new to ToB, need a little help.

[morkendi]

So I am 4th lvl cleric. Have enouph exp to get 2 lvls. I take crusader and ruby knight vindicator. So i need a little help with the stances and maneuvers. Cleric lvls are factored in at half? Make my initiator lvl 4? I csn pick higher lvl maneuvers because of this? Ill be first in our group ever using tob, so i want to get it rite.

[Lilapop]

Cleric lvls are factored in at half? Make my initiator lvl 4? I csn pick higher lvl maneuvers because of this?
Correct, but you need to fulfill all other requirements of the maneuvers. Also, you have to complete the first levelup before you start with the next, so for your crusader level your initiator level is 3.
Usually, you couldn't even hoard that much experience anyway:

A character can advance only one level at a time. If, for some extraordinary reason, a character’s XP reward from a single adventure would be enough to advance two or more levels at once, he or she instead advances one level and gains just enough XP to be 1 XP short of the next level. Any excess experience points are not retained. For example, if Tordek has 5,000 XP (1,000 points short of 4th level) and gains 6,000 more, he would normally be at 11,000 XP—enough for 5th level. Instead he attains 4th level, and his XP total stands at 9,999.

[morkendi]

Our dm doesn't let us lvl untill we train.

[morkendi]

So just making sure. Just for crusader lvl.

Stances i only get one. Iron guards glare looks good.

5 maneuvers
Crusader strike, vanguard strike, mountain hammer, stone vise, leading the attack.

This look right?

[Red Fel]

So I am 4th lvl cleric. Have enouph exp to get 2 lvls. I take crusader and ruby knight vindicator. So i need a little help with the stances and maneuvers. Cleric lvls are factored in at half? Make my initiator lvl 4? I csn pick higher lvl maneuvers because of this? Ill be first in our group ever using tob, so i want to get it rite.

Okay. It works like this.

Your Initiator Level (IL) for a given martial adept class (Crusader, Swordsage or Warblade) is equal to your levels in that martial adept class, plus your levels in a class that advances that martial adept class, plus 1/2 of your levels in other classes. Several illustrations: You have a Crusader 6. His IL is 6. You have a Warblade 10/ Eternal Blade 5. Eternal Blade advances as a Warblade. Thus, his IL is 15 (10 for Warblade, 5 for Eternal Blade). You have a Crusader 6/ Swordsage 4. His Crusader IL is 8 (6 for Crusader, 4/2=2 for Swordsage); his Swordsage IL is 7 (4 for Swordsage, 6/2=3 for Crusader). You have a Cleric 4/ Crusader 1. His IL is 3 (1 for Crusader, 4/2=2 for Cleric). You have a Cleric 4/ Crusader 1/ Ruby Knight Vindicator 1. Ruby Knight Vindicator advances as a Crusader. His IL is 4 (1 for Crusader, 1 for Ruby Knight Vindicator, 4/2=2 for Cleric).
Now, all that said, let's look at your maneuvers. At Cleric 4/ Crusader 1, you have an IL of 3. According to the table awkwardly stuffed into page 39, that means you have maneuvers up to level 2. So when you take your first level of Crusader, you'll be starting with maneuvers up to level 2.

Ordinarily, there's a bit of dispute over stances. The book says you begin with knowledge of a 1st-level stance. Some people argue that if you start with a higher IL, you should start with a higher-level stance. Fortunately for you, this is a non-issue; only 1st-level stances are available to you anyways. You can, however, choose 1st- or 2nd-level maneuvers from the Devoted Spirit, Stone Dragon, or White Tiger disciplines.

Note that you cannot "bank" maneuvers for later. You must select them now. So when you level up to get Crusader 1, you must choose your 5 maneuvers and 1 stance. That decision is fixed. On your first level of Ruby Knight Vindicator, you may then choose another stance (but no maneuvers yet) from either Devoted Spirit, Shadow Hand, Stone Dragon or White Raven disciplines. Again, because your IL is 4, you are still limited to maneuver or stance options of 1st- or 2nd-level, and as previously stated, there are no 2nd-level stances, only 1st or 3rd. So this is a non-issue; you will take another 1st-level stance.

Does this address all of your concerns?

[morkendi]

That is pretty well what i thought. From what i understand, the 1 stance can stay active, and i can use at will? I chose iron guards glare, so with a swift action, I make opponents get a -4 penalty to hit anything but me, and I stay in this stance because I have no other. Now because I am crusader, the maneuvers are random based on the 5 I have ready. I start combat with 2. Every combat round, i get another random one thats my faith makes available to me.

Best way I can think is put the 5 maneuvers on cards. Encounter starts and i draw 2 on my turn. If i use 1 it goes into a dicard pile until next encounter if not, it stays in my hand. Every round after 1st, i draw 1 and can use if i choose? Is this correct, or does it become available again after use to be drawn from the random pile my faith grants me instead of a discard pile?

[Red Fel]

That is pretty well what i thought. From what i understand, the 1 stance can stay active, and i can use at will? I chose iron guards glare, so with a swift action, I make opponents get a -4 penalty to hit anything but me, and I stay in this stance because I have no other.

Sort of. A stance can be activated or switched out with a swift action. Unless stated otherwise, its benefit is then "always on." You can dismiss a stance with a swift action (either to switch stances or cancel it outright) or when you're unconscious or asleep. Otherwise, it's constantly active - even if you're not standing (e.g. prone, flying, swimming).

For example, Iron Guard's Glare is activated with a swift action, as stated above. Thereafter, until and unless you deactivate the stance, any enemy you threaten - meaning any enemy in range of your weapon - automatically receives the -4 penalty, and knows of it. It requires no further action on your part.


Now because I am crusader, the maneuvers are random based on the 5 I have ready. I start combat with 2. Every combat round, i get another random one thats my faith makes available to me.

Best way I can think is put the 5 maneuvers on cards. Encounter starts and i draw 2 on my turn. If i use 1 it goes into a dicard pile until next encounter if not, it stays in my hand. Every round after 1st, i draw 1 and can use if i choose? Is this correct, or does it become available again after use to be drawn from the random pile my faith grants me instead of a discard pile?

Correct. You may choose your maneuvers when you gain a level in Crusader, but which ones are available to you are randomized, and may ready a certain number to be available in combat. (The number you may ready is indicated in a separate table in the class description column.) You can change which maneuvers are "readied" by engaging in five minutes of prayer.

After that, you're correct. Encounter starts, draw two maneuvers. (Note that stances are excluded from this - all your known stances are available to you at any time, although you can only have one active at a time.) Each turn, draw one maneuver. Use whichever maneuvers you can, as you like. Once you've drawn them all, reshuffle your maneuvers and discard pile, and draw two new maneuvers, then begin again.

As an aside, WotC has generously created these printable maneuver cards (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20061225a), available for free. Print them out and use them as you see fit!