Best ToB School

[saxavarius]

I'm going to be starting a gestalt campaign and am looking to play a Wizard (MotAO)//Warblade (bloodstorm blade) and am wondering what the most beneficial school/stances/maneuvers would be.

I'm probably going to focus on BFC, buff/debuff and insta-kill spells. We will be starting at lvl1 and it is planned to be an aberration heavy campaign. Two other players are rogue//ranger and healer//scout (not sure)

[Extra Anchovies]

I'm going to be starting a gestalt campaign and am looking to play a Wizard (MotAO)//Warblade (bloodstorm blade) and am wondering what the most beneficial school/stances/maneuvers would be.

I'm probably going to focus on BFC, buff/debuff and insta-kill spells. We will be starting at lvl1 and it is planned to be an aberration heavy campaign. Two other players are rogue//ranger and healer//scout (not sure)

Diamond Mind would probably be a good one for an aberration-heavy campaign; aberrations have a diverse and highly variable set of possible immunities, but there's one thing that a lot of them do and that is force saving throws. As a wizard you'll already probably be putting ranks in Concentration, and there's a trio of maneuvers in the Diamond Mind discipline that each let you replace one of your saving throws with a Concentration check. Very, very good maneuvers to have if you have room for making Concentration, because not only will it pass your save bonuses pretty quickly, but you don't auto-fail a skill check on a natural 1 (but you do auto-fail a normal save on a natural 1). Iron Heart Surge is even more useful than usual if you're facing lots of aberrations; they're big on applying special conditions, whether stunned, mind-controlled, slimed, paralyzed, or something else, and those special attacks tend to be their main strength. Once you can shrug off the mind flayer's psionics and its mind blast, it's not much more than a 7th-level aristocrat in terms of combat power.

[sideswipe]

in general stone dragon is pretty weak with only a couple of nice things. tiger claw is great if your focusing on it, otherwise a few bits can accent a build.
diamond mind is always useful, always. take lots, its my favourite.
iron heart is equally great and can be a bit more on the support side with self healing of conditions, and also great for offence.
white raven is very good for if you are likely to have other melee's in the party. if the party is consisting of 1 melee and a bunch of ranged members its not so great but some of the maneuvers are still gold.
if there are a bunch of melee's in the party white raven is invaluable.

so, as a warblade with a limited list of maneuvers known you will want to focus on white raven, diamond mind and iron heart.

[Talionis]

If you are doing Bloodstorm Blade you'll need Iron Heart maneuvers to power the mechanics. Note that Bloodstorm Blade is the only prestige class in ToB that doesn't advance Initiators so it may keep me from reaching level nine maneuvers.

Iron Heart is probably the second most powerful and second most versatile. You get save bonuses. It's basically a pure fighter feeling to it. A little healing for yourself which can be useful even if it comes late.

Diamond Mind is probably the strongest of all the disciplines because it provides attacks and save boosts and ways to move around. I agree that the Concentration synergy is really a winner.

While Stone Dragon is usually considered the worst and most limiting the Mountain line of maneuvers bypass DR and Hardness. Mountain Hammer is sometimes called the ToB knock because given enough time you'll eventually destroy the door. But you get decent damage that cannot be bypassed easily so if that's a need it can be useful and just the level two is a good dip.

My favorite is White Raven. It takes more thinking to make it work and you need to coordinate with your teammates to get really value, but that appeals to me.

Tiger Claw is great, but it's very feral and strength oriented. It's about jumping and two weapon fighting. Sudden Leap is great low level movement as a Swift Action. I don't see it working well for your combo.

I'm not sure what you are thinking with the Bloodstorm Blade, whether you are considering it, dipping it, or going all ten levels of Bloodstorm Blade. Casting should be covering a lot of the things Bloodstorm Blade levels would bring you. It can do some really cool combos so if you have some mechanic you are exploiting then I'd like to hear it.

You don't have to do just one, but you probably can't do too many outside of one or two. Some disciplines need more prerequisites of the same discipline than others. Also most disciplines have high level maneuvers without any prerequisites.

With a feat you can pick up any of the Shadow Hand teleport maneuvers with the Martial feat.

Good luck ask more questions if you need help.

[saxavarius]

Nothing is set in stone and I may not go into Bloodstorm Blade. Are there any PrC's that would work well with the combo. I have never played a martial adept and am trying to learn as I go

[PraxisVetli]

It's fairly different from your origional concept, but for caster//Martial adept, nothing beats Ruby Knight Vindicator.
Though, depending on what kind of fluff you're looking for, Jade Phoenix Mage is pretty sweet.

[Sian]

as an aside, an obivous prestige class for your wizard side of the Gestalt would be Keeper of the Cerulian Sign (Lords of Madness), giving you several great anti-Aberration abilities.

