Being a competent 6th-9th level melee guy in 3.5E D&D.

[Lago PARANOIA]

I haven't played in a good long while.

What feat chains, magical items, and multiclass/PrC combinations should my character invest in to be good at fighting in melee?

Elusive Target seems almost mandatory, but I really don't care for how it requires two crappy feats to start out with and isn't available to 3/4ths BAB character until level 9.

[Grek]

Be a druid and wildshape into something nasty.

[Lago PARANOIA]

No druids. No polymorph. No stat replacement. No wish economy. No tome feats. No money loops. I don't want to hear any flippant garbage either like 'use planar binding' or 'melee is for losers! Be a cleric archer.' or 'if you really want to be effective, spam AoE save or dies'.

Also, no frenzied berserkers or spirited chargers or pounce antics or multi-limbed madness.

That's not helpful. I'm aware of the limitations, just answer my damn question.

[Prak]

well, the feats I can immediately think of are 3.0, but your gm may allow them, the OA/S&F martial antics feats Circle Kick, Roundabout Kick, Flying Kick, etc. They're meant for a monk, and you have to be a monk for Mantis Leap, I think, but if they were put on a better chasis, like something with full BAB, who could blow a feat on Improved Unarmed Strike to qualify for them, they could lead to something pretty damned good. Add in ward cesti to up your unarmed damage to something reasonable, add in TWF, maybe... that could lead to something interesting.

And honestly, this is the least my mind can think of. There are probably much better "increase your unarmed damage" weapons out there in other splats.

[TheFlatline]

Beg your DM for a vorpal whip.

1d2 subdual or it cuts your head off (hey, it works, it's a slashing weapon)

I'm completely not serious here.

[MfA]

So is this to serve as a textbook example of how not to ask questions like this or something?

(No mention of what books, starts to list limitations as suggestions are made ... I'm sure the "no Tome of Weeaboo fightan magic" is coming up next, etc.)

PS. I guess it's a joke I'm missing.

[RobbyPants]

Is there some other way to rate this? Do you know what the rest of the group looks like? What kind of power level are you looking for?

For instance, is Power Attack, Leap Attack, and Shock Trooper okay? Without pounce you're only charging with one attack. I don't know how much damage you want to be able to do per round.

Tripping is kind of fun, but it's already losing effectiveness by that level.

I suppose you could to a Hexblade/Paladin of Tyranny mix to make a decent debuffer melee guy. If you didn't mind blowing two feats on crap you could throw two levels of Black Guard into there for more +Cha to saves, netting you x2 Cha to saves and x3 Cha vs spells and SLAs. But that's a lot of investment just to get good saves.

What exactly do you want?

[Josh_Kablack]

Core 3.5, with those restrictions your basic options are:

Cleric armor max. Mithral Breastplate/Full Plate, big shield, magic vestment x2 up all day, amulet of natural armor, and opening most fights with shield of faith or prot vs evil. to push your AC to around 30 this makes you really hard for most appropriate CR monsters smaller than huge to hit plus you have healing and the ability to cure most status ailments.Your melee offense is still kinda buff-spell dependent and there are still critters that will take you down with a full attack routine.

Multiclassed polearm wielder. Does it give +1 BAB? great, then take the first 2 levels of it.Ftr 2, BBN 2 Ranger 2 Whatever PRCs you can get 1/2 etc Split your feats between defense, polearming/mobility melee and occasionally using your bow, have a power attack optimization chart handy and you're almost viable. If you're used to Tome games it's painful, and you really really want the casters to throw some buffs your way, but it's playable.

[Echoes]

Human Fighter 6 (pref. Goliath if you can swing LA buyoff).

Feats/Class Features

1) Jotunbrud (if Human), Power Attack, Improved Bull Rush
2) Dungeon Crasher I
3) Knock Back
4) EWP: Spiked Chain
6) Shock Trooper, Dungeon Crasher II

The basic premise here is that you run forward and smash people in the face, sending them flying, preferably into a wall (or the ground, if you can fly), dealing 8d6+3xStr mod damage on top of your wtfpwned charge. You can actually bull rush things, since your check is (assuming Str 18 w/ a +2 item): 5 (Str) + 4 (size) + 4 (Imp. Bull Rush) + 12 (Knockback with a 2-handed weapon) + 2 (charging) = +27, or +29 if Goliath is used. For comparison, a Gargantuan monstrous centipede (CR 6) has a +18 bonus to it's opposed Strength check for bull rushes, and that's the highest I've found in the MM at CR 6.

