[3.p] ToB/Path of War compatibility

[malonkey1]

Alright, I was wanting to run a Pathfinder campaign, allowing 3.5 material in on a case-by-case basis. Now, I just got a copy of all the Path of War stuff from Dreamscarred, and I wanted to incorporate both it and its 3.5 predecessor, the Tome of Battle into the game. Are there any recommendations for making Tome of Battle mesh better with Path of War (Power and rules-wise)?

[Giddonihah]

I'm pretty sure Path of Wars power level is for the most part above Tome of Battle. Stalker in particular is filled up to the brim with abilities, Warder does the tanking job better than Crusader, Warlord is superior to Warblade with similar disciplines.

To balance old tome of battle with Path of war you may need to do some ability additions. Perhaps Partially gestalting Swordsage with Monk or Rogue, Warblade with Fighter (not the bonus feats bit), and Crusader with umm Paladin? or perhaps Cavalier, will give them enough abilities to be a pathfinder class. You could even allow them to use archytpes of the classes you fused em with.

Perhaps letting the similar classes choose their disciplines between the two books (Swordsage-stalker, Warlord-Warblade, Crusader-Warder) would work better for incorporating tome of battle stuff.
So someone could play a Stalker with Sword sage Disciplines, or a Warlord with Iron heart and Diamond Mind.

A few specific fixes, make Iron Heart surge and White Raven Tactics more like their Golden Lion and Scarlet throne versions, which removed the broken aspects of them.

edit. Shoot I necroed didnt I :smallsigh:

[Jeff the Green]

The biggest problem I see is Diamond Mind. Since Concentration as a skill was nixed, there's nothing appropriate for it to run off of. Maybe Autohypnosis.

[PraxisVetli]

Is the power level difference significant?
I'm allowing the opposite to happen in my campaign, 3.5 but we backported Stalker, (we needed Solar Wind) is that going to be an issue?

[Giddonihah]

Is the power level difference significant?
I'm allowing the opposite to happen in my campaign, 3.5 but we backported Stalker, (we needed Solar Wind) is that going to be an issue?

The difference is in the amount of gimmicks and doodads Pathfinder classes get over 3.5, if you look at the Stalker it gets something pretty much every level that aren't manuevers, many of which are really good (compared to monks getting something most levels that arent so good) if you look at the Swordsage (its closest equivalent) you will notice that Stalker is pretty much better in every single way except for Wis to AC.

If you just gave Warblade/Swordsage/Crusader bow use and Solar Wind it would be fine, but adding Stalker itself you can expect it to be a bit more powerful than the other manuever classes. Whether this is actually a problem.. well it depends on the party. Still gonna be worse than a good caster, but it makes 3.5 Rogues and monks cry, by essentially being both of them combined with Swordsage.

Solar Wind is actually weaker in 3.5 than pathfinder, thanks to Archery being low on 3.5 weapon style totem pole, and it being high on Pathfinders.

[PraxisVetli]

Well the game is 3.5, so archery is kinda still hard. (Though I definately backported some feats to help)
The player in question is newer and less skilled at the game, so I think it'll actually be good. It'll be a nice boost to help them.
Thanks!

[137beth]

The power difference isn't huge, most of the utility of the PoW classes still comes from maneuvers. If you really want to mix them with minimal work and are worried about the PoW classes being stronger, you could remove some of the PoW classes' class features. Alternatively, you could just open up the disciplines and maneuvers in PoW to the ToB classes.