[chaos_redefined]

Nothing is set in stone and I may not go into Bloodstorm Blade. Are there any PrC's that would work well with the combo. I have never played a martial adept and am trying to learn as I go

If you aren't locked in stone, then I would strongly suggest going either Wizard // Factotum or Warblade // Factotum. It's less stuff trying to compete for your actions.

If you have your heart set on Wizard // Warblade, then I would strongly suggest ensuring you have enough counters/boosts/swift action spells so that you are always doing two things per turn. It's not like you are gonna run out of stuff to do...

[Beardbarian]

A level in Spellsword gives you a little armor
Totally worth it

[Fouredged Sword]

Personally, if gishing it up with a wizard // warblade, I would go pure warblade and PRC the wizard side. Wizard PRC's are a lot more powerful than the Warblade PRC's that tend to not be any more powerful than the warblade.

Wizard (focused Abjurer, lose necromancy, evocation, and enchantment) 5 / Abjurant Champion 5 / Legacy Champion 10 // warblade 20

Abjuration spells that grant AC add an extra 13 points of AC. All abjuration spells up to 7th level spells are quickened for free. All abjuration spells are extended for free. No need for evocation (you have strikes for dealing damage). No need for necromancy (Minions are a pain in book keeping) and enchantment won't be very useful in an aberration filled game.

Go diamond mind with a touch of iron heart and mountain hammer.

[Abithrios]

It's fairly different from your origional concept, but for caster//Martial adept, nothing beats Ruby Knight Vindicator.
Though, depending on what kind of fluff you're looking for, Jade Phoenix Mage is pretty sweet.

JPM is nice (my last character was one), but may run afoul of the recommendation against allowing PrCs that combine features.

[Red Fel]

Nothing is set in stone and I may not go into Bloodstorm Blade. Are there any PrC's that would work well with the combo. I have never played a martial adept and am trying to learn as I go

Several things to keep in mind, many of which have already been mentioned by others in this thread: Action economy. You only have so many actions in a round. That's how it works. As such, many people describe gestalt as a compromise between "active side" abilities and "passive side" abilities. In this context, a Wizard's offensive or battlefield control spells, or a Warblade's strikes, would be "active"; a Wizard's buffs, or a Warblade's counters, boosts, and stances, would be "passive." At any given time, you can only tap into one side's "active" abilities, so be sure the other is providing you with passives to make it worthwhile. Casting > Maneuvers. Sad truth. As such, your CL is going to be more valuable than your IL. Your class selection, on either side of the gestalt, should be advancing spellcasting progression at every level, if at all possible. Theurge Bad. Ordinarily, Jade Phoenix Mage (JPM) is an awesome choice for a caster/initiator theurge PrC. However, the gestalt rules strongly discourage the use of theurge classes. Be sure to check with your DM to see whether that will even be allowed at your table. Frankly, one of the key advantages of JPM, other than Emerald Immolation and related shenanigans, is the dual progression of casting and maneuvers; if you can gestalt, you don't need dual progression. Bookkeeping. You mention that you have never played a martial adept. Gestalt may not be the best time to learn. Gestalt is complicated. Bookkeeping is hard. And while tracking maneuvers isn't generally as elaborate as tracking spells, tracking both will not be a picnic.
Now that that's out of the way, here's my simple suggestion: On one side of the gestalt, go straight Warblade 20. No PrCs, no tricks. Keep it simple. Warblade is an awesome class right out of the can, and it maintains its quality all the way to the end, including a truly fantastic capstone. On the other side, go with Wizard, then pick a full-progression PrC. Abjurant Champion is a popular choice, and for good reason. You might also consider a Reserve Feat or two, for a simple trick you can pull out every now and then without having to rely on your spells.

And that's it. Keep it simple. Wizard and Warblade have great synergy; between the two, you'll get full BAB, and great Fort and Will saves. You'll also get Int to bloody near everything.

As for schools, you don't need to focus on a single one. I would recommend putting in extra time with Iron Heart and Diamond Mind, personally. I find Stone Dragon to be a disappointment, and Tiger Claw is a bit more specialized than you need. White Raven is a decent choice if you plan to be more tactical, of course. But Diamond Mind, with its focus on Concentration (which, as a caster in melee, you should be pumping like mad) will give you the biggest payoff.

With regard to more specifics, I would advise you to focus on "active" abilities from Wizard, and "passive" abilities from Warblade, simply because Wizard has so many good spells, and Warblade balances between active and passive nicely. Pick two stances you like (I'm a fan of Punishing Stance, generally, but it might not work as well for your caster); at capstone, you'll get to use both. Be sure to grab all three of the Diamond Mind save-counters, as well as plenty of boosts and other counters if you can. Use your swift actions on Warblade abilities, and your standard actions either on spells or on attacks. Open combat with solid battlefield control, then wade in and mop up.