If Flaws are allowed, Combat Expertise, Imp. Trip, and (eventually) Knock-Down. Incorporating Combat Reflexes + Stand Still later on with the above means that so long as things can't teleport (or they decide to stand as a full-round action), once you knock them down they stay prone while you beat on them (slamming them into the floor each time, no less).

Extended to 20th (yes, a Fighter 20 build, because I'm lazy).

Assumes Goliath w/ LA Buyoff and 2 flaws.
01 - Fighter 1 - Combat Expertise, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Spiked Chain), Improved Bull Rush, Power Attack
02 - Fighter 2 - Dungeon Crasher I
03 - Fighter 3 - Improved Trip
04 - Fighter 4 - Knockback, +1 Strength
05 - Fighter 5
06 - Fighter 6 - Shock Trooper, dungeon crasher II
07 - Fighter 7
08 - Fighter 8 - Combat Reflexes, +1 Strength
09 - Fighter 9 - Stand Still
10 - Fighter 10 - Leap Attack
11 - Fighter 11
12 - Fighter 12 - Knock-Down, Mage Slayer, +1 Strength
13 - Fighter 13
14 - Fighter 14 - Blind-Fight
15 - Fighter 15 - Pierce Magical Concealment
16 - Fighter 16 - Figher Bonus Feat, +1 Strength
17 - Fighter 17
18 - Fighter 18 - Pierce Magical Protection, Fighter Bonus Feat
19 - Fighter 19
20 - Fighter 20 - Fighter Bonus Feat, +1 Strength

[mean_liar]

Monk 2/Fighter 2/Barbarian 1/Cleric 1/Swordsage 1/Warblade 1/Crusader 1

Lion Totem barbarian
Oriental Adventures monk
Spontaneous Domain Casting cleric (SpC Wrath, Strength)

Power Attack
Combat Reflexes
Stand Still
...then diverge as required

[Roy]

No druids. No polymorph. No stat replacement. No wish economy. No tome feats. No money loops. I don't want to hear any flippant garbage either like 'use planar binding' or 'melee is for losers! Be a cleric archer.' or 'if you really want to be effective, spam AoE save or dies'.

Also, no frenzied berserkers or spirited chargers or pounce antics or multi-limbed madness.

That's not helpful. I'm aware of the limitations, just answer my damn question.

So basically, you want an effective melee character without any of the things that actually make them effective (or at least compensate for their innate suck).

Either you are posting this to mess with someone, or you are becoming much like those Paizils in that one game who get mad when you try to make their characters effective but still want them to be effective.

[Danchild]

Mounted combat can be effective. Techically requires leadership feat/class features, otherwise the mount eats up a proportion of xp. Most mounts gained from class features perform poorly in the long term. Training a pet is time insensive, but potentially worth it. You might take a fighter a little more seriously if comes to battle with a warbred razorwing. I think there is a PrC called Wild plains Outrider in Complete Adventurer. 3 levels, requires a mount or animal companion class feature. 3 levels allows for full attacks while mounted and moving. The Cavalry Charger tactical feat is not effective by itself, but stacks well with Shock Trooper and Combat Brute.

Sundering is great against armed opponents, though expect a lot of bawwws from other players. Sundering cleave can leave a caster without foci and components, a beatstick without the tools of their trade. Getting within range is the tough part.

Multi-weapon fighting is superior to 2 weapon fighting. Especially when you factor in off-hand weapons like armour spikes, boot knives, forearm/elbow/knee blades and natural attacks. Has the same problem as monk flurry spam, but the sheer number of attacks throw out offsets the disadvantages. I once statted out an ECL 5 thri-kreen for a game. Had 12 attacks on a full attack. DM told me to get fucked, so I played a Druid instead.

I have heard good things about Karmic Strike and Robilars Gambit. Combined with a reach weapon and some of the Expertise chain you might be able to exert a decent presence on the battlefield.

hope this helps

[virgil]

First, fuck off Roy.

Second, there are some good ideas floating around here. I'm partial to the rogue with the right gear. Getting an item that casts flame blade or chill touch often enough can work wonders; and it's less expensive than the wraithstrike route. You still want to get that ring of blink as soon as you're able.

[CatharzGodfoot]

To add to Josh's cleric suggestion, the combination of spikes, greater magic weapon, and greater mighty wallop is classic.

