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Conjurer
2007-05-23, 06:22 AM
Long story short: My Gish got killed last weekend and I've been suckered into playing a warrior class (full warrior this time), and after some consideration, I'm giving Warblade a shot because it feels very 300-like. Yet, I feel somewhat out of my depth on this one, so... help, please?

Stats: 17,14,13,12,10,5
My level: 8
Race: Any on the PHB
Relevant books: PHB, Complete Warrior, Tome of Battle
Rest of my Party: Cleric 9, Sorcerer 9, Ranger 6/Wizard 3 (Archer Build), Bard 8, Rogue5/Fighter 4

Advice on the Maneuvers / Stances would be particularly helpfull.

Saph
2007-05-23, 07:10 AM
Here's a simple Warblade build - nothing very complicated, but effective.

Strength: 17
Dexterity: 13
Constitution: 14
Intelligence: 12
Wisdom: 10/5
Charisma: 5/10

Put Str up at 4th-level, and probably again at 8th (though if it's going to be a short campaign you're better off raising Dex with the second point). Switch Wisdom and Charisma depending on whether you want to be ugly or scatterbrained. :) Race: whatever you feel like.

At level 8 you'll have 7 maneuvers and two stances. You'll only be able to have two 4th-level maneuvers and two 3rd-level maneuvers, so pick them carefully. For disciplines I'd recommend Diamond Mind, White Raven, and Iron Heart (only warblades get Iron Heart - make the most of it!)

Maneuvers:

Diamond Mind: Moment of Perfect Mind (1st), Emerald Razor (2nd)
White Raven: Battle Leader's Charge (2nd), White Raven Tactics (3rd)
Iron Heart: Iron Heart Surge (3rd), Lightning Recovery (4th), Mithral Tornado (4th)

Stances: Stance of Clarity (1st), Punishing Stance (1st)

This gives you a mix of attacks, defences, and boosts. For skills, make sure to max Concentration, as you need it for Diamond Mind, and Tumble. Feats will depend on what sort of meleer you want to play. Power Attack is always good, and the Weapon Focus/Weapon Spec feats are much better for a warblade than a fighter since you can change them to whatever weapons you pick up as the game progresses.

Items: magic weapon, magic mithral armour, a Concentration-boosting item if your DM allows it, and as many stat-boosting items as you can afford.

- Saph

Closet_Skeleton
2007-05-23, 07:17 AM
If you can I would swap con with int. You have good fort saves and d12 HD, you don't need high con. You do however have loads of Int based abilities.

Conjurer
2007-05-23, 11:36 AM
Thanks guys, that was helpfull.

Follow up question: I presume I can ready a single Maneuver multiple times?

I'm unable to find a quote on the book either way.

Emperor Tippy
2007-05-23, 11:39 AM
No. You can't.

But get adaptive style so you can recover all your maneuvers with a full round action.

Ulzgoroth
2007-05-23, 11:43 AM
This is a warblade, not a swordsage...he can already recover all maneuvers as a swift action, or at worst swift+standard. Is adaptive style really called for?

The_Snark
2007-05-23, 05:13 PM
This is a warblade, not a swordsage...he can already recover all maneuvers as a swift action, or at worst swift+standard. Is adaptive style really called for?

It can be useful at high levels, when you have way more maneuvers than you can ready at once; if you find yourself gong against numerous foes alone, for example, you'd probably want to swap out some of the White Raven maneuvers for something like Mithril Tornado. But if you're below about level 10, you can probably do without it- you don't have that many maneuvers and feats are a valued commodity.

ClericofPhwarrr
2007-05-23, 05:21 PM
Saph's ability arrangment is pretty good (though Con/Int could be switched; it's debatable), but don't put the 5 in Wisdom. That'd be just begging an enemy caster to force a will save on you twice in a row. And once you've used up Moment of Perfect Mind... *dominated*

Weapon Focus/Specialization feats aren't as bad for a Warblade as for a fighter, but they're still bad. Take a look at Karmic Strike (Complete Warrior) or Robilar's Gambit (PH2), Elusive Target (Complete Warrior), Combat Reflexes, Improved Trip, Power Attack, and Stand Still (Expanded Psionics).

Conjurer
2007-05-23, 06:11 PM
Saph's ability arrangment is pretty good (though Con/Int could be switched; it's debatable), but don't put the 5 in Wisdom. That'd be just begging an enemy caster to force a will save on you twice in a row. And once you've used up Moment of Perfect Mind... *dominated*

That's why I wanted to know if I could ready the same maneuver multiple times... so far the campaign has been heavy on monsters that force will saves (Umberhulks & Enchantment-Heavy Wizards).

Everybody, thanks for all the ideas... I'll go over my options with the DM tonight, and I'll give you something to chew on later.

Saph
2007-05-23, 06:27 PM
Saph's ability arrangment is pretty good (though Con/Int could be switched; it's debatable), but don't put the 5 in Wisdom. That'd be just begging an enemy caster to force a will save on you twice in a row. And once you've used up Moment of Perfect Mind... *dominated*

Your Will save is going to be pretty bad anyway, low Wis or not. Realistically, if you get hit with a series of Dominate effects, you're probably going down no matter what you do (better hope the cleric or wizard has Prot. Evil ready).


Weapon Focus/Specialization feats aren't as bad for a Warblade as for a fighter, but they're still bad. Take a look at Karmic Strike (Complete Warrior) or Robilar's Gambit (PH2), Elusive Target (Complete Warrior), Combat Reflexes, Improved Trip, Power Attack, and Stand Still (Expanded Psionics).

I dunno - if you're spending most of your time in battle rolling attacks, a +1 to hit isn't so bad. The trip + battlefield control approach for a Warblade is difficult because you have so few feats, and it doesn't synergise all that well with strikes (most strikes are straight damage attacks of one form or another). I think Power Attack/Cleave is probably more useful.

Robilar's Gambit is nice, but has a +12 BAB requirement.

On the will save point, it's a good idea to make sure the party always has a wand of Protection from Evil or equivalent around. Split the cost with the cleric or wizard and ask him to cast it on you whenever charm/dominate enemies show up.

- Saph

Conjurer
2007-05-24, 08:48 PM
Ended up playing it like this:

Human,
Str: 17 (18 at 8th); Dex: 13 (14 at 4th); Con: 12
Int: 14; Wis: 10; Cha: 5

Skills: Balance 11 ranks, Climb 10 ranks, Concentration 11 ranks, Jump 10 ranks, Listen 4 Ranks, Tumble 11 ranks, Search 4 Ranks, Spot 4 Ranks.

Feats: Combat Expertise (H), Weapon Focus: Guisarme (1), Improved Trip (3), Combat Reflexes (Warblade5), Shorten Haft (6)

Maneuvers and Stances:

Moment of Perfect Mind (1st), Emerald Razor (2nd), Battle Leader's Charge (2nd), White Raven Tactics (3rd) Iron Heart Surge (3rd), Lightning Recovery (4th), Mithral Tornado (4th)

Stance of Clarity (1st), Punishing Stance (1st)

(As per Saph's suggestion)

----

Thanks again to all who suggested.

Vazzaroth
2007-05-25, 12:07 AM
Just to add: My Warblade specilizes in Iron Heart, with Stone Dragon for pure damage dice.

Punishing stance is a godsend if you buff your AC to compensate. I hardly get hit, and I deal more damage than almost everyone else in the party... except the sorcerer... but I can do it longer. :smallwink: