Swordsage Help

[FizzingSoda]

Hi i just started a new campaign ( LEVEL 1 ) where I'm a swordsage with ShadowBlade and i also managed to get good scores on DEX, WIS and STR so I'm not sure if i'm playing it wrong but on level 1 i'm rolling average of 14's of damage while my fellow party member who are using PHB Classes are barely making half of it.

So I'm kinda wondering if I'm using stuff correctly, if I have Shadow Blade and I hit a monster with a longsword. My total damage is
1d8 + STR modifier + Dex Modifier?

Also I'm TWF'ing so I kinda wanna know what are some cool maneuvers, aside from the obvious Tiger Claw answer.

Right now the stance I'm using is Island of Blades in order to use Shadow Blade. What other stances should I use in the future? The one with sneak attack Assassin's something sounds good. But I'm fairly new to all this in general tbh.

We just leveled up but I havent chosen what to build on it.

[Aracor]

Hi i just started a new campaign ( LEVEL 1 ) where I'm a swordsage with ShadowBlade and i also managed to get good scores on DEX, WIS and STR so I'm not sure if i'm playing it wrong but on level 1 i'm rolling average of 14's of damage while my fellow party member who are using PHB Classes are barely making half of it.

So I'm kinda wondering if I'm using stuff correctly, if I have Shadow Blade and I hit a monster with a longsword. My total damage is
1d8 + STR modifier + Dex Modifier?

Also I'm TWF'ing so I kinda wanna know what are some cool maneuvers, aside from the obvious Tiger Claw answer.

Right now the stance I'm using is Island of Blades in order to use Shadow Blade. What other stances should I use in the future? The one with sneak attack Assassin's something sounds good. But I'm fairly new to all this in general tbh.

We just leveled up but I havent chosen what to build on it.

Shadow Hand doesn't have long sword as a preferred weapon, but other than that, yes. Average of 14 seems pretty high without some additional bonuses. What other classes are people playing?

[Venger]

Hi i just started a new campaign ( LEVEL 1 ) where I'm a swordsage with ShadowBlade and i also managed to get good scores on DEX, WIS and STR so I'm not sure if i'm playing it wrong but on level 1 i'm rolling average of 14's of damage while my fellow party member who are using PHB Classes are barely making half of it.

So I'm kinda wondering if I'm using stuff correctly, if I have Shadow Blade and I hit a monster with a longsword. My total damage is
1d8 + STR modifier + Dex Modifier?

Also I'm TWF'ing so I kinda wanna know what are some cool maneuvers, aside from the obvious Tiger Claw answer.

Right now the stance I'm using is Island of Blades in order to use Shadow Blade. What other stances should I use in the future? The one with sneak attack Assassin's something sounds good. But I'm fairly new to all this in general tbh.

We just leveled up but I havent chosen what to build on it.


Shadow Hand doesn't have long sword as a preferred weapon, but other than that, yes. Average of 14 seems pretty high without some additional bonuses. What other classes are people playing?

you're not doing it wrong. it's not your fault the tob classes are well designed.

yes, that is correct.

as Aracor says, longsword is not a shadow hand discipline weapon. maybe your gm's giving you a break. if it's accidental, your choices are dagger, sai, siangham, short sword, spiked
chain, and unarmed strike (great if you're an unarmed swordsage)

as ever when starting play as a base class you haven't done before, read the handbook (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?196531-Walking-the-Way-A-Swordsage-s-Handbook-Under-Construction-again) it provides a helpful assessment of all maneuvers and stances. assassin's stance is useful if you're a skulk and you will never be sorry for having it. honestly, swordsage 20 is perfectly viable.

[cullynthedwarf]

Ways to use Time Of Battle
1. Don't


Sorry just never found T.o.B. to have that great of classes.

[DeTess]

Ways to use Time Of Battle
1. Don't


Sorry just never found T.o.B. to have that great of classes.

Could you explain this? I've personally found that tome of battle has some of the best designed melee classes. Unlike fighter or some other classes you actually have meaningfull choices in combat, much like casters. The higher skill-points and utility stances and maneuvers also allow you to contribute out of combat.

Edit: but to get back to the op, what are the other members of your party? If they are, for example, a monk, fighter and paladin, you're going to remain more powerful than them as these are rather week classes. If they are primary casters instead they'll just have to suck it up for a couple of levels before they become physical gods.

[Eldariel]

TWF needs full attacks to pay off so you should focus on boosts, full attack maneuvers and stances instead. Maneuvers that give you full attacks such as Flashing Sun [Desert Wind], Bounding Assault/Time Stands Still [Diamond Mind] and Pouncing Charge [Tiger Claw] are all good examples, and you can get Insightful Strike on each hit while at it. As for boosts, Desert Wind ones are really strong against fire-vulnerable enemies so some are worth knowing. Shadow Hand ones that give you concealment and such are obviously great, as is the Desert Wind Distracting Ember, since they help you hit and qualify for Sneak Attack. You can also get some damage from Assassin's Stance instead. Tiger Claw Dancing/Raging Mongoose, Girallon Windmill Flesh Rip and such are really nice, as well as the Wolf Fang Strikes and such early on. Add to that some mobility maneuvers like Shadow Stride/Blink, Sudden Leap and Quicksilver Motion and you can position yourself for full attacks. Then just counters (the whole of Setting Sun and many good ones in Diamond Mind and Shadow Hand for instance) and maybe one strike that gives you bonus to hit, such as Rabid Wolf Strike [Tiger Claw] or Emerald Razor [Diamond Mind] for hitting hard-to-hit opponents. And learn at least one "ignore hardness/DR" move from Stone Dragon to punch through stone, doors, really hardy things, etc. more easily.

[jesterjeff]

Personally I see fighter, paladin, rogue, barbarian, ranger, and monk are preTOB classes. We were offered feats as the source of fighter power, but even then you get minor damage plus HP. once the supernatural is added though, the mundane is beyond mediocre.
The TOB classes are perfected martial classes.
Crusaders are fighters and paladin rolled into one, powerful, driven warriors.
The swordsage is a perfected monk or a deadly rogue, a mystic martial artist capable of grappling a dragon or a criminal capable of demigod level skills and subtlety.
The warblade is a savage warrior, a ranger or barbarian capable of equaling a mage in damage and surpassing monsters in ferocity.

[John Longarrow]

OP, what is your STR and DEX?
Long sword averages 4.5 damage, so to get "14's" for damage you'd have to have (on average) both a 20 STR and 20 DEX.