crowd control

[LairdMaon]

I'm looking for advise on a crowd control build.

It should be a melee build, for a warforged.

Stats: 18, 17, 16 14, 14, 12

Oh, and the campaign features undead mobs and minibosses and dragons as BBEGs.

[Extra Anchovies]

Str 18, Dex 17, Con 16, Int 14, Wis 14, Cha 12
Level 1: Barbarian (Whirling Frenzy, Spirit Lion Totem); Combat Reflexes
Level 2: Barbarian (Wolf Totem); Improved Trip (from Wolf Totem)
From then on it's Crusader levels.
Level 3: Stand Still
Level 6: Evasive Reflexes
Level 9: (anything, maybe Extra Rage)
Level 12: Robilar's Gambit
Level 15: Defensive Sweep
Level 18: (anything, maybe Extra Rage)

For tricks on how to combine all this, take a look at this guide (http://community.wizards.com/content/forum-topic/3563506) to flash-stepping. Use your turn to knock people down with a reach weapon, and on their turns keep them in place with AoOs (either Improved Trip or Stand Still) and use flash-steps to reposition. Improved Trip lets you keep your damage output up while maintaining the lockdown via the free attacks.

[LairdMaon]

Oh wow!
I'll have to look this over close when I get home!

[Extra Anchovies]

Oh wow!
I'll have to look this over close when I get home!

Glad I could help. Trip/AoOs is basically the only effective mundane lockdown method, and flash-stepping helps you stay mobile.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Warforged, Psion (Shaper) 5/ Anarchic Initiate 10/ Psionic Paragnostic Apostle or Arch Psion (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20021122b) 5.

Take two flaws (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/buildingCharacters/characterFlaws.htm) if possible (Insomniac (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?258440-The-quot-Best-quot-Flaws#30) and Noncombatant), take the Quick trait (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/buildingCharacters/characterTraits.htm#quick) and possibly also Passionate if available.

Feats: Ectopic Form: Emerald Gyre Soulsight or Sapphire Sprint* (flaw), Boost Construct Extend Power* (flaw), Adamantine Body (1), Psicrystal Affinity (Hero) (P1), Overchannel Midnight Augmentation* (3), Personal Construct (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20070411a) (P5), Expanded Knowledge: Energy Missile (6), Persistent Power** (9), Improved Fortification (12), any feats at 15 and 18 (Metapower: Persistent Timeless Body at 18 maybe).

*At level 8, you've got Wild Talent and no longer need Overchannel to qualify for Anarchic Initiate, so on reaching 8th level your new psionic power known will be Psychic Reformation (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/psychicReformation.htm). You'll immediately manifest it on yourself to replace Overchannel, Ectopic Form, and Boost Construct with Midnight Dodge, Midnight Augmentation, and Extend Power, and you'll also replace Psychic Reformation with a different power when you use it. A 1st level Emerald Gyre gets Improved Grab which is a Menu B ability, so Boost Construct gives it another Menu B ability (Muscle, Poison Touch, etc.). At any level after 7th you can pick Psychic Reformation as your new power known, manifest it on anyone in your party who needs it, and manifest it on yourself to repick skills, feats, and powers, including replacing Psychic Reformation with whatever power you were going to pick at that level.

**Persistent Power (http://wizards.com/d20/files/msrd/ArcanaOccupationsandFeats.rtf) (linked is the identical d20 modern version) is in the 3.0 Psionics Handbook, and any feats, spells, races, classes, magic items, etc. from 3.0 that were not reprinted in 3.5 are still usable as-is in 3.5 games with minor updates for game mechanics changes where needed (DMG page 4, Why A Revision?).

Soulsight/Sapphire Sprint is there to get one bonus essentia, it can be replaced with any other feat that gives at least one bonus essentia (Soulforged Body (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?39584-Soulforged-Feat-Race) is homebrew, but well balanced). Midnight Augmentation is key to this build, you can use it to invest two essentia into Bestow Power (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/bestowPower.htm) to reduce its augmentation cost by two, so for every one powerpoint you spend it grants two additional powerpoints. At 8th level when you get this combo, keeping in mind you cannot bestow more than the target's manifester level when you use it, you can spend six powerpoints to bestow eight powerpoints to yourself, enabling you to refill your powerpoint reserve between encounters. Combined with Persistent Power, this is amazing, just be sure you never spend so many that you drop below five powerpoints.

You have a psicrystal, keep it in a compartment on your person (perhaps a door like Bender has) so opponents never have line of sight/effect to it and cannot target it directly or hit it with area effects. Keep Share Pain (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/sharePain.htm) on it so you take half damage from all sources, its Hardness 8 reduces every instance of damage it takes from Share Pain by as much regardless of the original attack's type. Give the psicrystal a Healing Belt (MIC) and it can use that to heal you during combat when needed. When you use powers on yourself you can share them with the psicrystal, such as Vigor (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/vigor.htm) and Psionic Repair Damage (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/psionicRepairDamage.htm).

Your Astral Constructs are going to be extremely decent at soaking up damage, getting in the way, grabbing opponents, etc. for most of your career, and after 5th level you can Quicken the power for free as long as you're consistent in what abilities you give it. Energy Missile is a must-have because it can be used to destroy doors, bridges, pillars, your opponents' weapons, armor, shields, spell component pouches, divine foci, etc. as well as the opponents themselves. You won't need Inertial Armor but pick up Force Screen and Vigor and you can Psychic Reformation into other personal buffs (Defensive Precognition, Mental Barrier, Intellect Fortress, Psionic Freedom of Movement, etc.) once you have Persistent Power. You'll want Entangling Ectoplasm, Control Sound, Energy Stun, Time Hop (target physically strong opponents' weapons), etc. for crowd controls, and Crystal Shard is handy when you need to deal damage. Nearly every Shaper discipline power is worth taking.

Here's the obligatory Psion Handbook link (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=10238.0). Try to get a Greater Torc of Power Preservation (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/items/universalItems.htm#torcofPowerPreservation) (NOT the MIC version) if possible. Consider taking the feat Quick Recovery in Lords of Madness to shake off a Psychic Enervation as a move-action, it would take a Will DC of 10 + your Anarchic Initiate level + your Cha modifier, so you're almost guaranteed to make that every time.