Vanara swordsage AOO thrower

[schreier]

Any help is appreciated. Want to be great at battlefield control, primarily through throwing and possibly grappling. The character has a staff as a weapon. Currently the adventure is level 5 so it needs to be viable at that level.

Feats, maneuvers, stances - all help appreciated. Planning on swordsage 5 unless it really need dips.

Thanks in advance

[daremetoidareyo]

Do you have a climb speed?

[schreier]

Yes ... Climb 20, +8 to climb, +4 balance and jump, +2 int and wis, -2 str

[Zombulian]

Not gonna lie I immediately went to go look at thrown weapon builds but then I remembered that Setting Sun has actual throwing maneuvers. For advice, I mean pretty much just pick throwing maneuvers and find ways to boost your opposed strength checks. IIRC most throws in ToB are trip checks so things like increasing your size will help. Certain soulmelds like Mauling Gauntlets can help I think. Maybe Kraken Mantle? Also having a lot of reach will be helpful for making opponents trigger attacks of opportunity, maybe grab Stand Still so you can stop them in their tracks and then throw them on your turn. Improved Trip will give you a free attack on anyone you successfully throw as well I think.


Do you have a climb speed?

I think Vanara have a climb speed? Not sure though.

[Thurbane]

Be aware that Vanara got slightly nerfed in the Dragon 318 update, but if that isn;t in play, it doesn't matter...

[schreier]

Thanks for the info about the update ... I'll let the dm know and let him pick ... Not a big deal either way.

The only way I've found to throw as an aoo is the feat defensive throw. Trying to build around that, with the idea of assume karmic strike or robilars Gambit later, I have:
Swordsage
Barbarian
Barbarian
Swordsage
Swordsage

Barb took ferocity, city brawler, skilled city-dweller, wolf totem for trip, bear totem for improved grab. I don't think pounce really helps this build, and if I somehow increase size the grab might be useful.

Took 2 flaws, combat reflexes, midnight Dodge, adaptive style and then defensive throw at 3 (with improved unarmed strike and improved trip from barbarian)

Was between desert wind Dodge and midnight Dodge. Benefit of midnight is if I ever pick up other soulmelds through class or feat. Expeditious Dodge seems harder to apply moving 40+, although maybe if I take pounce instead?

Maneuvers and stances:
Distracting ember
Counter charge
Mighty throw
Wolf fang strike
Sudden leap
Moment of perfect mind
Mountain hammer
Cloak of deception

Child of shadow
Hunter's sense

[TristanS]

With setting sun -- you only took 2 of the manuevers. I doubt baffling defense is worth it if you have a high dex and armor and wis, but you might consider Step of the Wind for the bonus in difficult terrain for tripping.

I would be tempted by Pounce / Exepditious Dodge instead of the Midnight route.

If you stick with Midnight Dodge and Enhanced Grab, I would try and get some type of size increase. Phylactery of Change would let you go either Girallon gives you 22 str, 17 dex, large size.

If you stay midnight, you could stick with the girallon theme and take totemist 2 (so swordsage 1 / barbarian 2 / totemist 2)

Take Girallon arms - pump it up for +6 to grapple checks. I wonder what would happen if you were a girallon with girallon arms soulmeld? :)

I've never actually used soulmelds ... if you are a totemist with girallon arms bound to your totem and you invest 2 essentia into them, do you gain the benefit of the shape soulmeld and the binding, with the essentia powering both?

[schreier]

Interesting question about the chakra bind. Reading the book, it says "a soulmeld can be bound to a chakra in order to gain a secondary (and often more potent) effect from it"

So it seems you get both the soulmeld and chakra binding?

If you essentia in, it seems to add to both I would think?

[daremetoidareyo]

Interesting question about the chakra bind. Reading the book, it says "a soulmeld can be bound to a chakra in order to gain a secondary (and often more potent) effect from it"

So it seems you get both the soulmeld and chakra binding?

If you essentia in, it seems to add to both I would think?

That is Correct.