For a non-caster, there's the karmic striker (of course, a caster can be a karmic striker as well...)
Feats:
1) Combat Expertise, Improved Trip, Dodge
2) Karmic Strike
3) Power Attack
4) Mobility
6) Elusive Target

[Juton]

Barbarian, Whirling Frenzy Barbarian (Unearthed Arcana) for an extra attach while raging, Lion totem Barbarian for pounce. All that from a one level dip, you can get extra uses of rage from feats. Depending on how much your DM likes sneak attack taking a second level of Barbarian for Uncanny Dodge may be worth it.

Power Attack, Leap Attack, Shocktrooper feat chain with a valorous weapon (doubles charge damage). Like the OP mentioned picking up Elusive target could be a good idea.

Dipping a few levels of Warblade is also recommended, because you can pick up maneuvers that allow you to roll your concentration check instead of making a normal save. IHS is good but if your dipping you probably won't be able to get it before level 10. Stances are also nice to pickup but they are mainly and afterthought.

Crusader also has some really good low level stances/maneuvers, Crusaders are regarded as the best mundane tanks in the game and they never run out of maneuvers.

[RobbyPants]

He said he didn't want pounce.

[Username17]

Be a rogue. Use a lot of weapons. Boot blades, tail spikes, horn helms, armorspikes, whatever. Then sneak attack enemies many many times. From flanking or something.

-Username17

[TheFlatline]

I guess you could be a halfling, kitted in full plate with armor spikes, and let a giant use you as a spiked club. That'd do some pretty significant damage.

[Roy]

Mounted combat can be effective. Techically requires leadership feat/class features, otherwise the mount eats up a proportion of xp. Most mounts gained from class features perform poorly in the long term. Training a pet is time insensive, but potentially worth it. You might take a fighter a little more seriously if comes to battle with a warbred razorwing. I think there is a PrC called Wild plains Outrider in Complete Adventurer. 3 levels, requires a mount or animal companion class feature. 3 levels allows for full attacks while mounted and moving. The Cavalry Charger tactical feat is not effective by itself, but stacks well with Shock Trooper and Combat Brute.

Mounted Combat expires... before level 6-9.

Sundering is great against armed opponents, though expect a lot of bawwws from other players. Sundering cleave can leave a caster without foci and components, a beatstick without the tools of their trade. Getting within range is the tough part.

Ok, now you're just trolling.

[Psychic Robot]

What feat chains, magical items, and multiclass/PrC combinations should my character invest in to be good at fighting in melee?

This is pretty vague. What's your character concept and what do you want to do in melee combat?

[Lago PARANOIA]

At this point I'm really looking for a list of viable archetypes than a specific character.

After I put up some restrictions I got some pretty good feedback, I think, but I'm wondering if is any buried treasure that I may have overlooked.

[Prak]

well, you could play a fighter or barbarian that specializes in grappling and brawling, take improved unarmed strike, flying kick, circle kick, roundabout kick, improved grapple, that stuff. Then go reaping mauler. I have a friend who loves the class.

[Username17]

The basic non-Tome viable "melee" archetypes are:

• Tripstar. Add a bunch of bonuses to tripping together and control as much of the battlefield as possible with a spiked chain, Elusive Target, or both. Loses badly to archers in rough terrain or enemies that can cast defensively from the ground.
• Supercharger. Add a bunch of bonuses and multipliers to charge attacks and pounce the fuck out of people for more damage than they have hit points. Loses badly to hordes of enemies, chairs, or Tripstars.
• Swiss Army Rogue. Get sneak attack. Cover yourself with weaponry. Kill things. Loses badly to things you can't get sneak attack against, including things that are far away. Like other damage builds, it sucks against large groups of enemies.
• Cleric Archer. Be a Cleric. Spend your feats and spells buffing yourself. Hit things with a blessed wooden stick.
• Octopus Druid. Be a Druid. Transform into something stupid. Have Natural Spell. Buff yourself on top of that.

That's pretty much it. There are sub-builds available. Like how a Tripstar might be a Half Giant with a Spiked Chain but equally plausibly could be a dwarf with a waraxe and a tower shield. Or how a Super Charger could be a dude with a glaive, but could equally plausibly be a halfling with a lance on a dog.

-Username17

[Lago PARANOIA]

Loses badly to hordes of enemies, chairs, or Tripstars.

I really fucking hate that rat bastard Andy Collins.

[K]

I've always been a fan of the "Rogue on a Griffon." Basically a lance charge build with even more extra damage when you flank guys (which you do quite well on the griffon). After the charging gets payed for, you then focus on more ways to get Sneak to come online

It's not the most efficient build, but it works.