12th level character

[Invader]

I think I'm going to give the crusader another go so advice on a 12th level build would be great. I'm concerned less with battlefield control as I am survivability and adding in some power attack and charging.

We're starting a campaign tomorrow and we'll be 12th level. Usually I play a druid or cleric because they're my favorite classes but I'd like to try something different and I can't decide what to make.

Assuming mid optimization and everything but ToB and MoI is allowed what are some fun characters concepts you've thought up or actually played before?

Tome of Battle is allowed and I'd like to try something from there. I played a low level crusader before and I really enjoyed it so ToB are encouraged!

[Shazek]

Are you familiar with the Master of Many Forms Prestige Class? I think Wild Shape Ranger 5/Master of Many Forms 7, finishing MoMF then going into Warshaper would be an interesting path. You retain the versatility I'd imagine you're used to, and get a fair bit of raw combat power. Leaves the door open to serious shenanigans if you were so inclined, but it shouldn't be necessary to play with Greater Doppleganger and Dusk Giants in a mid-op game. If you're interested, look at this (http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75882/19528526/updated_Master_of_Many_Forms_Bible__official_wild_ shape_rules) handbook for the class. It covers forms quite well.

Beyond that, Psionics are neat. You can play with the Action Economy as an Ardent, use Spell to Power Erudite for massive shenanigans, or just go straight Psion or Wilder for the generic experience.

[Piggy Knowles]

Whisper Gnome, Spellthief 5/Trapsmith 1/Earth Dreamer 5/Shadowcraft Mage 1. Be a sneaky gnome that can see and glide through stone, create booby traps and alchemical items, cast spells and steal them from others. As you continue to level, take more Shadowcraft Mage levels. Steal spells and turn them into heightened Silent Images that you recast as shadow spells.

EDIT: Forgot, Earth Dreamer can't be taken before level 7. Spellthief 5/Trapsmith 2/Earth Dreamer 5 or Spellthief 6/Trapsmith 1/Earth Dreamer 5, then.

[Rubik]

My favorite combo to date is shaper psion 5*/constructor (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20040625b) 9/anarchic initiate 1 (from CPsi)/ghostbreaker 5 (from Hyperconscious), myself. It loses one manifester level over its whole career, and it's insanely fun if you enjoy thinking outside the box. All the metacreativity powers (combined with Linked Power to turn strategic powers into tactical ones) give shapers an amazing flexibility to give you options in nearly every situation you can think of. Very little truly broken stuff, but amazingly fun.




*Primary Contact, from Dungeonscape, for the skill prereq for constructor, which is PsyRef'd out after that first level.

[Invader]

Tome of Battle is going to be allowed so I'm thinking I'd like to try something from there. I played a Crusader for just a session or 2 and I really liked it but I've never really looked at anything else. Anything without a bunch of dips would be great and I don't know if I'm keen on worrying about maneuvers and spell casting, that seems like a little more bookkeeping than I'm looking for atm.

[Rubik]

Tome of Battle is going to be allowed so I'm thinking I'd like to try something from there. I played a Crusader for just a session or 2 and I really liked it but I've never really looked at anything else. Anything without a bunch of dips would be great and I don't know if I'm keen on worrying about maneuvers and spell casting, that seems like a little more bookkeeping than I'm looking for atm.It's really hard to go wrong with ToB. What kind of playstyle do you want to use? If you want to add buffing to the mix, a Dragonfire Inspiration bard/warblade with a dash of crusader focusing on buffing, healing, and White Raven could be a terrifying foe if you have plenty of allies to utilize.

[Kymme]

I'd actually recommend a build that I've been thinking about for a while. Factotum 8/Warblade 4. You start off with 5th level level maneuvers and stances, and can use said maneuvers twice in a round! It's pretty cool.

[Invader]

With just a casual read through of the classes I think I'm leaning towards a warblade. I like the crusader but it seems like the warblade has a little more variety in his routine.

Kymme I've never so much as looked at factorum so I' lost there lol.

[Rubik]

With just a casual read through of the classes I think I'm leaning towards a warblade. I like the crusader but it seems like the warblade has a little more variety in his routine.

Kymme I've never so much as looked at factorum so I' lost there lol.The factotum* is from Dungeonscape. It gets +Int to damned near EVERYTHING, gains 6 skill points per level with all skills as class skills, and at level 8 it gains the ability to gain extra standard actions.





*It's not a bagel-bender.

[Piggy Knowles]

Here's a totemist/warblade build I've been messing around with lately. I think it could be a lot of fun:


Dragonborn (Wings Aspect) Water Orc, Totemist 9/Warblade 8/Uncanny Trickster 3

1. Warblade1- Dragon Tail
Punishing Stance (s), Sudden Leap, Moment of Perfect Mind, Wolf Fang Strike
2. Totemist1-
3. Totemist2- Multiattack
4. Warblade2-
Wall of Blades
5. Warblade3-
Action Before Thought
6. Totemist3- Headlong Rush
7. Totemist4-
8. Warblade4-
Leading the Charge (s), Action Before Thought -> Iron Heart Surge
9. Warblade5- Ironheart Aura, Stormguard Warrior
Bounding Assault
10. Totemist5-
11. Totemist6-
12. Warblade6- Combat Reflexes
Wall of Blades -> Dancing Mongoose
13. Warblade7-
Rapid Counter
14. Totemist7-
15. Totemist8- Robilar’s Gambit
16. Warblade8-
Wolf Fang Strike -> Moment of Alacrity
17. Totemist9-
18. Uncanny Trickster1- Martial Stance (Hunter’s Sense)
19. Uncanny Trickster2-
20. Uncanny Trickster3- Blind-Fight
Raging Mongoose

UT2 progresses totemist, UT3 progresses warblade. Final maneuvers and stances look like this:

STANCES:
Punishing Stance, Leading the Charge, Hunter's Sense

MANEUVERS:
Sudden Leap, Moment of Perfect Mind, Wolf Fang Strike, Wall of Blades, Action Before Thought, Iron Heart Surge, Bounding Assault, Dancing Mongoose, Rapid Counter, Moment of Alacrity, Raging Mongoose

[HunterOfJello]

Warblade 12, Swordsage 12, and Crusader 12 are all very good builds.

ToB actually has very few good prestige classes. The two that shine are Eternal Blade and Ruby Knight Vindicator. Eternal Blade can only be entered in to at level 11 or so, which makes it less ideal for a build of your level.

Ruby Knight Vindicator is an amazing divine-casting gish PrC that you might like a lot. Builds for it either do heavy Crusader with weaker Cleric spellcasting or heavier cleric spellcasting with a slower crusader progression. Cleric 4/Crusader 1/RKV7 or Crusader 4/Cleric 1/RKV 7 would be your options. Both builds give awesome melee capabilities with nice spellcasting on the side. A lagged cleric spellcasting progression isn't amazing on its own, but it creates an amazing complement to the crusader progression.