CockroachTeaParty
2008-03-01, 03:13 PM
I recently created nine level 20 characters out of complete boredom, using the rules from the Tome of Battle: Book of Nine Swords. Three swordsages, three crusaders, and three warblades, each wielding one of the fabled Nine Swords, each representing a master of their favored discipline. They are to face off in one-on-one combat, using whatever means necessary to achieve victory. I will post for your reading enjoyment the results of these epic confrontations. Who will emerge victorious as the true master of the Sublime Way?
These characters are not optimized. I constructed them in such a way as to attempt to ideally represent their chosen discipline. Each character had 760,000 gp to spend on gear, with the cost of Legacy Weapon rituals subtracted. A few characters with LA were bought off, the cost of the experience subtracted from their starting gold at a 5 gp per 1 XP paid.
Some details have been removed, such as the maneuvers selected (and in the case of crusaders, granted). You will witness the power of these moves as they are executed.
Tournament Round I: Desert Wind vs. Stone Dragon.
Selected at random, the first two to square off are Milanda, a human master of the Desert Wind school, wielding the magic scimitar Desert Wind, and Tranal Firehammer, a dwarf master of the Stone Dragon school, wielding Unfettered.
Milanda
Milanda: female human swordsage 20; medium humanoid (human); HD 20d8+68; hp 161/161; init.+14; Spd. 30 ft.; AC 41, touch 28, flat footed 32; Base Atk+15/+10/+5; Grp.+19; Atk +24 melee (1d6+10/18-20+1d6 fire, scimitar) or +23 ranged touch (6d6 fire); Full Atk +24/+19/+14 (scimitar); SA weapon focus (desert wind), insightful strike (desert wind), insightful strike (diamond mind), dual boost 3/3 day, fiery slash, fiery blade, fan the flames, flames of the desert; SQ quick to act+5, AC bonus, sense magic, defensive stance (desert wind), improved evasion, defensive stance (diamond mind), desert child, dance of flame and wind+6, desert draw; AL CN; SV Fort.+12, Ref.+27, Will+22; Str 20, Dex 28, Con 18, Int 10, Wis 18, Cha 8.
Skills and Feats: Balance+35, Concentration+28, Diplomacy+2, Intimidate+23, Jump+31, Martial Lore+24, Sense Motive+28, Tumble+37; Desert Wind Dodge, Desert Fire, Vital Recovery, Scorching Sirocco, Blade Meditation (Desert Wind), Combat Reflexes, Extra Readied Maneuver, Sudden Recovery.
Languages: Common.
Spell-like Abilities: 3/3 day: Burning Hands (CL 5th, DC 11)
Desert Wind's Toll: -2 ATK penalty, -4 Fort. save penalty, 12 hp lost.
Desert Wind's Gifts: Endure Elements, CL 5th, at all times. Quick Draw with the blade. Fan the Flames at will. Burning Blade as an immediate action once per encounter. +10 fire damage with Wyrm's Flame.
Swordsage Maneuvers Known: (IL 20th): 1—Burning Blade, Distracting Ember, Wind Stride, Moment of Perfect Mind. 2: Flashing Sun, Fire Riposte, Emerald Razor. 3: Zephyr Dance, Mind Over Body. 4: Searing Charge, Firesnake, Bounding Assault. 5: Lingering Inferno, Leaping Flame, Rapid Counter. 6: Ring of Fire, Greater Insightful Strike. 7: Salamander Charge, Inferno Blade, Avalanche of Blades, Quicksilver Motion. 8: Wyrm's Flame, Diamond Defense. 9: Inferno Blast, Time Stands Still.
Maneuvers Readied: (13)
Stances Known: 1: Stance of Clarity, Flame's Blessing. 3: Holocaust Cloak. 5: Hearing the Air. 6: Fiery Assault. 8: Rising Phoenix.
Possessions: Desert Wind (+4 flaming burst scimitar), bracers of armor+8, gauntlets of ogre power, cloak of resistance+5, monk's belt, periapt of wisdom+4, ring of protection+4, ring of Freedom of Movement, pale green ioun stone, robe of scintillating colors, handy haversack, goggles of night, skin of the defender, bottle of air, boots of speed , scabbard of keen edges, MW buckler, Potions: 2 remove blindness/deafness, remove curse, remove disease, 5 cure serious wounds, 3 lesser restoration, 3 remove fear, resist cold 30, resist electricity 30, 2 neutralize poison.
