Creating a trip-focussed Warblade

[JW86]

Hello,

Please help me create a trip-focussed Warblade, starting at Level 1 and moving up to, let's say, level 8 or so. Playing in a low-magic campaign with a low-op group featuring a Spirit Lion Barbarian, a Druid and a Rogue.

I'm thinking of using a Bastard Sword or Greatsword (a Katana, basically) when indoors, and a Guisarme while outdoors. I'm aiming for mid-optimisation. I am feeling an Asian Samurai style combatant - quite forceful, direct, stern, and tactical. I am not really "feeling" the spiked chain for this character.

Stats are STR 12, DEX 13, CON 12, INT 14, WIS 16, CHA 15, with the ability to swap any two stats around. I'm thinking either swapping STR<->WIS or STR<->CHA.

The combat style I would like to try is revolving around tripping, so I'm looking at Combat Expertise, Combat Reflexes, Knock-Down.

I'm pretty sorted on the maneuvers, it's just the arrangement of feats and any Race suggestions I'd really benefit from!

Can people please suggest feat arrangement on the assumption that

A) Human, no flaws allowed
B) Human or non-human, up to 2 flaws allowed.

I'd be grateful. Forgive my typing style, it is 4.15am here :smallsigh:

[Red Fel]

Well, first off, take a peek over at this guy's build (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?356001-Crusader-help-needed); his goal was to create a (partially trip-based) lockdown build using Crusader. Many of the same tactics apply.

First question, if we're assuming non-human, is size. Larger is generally better (although smaller can pull some useful tricks with Confound the Big Folk or Pebble Underfoot). Powerful Build is also excellent. If you're willing to use templates, you could use Half-Ogre or Half-Minotaur to take any Medium race up a size - being Large gives you a bonus. Alternatively, go with Goliath and grab Powerful Build.

Next, your feats. Obviously, you want Improved Trip (it's a prereq to Knock-Down). You might consider Curling Wave Strike, which is like Cleave for trip attempts - if you succeed, instead of making the automatic attack that comes with Improved Trip, you can trip somebody else. If you want to keep them down, consider the Sand Snare feat, which causes tripped opponents to have to take a full action (as opposed to a move action) to stand up again.

At high levels, Defensive Sweep can create a powerful combo. Let's say you have Improved Trip, Knock-Down, Curling Wave, Sand Snare and Defensive Sweep. You attack someone. Here's how it plays out: You deal 10+ damage. Thanks to Knock-Down, take a trip attempt. Thanks to Improved Trip, you win your trip attempt. Thanks to Curling Wave Strike, instead of attacking the guy, you can trip somebody else. Thanks to Sand Snare, they have to take a full action just to stand up, or wait a whole round before getting up as a move action. Because they're either waiting on the ground or taking their full action to stand back up, they're still in your space. Thanks to Defensive Sweep, you get an AoO on every enemy who spent their entire turn in your threatened area. If they're prone, they take an AC penalty to that attack. If they're upright, you can trigger Knock-Down and start it all over again.

As an aside, when it comes to tripping, Str is your friend. You need all the help you can get there. Oddly, despite Warblades being described as flashy and charismatic, they get absolutely nothing from Cha; don't be afraid to drop that.

[JW86]

Red Fel, thank you for the detailed response.

Think I will go Human, unless there are any LA+0 races that improve STR without sacrificing INT, that don't interfere too much with feat selection?

H: Power Attack
1: Improved Trip
Flaw 1: Combat Expertise
Flaw 2: Combat Reflexes
3: Knock-Down

For first few levels, would that cover the basics?

STR 15, DEX 13, CON 12, INT 14, WIS 16, CHA 12, then at Level 4 put point into STR to get it to 16.

Curling Wave, Sand Snare, Defensive Sweep would come in later..