Shadow Sun Ninja!

[Falcos]

Hi all! I'd like some help optimizing for a bit of an odd campaign a friend is putting me through.

So for starters, it's an Epic campaign, specifically level 25. The theme is that I am restricted entirely to classes in Tome of Battle, although anything non-classes can come from anywhere else, and I must pick one of the nine disciplines and theme my character primarily around it. Whichever discipline I pick, I'm automatically granted a fully-unlocked Legacy Weapon of that discipline.

So with so many oddball conditions, here's the idea I've got:

Shadow Hand is my discipline. Was thinking of (Unarmed) Swordsage 14/Shadow Sun Ninja 10 with one LA for my favourite race, Dvati.

Due to what the DM is calling "License for cruelty", I'm given a stat spread of 18/16/14/12/10/10 to assign as I like.

Budget is 2m flat, the extra bit lopped off to warrant Umbral Awn.

So, I'm fumbling along, but am here asking for any help anybody has to provide on a super stealthy SS/SSN. Please and thank you in advance.

Rudimentary thoughts so far: Abusing Dvati's "one being" thing to teleport Umbral Awn between them with the RAW reading of Shadowhand, picking up Skill Knowledge: Iaijutsu Focus perhaps to exploit Shadowhand more, flanking with myself, etc... Probably none of these are very good, but just wanted to share my thought processes so far.

[Rebel7284]

- Collar or Umbral Metamorphosis gives you the dark template. Continuous version is pretty cheap for this level.
- Shadow Blade feat is always good of course.

I really like Sun School for mini-shadowpouncing, but alas, you do not qualify.

[Snowbluff]

Okay, a protip would be to play a Necropolitan. You can heal yourself that way.

SSN are strong option for unarmed fighters. Use the Unarmed Swordsage. Get some Mighty Arms with a Battle Fist and a Fang Ring.

[LoyalPaladin]

Okay, a protip would be to play a Necropolitan. You can heal yourself that way.
I agree with this. Currently was have a SSN and a party member who regenerates like a troll. An everlasting battery of life is pretty dang handy.

Is this campaign going to just be you or do you have teammates?

[Falcos]

Looking like just me at this point, although if teammates are added (I estimate maybe a 20% chance of such) there will be two, a Crusader and a Warblade base (no idea what discipline, race, or PrCs, if any).

If I have teammates, I'll definitely go Necropolitan, but is it really so amazing playing on my own (as much as that term can apply to Dvati, anyway)?

[Deadline]

Well, I did a fun build for the Shadow Sun Ninja Iron Chef round:

http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=15892755&postcount=284

[Falcos]

...How startlingly appropriate.

Here I thought I was the only person in the world who ever played Dvati.

>.<

[Deadline]

That build should work for you mostly unchanged, maybe with a change to unarmed swordsage instead of monk levels (and add 5 more of them on the end). I liked it because it let you bounce your foes between the two Dvati with Tornado Throw shenanigans, and it was surprisingly durable thanks to Immortal Fortitude and the defensive maneuvers.

It still suffers from the Dvati gear disadvantage, but that's to be expected.

[Falcos]

Yeah, I like it. It's basically prepackaged what I was asking for when I started the thread.

Thanks, strange apparently-psychic person!