Maneuver progression for a subtle killer (ToB)

[gomipile]

Which ToB class and maneuver progression would you choose if you wanted the maneuvers to not be flashy. Basically, all maneuvers that if a third party saw them, they'd see nothing unusual compared to what an ordinary martial character can do.

I'm trying to build a very subtle character who packs a big punch when he has to. I'd appreciate any ideas people have for build choices for this concept.

If anyone has read All Tomorrow's Parties by William Gibson, the quiet, wool coat wearing, Taoist assassin in that novel is the epitome of the type of character I'm going for.

[NNescio]

Which ToB class and maneuver progression would you choose if you wanted the maneuvers to not be flashy. Basically, all maneuvers that if a third party saw them, they'd see nothing unusual compared to what an ordinary martial character can do.

Warblade.



If anyone has read All Tomorrow's Parties by William Gibson, the quiet, wool coat wearing, Taoist assassin in that novel is the epitome of the type of character I'm going for.

Shadow Hand Swordsage. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Konrad_%28assassin%29)

Konrad is, at least, quasi-mystical, and his movements are a bit atypical. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wu_wei) To a third party, there's definitely something unusual around him, at least once he begins to fight.

Plus Swordsage pretty much screams "Taoist Monk" anyway.

[flumphy]

I haven't read that novel, so I can't help you there. For mundane abilities, though, I'll have to second warblade. The swordsage's special disciplines both get a ton of obviously supernatural abilities, and the crusader's Devoted Spirit discipline gets a lot of healing and alignment-dependent abilities. Most of Iron Heart, however, could be interpreted as mundane.

For a sneaky assassin, Shadow Hand is obviously going to be the most fitting mechanically, but it's also very magical in flavor.

[DeltaEmil]

Swordsage with a focus on Diamond Mind for the cool and calculated killer, aided by a few Tiger Claw-maneuvers for movement and extra attacks.

[gomipile]

I'm mostly looking to avoid flashy magical looking effects.

[DeltaEmil]

The only "flashy" maneuver-school mentioned here in this thread is Shadow Hand (more like "darkly" - if you get :smalltongue: ), and that's to emulate the character that you mentioned as closely as possible.

The warblade class with iron heart or the swordsage with diamond mind and tiger claw look absolutely mundane and don't do stuff that a high-level fighter with enough still mundane feats couldn't do.