Quick Question Regarding swordsage

[SomePSYKO]

So in my current 3.5 campaign im playing a rogue who just hit level 3. When i hit level 5 and again at 9 i was thinking of taking swordsage, problem is my DM has an absolute contempt for the book of nineswords do to another member in my party. He authorized me to use it and only me if i came up with a way for my character to learn it. I came up with a way but i ran into a little snag if im training to be a swordsage under a master what amount of time is reasonable to take 2 levels of swordsage as i will be away from the party for this amount of time.

[Morcleon]

Instead of having someone else train you, you could have independently recreated the techniques from your own combat experience, having been practicing during downtimes, and then being able to finally piece your training together into a coherent technique. Then, it takes no (extra) time at all.

Also, your DM is stupid.

[ATHATH]

It takes however long it takes to complete your training sidequest. Watch some Kung Fu movies for inspiration for said sidequest.

Also, what, exactly, did this other player do to make your DM hate ToB? Did he play a 1d2 Crusader or something?

[noob]

Tob have one problem: it makes that the gm have to learn another sub system.
If one player was trying to do complex stuff with that sub system and then had 3 tob classes with maneuvers in each of them and which reloads independently with the three recovering techniques and then that this player also switched stances constantly it can become complex to keep track off when it is the first time you see tob stuff(especially if he is also using meldshaping and binding and constantly change vestiges and melds).
Or he just had a player with which he had real life drama.

[Nifft]

Seek a magic item which contains a mystical warrior's soul. Perhaps one of the fabled Nine Swords. This mystical warrior's soul teaches you a smattering of techniques -- every night when you sleep, your dreams are nothing but combat training.

The warrior's soul deserves better than you, though. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to find or found a school to teach these disciplines to more promising students, and thus re-establish the mystical combat techniques as a force for (pick one: Freedom / Righteousness / Discipline) in the world.

[noob]

pick one: Freedom / Righteousness / Discipline
Why can I not pick giant frog?
That would totally make sense in dnd.

[Nifft]

Why can I not pick giant frog?
That would totally make sense in dnd.

Giant Frog is already a symbol for freedom.


https://i.imgur.com/3NcEQsF.jpg

[SomePSYKO]

The player in question knows the ToB front back and center so he can minmax really well with it and the dm doesnt exactly like minmaxing over the roleplaying. so if i just train in my off times and meditate how long would it take to develop techniques equal to a level 2 swordsage? and wouldnt it cost experience and such?

also my DM has no problem with the book itself really he just doesnt want the player in question to abuse certain points of it

[Morcleon]

The player in question knows the ToB front back and center so he can minmax really well with it and the dm doesnt exactly like minmaxing over the roleplaying. so if i just train in my off times and meditate how long would it take to develop techniques equal to a level 2 swordsage? and wouldnt it cost experience and such?

also my DM has no problem with the book itself really he just doesnt want the player in question to abuse certain points of it

You can do minmaxing and roleplaying at the same time without affecting the other; they are not dependent on each other at all.

Also, I meant that the training in off times and meditation would be the reasoning behind why you'd be able to pick up two levels of swordsage, not a replacement for the levels.

And that's a conversation he should be having with that player about not abusing the game rather than a "this book is disallowed because of this player".

[Alent]

Why can I not pick giant frog?
That would totally make sense in dnd.

Not only would it make as much sense as anything in D&D, Giant Frog is also a symbol for sword mastery:

https://i.imgur.com/McxFt4s.png

In seriousness:

SomePSYKO, what disciplines are you actually planning on taking with your Swordsage? The supernatural ones might be learned differently than the normal ones, such as Shadow Hand techniques using mentoring from a Shadowdancer or shadowcaster you encounter and then applying their lessons in touching magical shadow to your own swordplay.

Also, what exactly does this player do to abuse ToB?

[noce]

You could just take cross class ranks in Martial Lore next time you level up.
This way you can say to your DM from a mechanical standpoint that your character has watched enough fighting techniques to, say, learn second level maneuvers.

[SomePSYKO]

You can do minmaxing and roleplaying at the same time without affecting the other; they are not dependent on each other at all.

Also, I meant that the training in off times and meditation would be the reasoning behind why you'd be able to pick up two levels of swordsage, not a replacement for the levels.

And that's a conversation he should be having with that player about not abusing the game rather than a "this book is disallowed because of this player".

Well the DM specifically said to me that he just didnt want the player in question to use the book which is why he is allowing me to use it. i just have to come up with a logical reason of how i develop the techniques.

if i train in my off time i could take 2 levels of swordsage is there any explanation on how much meditating id have to do. i suggested to my DM that maybe i could preform a ritual of shadow where i meditate for 24 hours bathed in shadow to learn to manipulate the shadow and enhance my combat ability do you think that is sufficient?

i just hit level 3 and im gonna take a level at 5 and again at 9 focusing pretty much only on shadow hand discipline for island of blades shadow blade and assassins stance.

[MaxiDuRaritry]

You could always sit and meditate* in the nighttime darkness for 8 full hours.



*It's not sleeping! It's meditating!

[Nifft]

if i train in my off time i could take 2 levels of swordsage is there any explanation on how much meditating id have to do. i suggested to my DM that maybe i could preform a ritual of shadow where i meditate for 24 hours bathed in shadow to learn to manipulate the shadow and enhance my combat ability do you think that is sufficient?

If you wanted to take a level of Wizard or Sorcerer, how much time would you have to take off to study?

Swordsage should take like half that time, whatever it is, because you're already pretty good at sneaking & stabbing.

[MaxiDuRaritry]

If you wanted to take a level of Wizard or Sorcerer, how much time would you have to take off to study?

Swordsage should take like half that time, whatever it is, because you're already pretty good at sneaking & stabbing.Or for something more similar, shadowdancer.

[Nifft]

Or for something more similar, shadowdancer.

Nah, that's a Prestige Class.

That's supposed to be mysterious & difficult to enter.

:roy:
Swordsage is just another base class, like Fighter or Swashbuckler or Barbarian.

:roy:
Would you penalize a player who wanted to take some Fighter levels, telling him his PC needs to go to Fighter College for a year?

:roy:
I mean seriously, Fighter College. Who would play in that game?