Goliath with Knockback

[Endril]

So I have a Goliath Barbarian 1/ Fighter 6/ Warblade 4. He has Knockback, and he uses it to knock people towards walls until he can take a full attack and do ridiculous amounts of damage (assuming knockback allows multiple dungeon crashes per turn).

The DM is allowing me to retrain 1 feat and/or class per level, because I'm realizing I wanted to do something different with my character. I want to switch to a weapon with reach, use expansion to grow, and combine knockback with combat reflexes. Is this as good as it sounds? I'd be able to knockback anyone that gets within 20 feet of me, and when they try to come back, I'd just do it again.

And what is the easiest way to do that? I'm trying to get rid of my multi class penalty (and don't want to lose base attack), so I was trying to avoid psychic warrior. That's why I'm looking at using wild talent to get into warmind, but it would take until level 13 to get a skill requirement without changing something.

Do the giants have any ideas? Please stay away from flaws, dragon mag, and campaign specific material. There might be more that I'm missing, but most everything else I can think of is allowed.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Turn the Barbarian level into a Warblade level and you get rid of your multiclassing xp penalty. You can then gain two more Warblade levels without taking an xp penalty, and prestige classes never count for that at all.

You could hire an NPC Psion to use Psychic Reformation (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/psychicReformation.htm) on you to repick your feats, skills, etc. all the way back to 1st level if you want. The standard rate (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/equipment/goodsAndServices.htm#spell) should be 280 gp + (xp cost x 5) gp, not counting the half of the xp cost your character pays.

[Seppo87]

I'd be able to knockback anyone that gets within 20 feet of me, and when they try to come back, I'd just do it again.
Not really. That would be the same move action, so it would only cause a single opportunity. It's an exception specified by the rules.

[Endril]

I probably should have mentioned the level in barbarian is giving me lion's pounce. I left a few things out to try to keep my message short, such as lion's pounce and leap attack. That, and barbarian is favored by goliath anyway, so after another level that penalty is gone.

Problem is I'm still looking for a way to use the expansion power, which would give me a reach of even more than 20'. I believe warmind is the easiest way to get there, but it requires 8 ranks in psionic knowledge, so I'd have to be level 13. I was looking for perhaps a shortcut into warmind, or another way to get expansion (preferably from a prestige class with +1BAB).

But once I figure out what I want to do, psychic reformation would help me change my character lot faster. I'll definitely look into that if/when I find out a way to get expansion. Thanks.

[Inevitability]

My advice? Hit your DM on the head with a PHB for using multiclass XP penalties. :smalltongue:

[Endril]

Not really. That would be the same move action, so it would only cause a single opportunity. It's an exception specified by the rules.

I forgot about that. Thank you for pointing this out. Would it still be worth it to combine combat reflexes and knockback with a reach of 20-30'? Do you think I should take trip instead? It seems like I'd get more AOs that way, but it would make it harder to use dungeoncrasher, wouldn't it?

[kardar233]

Can't you use the Goliath Barbarian substitution levels to go Large when Raging? That seems like a much more elegant solution than going into Psychic Warrior.

[Endril]

Can't you use the Goliath Barbarian substitution levels to go Large when Raging? That seems like a much more elegant solution than going into Psychic Warrior.

I already use that. You could say I'm being greedy by wanting more than 20' reach, but I would also need to be bigger than large to effect creatures that are bigger than huge.

[Seppo87]

Do you think I should take trip instead? It seems like I'd get more AOs that way, but it would make it harder to use dungeoncrasher, wouldn't it?
It wouldn't make it harder at all. If you trip and then use the second AoO to push him away, he'll need to stand up to get any closer, spending another move action, in addition to the Dungeoncrasher damage (assuming there's a wall close enough). It would do the trick, definitely.
If you manage to also get Knockdown, it would basically do the same thing, only better.

Alternatively, Stand Still from CPH stops a foe in his tracks

Consider getting Robilar's Gambit asap.
You get attacked, you attack first, knockdown trips, knockback pushes, you get no damage.

[Endril]

It wouldn't make it harder at all. If you trip and then use the second AoO to push him away, he'll need to stand up to get any closer, spending another move action, in addition to the Dungeoncrasher damage (assuming there's a wall close enough). It would do the trick, definitely.
If you manage to also get Knockdown, it would basically do the same thing, only better.

Alternatively, Stand Still from CPH stops a foe in his tracks

Consider getting Robilar's Gambit asap.
You get attacked, you attack first, knockdown trips, knockback pushes, you get no damage.

This is excellent. Thank you.

I still need a way to increase my size beyond large so I can effect larger creatures, but maybe I can live with not being able to effect gargantuan/colossal creatures until I'm level 14 (I can take warmind at that level if I cross class the knowledge).