[Fouredged Sword]

Several things to keep in mind, many of which have already been mentioned by others in this thread: Action economy. You only have so many actions in a round. That's how it works. As such, many people describe gestalt as a compromise between "active side" abilities and "passive side" abilities. In this context, a Wizard's offensive or battlefield control spells, or a Warblade's strikes, would be "active"; a Wizard's buffs, or a Warblade's counters, boosts, and stances, would be "passive." At any given time, you can only tap into one side's "active" abilities, so be sure the other is providing you with passives to make it worthwhile. Casting > Maneuvers. Sad truth. As such, your CL is going to be more valuable than your IL. Your class selection, on either side of the gestalt, should be advancing spellcasting progression at every level, if at all possible. Theurge Bad. Ordinarily, Jade Phoenix Mage (JPM) is an awesome choice for a caster/initiator theurge PrC. However, the gestalt rules strongly discourage the use of theurge classes. Be sure to check with your DM to see whether that will even be allowed at your table. Frankly, one of the key advantages of JPM, other than Emerald Immolation and related shenanigans, is the dual progression of casting and maneuvers; if you can gestalt, you don't need dual progression. Bookkeeping. You mention that you have never played a martial adept. Gestalt may not be the best time to learn. Gestalt is complicated. Bookkeeping is hard. And while tracking maneuvers isn't generally as elaborate as tracking spells, tracking both will not be a picnic.
Now that that's out of the way, here's my simple suggestion: On one side of the gestalt, go straight Warblade 20. No PrCs, no tricks. Keep it simple. Warblade is an awesome class right out of the can, and it maintains its quality all the way to the end, including a truly fantastic capstone. On the other side, go with Wizard, then pick a full-progression PrC. Abjurant Champion is a popular choice, and for good reason. You might also consider a Reserve Feat or two, for a simple trick you can pull out every now and then without having to rely on your spells.

And that's it. Keep it simple. Wizard and Warblade have great synergy; between the two, you'll get full BAB, and great Fort and Will saves. You'll also get Int to bloody near everything.

As for schools, you don't need to focus on a single one. I would recommend putting in extra time with Iron Heart and Diamond Mind, personally. I find Stone Dragon to be a disappointment, and Tiger Claw is a bit more specialized than you need. White Raven is a decent choice if you plan to be more tactical, of course. But Diamond Mind, with its focus on Concentration (which, as a caster in melee, you should be pumping like mad) will give you the biggest payoff.

With regard to more specifics, I would advise you to focus on "active" abilities from Wizard, and "passive" abilities from Warblade, simply because Wizard has so many good spells, and Warblade balances between active and passive nicely. Pick two stances you like (I'm a fan of Punishing Stance, generally, but it might not work as well for your caster); at capstone, you'll get to use both. Be sure to grab all three of the Diamond Mind save-counters, as well as plenty of boosts and other counters if you can. Use your swift actions on Warblade abilities, and your standard actions either on spells or on attacks. Open combat with solid battlefield control, then wade in and mop up.

This sounds very close to my above build, with the exception that the wizard side is treated as a more passive side due to being able to cast all but your highest two levels of abjuration spells quickened for free. A wizard who focuses on long duration buffs and quickened spells acts as a very passive class.

[Red Fel]

This sounds very close to my above build, with the exception that the wizard side is treated as a more passive side due to being able to cast all but your highest two levels of abjuration spells quickened for free. A wizard who focuses on long duration buffs and quickened spells acts as a very passive class.

True. We do have similar perspectives. Part of the reason I suggested Wizard as active instead of passive is that, while a Wizard can buff, it can also be so much more it's crazy. By contrast, a Warblade can be quite effective either actively or passively using its abilities, but it just won't compete with high-end arcane spells. But I agree, it works either way.

[Rijan_Sai]

Personally, if gishing it up with a wizard // warblade, I would go pure warblade and PRC the wizard side. Wizard PRC's are a lot more powerful than the Warblade PRC's that tend to not be any more powerful than the warblade.

Wizard (focused Abjurer, lose necromancy, evocation, and enchantment) 5 / Abjurant Champion 5 / Legacy Champion 10 // warblade 20

Abjuration spells that grant AC add an extra 13 points of AC. All abjuration spells up to 7th level spells are quickened for free. All abjuration spells are extended for free. No need for evocation (you have strikes for dealing damage). No need for necromancy (Minions are a pain in book keeping) and enchantment won't be very useful in an aberration filled game.

Go diamond mind with a touch of iron heart and mountain hammer.

Just a minor aside, but with this route, remember that the titular 9 Swords are Legacy weapons!

[Talionis]

I think you would act like a Warblade early, but as you play longer as a Wizard you should have more and more spells that Trump Warblade for damage.

Many people have said action economy is something to consider and most of your casting will be Wizard actions as you get higher in level.

What I would want to look into is some way to attack with a maneuver and also deliver a spell. The biggest problem is that most of the best ways to deliver spells in an attack are Theurge classes.

War Weaver might be a great Wizard side prestige class from Heroes of Battle. It allows you to cast buffs at the beginning of a fight.