Warblade//Sorcerer

[tstewt1921]

So I'm playing a Warblade// Battle Sorcerer and I'm needing ideas for 3 more feats. The first feat I took was Battle Caster (if I remember correctly) basically let me wear heavier armor and ignore spell failure.

However I need 3 more to finish the build. I'm not trying to overly specialize in one aspect, I'm fine with just being average at both classes.

The weapon I'm using is a heavy flail.

Our DM has reworked sorcerer a bit, you get to choose from 3 schools of magic, I have chosen Conjuration/Abjuration/Transmutation, and from those school I can prepare any spell per the slots I have available that day, however I can't use the other schools.

We are level 8, any ideas would be greatly appreciated :) thanks!

[MaxiDuRaritry]

With a single dip in a class proficient in Light/Medium/Heavy armor, you gain the appropriate armor feats (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/feats.htm#armorProficiencyLight). Buy the services of a spellcaster with access to embrace the dark chaos and shun the dark chaos (or buy some scrolls thereof and have someone else use them for you) and swap out the armor feats from one class into whatever feats you want.

You could also gain some feats from other sources (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?234386-Bonus-Feat-Handbook) and do something similar. Magical locations and items that grant feats are pretty nice for this.

[Nifft]

Warblade gets a few bonus feats, are you asking about them as well, or are those picked?

What level are you? What race? Are you more about finesse or power-attack? (From the Heavy Flail my guess would be power-attack.)

[tstewt1921]

With a single dip in a class proficient in Light/Medium/Heavy armor, you gain the appropriate armor feats (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/feats.htm#armorProficiencyLight). Buy the services of a spellcaster with access to embrace the dark chaos and shun the dark chaos (or buy some scrolls thereof and have someone else use them for you) and swap out the armor feats from one class into whatever feats you want.

You could also gain some feats from other sources (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?234386-Bonus-Feat-Handbook) and do something similar. Magical locations and items that grant feats are pretty nice for this.

When I take the feat I don't take the spell failure chance for casting in the heavy armor. Just because I have the proficiency doesn't mean I forgo the spell failure chance without the feat.

I will still check into those spells.

[tstewt1921]

Warblade gets a few bonus feats, are you asking about them as well, or are those picked?

What level are you? What race? Are you more about finesse or power-attack? (From the Heavy Flail my guess would be power-attack.)

My dm allowed me to take the armor feat I have as the bonus feat, I just need my 3 other feats I get for being level 8, human.

Like I said, I'm no leaning to any one side, I chose warblade so if my melee side does slack some the martial maneuvers and things like that will pick up what damage from feats I lack.

[Thurbane]

I'd strongly recommend regular Sorcerer (or Wizard) over Battle Sorcerer.

In gestalt with a class like Warblade, you lose most of what makes BS appealing in the first place (BAB and HD).

You can manage the ASF through investment in the armor itself (materials, enchantments etc.), and/or dipping PrCs like Spellsword.

[tstewt1921]

I'd strongly recommend regular Sorcerer (or Wizard) over Battle Sorcerer.

In gestalt with a class like Warblade, you lose most of what makes BS appealing in the first place (BAB and HD).

You can manage the ASF through investment in the armor itself (materials, enchantments etc.), and/or dipping PrCs like Spellsword.


I didn't want to have to dip or have specific enchantments on my armor, I honestly didn't see 1 feat as a big loss, what would you recommend I swap it to and what enchantments would get rid of my ASF as I'm wearing Mithiral Full Plate.

[Nifft]

It's unfortunate that you're a Battle Sorcerer. You could have done well as a Warblade // Sorc 5 > Abjurant Champion 3+ -- you would use Conjuration and Abjuration effects to grant yourself AC instead of wearing armor, which are 2 of your favored schools.


But anyway, let's look at your PC.

Improved Initiative helps you go first, and your actions are pretty great since you've got both spells & maneuvers, so going first is probably important. Dropping a fireball on a cluster of enemies before your allies can charge them, for example.

Power Attack is good in combo with touch attacks, and you can get those from your maneuvers (Diamond Mind) and spells (especially Transmutation -> wraithstrike).

You've got Warblade stances -- which ones do you favor? If you're using Absolute Steel (Iron Heart 3), then a synergistic feat might be Expeditious Dodge, which improves the +2 Dodge bonus from the stance into a +4 Dodge bonus when you move 40 ft. per turn (and Absolute Steel increases your base move speed by +10 ft. so this is just one move action). Even better with overland flight, of course.

[Particle_Man]

Have you considered Jade Phoenix Mage?

[Nifft]

Have you considered Jade Phoenix Mage?

The trouble with PrCs is that the wording for Battle Sorcerer makes it seem like taking any non-Sorcerer levels will impede your ability to cast spells in armor.

That aside, a gestalt game often excludes dual-advancement PrCs.

