A Martial Arts Character. AKA monk flavor but without monk.

[Master Thrower]

Hello playground, So in an upcoming campaign, my DM will be opening up ToB for the first time. I having never played ToB before have come to the playground for some help.

I would like to make a character, with a martial arts feel using sword sage, but I have no idea how to do so. I have heard of the unarmed sword sage, but I dont know where to find it.

Also what feats/manuevers are good for this kind of character? Also what race?

Also starting level is 10

[Big Fau]

Unarmed Swordsage is in the adaptation section of the Swordsage class description.

More importantly, try to get your DM to use this. (http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=335.0)

[hex0]

Any feat with Kick in the name: Roundabout Kick, Snap Kick, Circle Kick, Flying Kick (if you can get pounce, such as from a Warmind or Psychic Warrior dip)

Improved Natural Attack.

[Big Fau]

Any feat with Kick in the name: Roundabout Kick, Snap Kick, Circle Kick, Flying Kick (if you can get pounce, such as from a Warmind or Psychic Warrior dip)

Improved Natural Attack.

Snap Kick and INA, yes. The rest, not so much.

[Essence_of_War]

There is a link to a swordsage handbook in my signature. That's an excellent first place to check out.

What sources are open to you other than ToB?

I'm quite partial, myself, to something like:

Human Fighter 2/ Swordsage X.

Good feats to look into include:
1) Shadow Blade - if you've got a high dex and plan to make a lot of use of shadow hand stances
2) Weapon Finesse - same deal as above
3) Adaptive Style - makes your recovery mechanic WAY better
4) Improved Unarmed Strike - derp :smallwink:
5) Power Attack - only if your DM wants to let you count your unarmed strike as TH weapons (doubtful, but I've known it to be houseruled) or if you want to use a weapon like a quarterstaff. You can either TWF with it, to extract lots of benefit from the high level tiger claw maneuvers, or you can use a single end as a THF weapon. If your DM is giving you the monk unarmed progression (as per unarmed swordsage adaptation) monks are allowed to use their flurry/unarmed progression with the quarterstaff also. It can give you some extra punch.

[JaronK]

Martial Adepts do quite well with multiclassing, so consider a Warblade dip for increased BAB and more maneuvers. A two level Fighter dip is indeed pretty nice as well.

JaronK

[FMArthur]

Keep in mind that any character can decently imitate a monk by taking Superior Unarmed Strike, which gives you a Small monk's fist damage. You can make a warblade or a crusader or any class be competent with their unarmed attacks this way. You won't get the maximum possible weapon base damage, but the amount of effort required to get that to count for more than your feats and class features in your damage is absurd anyway. When you're not doing everything you can to become Colossal so you can punch all your Medium foes who presumably must not live in enclosed spaces, the difference between SUS and a monk's regular damage is marginal.

Also, always make sure to get a Fanged Ring (Dragon Magic p101) for an unarmed character. It grants you both Improved Unarmed Strike and Improved Natural Attack. Both are basically mandatory feats and you'll be kind of tapped out on feats without doing this.

[Prime32]

Really, a monk doesn't have much in the feel of "martial arts flavor" relative to other classes. I mean, running fast, being made out of Law and having the ability to speak to any living creature? What? The main reason a monk feels like a martial artist is because the PHB tells you it's one. Martial arts refers to any form of combat anyway.

So it would help to be more specific. Does your idea of a martial artist involve throws, vanishing from peoples' view, anticipating enemies' movements, punching through stone, paralysing people by touching them, shooting fireballs, or making flying kicks? Because a swordsage can do any combination of those depending on what maneuvers you pick.

[Master Thrower]

Really, a monk doesn't have much in the feel of "martial arts flavor" relative to other classes. I mean, running fast, being made out of Law and having the ability to speak to any living creature? What? The main reason a monk feels like a martial artist is because the PHB tells you it's one. Martial arts refers to any form of combat anyway.

So it would help to be more specific. Does your idea of a martial artist involve throws, vanishing from peoples' view, anticipating enemies' movements, punching through stone, paralysing people by touching them, shooting fireballs, or making flying kicks? Because a swordsage can do any combination of those depending on what maneuvers you pick.

More the throwing people, using unarmed strikes, vanishes here and there.

[Flickerdart]

More the throwing people, using unarmed strikes, vanishes here and there.
Swordsage has the Setting Sun school (throwing dudes everywhere), Shadow Hand school (teleporting around) and the Unarmed adaptation that trades armour proficiencies for the Monk's unarmed attack progression.

[Othesemo]

I suggest the Martial Artist from Bastion Press' Beyond Monk.

[Big Fau]

Yeah, Swordsage is really good for your idea.


Alternatively, Warblade with Superior Unarmed Strike and levels in Blade of Orien. The capstone gives you a way to make a Full Attack and initiate a Standard action strike in the same turn.

[Fax Celestis]

Monk 2/Psychic Rogue 8/Atavist 10, with Monastic Training and Tashalatora.

[Big Fau]

Monk 2/Psychic Rogue 8/Atavist 10, with Monastic Training and Tashalatora.

Atavist is a really bad PrC for a Tashalatora build, as it doesn't advance manifesting. Plus you really don't need manifesting to enter it, and can enter it with Swordsage/SSN.

[Fax Celestis]

Oh, damn, wrong PrC. Guh, now I can't remember what that PrC was.