Daring Champion + PoW

[Shinken]

Hello, folks.
I was invited to join a 7th level Pathfinder game. They have 4 players currently (half-elf Magus, human Warpriest, half-orc Brawler (Snakebite Striker) and elf Investigator) so I could do basically anything, I believe.
After much thinking, I think I'm going with a Daring Champion. I'm thinking of this character like Shishio Makoto before being burned alive - a gifted warrior and leader. Daring Champion basically covers that. I wanted to add PoW just for kicks and I think I managed to make it fit, but I don't know which disciplines to choose (Mithral Current could work, I believe, but that's more Kenshin than Shishio, I don't know).

I'm torn between Order of the Scales and Order of the Flames.

Race: Ifrit (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/races/other-races/featured-races/arg-ifrit) (wildfire heart, fire in the blood)
Traits: Expert Distractor (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/traits/race-traits/expert-distractor-ifrit), Reactionary
Ability Scores (20 point buy): Str 11, Dex 18 (base 15, +1 4th level, +2 ifrit), Con 14, Int 10, Wis 10 (base 12, -2 ifrit), Cha 16 (base 14, +2 ifrit)

Feats:
1- Weapon Focus (longsword)
3- Slashing Grace
5- Martial Training I
6- Martial Training II (Cavalier bonus feat)
7- Martial Training III

My question is basically... which maneuvers from which discipline?

EDIT: I wanted to fit Scorching Weapons and Inner Flame somewhere, even though they are just not worth it. Guess I'll just go with a flaming longsword, it's more or less what Shishio had anyway.

[Greenish]

I don't know anything about this Shishio, but you can rarely go wrong with Scarlet Throne.

For stances, Scarlet Einhander and Unfettered Movement (unless your DM loves rogues, in which case you might consider Circular Stance).

Maneuvers, you can get the brilliant Sanguine Barrier (and later Sanguine Perseverance and Sanguine Perfection, if the game goes on) for defense, Regal Blade and Scarlet Eye's Perception are great offensive boosts, and strike-wise, Garnet Lance pierces DR and Red Zephyr's Strike is pretty good for disengaging or as mini-Spring Attack.

[Edit]: Though in hindsight, keying to Wis is less than ideal.

[Edit]: How about Golden Lion? Should work with melee heavy party, being a leader, and keying to Cha. Get Encouraging and Warning Roar, Golden Commander Stance, then stuff like Hunting Party, Distracting Strike, Kill the Wounded…

[Sayt]

Dashing and Daring Leader? Inspirational to his comrades?

Golden Lion, my man, the Golden Lion!

1st - Hunting Lion (Hit dude, and a friend gets to AoO that same dude)
2nd - Distracting strike (Bonus damage, flat-foot the enemy. Snakebite striker should love you.)
2nd Warning Roar (Diplo vs. an enemies attack against an ally to negate)
2nd - Defending the Pride (AC buff for yourself and allies)
3rd - Kill the Wounded (The target takes an extra 2d6 damage from your allies' attacks)
Stance: 1st: Pride leader's Stance: not great, but it's the only valid choice for MT II Golden lion, doesn't matter, cause you're probably only ever going to use...
Stance: 3rd: Golden Commander stance: Mutual threatening is now flanking. Free flanking! The snakebite striker is going to like this for sneak attack damage, and the magus is going to be even more accurate. A really good argument for the whole party to grab outflank.

Honestly, I'd be tempted to go a different way: one level in Daring Champion, and the rest in Warlord, mostly because Swash+archetypes gets you combat expertise without Int, and thus combat maneuver feats you can use gambits with, which further assist your allies and let your also throw your charisma score at things. It also gets you Cha to will saves and many and better maneuvers, butr I'll admit that Challenge+Precise strike is pretty damn nice.

Edit: oh, right, I also suggest switching to rapier and picking up deadly agility. You can ditch the feat for weapon focus and rapier's increased threat range means you'll replenish panache faster.

[Novawurmson]

Hrm. Disciplines that would be keyed off Dex or Charisma:

Broken Blade (Acrobatics, Dex)
Thrashing Dragon (Acrobatics, Dex)
Veiled Moon (Stealth, Dex)
Black Seraph (Intimidate, Cha)
Eternal Guardian (Intimidate, Cha)
Golden Lion (Diplomacy, Cha)
Iron Tortoise (Bluff, Cha)
Mithral Current (Perform (Dance), Cha)

Golden Lion is always a good choice - it's got lots of buffing and offensive tactical abilities for the party, especially if you want to be a great leader. Eternal Guardian is the other side of the coin, offering defensive tactical abilities. Veiled Moon is another discipline with a ton of general utility for you.

[Prime32]

EDIT: I wanted to fit Scorching Weapons and Inner Flame somewhere, even though they are just not worth it. Guess I'll just go with a flaming longsword, it's more or less what Shishio had anyway.You could use a pyrokineticist dip?

[Shinken]

You could use a pyrokineticist dip?

That sounds tempting, but I can't see an easy way to qualify.

[Beowulf DW]

I don't know anything about this Shishio, but you can rarely go wrong with Scarlet Throne.

Pretty sure he's talking about this guy:

http://fc08.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2012/277/2/1/makoto_shishio_by_gold_copper-d5gr86e.jpg

As one Rurouni Kenshin fan to another, Solar Wind and Scarlet Throne used in tandem may be your best bet.

[Shinken]

Pretty sure he's talking about this guy:

http://fc08.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2012/277/2/1/makoto_shishio_by_gold_copper-d5gr86e.jpg

As one Rurouni Kenshin fan to another, Solar Wind and Scarlet Throne used in tandem may be your best bet.

Solar Wind sadly doesn't work with swords.

Scarlet Throne it is, though! :smallcool:

[Beowulf DW]

Solar Wind sadly doesn't work with swords.

You were saying? (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/path-of-war/feats#TOC-Weapon-Group-Adaptation-Combat-):smallcool:

[Sayt]

Except weapon group adaptation doesn't work, as most every Solar Wind maneuver specifies making ranged attacks.

[Beowulf DW]

Except weapon group adaptation doesn't work, as most every Solar Wind maneuver specifies making ranged attacks.

Which is why you take one level of Warpriest with the Magic Blessing to use your melee weapons as ranged weapons.:smallwink:

[Greenish]

Which is why you take one level of Warpriest with the Magic Blessing to use your melee weapons as ranged weapons.:smallwink:Still no go. Solar Wind's discipline restriction doesn't say you have to use a discipline weapon, it specifies the weapons (bows, crossbows, thrown, and firearms [once they fix the text]) that you can use. Weapon Group Adaption may make Heavy Blades into Solar Wind Discipline weapons, but it can't turn them into bows etc.

Magic Blessing is a standard action and thus can't be combined with strikes. You could conceivably use boosts, but meh.

[Shinken]

So the DM has allowed me to take the ifrit racial bonus for gunslinger (+1/2 initiative when using the initiative deed) on my Daring Champion.
I think I'm gonna take it, but I don't know if I really need it.