Crusader Help

[VensersRevenge]

Hi everyone,

I have been playing 5e since it came out, along with other RPGs, but I have recently got bitten by the 3.5e bug. I am interested in playing a Crusader, as I prefer martial classes and it seems the most interesting to me out of the Tome of Battle Classes, but 3.5e has far more moving parts than I am used to for character creation, and I was wondering if anyone has any advice for making an effective Crusader at low levels.

Thanks in advance

[RandomPeasant]

One of the nice benefits of ToB classes is that they aren't terribly optimization-intensive to get to work. Take a feat that's good for whatever you want to build (Combat Expertise to build towards a Tripper build is a fine start, and fits the Crusader's defensive themes), allocate your stats reasonably (you want Str and Con first, then whatever incidentals help whatever your build happens to do), and pick some maneuvers (the healing stuff is a nice pickup, as unlimited healing is a fairly unique niche). Make sure you pick up white raven tactics when you have the chance, it's one of the best things available to ToB characters.

There's also a Crusader Handbook (http://minmaxforum.com/index.php?topic=2645.0). Probably worth a read, though it might be overkill if you're just looking to build your first character.

[Gruftzwerg]

Crusader is a good class for early gaming. The question is on what you wanna focus?

a) in combat heals
normally a waste of action, but since the Crusader keeps attacking for his healing abilities, its a nice starting option.

b) Tripping with a Spiked Chain
Crusaders can become good trippers.

c) dmg
Crusaders are not the best option here, but they can also be build towards more dmg

Imho a combination of a+b would be a good starting build.

1. get Exotic Weapon Proficiency (feat) for Spiked Chain
2. get Improved Trip and hf
3. pick healing and tripping related maneuvers

later get Combat Reflexes (additional AoO) and get the stance (forgot the name) that lets enemy provoke AoO for even doing 5ft steps. Get some +reach somehow and you should be fine for the mid lvls (8~13ish)

[Max Caysey]

One of the nice benefits of ToB classes is that they aren't terribly optimization-intensive to get to work. Take a feat that's good for whatever you want to build (Combat Expertise to build towards a Tripper build is a fine start, and fits the Crusader's defensive themes), allocate your stats reasonably (you want Str and Con first, then whatever incidentals help whatever your build happens to do), and pick some maneuvers (the healing stuff is a nice pickup, as unlimited healing is a fairly unique niche). Make sure you pick up white raven tactics when you have the chance, it's one of the best things available to ToB characters.

There's also a Crusader Handbook (http://minmaxforum.com/index.php?topic=2645.0). Probably worth a read, though it might be overkill if you're just looking to build your first character.

If tripper is your goal, remember some dex for attack of opportunity via combat Reflexes when applying thickets of blades!

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Make the character a Warforged, add Dragonborn of Bahamut from RotD. You'll keep your type and subtype (and everything that automatically comes with those), only losing your default composite plating, light fortification, and your natural slam attack. Gain the Heart aspect from Dragonborn for a breath attack, and take the feat Entangling Exhalation also in RotD.

Take two flaws (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/buildingCharacters/characterFlaws.htm) (more here (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?258440-The-quot-Best-quot-Flaws#30)) to start with two extra feats. Get Adamantine Body and either Stone Power or Extra Granted Maneuver, pick up the other of those at 3rd.

The idea is to be tanky, and keep as many opponents as possible entangled with your breath weapon so they're taking damage and moving slower. They can't easily move around you to attack softer targets, and will see you as a realistic threat. Between a high AC, Stone Power plus the delayed damage pool from Crusader, and maneuvers and stances that heal you when you attack, you should be able to outlast any opponents.

One of the better Crusader builds goes Crusader 5/ Binder 1/ Hellreaver 5/ Crusader 9, but it really comes online at 11th level. You said low levels, so that's probably too distant to matter for you. With that build, always bind Naberius to have fast ability healing, and put an odd-numbered stat on Con. At Hellreaver 5 when you use heroic sacrifice, you'll heal one point of that on the same round and the other on the next round, so with an odd-numbered Con score your hp total won't even change.

[Particle_Man]

What is the rest of the party? You can do interesting things as a bard 1/crusader X with the feat song of the white raven and white raven maneuvers. You personally won’t be doing as great damage, but you could be an effective force multiplier for the party through the attacks you make.

Oh and for simplicity you might get some playing cards and a list (ace of spades for one maneuver, 2 of clubs for another, etc.) for each maneuver you prepared for the day, and then at the beginning of a combat deal one card for each granted maneuver you are entitled to, and then one card per round after that. It might help you keep track of what maneuvers are available at a given time.

[H_H_F_F]

What level should the campaign be going to? What are the others playing, and how optimized are they?

Be careful about the advice you find here - no one has fun if you wildly outrank the rest of the party. Even if you're playing support, no one has fun if the DM doesn't know how to balance for your party's power level.

Bard 4/ Crusader X should be fun, if you anticipate the campaign to go to at least mid levels. Straight crusader is also fun.

[VensersRevenge]

Thanks for the advice everyone!

I don't have a specific party lineup set in stone yet, but my friends who I play with are reasonably similarly optimzed to me. They would look on forums for some advice, but aren't trying to make uber characters. The campaign would start at level 1 and go until people get bored, so I can't say for certain what the upper limits would be. Personally I don't like multiclassing so I would be playing straight Crusader.

Thanks again for all the help!

[H_H_F_F]

Well, I have my issues with ToB, but Crusader is one of very few classes that works fine and remains interesting without multiclassing. I do believe that if you stick with 3.5 you might find that unlike 5e, multiclassing is a very core part of the system.

[Particle_Man]

Nothing wrong with single classed crusader. One wrinkle is that the stone dragon stances usually don’t last if you move around so if you like mobility avoid those.