You'll essentially get the same benefits of ASI's as the DEX fighter, thanks to Unarmored Defense, with 1 less ASI. Going Rogue/Bearbarian also makes you have high survivability. It has abilities that benefit teammates and it'll fit the flavor of your character being a nobleman's retainer. If you're adamant about not doing battle master, then go Purple Dragon Knight. Plus, it's nice to have maneuvers to break up the monotony of making basic attacks. You get to control the battlefield more and have better chances of preventing allies from getting hurt. I know you don't want Battlemaster (I don't know if you explain why), but they really make for good tanks with their maneuvers. I have a Fighter/Barb combo in my campaign and he's only been downed once and that was in a 'Forced to lose' scenario. With the lack of magic in your campaign, the Resilient (WIS) probably won't be as useful as in other campaigns. So you're covered for the 3 most common saving throws in the game and then you'll get Indomitable for the few times you happen to not make the save. You now have proficiency in CON and WIS saving throws, and advantage on DEX saving throws (Danger Sense) with Shield bonus to saving throw and won't take any damage from a successful DEX save. The 2 bonus ASI's that Fighters get will also give you access to more Feats. For ASI's, you'll either increase DEX and increase increase initiative, accuracy, damage and AC or you'll increase CON and increase AC and HP.

Being a DEX Fighter grants a lot of survivability to your character.

If you dip into Bearbarian, having Fighter or Rogue as main class is a good choice. Being resistant to all damage except psychic is just too good of an ability to pass up, granted the lack of magic in your campaign makes your chances of encountering non-slash, pierce, or bludgeon damage small, those few times you DO encounter it, you'll struggle all the more in those. If you're looking to be more tanky, then Bearbarian is definitely the safest way to go over Bar-MURICAN (Eagle). Menacing Strike is obviously a Power, as is goading attack and trip attack. I'm not saying it is a psychic warrior, but it's pretty darn close and might as well be a psionic class. In order for the Battlemaster to do their stuff they have to try really really hard and expend power points superiority dice that other fighters don't get. The fact that the battle master gets power points superiority dice and psionic powers maneuvers that is limited in use by said power points superiority dice is a dead ringer for psychic warrior. That's like saying that the wizard is a divine spell caster.ДЄlso, I meant to say the 'fluff/mechanics of the battlemaster'. It isn't random, you are lying to people if you say Ki isn't Magic. Where do you get 'has to be psionic' out of that?No, there isn't. It is literally a warrior who just knows what they're doing. Yeah, there's a lot more to that discussion than you seem to think. Would a DM prevent someone from using Stunning Strike in an AM field? What about Flurry of Blows? Maybe Martial Arts?

Does that really need to be part of that discussion?Д«y that point, it's entirely DM fiat as to what's affected - beyond overtly magical effects, of course. Random statement almost - but not quite, not an explicit remark.

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