Crit Fiend (Fighter Build)

Crit Fiend

Human Fighter (Weapon Master Archetype)

The Crit Fiend is all about dealing damage and de-buffing his enemies, in that order. He achieves both of those objectives by getting critical hits through a high threat range and multiple attacks. To this end, the Crit Fiend uses dual wakazashis, weapons with d6 damage and a threat range of 18-20. After the threat range is doubled to 15-20 at level 8, the Crit Fiend is virtually guaranteed at least one critical on his multiple attacks when using his full round action to slice away. At higher levels, these criticals blind, stun, stagger, and bleed his enemies.

Feats

 1:   Exotic Weapon Proficiency: Wakizashi, Two-Weapon Fighting, Double Slice
 2:   Weapon Focus: Wakizashi  

 3:   Dodge

 4:   Weapon Specialization
 5:   Two-Weapon Defense

 6:   Improved Two weapon Fighting
 7:   Lunge
 8:   Improved Critical
 9:   Critical Focus
10:  Greater Weapon Focus: Wakizashi

11:  Bleeding Critical
12:  Greater Two Weapon Fighting
13:  Two-Weapon Rend

14:  Greater Weapon Specialization
15:  Blinding Critical
16:  Critical Mastery
17:  Staggering Critical

18:  Stunning Critical
19:  Iron Will

20:  Improved Iron Will

Attributes

The Crit Fiend is a specialist, but he requires both a high strength and a high dexterity to get moving. A high constitution will also help keep him alive. Charisma, Inteligence, and Wisdom are all potential dump stats, with Charisma being the dumpiest of them all.

Str>Dex>Con>Wis>Int>Cha. The only wrinkle here is that Dexterity must be at least 16, and must hit 19 by level 12.

Point Buy 15

STR:18 (16+2)
DEX: 16
CON: 14
INT: 7
WIS:8
CHA: 7

Point Buy 20
STR:18 (16+2)
DEX: 17
CON: 14
INT: 7
WIS:10
CHA: 7

Point Buy 25

STR:20 (18+2)
DEX: 17
CON: 14
INT: 7
WIS:8
CHA: 7

Attribute advancement:  Make sure you hit 19 dexterity by level 12, which means you must start with at least 16 dexterity.  You may want to bump that up to 20 at level 16.  Otherwise, just boost strength.

If you cannot start with at least 17 dexterity and 18 strength, then the Crit fiend is still a valid option. Favor strength over dexterity, and make sure that your dexterity is at least 15. You will be unable to qualify for some of the higher two weapon fighting feats, but take what you can, and replace what you can't. This is another approach to the Crit Fiend and almost as deadly.

Skills

To put it lightly, skills are not the Crit Fiend's specialty.  He will have a low intelligence score, and his 2 skills a level for being a fighter isn't really helping.  With 7 intelligence you get 2 skills.  Perception anybody?

How to Play

The Crit Fiend should always be using full round actions to attack with both his weapons. Because of this, moving around the battlefield will be a challenge - make sure to use your five foot steps strategically. If you have to enter combat adjactent to one enemy, try to step around him during combat to get ready to attack a second enemy when the first one falls.

Full round actions means less mobility around the battlefield. Try to reposition yourself with five foot steps - make sure that when you kill one enemy, you can tear into another enemy without using a move action.

The Crit Fiend is overly reliant on his specific fighting style - Dual wielding, with wakizashis. Because most of his feats either boost dual wielding or the wakizashi specifically, getting disarmed or fighting with alternate weapons poses more of a problem for the Crit Fiend then it does other fighters.

Obviously, the Crit Fiend will be significantly less effective against enemies that are immune to critical hits.

Traits

Reactionary: +2 to initiative.  Everybody loves initiative.

Carefully Hidden: +1 to Will saves (and a minor additional bonus)

What He Looks Like Each Level

(assuming no magic gear, 20pt buy)

Level 1: At Level 1, the Crit Fiend is already impressive.  He attacks at +3/+3, dealing d6+4 and critting on 18-20.  He has a 28% of scoring at least one threat each round.  He's got 13 hit points and 19/13/16 AC. +4 Fort, +3 Ref, +1 Will.  +5 Initiative.

Level 4: Attacks at +8/+8, dealing d6+7 damage and critting on an 18-20.  He has a 28% of scoring at least one threat each round.  He's got 40 hit points, and 20/15/15 AC.  Saves: 6/5/2

Level 8: Attacks at +13/+13/+8/+8, dealing d6+8 and critting on a 15-20. Has a 76% chance of scoring at least one threat each round.  76 hit points, 21/15/16AC.  Saves: 8/6/3.

Level 12: Attacks at +19+19/+14/+14/+9/+9 for d6+9 and critting on a 15-20.  Has a 88% chance of scoring at least one threat each round.  Each crit does 2d6 bleed damage.  112 hit points, 21/15/16 AC.  Saves: 10/8/5. (Against average AC, DPR: 44)

Level 16:  Attacks at +25/+25/+20/+20/+15/+15/+10 for d6+13 and critting on a 15-20.  If both hands hit, an additional d10+7 damage.  Has a 91% chance of at least one threat, and each crit blinds and does 2d6 bleed damage.  148HP, 21/15/16AC, 12/9/6 saves.

Level 20:  Attacks at +30/+30/+25/+25/+20/+20/+15 for d6+14 and critting on a 15-20.  If both hands hit, an additional d10+7 damage.  Has a 91% chance of at least one threat, and each crit does 2 of: blinds, stun, stagger 2d6 bleed damage.  184HP, 21/15/16AC, 14/11/9 saves.

Rationale

If we are dual wielding, why not use the Ranger? The simple explanation is feats. The Crit-fiend is going to eat up a lot of feats: Crit feats, Weapon specific feats such as focus and speicalization, and Two-Weapon fighting feats. Rangers simply cannot get that number of feats.

Why Humans? This build does not depend on a human to play it. However, gaining the extra feat right off the bat is nice, and the +2 to strength is key.

Why Two of the Same Weapon? There are many feats and abilities that will only effect one specific weapon, such as Weapon focus and the entire Weapon Master Archetype. By specializing in one weapon for both hands, we can double the effectiveness of those feats. Also the wakizashi is awesome.

Why the Wakizashi? Because it's awesome? Yes. The wakizashiis a light, d6 weapon with a crit range of 18-20/2. The fact that it is light makes it easier to dual wield, and the crit range is key. d6 damage isn't half bad either.

But the Wakizashi only has a x2 critical multiplier. Why not use something with x4? The important thing about this build is the critical range, not the critical multiplier. The wakizashi has a critical range of 18-20, and when that is doubled by improved critical it becomes 15-20. Scoring criticals allows the Crit Fiend to stagger, blind, stun, and bleed his opponent at higher levels. We have to favor scoring criticals over the damage they deal.

Okay, these feats mostly make sense. But Lunge? The Crit Fiend is going to have some trouble moving around the battlefield, given that he should use full round actions to make his attacks. Lunge helps make sure that he can make attacks without using move actions.

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