Swordsage/Shadow Sun Ninja help

[Vegan Zombie]

Hey guys, for the first time ever my group is exploring the Tome of Battle. One of our recently deceased PCs player has decided to play a Swordsage/SSN, with heavy emphasis on the stealth and unarmed attacks. None of us have ever played a ToB class before, and I have a few questions:

1. Maneuvers. What are decent choices in he Setting Sun and Shadow Hand?

2. I heard somewhere that swordsages can level up they're unarmed attacks like monks. Is this true? And if so, where can I find this info?

Thanks guys!

[Rethmar]

If you look under Swordsage, under the adaptations section, there is a suggestion to give up Light Armor Proficiency to gain Unarmed Strike Damage as a monk of the same level.

So it's more of a suggestion that we've all gone with because we like it.

Page 18ish of ToB.

[eggs]

Monk has a bad name for its straightclassed crappiness, but a 2-level Monk dip is very useful for SSNs.

Between Invisible Fist (invisibility as an immediate action every 3 rounds), Flurry of Blows/Decisive Strike and 3 prerequisite-free bonus feats (eg. Stunning Fist+Improved Trip without wasting time or resources on 13 Int/Combat Expertise), it gives some seriously useful payoffs to a featstarved SSN, in exchange for bumping maneuver progression back by 1 level.

Shadow Hand's stances and teleports are awesome, Setting Sun's throws, mirror move and hydra slaying strike are pretty nice. And the SS attack counters, if you can jack the attack bonus up.

[Particle_Man]

1) Does the "monk-like" adaptation for the Swordsage also grant the extra attacks for flurry of blows (including extra extra attacks at higher levels of monkishness) or is it just giving one more damage on attacks?

2) For the OP, this is a little "out there" but if you take enough levels of Shadowdancer you get a shadow companion. That, plus one level of Shadow Sun Ninja, gives you infinite healing for you and the entire party out of combat.

[Vegan Zombie]

Thanks for the quick answers everybody!


1) Does the "monk-like" adaptation for the Swordsage also grant the extra attacks for flurry of blows (including extra extra attacks at higher levels of monkishness) or is it just giving one more damage on attacks?

I was wondering about this too. Which monk abilities does SSN grant?

[eggs]

SSN Grants:
Wis to AC
Level-based AC bonus
Speed Enhancement Bonus
Unarmed Strike Damage

SSN Advances (but requires monk levels/feats for):
Flurry (penalties only)
Stunning Fist

The wording makes it look like the speed and Unarmed strike damage may not have been intended to be granted, but the phrasing does permit them (plus they're neat and they don't break anything).

The Decisive Strike ACF isn't advanced by RAW, but I'd rule it to stack, for a player who went that route. It might be worth bringing up with the DM for an AoO-based character with a monk dip.

[Keld Denar]

Flurry of Blows is a different ability from Unarmed Strike. If an UASS gains "Unarmed Strike as a Monk", that would only include the abilities listed under the heading of UAS. It would NOT grant Flurry of Blows, since that is another ability.