Fasted way to get 9th level maneuvers

[Sir_Chivalry]

Let's assume for a second that initiator level is no object. That there is enough HD from an outside source (lycanthropy) to give a lower CR villain IL 17 without class levels. What's the fastest way to get all nine 9th level maneuvers? Magic items, feats, classes, all allowed.

[Aegis013]

Assuming no levels in any of the ToB classes.

Spell: Heroics (2nd level wizard spell) for/or
Feat: Martial Study: Mountain Tombstone Strike.

Alt:
Feats; Martial study x2 Devoted Spirit maneuvers
Martial Stance: Devoted Spirit stance
Martial Study: Strike of Righteous Vitality

Due to Martial Study's 3 limit, getting multiple 9ths without something like Illithid Savant and eating some Martial Adept brains is fairly tough.

[Deophaun]

Lots and lots of money for a master version of the crown of the white raven and all its variants. You will also need a greater number of novice/scholar versions to get the prerequisite number of maneuvers before you can use those master items.

[ThiagoMartell]

I think Stone Dragon's 9th level maneuver does not even have prerequisites.

[Darrin]

What's the fastest way to get all nine 9th level maneuvers?

All of the 9th level maneuvers (except Mountain Tombstone Strike) have prereqs:

DW Inferno Blast 5
DS Strike of Righteous Vitality 3
DM Time Stands Still 4
IH Strike of Perfect Clarity 4
SS Tornado Throw 5
SH Five-Shadow Creeping Ice Enervation Strike 5
SD Mountain Tombstone Strike 0
TC Feral Death Blow 4
WR War Master's Charge 4
Total Prereqs: 34
34 (Prereqs) + 9 (9th level maneuvers) = 43


Assuming no levels in any of the ToB classes.

Spell: Heroics (2nd level wizard spell) for/or
Feat: Martial Study: Mountain Tombstone Strike.

Alt:
Feats; Martial study x2 Devoted Spirit maneuvers
Martial Stance: Devoted Spirit stance
Martial Study: Strike of Righteous Vitality

Due to Martial Study's 3 limit, getting multiple 9ths without something like Illithid Savant and eating some Martial Adept brains is fairly tough.

Assuming you allow the spell effects to stack, a wand of heroics might help get you there. Unfortunately, you're limited to taking Martial Study only three times, but there is no such limit for Martial Stance. You need to know at least one maneuver in that discipline to take Martial Stance, but you can fill up most of your prereqs with stances. Add some novice Crown of the White Raven type items to add maneuvers, which should allow you to then take Martial Stance.

Another option might be psychic reformation/dark chaos shuffle. If you're short 43 feats, you can (ab)use the Weapons of Legacy rules to load up on Legacy feats by spending gold/performing rituals. Swap six of your feats for Martial Study (x3) + Martial Stance (x3). Then switch the Martial Study feats to a different discipline and add three more stances. Rinse and repeat. Once you've got all the prereqs and an IL of 17+, take a level of Swordsage and grab six of the 9th level maneuvers there, and then swap your three Martial Study feats to the three disciplines Swordsage doesn't get.

[Sir_Chivalry]

Perhaps I wasn't clear.

There can be levels in ToB classes involved. I was more saying IL wasn't an issue.

[dspeyer]

Dips are your friend here.

Swordsage 1 / Warblade 1 / Crusader 1 / Master of Nine 1

get you

6 + 3 + 5 + 2 = 16 maneuvers and
1 + 1 + 1 + 0 = 3 stances.

I don't know where you go next.

Unless you can take Unarmed Swordsage 1 next level. That's a clear win. No sane DM would allow it, though.

[Sir_Chivalry]

Dips are your friend here.

Swordsage 1 / Warblade 1 / Crusader 1 / Master of Nine 1

get you

6 + 3 + 5 + 2 = 16 maneuvers and
1 + 1 + 1 + 0 = 3 stances.

I don't know where you go next.

Unless you can take Unarmed Swordsage 1 next level. That's a clear win. No sane DM would allow it, though.

The joys of being an insane DM.

On the other hand, maybe I should just cut my losses and make a decent crusader or warblade for this lycanthrope.

[Quietus]

I'd think a Tiger Claw focused warblade could be a lot of fun for that.

[Andorax]

Assuming no bizarre (lycanthropic illithid savant) shenanigans are involved, dspeyer is on the right track.

As Darrin noted, you need 34 maneuvers (or stances) as pre-requisites, scattered amongst the disciplines, and then need to pick up 9 more maneuvers (each of the 9).

SS 1/WB 1/Cru1 gets you 14+3 = 17 of them.
Martial Study x3 + Martial Stance will net you 4 more. Theoretically, you could take Martial Stance more times, and reduce your requirement accordingly, but I'm leaving that off.

You need 22 more.

Master of Nine 1-5 nets you 8 more maneuvers, 2 more stances. Now you're down to 12.

If you subscribe to the interpretation* that Legacy Champion can push a class beyond its written limits...and oddly enough Legacy Champion actually IS appropriate for Bo9S classes...your best bet is to LC your Mo9 class on upwards from there.

Legacy Champion 8 grants 6 more levels worth of class features of Master of the Nine, which either grants 2 maneuvers or 1 maneuver and one stance each level...enough to get JUST enough to have all 9 9th level maneuvers.

(stuff) X/SS 1/WB 1/Cru 1/Mot9 5/LC 8 will get you there (or Mot9 3/LC 10).


* I, personally, don't agree with this...but I know many do. So I mention it as an option.



On an only vaguely related note, Shaktari Demon Queen of Mariliths (Dragon Magazine 359) is 8-armed, and has more than enough HD to start in on top-end maneuvers right off the start.

If you can get past the Medium Size problem of Eventide's requirements, and the Nonevil problem of The Last Citadel's requirements (and, of course, the fact that you're only supposed to have...well...ONE legacy weapon), she could theoretically wield all of the 9 swords at once, with either the Last Citadel being a blade barrier at the time, or Unfettered acting like a Mordenkainen's Sword.

...well, that and her -34 penalty to fort saves.

[Aegis013]

Unfortunately, you're limited to taking Martial Study only three times, but there is no such limit for Martial Stance.

You know, for some reason I thought it was limited to one. But there are not enough stances in many of the schools to get to a lot of the ninth level maneuvers without using the Crown of White Raven and variations.