Tranal
Tranal Firehammer: male dwarf crusader of Moradin 20; medium humanoid (dwarf); HD 20d10+148; hp 262/262; init.+1; Spd. 20 ft.; AC 29, touch 16, flat footed 28; Base Atk+20/+15/+10/+5; Grp.+28; Atk +33 melee (2d6+21/19-20, greatsword) or +32 melee (1d10+14/x3, dwarven waraxe); Full Atk +33/+28/+23/+18 (greatsword) or +32/+27/+22/+17 (dwarven waraxe); SA furious counterstrike, smite; SQ darkvision 60 ft., stonecunning, stability, steely resolve 30, indomitable soul, zealous surge 1/1 day, mettle; AL LG; SV Fort.+23, Ref.+6, Will+12; Str 30, Dex 12, Con 26, Int 10, Wis 8, Cha 18.
Skills and Feats: Balance+22, Concentration+9, Intimidate+26, Listen+5, Spot+5, Tumble+6; Diehard, Stone Power, Power Attack, Shards of Granite, Blade Meditation (Stone Dragon), Improved Bull Rush, Cometary Collision, Martial Stance (Strength of Stone).
Languages: Common, Dwarven.
Smite: 2/2 day: +4 attack, +20 damage.
Unfettered's Gifts: 5/5 day: Charging Minotaur. Light fortification.
Spell-like Abilities: 1/1 day: Enlarge Person (CL 5). 1/1 day: Meld Into Stone (CL 10). 1/1 day: Stoneskin (must be in Stone Dragon stance, CL 13). 1/1 day: Mordenkainen's Sword (CL 17).
Dwarf Traits: +2 saves vs. poison and seplls. +1 attack vs. orcs and goblinoids. +4 AC vs. giants. +2 Appraise and Craft with stone and metals.
Unfettered's Toll: -2 Attacks, -4 Reflex saves, 12 hp lost.
Crusader Maneuvers Known: 1: Vanguard Strike. 3: Bonecrusher, Revitalizing Strike. 4: Bonesplitting Strike. 5: Mountain Avalanche, Radiant Charge. 6: Irresistible Mountain Strike, Crushing Vice. 7: Colossus Strike, Ancient Mountain Hammer. 8: Earthstrike Quake, Adamantine Bones. 9: Mountain Tombstone Strike, Strike of Righteous Vitality. 7 (5)
Stances Known: 1: Stonefoot Stance, Martial Spirit. 3: Roots of the Mountain. 5: Giant's Stance. 8: Strength of Stone.
Possessions: Unfettered (+5 greatsword), +5 holy adamantine dwarven waraxe, +5 SR 19 adamantine full plate, +5 light fortification heavy steel shield, belt of giant strength+4, cloak of resistance+3, dust of disappearance, amulet of health+6, headband of charisma+6, ring of freedom of movement, ring of protection+5, handy haversack, 3 potions of Cure Serious Wounds, 3 potions of resist energy 20 (fire, cold, electricity).
Conditions:
100 ft. square, featureless arena. Bright daylight. Opponents begin 30 ft. away from each other, in the middle of the arena.
Round 1
Before initiative is rolled, Milanda and Tranal engage each other in a duel of wills. The dwarf's steely stare conquers the human's will, giving the dwarf a slight edge before the battle even begins...
However, the speedy swordsage easily wins initiative. With supernatural speed she draws Desert Wind from her Scabbard of Keen Edges, activating her Robe of Scintillating Colors with a command word. She then assumes the Rising Pheonix stance, and a column of superheated air lifts her up 10 ft., then backwards 20 ft. Finally, she takes out her potion of Good Hope from her Handy Haversack, in hopes of overcoming the blow she has suffered to her morale.
Tranal calmly unsheathes Unfettered, assuming the Giant's Stance and activating the weapon's Enlarge Person ability. The dwarf grows to an impressive eight and a half feet tall, his reach doubled and strength bolstered.
Round 2
Hovering above the arena floor, Milanda downs her potion, receiving a welcome morale boost. She then initiates the Quicksilver Motion boost, flying to within 30 ft. of her now giant-sized foe. She then spins her scimitar with supernatural speed, generating a cone of deadly fire in what is known as the Wyrm's Flame. The surly dwarf manages to sidestep the worst of the flames, taking 24 damage which is all absorbed into his Steely Resolve.
