Need help fixing this build..

[Dalasio]

So, yup, this is me from the Asmodius thread. The deal went terribly, and obviously, I must make a new character.

I've chosen to go Incarnate 2/Crusader 3 and then multiclass into Ironsoul Forgemaster at level 6, And I just went with a normal dwarf. I have absolutely no idea what soulmelds I should pick up, or maneuvers. Any help?

[Red Fel]

So, yup, this is me from the Asmodius thread. The deal went terribly, and obviously, I must make a new character.

I've chosen to go Incarnate 2/Crusader 3 and then multiclass into Ironsoul Forgemaster at level 6, And I just went with a normal dwarf. I have absolutely no idea what soulmelds I should pick up, or maneuvers. Any help?

Why, hello there (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?344798-Soul-and-Steel-A-Guide-to-the-Ironsoul-Forgemaster-%28WIP-PEACH%29).

Let's start with some basics. First question: What is it you're trying to do with your character? Be a melee beast? A protective tank? Stand around looking shiny?

Second question: I need a bit more information about your character. You're going standard dwarf, fine, but how do you feel about templates? Are you starting immediately at level 5/6, or at level 1? What's your personal experience with Incarnum and ToB? Have you ever met a samurai who smells of sunflowers?

Third question: Are any sources explicitly permitted/banned?

Fourth question, and this is just for my own personal amusement - just how badly did it go?

[Dalasio]

Why, hello there (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?344798-Soul-and-Steel-A-Guide-to-the-Ironsoul-Forgemaster-%28WIP-PEACH%29).

Let's start with some basics. First question: What is it you're trying to do with your character? Be a melee beast? A protective tank? Stand around looking shiny?

Second question: I need a bit more information about your character. You're going standard dwarf, fine, but how do you feel about templates? Are you starting immediately at level 5/6, or at level 1? What's your personal experience with Incarnum and ToB? Have you ever met a samurai who smells of sunflowers?

Third question: Are any sources explicitly permitted/banned?

Fourth question, and this is just for my own personal amusement - just how badly did it go?
Protection mainly, our party's lacking a real damage taker. Templates are fine, but only if they don't go above a +2 LA. I'm starting at 5th level, because that's what level my dead character was.

I've had a pure Swordsage Changeling who assassinated people, and one of my last characters was a fairly optomized Totemist. And, nope! Nothing is banned.

The deal went..well at first, of course I got my Erinyes but I had to kill a priest of ever major god in Faerun and then the king of Neverwinter, so..yeah, the DM and I agreed that my character would hardly be with the group so I had to start a new one. Nothing -too- bad but a new character.

[torrasque666]

If he's still alive, just not with your group, please tell me your DM has plans to let rumors of his deeds slip to the party.

[Red Fel]

Protection mainly, our party's lacking a real damage taker. Templates are fine, but only if they don't go above a +2 LA. I'm starting at 5th level, because that's what level my dead character was.

I've had a pure Swordsage Changeling who assassinated people, and one of my last characters was a fairly optomized Totemist. And, nope! Nothing is banned.

The deal went..well at first, of course I got my Erinyes but I had to kill a priest of ever major god in Faerun and then the king of Neverwinter, so..yeah, the DM and I agreed that my character would hardly be with the group so I had to start a new one. Nothing -too- bad but a new character.

First off, I can't speak to any Dragon Magazine content, so I won't. That said:

If you want to min-max, the Dragonborn template is a fun choice; it will boost your Con bonus (great for meldshaping), but tack on a Dex penalty. Additionally, you can take the breath weapon aspect, and follow it with the Entangling Exhalation feat, which will impose heavy penalties to movement.

Ignoring Dragonborn, the Crusader standard is generally Combat Reflexes + Stand Still + Thicket of Blades + reach weapon. You now threaten a 10' area, and anything moving through it threatens an AoO, which can be used to completely halt movement. Frankly, however, the Forgemaster Weapon Bond ability is even better - if you hit an enemy, and it fails its save, it is dazed, which means it can't act anyway. In tandem with that, Robilar's Gambit means that any melee attack against you provokes an AoO in response - again triggering your daze effect.

A good weapon is the Spiked Chain, as it threatens both at reach and in close melee.

Soulmelds! I forgot to ask, are you a Good Dwarf, or a Lawful Dwarf?

You're starting at 5th level, which means your meldshaping is at Incarnate 2. That means you can shape three soulmelds at once, have two essentia to invest, and can bind to one chakra - the crown. At 5th level, you can invest only 1 essentia into any soulmeld (this increases to 2 at 6th, unless you take Expanded Soulmeld Capacity). So we're looking for soulmelds that give you a decent benefit without requiring heavy investment.

