Crusader 8 Build Advice

[Turk Mannion]

I am looking for some advice specifically on feat choice and generally on character progression.

Character


Human Crusader 8

HP 72 AC 25

STR 18
DEX 16
CON 16
INT 8
WIS 8
CHA 14

F/R/W +8/+5/+3

Max skills:
Diplomacy
Intimidate
Knowledge Religion
Ride

Feats:
Combat Reflexes
Deft Opportunist
Stand Still
Able Learner (bonus feat due to background story)
Martial Stance (Thicket of Blades)

Items:
Glaive +1
Full Plate +1
Animated Large Steel Shield +1
Strongarm Bracers/Bracers of Opportunity (combined on single item)
Natural Armor +1/Amulet of Health +2 (combined on single item)
Healing Belt


Obviously, it is a pretty standard lockdown Crusader build, although I took Martial Stance to get Thicket of Blades early. Now that I have reached 8th level, I can retrain that level 6 feat, since I can get the feat naturally.

There are six members in our group, so the DM tends to toss some tougher creatures at us for the challenge. Due to a death in the last session, I am the sole meat-shield/tank and possibly the only full melee character. Rest of the party is blaster psion, blaster wizard, archer (ranger), cleric and the returning character is likely to be a light combat rogue.

My biggest concerns at this time are a seeming lack of HP and a bit of a low AC, especially with no one else to really soak up damage. I know control/debuff spells would do wonders for the tactics, but they are rarely used by the spellcasters and this is not very likely to change. I would also like some means of DR to soak up some hits. I have thought about an armor crystal for DR, Ring of Protection for the AC (I was hoping one would have dropped by now) and the Amulet of Tears for temporary HP. I am not really concerned about doing damage with the rest of the group behind me. My goal is to stay up, soak up damage, and form a roadblock for the rest of the party.

I have read several of the crusader handbooks, but I am looking for some pretty specific recommendations, especially considering our party situation.

So, my questions:


What would be some good choices for a retrained feat, even if part of a feat chain? Mage Slayer/Pierce Magical Protection?

What would be some other good items to consider?

How about tactics that I might suggest for the rest of the party, again based on the composition of the party (spell choice, etc.)

[Keld Denar]

Miss chance would benefit you. Cloak of Minor Displacement is petty good for that. Also, Imp Toughness gives you +1 HP per HD, the same as +2 Con, which is decent.

Edit: your Standstill DCs are depressingly low. 2d8+7, unless there it's something I'm missing, averages out to 16, with a min of 9 and a decent max of 23. Your close quarters damage is what, 1d6+4 with armor spikes, max DC 10? Blech. You do need a bit more base damage to be able to reliably make foes do what you want.

Edit edit: don't forget about your Furious Counterstrike/Steely Resolve. You can heal the damage there or absorb it with various healing and DR strikes. If you have 10 points in your pool, hitting a foe to gain DR 10/Adamantine means that your DR absorbs the damage as your pool drains so you take no damage.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Extra Granted Maneuver is pretty standard. Shield Specialization and Shield Ward from PH2 are good.

Get Mithral Full Plate to take advantage of your Dex bonus. This list (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=187851) should have everything you didn't realize you needed, along with one of these (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=148101).

[Dusk Eclipse]

You should get Power Attack ASAP, it will increase your damage output, which will probably be needed if the only other melee character is a rogue, and increase your stand still DC's, sure your armour spikes won't benefit; but there is always a 5 ft step and with a decent DC on stand still it will be difficult for your enemies to get in 5 ft range.

As keld said Miss chances are good so a lesser cloak of displacement is a priority, enchanting your armour spikes with smoking (Lord of Darkness) work very similar and makes for a much more intimidating look.

For tactics suggest both of your casters to get some BFC, Slow, Stinking cloud, sleet storm are pretty good arcane options, on the psionic side Energy wall is pretty decent IMO.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

For future levels, Binder 1/ Hellreaver 5/ Crusader++ would be pretty strong for healing. Bind Naberius to fast heal ability damage, and you'll never run out of Hellreaver fury points once you get it to 5th. You can still get 9th level maneuvers at 20th with that.

[avr]

A merciful or vicious glaive might be a reasonably effective way to increase damage/stand still DCs. Power attack's a good choice when you can get it, both power attack and a good weapon are better still of course.

A potion or two for mimimal self-buffs before tough fights if the party won't supply any via spells seem sensible.

You do have a ranged weapon, right? Sometimes your enemies will be more than 50' away.

[Darrin]

What would be some good choices for a retrained feat, even if part of a feat chain? Mage Slayer/Pierce Magical Protection?


If you're not worried about damage output and just want to soak up a bunch of damage, Stone Power = 10 temp HP every round.