Channeling the pain of the searing heat into zealous vengeance, Tranal abandons his stance, charging the hovering swordsage and unleashing the ultimate Stone Dragon attack: the dreaded Mountain Tombstone Strike. Simultaneously, he channels the energy of his attack into his Stone Power feat, receiving 10 temporary hit points from sheer toughness. The human's magical robe fails to provide enough concealment to protect her from Tranal's determined strike: the massive blade collides with her, shattering bone and muscle. Milanda takes 6 constitution damage, and 38 damage on top of that, effectively losing a devastating 98 hp in a single attack. Almost as an afterthought, Tranal assumes the Strength of Stone stance. His temporary hit points absorb the worst of the previous fire damage, and the dwarf effectively only suffers 14 points of damage from Milanda's initial attack.
Round 3
Milanda gasps for breath, trying to think clearly as she recovers from such a crushing blow. She faces a choice: fly out of the dwarf's reach, down several potions, and recover her strength, or take advantage of the drop in the dwarf's defenses. Realizing she may never have another opportunity such as this, she acts with earnest desperation. She floats closer to Tranal, just high enough to receive the benefit of attacking from higher ground, then activates the Avalanche of Blades maneuver, as well as the Inferno Blade boost. Her scimitar flashes with lightning speed, but alas, luck is not on her side, and she only manages to connect with three strikes before she loses her rhythm and balance. However, each slash is devastating, coated in white-hot fire, and despite the hardness of the dwarf's adamantine armor and his indomitable resolve, he still receives a punishing 114 damage (144, not counting Steely Resolve). Her foe is still standing, and Milanda knows that unless the Fates look upon her kindly, the fight might be over before it has even begun...
Tranal shrugs off the scorching barrage, ignoring the pathetic illusionary patterns of the swordsage's magical robe. With his zealous retaliation at its peak, he focuses his muscles and soul into one final finishing strike. Channeling 5 points into Stone Power and 5 points into Power Attack, the crusader unleashes the fury of the Colossus Strike. Tranal just makes the attack (he would have missed had he rolled 1 lower), connecting with Milanda and bypassing her concealment. The blow sends her flying backward 15 feet, and she falls another 10 feet. The punishing strike itself dealt 61 damage, leaving her with 2 hit points remaining, and then the fall back to the earth rendered her unconscious.
As the dust settles, Tranal returns Unfettered to the sheathe on his back. Milanda was a worthy challenger, but no amount of flashy tricks or fancy footwork could overcome the power of the Stone Dragon. "No matter how hard the wind may blow, the mountain cannot bow."
Aftermath
Victor: Tranal Firehammer, Master of Stone Dragon
Time Passed: 18 seconds
Most Damage Dealt in a Single Round: Milanda, dealing 144 hp of damage with her Inferno Blade Avalanche attack.
In retrospect, I should have had Milanda open up with Inferno Blast instead of Wyrm's Flame. Also, I should have had her use Time Stands Still in conjunction with Inferno Blade, as she would have been able to add the fire damage from the Rising Pheonix stance into the full attack. However, in the end, it probably would not have been enough to drop Tranal, though she would have made a better showing. Still, perhaps she was trying to save her big guns for later in the fight, but as we can clearly see, Tranal only needed a few hits to bring her down. Perhaps a swordsage against a crusader is a might unfair, but the other swordsages have other tricks up their sleeves. In some respects, Milanda was the weakest contender, but such is the way events unfolded.
Tune in next time for the second round of the tournament: Iron Heart vs. Shadow Hand!
These characters are not optimized. I constructed them in such a way as to attempt to ideally represent their chosen discipline. Each character had 760,000 gp to spend on gear, with the cost of Legacy Weapon rituals subtracted. A few characters with LA were bought off, the cost of the experience subtracted from their starting gold at a 5 gp per 1 XP paid.
Some details have been removed, such as the maneuvers selected (and in the case of crusaders, granted). You will witness the power of these moves as they are executed.
Tournament Round I: Desert Wind vs. Stone Dragon.
Selected at random, the first two to square off are Milanda, a human master of the Desert Wind school, wielding the magic scimitar Desert Wind, and Tranal Firehammer, a dwarf master of the Stone Dragon school, wielding Unfettered.
Milanda
Milanda: female human swordsage 20; medium humanoid (human); HD 20d8+68; hp 161/161; init.+14; Spd. 30 ft.; AC 41, touch 28, flat footed 32; Base Atk+15/+10/+5; Grp.+19; Atk +24 melee (1d6+10/18-20+1d6 fire, scimitar) or +23 ranged touch (6d6 fire); Full Atk +24/+19/+14 (scimitar); SA weapon focus (desert wind), insightful strike (desert wind), insightful strike (diamond mind), dual boost 3/3 day, fiery slash, fiery blade, fan the flames, flames of the desert; SQ quick to act+5, AC bonus, sense magic, defensive stance (desert wind), improved evasion, defensive stance (diamond mind), desert child, dance of flame and wind+6, desert draw; AL CN; SV Fort.+12, Ref.+27, Will+22; Str 20, Dex 28, Con 18, Int 10, Wis 18, Cha 8.