(But it is a great PrC.)

[Thurbane]

I didn't want to have to dip or have specific enchantments on my armor, I honestly didn't see 1 feat as a big loss, what would you recommend I swap it to and what enchantments would get rid of my ASF as I'm wearing Mithiral Full Plate.

It's not about the feat, it's about the loss of spells known/spells per day that a BS suffers compared to a regular Sorcerer.

[PunBlake]

Reducing Arcane Spell Failure is easy as 1-2-3.
1) Add a Thistledown Suit to your armor for 250g (RotW pg168); this reduces ASF by 5%.
2) Add the Twilight special property (MIC pg15) for the cost of a +1 enhancement; this reduces ASF by 10%.
3) Take one level in the Spellsword PrC (CWarr pg79-80); this reduces your ASF by 10%.

This drops your ASF in Mithral Full Plate from 25% to 0%.

[tstewt1921]

It's unfortunate that you're a Battle Sorcerer. You could have done well as a Warblade // Sorc 5 > Abjurant Champion 3+ -- you would use Conjuration and Abjuration effects to grant yourself AC instead of wearing armor, which are 2 of your favored schools.


But anyway, let's look at your PC.

Improved Initiative helps you go first, and your actions are pretty great since you've got both spells & maneuvers, so going first is probably important. Dropping a fireball on a cluster of enemies before your allies can charge them, for example.

Power Attack is good in combo with touch attacks, and you can get those from your maneuvers (Diamond Mind) and spells (especially Transmutation -> wraithstrike).

You've got Warblade stances -- which ones do you favor? If you're using Absolute Steel (Iron Heart 3), then a synergistic feat might be Expeditious Dodge, which improves the +2 Dodge bonus from the stance into a +4 Dodge bonus when you move 40 ft. per turn (and Absolute Steel increases your base move speed by +10 ft. so this is just one move action). Even better with overland flight, of course.

I do like that idea would save me some gold, what buffs do you suggest? Obviously like mage armor and shield? What else exactly? I'm not familiar with buff casters.

Maneuvers are: Mithril Tornado, Steel Wind, Disarming Strike, Iron Heart Surge, Bone Crussher, Stone Dragon's Fury, Bonesplitting Strike.

[Caylin]

It looks like you will play as a gish type. A staple feat would be extend to have your buffs up longer. Maybe imp ini, power attack and extend spell for a somewhat balanced loadout?

[tstewt1921]

It's unfortunate that you're a Battle Sorcerer. You could have done well as a Warblade // Sorc 5 > Abjurant Champion 3+ -- you would use Conjuration and Abjuration effects to grant yourself AC instead of wearing armor, which are 2 of your favored schools.

So I do like this and it's what I'm going to do, where do I go after Abjurant Champion?

[Nifft]

So I do like this and it's what I'm going to do, where do I go after Abjurant Champion?

Is there another Sorcerer PrC which you like? After AbCham 5, you're level 10 so you can qualify for lots of different things.

If you want to wear armor again, you could find a way to get Heavy Armor proficiency and take Spellsword 1 (which gets you -10% spell failure, enough for a mithral chain shirt, or even more if your DM allows Twilight etc.).

If you want to pretend you're a Paladin with immunity to fear and an Aura of Courage, you could take Dragonslayer 1 -- this is a popular way to get Heavy Armor proficiency without losing any caster levels, and has good synergy with Spellsword right above.

If you want Telepathy 100 ft. (and it is a pretty great thing to have) then consider Mindbender 1 (from Complete Arcane). There's a feat in Lords of Madness which turns telepathy into blindsight (the feat is Mindsight); ask your DM if these exist in your game.

Fiend-Blooded (from Heroes of Horror) is an interesting class for a Sorcerer with your school restrictions -- it adds a few spells to your spells-known list, which might circumvent the DM's restrictions, and give you some otherwise unavailable options. Ask your DM how it works. It costs you a caster level at the end, not the beginning, so you might never even get to that level.

Sand Shaper (from Sandstorm) also adds a bunch of spells known; ask your DM how that works. This one costs a level right at the beginning, and another near the end -- IMHO it's good for a 1-level dip, or a 4-level weekend trip, or an 8-level summer abroad. Probably not worth taking level 9, which costs you spellcasting.

Wild Soul (from Complete Mage) doesn't add spells known, but instead allows you to cast off-list spells (without adding them to your list). Ask your DM how this works in your game. It costs one level to get in, but it's pretty fun if you can stomach the loss. If you're Good (and thus Seelie) then the bonus to Enchantment will be relevant even if you have no Sorcerer Enchantment spells.

[tstewt1921]

Thanks for the suggestions everyone!

The final build will be:

Warblade 20//Sorcerer 5, Abjurant Champion 5, Initiate of the Sevenfold Veil 7, Sorcerer 3.