in the game—and as a fighter, you’re able to add a number of them to your character.
HP SKILL RANKS BAB FORT REF WILL
1d10 + Con 2 + Int +1 — +1 +1
Feat: You gain another feat. Consider Blinding Critical, as fighting a blinded opponent gives you a significant advantage.
Armor Training 4: Your armor training ability improves, reducing your armor’s armor check penalty by 1 (to a minimum of 0) and increasing its maximum Dexterity bonus by 1.
15th Level
HP SKILL RANKS BAB FORT REF WILL
1d10 + Con 2 + Int +1 +1 — —
Ability Score Increase: You gain a permanent +1 increase to an ability score of your choice.
Attack Bonus: Now that your base attack bonus is at +16, you gain a fourth attack (at an attack bonus of +1) whenever you make a full attack (see page 122). From now on, any bonuses to your BAB apply to this attack as well.
Bonus Feat: You gain a combat feat. If you have Penetrating Strike, consider upgrading to Greater Penetrating Strike to bypass even more enemy damage reduction.
16th Level
HP SKILL RANKS BAB FORT REF WILL
1d10 + Con 2 + Int +1 — — —
Feat: You gain another feat. Stunning Critical is a powerful choice and available for the first time at this level.
Weapon Training 4: The bonuses for all your current weapon groups increase by 1. You get to pick a fourth weapon group and get a +1 bonus for that group. By this point, you have probably already selected groups for your favorite weapons, so feel free to pick something unusual.
17th Level
HP SKILL RANKS BAB FORT REF WILL
1d10 + Con 2 + Int +1 +1 +1 +1
Bonus Feat: You gain a combat feat.
Bravery +5: Your bravery bonus against fear attacks increases by 1.
18th Level
HP SKILL RANKS BAB FORT REF WILL
1d10 + Con 2 + Int +1 — — —
Feat: You gain another feat.
Armor Mastery: You gain DR 5/— (see Damage Resistance on page 127) whenever you’re wearing armor or using a shield.
19th Level
HP SKILL RANKS BAB FORT REF WILL
1d10 + Con 2 + Int +1 +1 — —
Ability Score Increase: You gain a permanent +1 to an ability score of your choice.
Bonus Feat: You gain a combat feat. If you don’t have Improved Critical with your main weapon, consider selecting it now, as your weapon mastery ability relies on threatening critical hits.
Weapon Mastery: Choose your main weapon for this ability, which automatically confirms critical hits, increases the critical hit damage multiplier by 1, and prevents you from being disarmed of that weapon.
20th Level
WEAPON AND ARMOR PROFICIENCIES
You are proficient with a modest selection of simple, martial, and exotic weapons, many of which you can use with the flurry of blows class ability. You’ll benefit from having a weapon or two that deal different types of damage than your unarmed strikes, so grab a kama or siangham. Don’t forget a ranged weapon; although you’re usually fighting on the front lines, circumstances might make it hard to reach your enemies.
Don’t worry about armor or shields; you can’t use them effectively, and they interfere with many of your class abilities.
ABILITY SCORES
Monks balance many ability scores, often prioritizing Strength to hit harder and Wisdom to evade attacks and gain more ki. Dexterity is important because monks don’t wear armor, as is Constitution in case you’re hit.
MONK
Monks are highly trained martial artists and peerless acrobats. The monk class’s huge variety of abilities allows you to play an unarmed warrior or a fast-striking master of simple yet deadly weapons.