Desert Wind (ToB)

[ZhanStrider]

Alright. Currently playing a swordsage who is focusing on the Desert Wind Style (which i realize will be less effective at higher levels) and am curious to see what everyone thinks the best maneuvers from that style are per maneuver level.

Further, any feats that allow greater ability to move through threatened squares without provoking AoO's would be helpful.

My DM also wants to work with me to make the Desert Wind style keep its flavor, but not be as useless at higher levels, if anyone has any ideas on how to make it more useful (my thought was being able to use different energy damage at will)

Thanks!

[Gildedragon]

Searing Spell metamagic
lets make it some sort of metacombat feat... needs psionic focus to work maybe?

as to free movement: higher tumble, there are the scorpion sandals which let you take a 10' step

[squiggit]

A feat that lets you deal with resistance/immunity is the big one.

Beyond that you're looking at tweaking individual maneuvers with crappy effects (like making Blistering Flourish blind).

[mabriss lethe]

I'd agree that applying the effects of Searing Spell is the best option. How to apply that is going to be between you and the DM. It could be a feat tax, or possibly a stance. It could even come from some sort of item or be a weapon property.

[StreamOfTheSky]

I think requiring a feat tax alone for Searing Spell Maneuvers is already punishing enough. It is a weak discipline.

DW...the fire blasts are pretty unimpressive even at lower levels, really. Best maneuvers by level, the actual gems bolded:

1: Distracting Ember, Burning Blade
2: Flashing Sun, Burning Brand
3: Fan the Flames, Death Mark
4: Searing Charge
5: Leaping Flame
6: Desert Tempest (only good vs. lots of foes), Ring of Fire (requires very good move speed for adequate area)
7: Salamander Charge
8: Nothing good here.
9: The final strike is decent with Searing, I guess...

[Eldaran]

8: Nothing good here.


This is the saddest part to me. Wyrm's Flame the 8th level maneuver is so bad. Compared to something like Lightning Throw from Iron Heart it's just ridiculous. Lightning Throw does 12d6+melee damage, which is going to be substantially higher than Wyrm's Flame pathetic 10d6+nothing; Lightning Throw is physical damage as opposed to fire, and DR is a lot less than fire resist; and worst of all is the difference in saves, Lightning Throw's save is the same as your attack roll, and by level 15 this should be 30+ on average, which means Wyrm's Flame only equals it if you have 34 or more wisdom (and if you do, the Warblade is likely to have a higher attack bonus for his Throw anyway). I just have to wonder what the hell WotC was thinking when designing these two maneuvers.

[ZhanStrider]

I think requiring a feat tax alone for Searing Spell Maneuvers is already punishing enough. It is a weak discipline.

DW...the fire blasts are pretty unimpressive even at lower levels, really. Best maneuvers by level, the actual gems bolded:

1: Distracting Ember, Burning Blade
2: Flashing Sun, Burning Brand
3: Fan the Flames, Death Mark
4: Searing Charge
5: Leaping Flame
6: Desert Tempest (only good vs. lots of foes), Ring of Fire (requires very good move speed for adequate area)
7: Salamander Charge
8: Nothing good here.
9: The final strike is decent with Searing, I guess...

What's a feat tax?

[Red Fel]

What's a feat tax?

The phrase "feat tax" usually refers to a feat that isn't required by RAW, but that you more or less have to take to make a class or ability function. The feat tax being referred to here is a hypothetical feat that would allow your Desert Wind maneuvers to overcome fire resistance/immunity, like the Searing Spell metamagic feat does for fire spells.

Some people have homebrewed Desert Wind to instead use a different elemental descriptor entirely. (See this thread (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?363294-quot-Storm-Wind-quot-TOB), for example.) The whole discipline. Not necessarily to be switchable at-will, but rather to set the entire thing to a different element - all Cold damage, or Electricity, or Acid or Sonic or something.

[ZhanStrider]

This is the saddest part to me. Wyrm's Flame the 8th level maneuver is so bad. Compared to something like Lightning Throw from Iron Heart it's just ridiculous. Lightning Throw does 12d6+melee damage, which is going to be substantially higher than Wyrm's Flame pathetic 10d6+nothing; Lightning Throw is physical damage as opposed to fire, and DR is a lot less than fire resist; and worst of all is the difference in saves, Lightning Throw's save is the same as your attack roll, and by level 15 this should be 30+ on average, which means Wyrm's Flame only equals it if you have 34 or more wisdom (and if you do, the Warblade is likely to have a higher attack bonus for his Throw anyway). I just have to wonder what the hell WotC was thinking when designing these two maneuvers.

Holy god. I didn't even realize the scope of the badness until just now. That's....that's HORRIBLE

[StreamOfTheSky]

To be fair, Lightning Throw is one of the best strikes in the book among the ones that don't inflict a status effect (like Swooping Dragon Strike's stun) and is my favorite strike in the book. The DW one is still horrible, of course. It does less damage than the level 6 Ring of Fire....

[Blackhawk748]

Holy god. I didn't even realize the scope of the badness until just now. That's....that's HORRIBLE

I can make it even worse. Ancient Mountain Hammer is a lvl 7 maneuver and it does 12d6 and ignores DR, on top of your Leaping Charge, Power Attacked, Valorous Greatsword.

Now granted Wyrms Flame is a cone, but that is very little compensation

[StreamOfTheSky]

I can make it even worse. Ancient Mountain Hammer is a lvl 7 maneuver and it does 12d6 and ignores DR, on top of your Leaping Charge, Power Attacked, Valorous Greatsword.

Now granted Wyrms Flame is a cone, but that is very little compensation

You can't Leap Attack with AMH. Leap Attack only works on a charge. AMH is a standard action strike.

[Blackhawk748]

Whoops, derped there, wait couldnt i use my Belt of Battle to pull this off?

Edit: Regardless, the fact that AMH does that much damage and just ignores DR is great, even if it is single target, while Wyrms Flame does less damage, is one level higher and uses a lousy elemental typing. The cone effect is still pretty nice, but very situational

[CrazyYanmega]

I personally like the Desert Wind, even if it is underpowered. Just the IMAGE of embers leaping about you as you prepare to strike with Burning Blade gives me shivers.

Also, the Maneuver School is great for a Shakugan no Shana cosplay build.