Pathfinder case study #2: Beowulf

Beowulf

Male human fighter 14, ranger 1
LG Medium humanoid (human)
Init +2; Senses Perception +11

DEFENSE

AC 24, touch 13, flat-footed 21 (+9 armor, +2 Dex, +1 dodge, +2 shield)
hp 138 (15d10+45)
Fort +13, Ref +8, Will +6; +4 vs. fear
Defensive Abilities bravery +4

 

OFFENSE

30 ft. 
Speed

Melee Hrunting +25/+20/+15 (1d8+11/19–20/×2)
Ranged +17
Special Attacks weapon training (heavy blades +3, natural +2, spears +1)

STATISTICS

Str 24, Dex 15, Con 16, Int 14, Wis 15, Cha 16
Base Atk +15; CMB +21; CMD 33

Feats Athletic, Blind-Fight, Cleave, Combat Expertise, Diehard, Dodge, Endurance, Leadership, Power Attack, Mounted Combat, Skill Focus (swim), Vital Strike, Weapon Focus (bastard sword), Weapon Specialization (bastard sword)
Skills Acrobatics +12, Climb +26, Diplomacy +13, Knowledge (geography) +8, Knowledge (local) +7, Knowledge (nobility) 7, Perception +11, Perform (comedy) +8, Perform (oratory) +10, Ride +11, Survival +15, Swim +34,
Languages Lappish, Scylding, Weder
SQ armor training 3, favored enemy: giants +2, track, wild empathy
Combat Gear Hrunting (+1 keen longsword), large wooden shield, Weland’s +3 breastplate and mail of light fortification; Other Gear flagon of wine, gilded breastplate and mail, masterwork bastard sword

Notes:

Here is one of the ur-D&D heroes fighting for fame, honor and wealth.  You might wonder why I chose not to include feats dealing with unarmed attacks and grappling, and indeed, a Dragon Magazine 3.5 build for Beowulf makes heavy use of such feats.  IMO, that wasn't what Beowulf was really good at.  He was a man-at-arms and vassal, he would have extensive experience with sword, shield and armor, so my build reflects that.  Besides, Beowulf specifically did not use his arms and armor to make the contest fair; Grendel, according to Beowulf, would have no knowledge of armed combat and so the hero took himself to his foe's  level, thus granting a handicap.  

  The two most controversial things I've done with this build is giving Beowulf the magic items he has and giving his alignment as 'Lawful Good'.  Let me explain the latter detail first.  As already mentioned, Beowulf lives under vassaldom, which is a lawful arrangement, and Beowulf seems to be an exempler of that system rather than indiffrent to it (neutral) or opposed to it (chaotic).  As to the 'Good' half of that equation, athough Beowulf fights to enhance his own status, he put himself at risk to save Breca with whom he was having a swimming competition, and takes the high road when Unferth challenges Beowulf's meirt, using his wits to humble Unferth, and make an ally of a potential enemy.  Also their is the afforementioned sense of fairplay in his challenge of Grendel.
  Only one thing challenges the 'Good' aspect of Beowulf's character, that being that when Grendel attacks, Beowulf watches quietly while a friend is slain by the monster.  This is an example of Beowulf's intellegence and his 'Lawfulness'.  What is more important than the fellow Geat's life, is the mission to slay Grendel.  Had he saved the man at the expense of knowledge necessary to defeat his foe he would have put the mission (Lawful) of slaying the evil monster (Good) in peril.  Certainly the 'Good' thing to have done is to save the man, but watching the fight was not exactly evil either.
  As for the magic items, Beowulf specifically has armor crafted by Weland, a figure of German mythology who possesses magical powers.  That's worth a +1 anyway, although I go quite a bit further than that.  Also Hrunting is a named sword given to Beowulf by Unferth.  That doesn't automatically qualify it as magical, but it seems appropriate.  Beowulf is also said to have the strength of 30 men, so perhaps magical enhancement to his strength might be in order (either from God, pagan gods, or even a belt of giant strength given the fact that Beowulf is said to have slain a tribe of giants in his youth ;)