The DPS

Learn how to build the ultimate Two-Handed Melee DPS in Pathfinder: Kingmaker. This guide covers class choices, ability scores, skills, and feats for maximum damage output.

Alright, let's talk about the Two-Handed Melee DPS in Pathfinder: Kingmaker. This character is all about bringing the pain, but they're not meant to be on the front lines taking hits. Think of them as your heavy hitter who stays *behind* the tanks, dishing out massive damage. The faster enemies go down, the less chance they have of landing those lucky critical hits on your tanks, right?

This warrior isn't a tank themselves. They've got decent Hit Points, sure, but their Armor Class probably won't hold up if enemies start focusing on them. That's where a couple of things come in handy: first, they'll have an animal companion to help soak up some attention, and second, the whole 'two-handed' thing means they can reach out and smash from a bit of a distance. Ideally, they'll position themselves behind your main tanks and just go to town without getting targeted. However, some enemies are big enough to reach you, and others just love to move around, which can mess with your positioning.

To deal with these issues, you can cast spells like Enlarge Person or Legendary Proportions on your DPS to increase their reach. Also, if you fill the area with enough bodies (like your other party members), enemies are less likely to target your DPS. If your main Tank is your protagonist, enemies will naturally focus on them, giving your DPS extra breathing room.

Beyond those durability concerns, this build is pretty straightforward: grab a big weapon, hang back behind your tanks and pets, and smash enemies. You've got a few class options that work well, but ultimately, you're either boosting your pet or focusing on the raw damage from two-handed weapons.

The Two-Handed Melee DPS - Starting Stats

The Two-Handed Melee DPS - Starting Stats	Barbarian (Mad Dog)
Strength	19
Dexterity	14
Constitution	14
Intelligence	8
Wisdom	7
Charisma	13
Race	Human, Half-Orc, Aasimar, Tiefling
Skills	Athletics, Mobility, Lore (Nature), Perception, Persuasion, Trickery
Feats	Weapon Focus, Power Attack
Alignment	Chaotic

Class Breakdown

Barbarian (Mad Dog): This is your main class, and you'll be leveling it up the most. It's got pretty much everything you could want: a high Base Attack Bonus, good Hit Points, Rage for damage boosts, and importantly, a pet! You can take this class up to level 14 to get “Throat Cutter,” which lets your Mad Dog make Attacks of Opportunity against enemies hit by your pet’s Trip, Overrun, and Bull Rush attempts. This is great if your pet can actually perform those maneuvers, especially with the “Ferocious Fetch” ability.

Inquisitor (Sacred Huntmaster): Dipping three levels into this class is a no-brainer. You'll get “Hunter Tactics,” which provides some solid buffs for your pet. While it might slightly lower your Base Attack Bonus compared to pure Barbarian, it won't hurt your pet's progression. The real prize here is the ability to give your pet your teamwork feats, with Outflank and Seize the Moment being key long-term goals. You'll get some Inquisitor spells too, but they're not a major focus for this build.

Fighter (Two-Handed Fighter): Just like with Sacred Huntmaster, taking three levels here is mainly for the “Overhand Chop” ability. This doubles the Strength bonus you apply to your damage rolls, which is a huge boost. It will slow your pet's advancement a bit, but you can always grab the “Boon Companion” perk to make up for those lost levels.

Ability Scores

It's no surprise that a character built to swing big two-handed weapons needs a lot of Strength. This is the absolute priority for this build. Other stats are secondary. We keep Intelligence and Wisdom at decent levels for skills and spells, and boost Dexterity and Constitution for Initiative rolls and extra Hit Points. But seriously, it's all about that Strength.

Race

Any race that gives a bonus to Strength is a good choice. Humans are often the best bet because of their bonus feat and extra skill points, which are always useful.

Alignment

Any Chaotic alignment works. We went with Chaotic Good because our protagonist was good-aligned, but feel free to pick what fits your character.

Skills

The Mad Dog Barbarian has five class skills: Athletics, Mobility, Lore (Nature), Perception, and Persuasion. As a Human Mad Dog, you'll get four skill points per level. If you plan on using abilities like Dazzling Display and Dreadful Carnage, you'll want to invest in Persuasion, even with a lower Charisma score. Athletics is a natural fit for a high-Strength character, and Mobility can be handy. You can also use this character as your Lore (Nature) specialist. Honestly, there's a lot of overlap with other builds, so besides boosting Persuasion, feel free to put your remaining skill points wherever you need them most, perhaps to take some pressure off your Bard.

Feats

Start with Weapon Focus in whatever two-handed weapon you prefer. If you're going for something like bastard swords (Amiri's choice), you'll need Exotic Weapon Proficiency too. After that, essential feats like Power Attack, Dazzling Display, and Outflank are must-haves. Given how this build works, Combat Reflexes is great for capitalizing on the Attacks of Opportunity your pet might provoke. Reckless Stance is also an option to boost your Attack bonus at the cost of Armor Class – though hopefully, you won't need that extra AC because you won't be the one getting targeted!