Vetern PNP Player; Some Questions

[Natarm]

Hi all! I just had a few questions concerning the Fighter class, and wanted to post them up here; while I know a huge amount about the PNP Fighter, my favorite PNP build (Spiked Chain Combat Reflexes build) isn't an option in DDO, so I figured I would get some advice.

1) Generally speaking, what are the accepted builds for a Fighter looking to tank? I've seen a lot of the Initimidate tank stuff posted up while browsing the forum, but I wasn't sure if there were actually other viable options. I'm inclined to believe there aren't, but I'm asking for peace of mind.

2) In general, is it considered more appropriate to run TWF, Sword/Board/, or 2H weapon? I actually haven't seen much posted about 2H weapons, which surprised me; are the two handed options considered inferior in some way, or is it simply a matter of preference? I've always been partial to two handed weapons in PNP, but given what I'm assuming the absence of things like a Mercurial Greataxe, I can see why that might be.

3) Are Dex based fighters considered "gimped" in any fashion? Generally speaking, I've always considered a fighter in lighter armor a more effective alternative to a Rogue in PNP, given the prevalence of anti-SA immunities, but I don't know if the same holds true here.

4) Do Gish build's work? Call me crazy, but they're a favorite past time of mine.

5) Are PrC's in the game in any fashion, and if so, which ones?

[Quartzite]

I believe the consensus is:
-Barbarian for 2HF DPS (and TWF DPS, actually)
-Ranger for TWF with utility
-Fighter for intimitank (often with Paladin levels)
-Fighter (sometimes with splash) for 2HF with more utility

In terms of tanking it depends what you mean. In DDO any strong melee class is often called a "tank" when in actual fact they are just DPS. In other MMOs a "tank" needs aggro generation, high HP and good mitigation. In DDO you only need aggro generation to be classified as one.

Despite what the forums look like- intimidate tanks are unfortunately few and far between. In most pick-up groups you'll see 3 melee combatants and they will never even touch the intimidate button (even when using a shield!) A lot of groups run and run decently with "offensive tanks" that is THF fighters/ barbs/ paladins but in my opinion an intimidate tank will make the group run more smoothly. THF is good for offensive tanking because glancing blows mean you have good AoE aggro generation- you're just a bit more of a mana sponge to the Cleric.

Dex fighters? Well, because of the Enhancements for Fighter benefiting Str, most Dex combatants will be Ranger or Rogue. Most Dex fighters planning on using Light Armour will also pick up 2 levels of Rogue for Evasion and skill points.

PrCs are "kind of" in the game. In the form of Enhancements. There's nothing for Fighters, but Rangers can pick Tempest, Arcane Archer and Deepwood Sniper Enhancements. Bards can pick Warchanter, Spellsinger and Virtuoso Enhancements.

They are often worth planning a build around.

Anyway, hope what I said helped. It's only based on my own experience. Your mileage may vary.

[Arianrhod]

One thing to keep in mind as far as differences between DDO & PnP is that here you can respec feats & enhancements, so it's possible to (almost) completely redesign a fighter by switching out all those feats (expensive, but possible). Another thing to keep in mind is that the numbers get insanely high here - while a 40 AC might be good at 15th level in PnP, it's barely adequate in DDO; good defensive tanks boast ACs in the 50s, 60's and higher. Combat expertise, dodge, fighter's armor mastery (an enhancement line)...these are very important for achieving those high armor classes, and require the right stats to qualify for (int & dex both 13+). Of course, any fighter also need a decent str & con, which leaves few points for wis & cha (cha if you plan to splash paladin for Divine Grace to boost saves, wis just cause will saves are the Achilles Heel of many fighters).

Other miscellaneous differences - repair skill has no use other that helping Warforged characters regain hit points; don't waste points on it if you're not warforged, since it won't help you "repair" your gear. Jump & swim are somewhat useful, but can be supplemented by spells & items (most people have items of Underwater Action by the time they get to a level where many quests require a lot of swimming). Balance is a very important skill, as getting knocked down in combat leaves you very vulnerable (and you can't fight while prone in DDO; have to stand back up to get back in the fight).