Bluesteel Bracers are a great choice for starters. That initiative bonus will help you out, and the damage bonus is nice too. Crystal Helm is an awesome choice as well - deflection bonus to AC is nice, but when bound to the crown (which you can do) it lets you become the envy of melees everywhere by hitting incorporeal enemies. Fellmist Robe gives you miss chance, which is very valuable for a tank. Similarly, Adamant Pauldrons give you fortification, which is a good way of avoiding oh-crap crits. Impulse Boots will be useful for you, because two of their three benefits (Uncanny Dodge and Evasion, although the latter requires binding) operate regardless of essentia investment. Lucky Dice are fun for a random +1 bonus to whatever. And Astral Vambraces are great for a go-to option. Later on, when you have more to invest and more chakra binds available, be ready to swap out for Lammasu Mantle, which will be awesome when dealing with summoned monsters and outsiders.

The thing to remember is that you can swap these out from day to day. You'll probably have a few go-to soulmelds, but generally you can switch things up pretty easily.

Now, maneuvers. Obligatory handbook (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?181655-Spirit-of-Steel-The-Crusader-s-Handbook-WIP). As I've mentioned, Thicket of Blades is your go-to stance. More specifically, Thicket of Blades is for when you stand between enemies and the party. Iron Guard's Glare, your other go-to stance, is for when the enemies choose to ignore you and attack the party directly.

That covers your two stances known. You also get 6 maneuvers, although sadly only one will be 2nd-level. I'd suggest Vanguard Strike and Leading the Attack for targeting, Charging Minotaur for barreling into combat, Douse the Flames for battlefield control, and then your choice of Crusader Strike or Stone Bones, whichever you prefer. One is a useful spot heal that ages quickly, the other is a source of supplemental DR. For your lonely level 2 maneuver, Mountain Hammer. Alas, this build won't reach White Raven Tactics.

Hope this helps!

[Warlocknthewind]

Am I wrong in thinking that Pauldrons of Health would work wel with Martial Spirit? Cause that could make you nigh unkillable with enough HP

[Bakkan]

Am I wrong in thinking that Pauldrons of Health would work wel with Martial Spirit? Cause that could make you nigh unkillable with enough HP

Pretty sure you mean Therapeutic Mantle, and it does work well. You need to confirm with your DM what the effective "spell level" of Martial Spirit (or Crusader's Strike, etc) are. It is not unreasonable to just use hte maneuver level in its place. For example, if you have the Thereapeutic Mantle shaped and you have two essentia invested in it, then every time you successfully make a melee attack while in Martial Spirit stance, you can heal yourself for seven.

[Dalasio]

Snip!
Isn't Thicket of Blades a 3rd level stance? So..like something I can't get until level 5 Crusader? Either that or I'm doing something really wrong, hehe. Oh, and I'm Lawful.

Other than that this looks great, thanks a ton!

[Red Fel]

Isn't Thicket of Blades a 3rd level stance? So..like something I can't get until level 5 Crusader? Either that or I'm doing something really wrong, hehe. Oh, and I'm Lawful.

Other than that this looks great, thanks a ton!

Whoops! You're right about Thicket of Blades. Still, it's worth taking as a feat - it's one heck of a tanking boost. But yes, you need a lower-level stance. As others have mentioned, Martial Spirit is a nice bit of spot-healing, and Therapeutic Mantle boosts that. Note that Therapeutic Mantle only boosts healing on you, not by you, and it's probably not worth binding given how low-level your maneuvers are.

[Dalasio]

Whoops! You're right about Thicket of Blades. Still, it's worth taking as a feat - it's one heck of a tanking boost. But yes, you need a lower-level stance. As others have mentioned, Martial Spirit is a nice bit of spot-healing, and Therapeutic Mantle boosts that. Note that Therapeutic Mantle only boosts healing on you, not by you, and it's probably not worth binding given how low-level your maneuvers are.
Ehm...what feat lets me get Thicket of Blades? o-o

EDIT: Nevermind, a little looking helped me find it.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Ehm...what feat lets me get Thicket of Blades? o-o

EDIT: Nevermind, a little looking helped me find it.

Note that unless your group is using the all-prestige-classes-grant-full-initiator-level reading, you won't have the initiator level for Thicket of Blades until 7th level, which delays it until your 9th level feat (unless you're using Pathfinder feat progression). If you go Incarnate 1/ Crusader 4/ Ironsoul Forgemaster you can get Thicket of Blades at 6th level.

[Dalasio]

Note that unless your group is using the all-prestige-classes-grant-full-initiator-level reading, you won't have the initiator level for Thicket of Blades until 7th level, which delays it until your 9th level feat (unless you're using Pathfinder feat progression). If you go Incarnate 1/ Crusader 4/ Ironsoul Forgemaster you can get Thicket of Blades at 6th level.
Eh, it'll be fine. I'm pretty much the only one using an even semi-optimized build, and the other is a crazy monk saint. Unless the DM starts throwing everything at us we'll be fine.