Help with Feats for a dwarven gestalt Crusader//Incarnate

[MadBear]

So I've decided to play a Lawful Neutral Gestalt Crusader//Incarnate for my next campaign. Essentially with the crusader + incarnate focusing on Lawful Neutral, I figured I'd just play judge Dredd, dwarf style :smallbiggrin:. The problem I'm seeing is there are a ton of good feats, and not enough ways to pick them up.

On my wish list are:

- Extra Granted Maneuver- because 3/5 is better then 2/5
- Extra Essentia- because more Essentia to spend is always helpful
- Improved Essentia Capacity- Having a possible +3 enchanted weapon at level 3 is pretty sweet.
- Power Attack- High BAB + Incarnate= High to-hit. I need a way to convert this to damage.
- Cobalt Power- A possible way to add more damage through Essentia (although maxing bluesteel bracers first seems good since it does essentially the same thing).
- Stand Still- I'm a tank, so I want the focus to remain on me
- Combat Reflexes- Extra AOO seem good especially with thicket of blades
- Thicket of Blades- A great way to keep the enemy focused on me
- XXX- other awesome feats that I possibly looked over.

As you can see I have 8 feats that I want, and no way to grab them all :smallfrown: (especially early level).

Please help me narrow down, and select the feats that will help me tank and kill the enemies around me:smallsmile:.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Two flaws (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/buildingCharacters/characterFlaws.htm) (more here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?258440-The-quot-Best-quot-Flaws#30)) gets you two more feats at 1st level. There's also the Quick trait (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/buildingCharacters/characterTraits.htm#quick) which can be made up for with Improved Toughness. Earth Dwarf (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/races/elementalRacialVariants.htm#racesOfEarth) is amazing, and the Magic-Blooded template in Dragon 306 gives Wis -2, Cha +2 and some other benefits for +0 LA if that's important to you.

[Red Fel]

Please help me narrow down, and select the feats that will help me tank and kill the enemies around me:smallsmile:.

Hello, new friend. If you really want to play a Dwarven Crusader//Incarnate, I strongly recommend the Ironsoul Forgemaster PrC. (Handbook in my sig? Handbook in my sig.) There's a very big reason for this - Weapon Bond. The Forgemaster's 9th-level ability gives your weapon a save-or-daze effect on hit. On hit. A good tanking build is designed to have you hitting an opponent when he does anything; being able to daze him on top of that is obscene. Plus there's the whole crafting your custom arms and armor bit to it.

Now for the feats. Combat Reflexes and Robilar's Gambit will be your bread and butter. Some people suggest Stand Still, which is great if you're feat-starved, but I have a particular fondness for Knock Down. Yes, it's 3.0; yes, it requires a trip attempt; but it knocks your opponent prone. Stand Still is fine if your goal is to keep an enemy from moving, but if he's already on top of your squishies it's too late for that; Knock Down saves lives.

So that's four feats (Reflexes, Gambit, Imp Trip and Knock Down). Not too shabby. You could take Extra Granted Maneuver, there's a fifth. And you've still got two more to do with as you like; I agree that an Essentia feat or two would suit you well. Just be sure to take Thicket of Blades and Iron Guard's Glare as your two major stances, and a reach weapon with bonuses to trip, and you should be thoroughly set.

[MadBear]

Hello, new friend. If you really want to play a Dwarven Crusader//Incarnate, I strongly recommend the Ironsoul Forgemaster PrC. (Handbook in my sig? Handbook in my sig.) There's a very big reason for this - Weapon Bond. The Forgemaster's 9th-level ability gives your weapon a save-or-daze effect on hit. On hit. A good tanking build is designed to have you hitting an opponent when he does anything; being able to daze him on top of that is obscene. Plus there's the whole crafting your custom arms and armor bit to it.

Now for the feats. Combat Reflexes and Robilar's Gambit will be your bread and butter. Some people suggest Stand Still, which is great if you're feat-starved, but I have a particular fondness for Knock Down. Yes, it's 3.0; yes, it requires a trip attempt; but it knocks your opponent prone. Stand Still is fine if your goal is to keep an enemy from moving, but if he's already on top of your squishies it's too late for that; Knock Down saves lives.

So that's four feats (Reflexes, Gambit, Imp Trip and Knock Down). Not too shabby. You could take Extra Granted Maneuver, there's a fifth. And you've still got two more to do with as you like; I agree that an Essentia feat or two would suit you well. Just be sure to take Thicket of Blades and Iron Guard's Glare as your two major stances, and a reach weapon with bonuses to trip, and you should be thoroughly set.

Don't I also need combat expertise then?

Also would this then look like

1. combat expertise
3. improved trip
6. knock down
9. combat reflexes
12. robilars gambit
15. extra granted maneuver
18. extra essentia.

Or should I take a 2 level fighter dip on the crusader side to pick up a few extra feats?

(also I'm definitely going Ironsoul Forgemaster thanks to the advice you gave last week on it)

[MadBear]

The character I'm playing will be starting at lvl 2, and the campaign will at most go to lvl 17. With that in mind, how should I use the feats, so that I'll be useful throughout the whole campaign?

[Doc_Maynot]

About the Knock Down, taking 2 levels of Wolf Totem Barbarian (Possibly add in Ferocity and Lion Totem for pounce and IMHO, the best rage variant) grants you Improved Trip without the need of Combat Expertise, or dropping two feats.

Also, if you are planning on using a reach weapon, instead of dropping Exotic Weapon Proficiency on a spiked chain, pick up a Duom from Dragon Compendium. Same abilities, but instead of needing the feat, you take a -2 penalty against adjacent targets.

[MadBear]

unfortunately barbarian's barred, because I'm playing Lawful Neutral. (unless there's a workaround I don't know about). :smallsmile:

[Jeff the Green]

Hello, new friend. If you really want to play a Dwarven Crusader//Incarnate, I strongly recommend the Ironsoul Forgemaster PrC. (Handbook in my sig? Handbook in my sig.) There's a very big reason for this - Weapon Bond. The Forgemaster's 9th-level ability gives your weapon a save-or-daze effect on hit. On hit. A good tanking build is designed to have you hitting an opponent when he does anything; being able to daze him on top of that is obscene. Plus there's the whole crafting your custom arms and armor bit to it.

Ironsoul Forgemaster is good. If your DM isn't enforcing that horrible "one PrC at a time rule," consider adding in two levels of Deepwarden and five of Deepstone Sentinel on the Crusader side. Even if he is, definitely get those two levels of Deepwarden. It replaces your Dexterity modifier to AC with Constitution, which isn't limited by your armor.

[Doc_Maynot]

Well, unless you have already started you can have barbarian levels and be lawful, you just lose the ability to rage. Which really isn't why you'd want the two levels, they are more for Pounce and Improved Trip.