Full BAB Strength martials are the best characters to play in the vast majority of 3.X/PF games online. Don't believe me? Check this out.
The vast majority of online 3.X/PF games start at level 1, because the GM insists on it out of tradition, or because the GM is running an adventure that starts at level 1.
The vast majority of online 3.X/PF games will fall apart before gaining a level. You might gain a SINGLE level, but beyond that, hah.
The vast majority of online 3.X/PF games are combat-focused, because combat is what those games do best, and combat is what most GMs are used to running.
Level 1-2 casters have Color Spray and Sleep, but they run out of slots quickly, they make themselves vulnerable trying to cast those (close range for Color Spray, 1 round casting for Sleep), and they die really fast.
Level 1-2 full BAB Strength martials one-shot basically every enemy with Power Attack and have good durability because of the "1st HD is always maxed" rule.
Therefore, full BAB Strength martials are the strongest characters in the vast majority of online 3.X/PF games. Why fuss about casters when they will never hit level 3 in the vast majority of online games?
>>47934635
>The vast majority
So basically assumptions on your part, based on the one or two communities you play in. Because I could just as easily come back and say the vast majority of games I play in start anywhere between level 6 and 15. Nobody wants to start at level 1. Level 1 is garbage that gives you no room to really customize your character.
>>47934635
Unfortunately, if you sign up to play a martial at all you'tr doomed to the "I full attack because there's literally nothing I can do that's better at any given time" life in combat, you probably have a piddling amount of skill points, and there's an even lower chance you have a neat non-combat-optimal feat. At least with, say, an INT-based caster or a 2/3rds BAB you can actually do things other than cast fist. And if the game DOES somehow survive, hey, your gamble paid off.
Of course, the real solution is to just never join a PF game blind at level 1 in the first place.
>>47934635
Or, instead of that, play a Druid, since then you have spells to end fights, good health, decent armor, decent combat ability, and a free Fighter as a class feature.
>>47934635
You forgot about Clerics and Druids. Who cares about having 2 less HP and 1 less BAB when you've got spells, real class features, and in the Druid's case an animal companion that is actually tougher and better armored than a Fighter and automatically trips on hit, to make up the difference?
>>47934635
>Knowledge Devotion Cleric
Permanent +1 to hit/+1 to damage against everything, minimum. That's the attack bonus gap between them and a Fighter made up for with extra damage on top of it at minimum and with no feats spent.
>Ashbound+Greenbound Summoning Druid
Summon in animals that cast 5th level spells and are ridiculously overpowered for their level. Instant no-save encounter winning at level 1, and once you're out of spells you're still brokenly effective because oh look animal companion.
>>47934635
You're assuming campaigns will fail, before they even begin. If you're gonna do that, why bother joining at all?
>>47934786
>I full attack because there's literally nothing I can do that's better at any given time
That's not true. There are ubercharger builds, too.
>>47934669
This, if I see a game is starting at level 1 I just skip it and look for something that'll actually be fun.
If only we could kill the 'zero to hero' mentality it games. Same way so many games are mindless cargo-culty 'medieval Europe with some magic'.
Be unoriginal in a slightly different way, at least! Be like Dark Sun and be set in a desert culture! Be like Stormlight Archives and have a whole ecology based around the idea of constant hurricanes!
Just enough of zero-to-hero in euroland
A long term campaign starting at level 1 makes sense. Why skip the beginning of a story just to rush to the end?
One-shots or short adventures I run 3-5 maybe as high as 8, but in PF it becomes much more difficult as GM to come up with fun and challenging fights and scenarios for your players at high levels, especially if they are unrestricted to build and buy their character through those levels instead of playing htem out, so it's easier on me to keep restrictions up.
If you just wanted a power fantasy blowthrough where you literally fly over all the planned encounters, mazes, and obstacles, supermax diplomaticize yourself the new King of Settingstan because you had the character points to do it off the bat, and ignore the big bad's big bad gimmick because "I have a ring for that" then feel free to. Have a blast. But you don't need a GM for that.
>>47937410
übercharging relies on pounce, which is full attacking
>>47938656
>Why skip the beginning of a story just to rush to the end?
Because similarly to the reasons why you wouldn't start a story during the character's time as a wage slave or a stable hand, you want to start the story during the interesting parts of a character's life.
Nobody is going to sit through anything that takes a while until you get to the good stuff, so it's better just to cut the bullshit and start the game at a point where the PCs have actual options and aren't forced to stomp on goblins and rats until they reach level 3+ anyways.
Also, if you're worried about power fantasy blowthrough then why the fuck are you playing third edition in the first place?
>>47934915
No Power Attack for clerics and druids until level 3.
>>47935533
Knowledge Devotion can be taken by a level 1 fighter.
![hqdefault[1].jpg](https://i.imgur.com/1brmulz.jpg "hqdefault[1].jpg")
>>47934635 (OP)
You'd be better off playing a druid, mate.
>You get TWO melee characters. While the fighter is strictly superior to one of them, both of them together are strictly superior to the fighter.
>You get a solid list of spells. The weakest of the tier 1 casters, but still nothing to sneeze at.
>Summon animals as a spontaneous spell.
You'll be strictly superior to the fighter until level 6. After that you become a bear riding a bear who can also summon bears and you're superior to everyone else until level 15, barring a hardcore powergaming cleric or very cheesy wizard. After level 15 the wizard and cleric catch up to you, but you're still very much a tier 1 character.
Alternatively, just play a cleric. At low levels the difference in BAB is marginal, the difference in hp will be only one or two points and both of those can be compensated for with spells. Pick a deity who gives you the war domain, get a good weapon (preferably greatsword or greataxe) and go to town. For the first few levels the difference between yourself and the fighter is negligible and you have spells to make up for it. After level 6 or so you start outshining the fighter.
>B-But muh Power Attack
That makes a full BAB martial stronger than the cleric, but it cannot make up for a second melee fighter who automatically trips with every one of his attacks at no risk of being tripped himself.
>>47934669
> Nobody wants to start at level 1
There probably are people who want to.Noobs.
But - yeah. Most people don't. I don't. Go 3rd level, if you really want to go slumming.
>>47940886
>No Power Attack for clerics and druids until level 3.
Spells and other class features more than make up for a lack of one singular feat that isn't even that good.
>Knowledge Devotion can be taken by a level 1 fighter.
Blatantly false. He can't meet the prerequisite for the feat at 1st, 2nd, or even 3rd level.
