Initiator Gish Builds or Homebrew?

[Boozy]

The hybrid fighter/mage character, or "Gish", has been popular since started playing the Elf back in D&D Mystara. There's been more attempts than I can count to make it a strong option since, and in 3.x it's ranged from complex multi-classing/UA/Subtitution Levels/Feats, Prestige Classes, andbad base classes like the Hexblade and Duskblade.

I've seen what Book of the Nine Swords did for melee classes, and I like it. No messy jank just to keep up with the casters. I love the Warblade. Take class, ride it as long as you want. Simple. But, I've yet to see any Gish builds that use an initiator class.

Can someone point me towards them in the forums? I'm thinking about build a base initiator class with this in mind, that can go 1-20 without a fuss. I'd rather see what the forum has before I start with that.

[Nosta]

there is always the prestige class Jade phoenix Mage (arcane)
and Ruby knight vindicator (Divine)

Both Are gish like and advance spells and maneuvers

[Endarire]

Gish Handbook (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?321715-The-Gish-Handbook) (GitP)

Gish Handbook (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=8786) (BG)

Character Build Spotlight: Gish (http://secretsofthearchmages.net/Threads/Wotc/2015/PreviousEditionCharacterOptimization/935771.htm)

[A_S]

Off the top of my head, various gish archetypes that make use of some amount of ToB:


Bardblade/Bardsader: Use the Song of the White Raven feat to combine Bard and Crusader/Warblade levels. You can either stick with Bard and go light on the spellcasting, or take a level of Sublime Chord at level 11 to get 9th level spells (though this typically comes at the cost of Bardic Music progression and/or maneuver progression).
Shadowpouncer: The Telflammar Shadowlord PrC is typically entered via spellcasting (ability to cast Dimension Door), but the Shadow Pounce ability it provides triggers on any [teleportation] effect, including the Shadow Hand maneuvers. So you can build a strong character around modest spellcasting abilities (like 4th-6th level spells or so), Shadow Pounce, and frequent use of the Shadow Hand teleportation maneuvers to trigger multiple full attacks per round.
Jade Phoenix Mage: This is the obvious initiator gish PrC, since it progresses both spells and maneuvers. My personal favorite variant uses Wu Jen as its spellcasting class for the Emerald Immolation + Transcend Mortality wombo-combo.
Crusader/Incarnate: This uses incarnum rather than spellcasting, but it's one of the most effective low-level characters in the game (in the E6 range or so). Use the healing and DR-granting maneuvers from Crusader to be an unkillable melee beefcake, and the Cloak of Flame soulmeld to deal retributive fire damage to anyone who attacks you. Falls off pretty hard at higher levels, though.

Happy to provide more build details for any of the above if they interest you.

[mabriss lethe]

Seconding Jade Phoenix Mage. I'm currently playing a Warblade/Wu jen prepping for entry into JPM and it's a load of fun. My job in the party is to be the giant screaming distraction. the party also has two players with full casters, though neither of them has quite as much experience playing, so my other job is to show them the sort of things they should be able to do even better than me.

[Gruftzwerg]

My question would be how much Initiator needs to be in? Cause imho most of the times a single lvl dip on the right clvl is most of the times enough to get you the stuff that you really need. My monk warlock gish uses a single lvl of Warblade to get all the stuff he needs.

Imho Initiator classes are the most muticlass friendly and dip able melee classes ever (due to how Initiator lvl work with non Initiator classes together).