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togapika
2011-01-02, 10:29 AM
6th level 3 flaws allowed Character is Swordsage/Warblade Gestalt
Custom race of tiny size with -6 str, +6 dex, +2 Wis

JeminiZero
2011-01-02, 10:38 AM
Adaptive Style is the obvious one.

Other than that, what martial schools/fighting styles are you aiming for?

Elric VIII
2011-01-02, 11:22 AM
You might be able to get away without Adaptive Style if you use the Swordsage side for utility and the Warblade side for your go-to, damage-dealing maneuvers.

I would recommend Weapon Finesse and Shadow Blade, but judging by your race's ability score modifiers, this was most likely your plan anyway.

If you want to go for some powerful stuff, take prerequisite feats for Master of Nine (and take it on the Warblade side). It gains the Warblade's level 20 ability at level 2 (earliest is ECL 9).

togapika
2011-01-02, 02:58 PM
Lots of Desert Wind. Spending a feat or re-fluffing it to deal electricity damage.

Godskook
2011-01-02, 03:37 PM
@Togapika, anyway we can talk you out of gestalting warblade and swordsage?

Biffoniacus_Furiou
2011-01-02, 05:11 PM
6th level 3 flaws allowed Character is Swordsage/Warblade Gestalt
Custom race of tiny size with -6 str, +6 dex, +2 Wis

Flaw: Weapon Finesse
Flaw: TWF
Flaw: Adaptive Style
1: Shadow Blade
1: Discipline Focus: Shadow Hand (Weapon Focus)
3: Darkstalker
6: ITWF
Future feats: Weapon Specialization: Shortsword or Dagger, Melee Weapon Mastery, GTWF, Greater Weapon Focus/Specialization, Weapon Supremacy

Say your character has climbed The Highest Spire, a location detailed in Complete Scoundrel. For 3,000 gp you'll get the feat Agile Athlete without spending any of your feats on it, which allows you to use Dex instead of Str on Climb and Jump checks. You can also get all of your starting gear at a 10% discount, which should make up for at least a third off that 3,000 gp cost.

Seriously though, you would be much better off switching one of those classes to something else. Maybe stick to Warblade on one side and switch out of Swordsage after two levels (take those two levels at your 1st and anywhere from 4th-6th character level).

togapika
2011-01-02, 05:18 PM
The character just needs to be electricity based... Figured SS/WB gestalt wouldn't be too bad

Godskook
2011-01-02, 05:47 PM
The character just needs to be electricity based... Figured SS/WB gestalt wouldn't be too bad

See, the thing is, Warblade and Swordsage provide the same system of abilities. Maneuvers. You can't be in 2 stances at the same time. You're going to need to pick to be a swordsage or warblade stance user in any given round. And that'll also be true of any strikes you want to use.

A better alternative, without getting too complicated, would be Duskblade//Swordsage. Channeling shocking grasp into your melee attacks(works with maneuvers by RAW!) will add to your 'electric' feel, while you still keep the good fort and full BAB. You'll lose the d12 HD, but that's only 2 HP/level on average. If you go this route, talk to your DM about a feat to either rekey the Duskblade's casting stat to Wisdom or even better, key your Swordsage's wisdom-based class features to Int(Changing casting stats is a fairly common Dragon and 3rd party feat, iirc, while Monk has Carmendine Monk and Ascetic Psion for changing the stat for AC bonus).

Other alternatives that I can think of off-hand would require some knowledge of what your DM's opinion on how prestige classes work in gestalt(The RAW here is just plain dumb, and a lot of us houserule it to something more like "keep prestige class pre-reqs on one side, and don't overclock class features in ways you couldn't do in non-gestalt").

togapika
2011-01-02, 06:07 PM
Main problem is that I'm an awakened cat, so I need a weapon I can use as such. I have claws and a bite, but their damage is pitiful. Maybe Unarmed Swordsage?

Elric VIII
2011-01-02, 06:08 PM
See, the thing is, Warblade and Swordsage provide the same system of abilities. Maneuvers. You can't be in 2 stances at the same time. You're going to need to pick to be a swordsage or warblade stance user in any given round. And that'll also be true of any strikes you want to use.

A better alternative, without getting too complicated, would be Duskblade//Swordsage. Channeling shocking grasp into your melee attacks(works with maneuvers by RAW!) will add to your 'electric' feel, while you still keep the good fort and full BAB. You'll lose the d12 HD, but that's only 2 HP/level on average. If you go this route, talk to your DM about a feat to either rekey the Duskblade's casting stat to Wisdom or even better, key your Swordsage's wisdom-based class features to Int(Changing casting stats is a fairly common Dragon and 3rd party feat, iirc, while Monk has Carmendine Monk and Ascetic Psion for changing the stat for AC bonus).

Other alternatives that I can think of off-hand would require some knowledge of what your DM's opinion on how prestige classes work in gestalt(The RAW here is just plain dumb, and a lot of us houserule it to something more like "keep prestige class pre-reqs on one side, and don't overclock class features in ways you couldn't do in non-gestalt").

The Swordsage has excelent boosts and situational maneuvers while the warblade has some of the best offensive maneuvers. If he focuses on balancing the action economy by selecting maneuvers on one side that don't interfere with the other, then he should be fine with this concept. Plus, based on the ability modifiers of his race, he's going to want to be in a Shadow Hand stance for most combats.

Although, in terms of raw power, the Swordsage//Duskblade is excelent, +1 to that. I still reommend going for Mo9, by using the Unarmed Swordsage adaptation for access to IUS. With Duskblade or Warblade on the other side you won't lose any proficiencies.

EDIT: Beast Claws from Savage Species is a set of spiked gauntlets that are altered to allow claw attacks. Beast Strike from Dragon Magazine 355 is a feat that allows you to add claw damage to unarmed strikes.

Godskook
2011-01-02, 06:20 PM
Main problem is that I'm an awakened cat, so I need a weapon I can use as such. I have claws and a bite, but their damage is pitiful. Maybe Unarmed Swordsage?

Unarmed Swordsage is always better than a regular version whenever your character concept includes levels in a class with light armor proficiency, such as gestalt with Duskblade or Warblade. You literally lose nothing in such cases, so go for it, even if you wind up using another weapon sometimes too.

'Course, Duskblade will dramatically improve your damage per round for as long as your slots hold out, since Shocking Grasp will add 5d6 damage.

Biffoniacus_Furiou
2011-01-02, 09:26 PM
Final build: Warblade 20// (Unarmed) Swordsage 1/ Psychic Warrior 3/ Swordsage 1/ Electrokineticist (http://wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20040625e) 10 (variant Pyrokineticist (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/prestigeClasses/pyrokineticist.htm))/ Psychic Warrior 5

Starting out you get an electrical whip (think Iron Man 2), in the next few levels you get tricks like a shocking touch and an at-will lightning bolt, and the ability to charge up your whip with even more electricity. Any feat that can be used with a standard whip can be used with the energy lash... Martial Study is a feat which grants a maneuver, which can then be used with a standard whip... therefore, you should be able to use melee strikes with the energy lash as though it were a standard whip. Power Attack also works with it, provided your Str score is high enough to get that. The damage doesn't get reduced for size, so you can use Compression to get even smaller and still put out just as much damage. Keep in mind that any strikes that add damage to your attack add the same type of damage that the weapon deals, a strike made with a sword adds additional slashing damage, a strike made with the electrical whip adds additional electricity damage.

You won't need Weapon Finesse any more since the lash makes a ranged touch attack which is already Dex-based. I'd get Point Blank Shot (+1 to attack and damage every time!) and Precise Shot, Practiced Manifester for better durations on Force Screen and Inertial Armor, Power Attack if you can get it, probably Darkstalker, and psionic feats like Speed of Thought and Up The Walls tend to come in handy. You should definitely try to get Power Attack and use it two-handed since it ignores most of their AC, but if you can't get your Str high enough (18 starting out, +1 at 4th level, take Power Attack at 6th) then get (Improved) Two-Weapon Fighting and wield two electrical whips, and be sure to get the Xing Mongoose boosts for additional attacks.

togapika
2011-01-04, 02:18 AM
Why Warblade as opposed to swordsage? And why swordsage levels at all at that point?