What say you - any optimization ideas?

[smarti]

Dragonwrought Kobold (for the fun of it)

2 Cloistered Cleric
2 Swordsage
3 Crusader
1 RKV+

pro: would give me access to both, thickets of blades and white raven tactics relatively early (on 8 and 9) - wouldn't violate any multiclassing rules.

con: low cleric progression, but that's not the main focus anyway, I gotta be tank and don't want to steal our clerics role.

[Darth Stabber]

Not a bad start, but for less casting intensive RKVs I prefer paladin entry (paladin4/crusader1). Plus you can give your GM a seisure by saying "pazuzu pazuzu pazuzu" out of character (since you are a kobold paladin). With battle blessing it can be pretty good (usually not, but it can be).

Also you don't really need to jump through those multiclassing hoops when all of the stuff you are after available to a standard crusader, and cleric(cloistered or not)1/crusaderX is a valid entry for RKV that keeps your BAB higher, and gets all of your maneuvers on crusader recovery (much better than swordsage's). Unless you need a bunch of skill points, or your angling for master of 9 afterward, swordsage isn't really helping. If you are angling at master of 9 (I don't know why you would, but it's an option) afterward, you are't going to finish it pre-epic.

[smarti]

I would like to do Kobold and his favored class is sorcerer , so cleric 1 , crusader 4 falls short without feat - would warblade be a better choice?

the problem with crusader 3 cleric 2 is that RKV has bad stance progression for it - would mean I can access thickets of blades at lvl 11 and I thought it would be nice for tanking.

[Darth Stabber]

Your GM is enforcing multiclass XP penalty? I have never actually heard of that being done, I thought it was like drown healing. If that's the case cleric2/crusader3 is probably your best option, since Swordsage is only counts half toward your crusader IL. Warblade might be slightly preferable if you are married to the three class aspect, but honestly, you are still better off without it. Cleric 2 is 1 IL, meaning that you are already at 4IL before you even start windicator, which is still about the best you are going to do.

[smarti]

Are you sure that Cleric counts towards IL? I thought only other ToB classes.

[Cor1]

Are you sure that Cleric counts towards IL? I thought only other ToB classes.

Half your other HD count as IL. It's in the rules.

[Darth Stabber]

Are you sure that Cleric counts towards IL? I thought only other ToB classes.

Your initiator level is your level in the initiating class +1/2 of your other class level (or hit dice, I don't remember which). So cleric 2 counts as 1 initiator level. Add to it 3levels of crusader and you come up with 4. ToB is a little unclear as to how taking multiple initiator base classes stacks up, personally I take the conservative approach and count them as half for the purposes of the other class, though that is subject to debate. The 1/2 rule is what makes ToB classes so awesomely dip friendly, and allows RKV and JPM to avoid some of the normal problems with theurge classes namely falling way behind on caster/manifester/binder/meldshaper levels), though you still lose out a bit on the caster level with is compensated for by the fact that you only need 1 level of crusader still giving you 9s at 20 (the mark of a good gish), or taking 2 levels of cleric means you only lose out on 1 initiator level as crusader. Now you do have to pick which one you want to be best at, but even with a cleric4/crusader1 entry you are only 2 IL behind.

Now get yourself a nightstick (as long as you only have one it isn't cheesy) and a relinquiary holy symbol, and you can do a ton. I still really like the paladin4/crusader1 entry, but that is a different animal and not as strong as even a cleric2/crusader3 entry (but battle blessing is always fun). Also not that you are going to eat through turn attempts pretty quickly, so you have to be more careful than a normal cleric build.

Edit: Swordsaged, how weirdly appropriate.

[smarti]

Cool thanks,

that would make cl2 / cr3 (or vice versa the way to go) i guess - mh though 2 cl, 2 ss would give me 5 lvl 2 strikes for my crusader ^.^

but i guess caster progression is more important.