Shape Soulmeld: Totem Avatar can give you some non-temp HP, and with a little essentia can give you a natural armor bonus. Or if you prefer a better natural armor bonus over HP, Wormtail Belt.

Also: Improved Toughness or Law Devotion could help with survivability.



What would be some other good items to consider?


Put a Lesser Crystal of Arrow Deflection (2500 GP, MIC) on that shield ASAP: +5 untyped bonus to AC against all ranged attacks.

A Lesser Ironward Diamond (2000 GP, MIC) might help with a little DR 3/-, at least up to 30 HP (although you can swap in multiple copies between encounters if need be).

After that, I'd look for summonable meatbags to soak up damage:

Bag of Tricks (Rust or Tan)
Figurines of Wondrous Power (I'm quite fond of the Gold Beetle in Sandstorm)
Amber Amulet of Vermin
Survival Pouch (5 mules per day!)
Aberrant Sphere



How about tactics that I might suggest for the rest of the party, again based on the composition of the party (spell choice, etc.)


I'd probably suggest the cleric should look at the conjure ice beast spells in Frostburn. This gives him access to the Summon Nature's Ally lists, which tend to have better animals, and they also get a special attack: free-action 1d6 10' cold aura or engulfing centipedes are both interesting options.

Umm... make sure the rogue maxes out UMD and gets a few interesting scrolls/wands: benign transposition is a must, instant of power, golemstrike/gravestrike/vinestrike, blades of fire, swift invisiblity, swift haste, and so forth.

Not sure what to do with the blasters, if they're determined to do blasting. For the Ranger... archery needs a lot of help, I'd like to know a little more about his build.

[Person_Man]

I would probably dump Deft Opportunist in favor of other better feats.

If you just want pure hit points, a Dragonborn (Races of the Dragon) Mongrelfolk (Races of Destiny) gets +6 Con ,-2 Dex, -2 Int, -4 Cha, 30 ft, lots of minor benefits, with +0 LA. Just don't take any maneuvers that require Cha (ie, require a Saving Throw).

Fearless Destiny Feat: Once per day when you are reduced to -10 or fewer hit points, you are instead reduced to -9 and stable. Although not as good as staying alive, if you know for a fact that you're going to be the damage sponge, then you might as well be prepared for the worst. Reqs Human. Races of Destiny pg 152.

Bloodflower Salve: Cure Minor Wounds when anyone nearby speaks the command word. 25 gp, Serpant Kingdoms pg 149.

[Diarmuid]

Edit edit: don't forget about your Furious Counterstrike/Steely Resolve. You can heal the damage there or absorb it with various healing and DR strikes. If you have 10 points in your pool, hitting a foe to gain DR 10/Adamantine means that your DR absorbs the damage as your pool drains so you take no damage.

KD, are you sure this works this way? The Steely Resolve is triggered when you take damage. Wouldnt DR be checked when you were attacked and not when the damage comes back from being delayed?

My Crusaders generally get a similar effect to what you're describing using Stone Power to offset the dmg coming out of Steely Resolve. The DR is a good thing regardless, but I dont think it would have any impact on damage you've effectively aready taken.

[Keld Denar]

But you haven't taken the damage yet. It's just set aside.

There is no real definitive proof either way, but it does make the otherwise mediocre DR strikes a fair bit more useful.

[Diarmuid]

"When you are attacked, any hit point damage the blow deals is added to your delayed damage pool. At the end of your next turn, you take damage equal to the total stored in your delayed damage pool, which then resets to 0."

It sounds like you would check for resistances and DR first, and then determine how much "hit point damage" would actually effect you and add that total to your delayed pool.

Take an example of an attack that will deal 20 points of damage and your pool can only hold 15. You will fill your dmg pool, and then any excess comes off your HP as normal. If you already had DR 5 going from a previous strike, you would take 0 damage and 15 would go into your pool. On your turn, you use the same DR 5 strike (it was your refresh round and it was granted again randomly). In your interpretation you check the DR again and only take 10 of the stored damage, in essence doubling up on the DR which is likely not intended.

[toapat]

I would sugest keeping a CG Paladin of Mystra in your 6pack for if your crusader does die. Paladins dont get as good combat, but they do get access to a huge pile of spells when they follow Mystra. If your DM is nice, you get swift casting time on alot of the CC. if your DM is really nice, you can even specialize down to not needing Cha

[Turk Mannion]

OP here. Thanks for the feedback.

Regarding standstill, the DC is 10+damage, not just damage. So last night, I dropped it on two different baddies with DC of 25 and 23, which were both failed.

As for the feat, I ended up with Heavy Armor Optimization. Boring, but it helps immediately, and the Dm will allow me to retrain at level 9 if I want to.

Thanks to everyone for their help.