Skills and Feats: Balance+35, Concentration+28, Diplomacy+2, Intimidate+23, Jump+31, Martial Lore+24, Sense Motive+28, Tumble+37; Desert Wind Dodge, Desert Fire, Vital Recovery, Scorching Sirocco, Blade Meditation (Desert Wind), Combat Reflexes, Extra Readied Maneuver, Sudden Recovery.
Languages: Common.
Spell-like Abilities: 3/3 day: Burning Hands (CL 5th, DC 11)
Desert Wind's Toll: -2 ATK penalty, -4 Fort. save penalty, 12 hp lost.
Desert Wind's Gifts: Endure Elements, CL 5th, at all times. Quick Draw with the blade. Fan the Flames at will. Burning Blade as an immediate action once per encounter. +10 fire damage with Wyrm's Flame.
Swordsage Maneuvers Known: (IL 20th): 1—Burning Blade, Distracting Ember, Wind Stride, Moment of Perfect Mind. 2: Flashing Sun, Fire Riposte, Emerald Razor. 3: Zephyr Dance, Mind Over Body. 4: Searing Charge, Firesnake, Bounding Assault. 5: Lingering Inferno, Leaping Flame, Rapid Counter. 6: Ring of Fire, Greater Insightful Strike. 7: Salamander Charge, Inferno Blade, Avalanche of Blades, Quicksilver Motion. 8: Wyrm's Flame, Diamond Defense. 9: Inferno Blast, Time Stands Still.
Maneuvers Readied: (13)
Stances Known: 1: Stance of Clarity, Flame's Blessing. 3: Holocaust Cloak. 5: Hearing the Air. 6: Fiery Assault. 8: Rising Phoenix.
Possessions: Desert Wind (+4 flaming burst scimitar), bracers of armor+8, gauntlets of ogre power, cloak of resistance+5, monk's belt, periapt of wisdom+4, ring of protection+4, ring of Freedom of Movement, pale green ioun stone, robe of scintillating colors, handy haversack, goggles of night, skin of the defender, bottle of air, boots of speed , scabbard of keen edges, MW buckler, Potions: 2 remove blindness/deafness, remove curse, remove disease, 5 cure serious wounds, 3 lesser restoration, 3 remove fear, resist cold 30, resist electricity 30, 2 neutralize poison.
Tranal
Tranal Firehammer: male dwarf crusader of Moradin 20; medium humanoid (dwarf); HD 20d10+148; hp 262/262; init.+1; Spd. 20 ft.; AC 29, touch 16, flat footed 28; Base Atk+20/+15/+10/+5; Grp.+28; Atk +33 melee (2d6+21/19-20, greatsword) or +32 melee (1d10+14/x3, dwarven waraxe); Full Atk +33/+28/+23/+18 (greatsword) or +32/+27/+22/+17 (dwarven waraxe); SA furious counterstrike, smite; SQ darkvision 60 ft., stonecunning, stability, steely resolve 30, indomitable soul, zealous surge 1/1 day, mettle; AL LG; SV Fort.+23, Ref.+6, Will+12; Str 30, Dex 12, Con 26, Int 10, Wis 8, Cha 18.
Skills and Feats: Balance+22, Concentration+9, Intimidate+26, Listen+5, Spot+5, Tumble+6; Diehard, Stone Power, Power Attack, Shards of Granite, Blade Meditation (Stone Dragon), Improved Bull Rush, Cometary Collision, Martial Stance (Strength of Stone).
Languages: Common, Dwarven.
Smite: 2/2 day: +4 attack, +20 damage.
Unfettered's Gifts: 5/5 day: Charging Minotaur. Light fortification.
Spell-like Abilities: 1/1 day: Enlarge Person (CL 5). 1/1 day: Meld Into Stone (CL 10). 1/1 day: Stoneskin (must be in Stone Dragon stance, CL 13). 1/1 day: Mordenkainen's Sword (CL 17).
Dwarf Traits: +2 saves vs. poison and seplls. +1 attack vs. orcs and goblinoids. +4 AC vs. giants. +2 Appraise and Craft with stone and metals.
Unfettered's Toll: -2 Attacks, -4 Reflex saves, 12 hp lost.
Crusader Maneuvers Known: 1: Vanguard Strike. 3: Bonecrusher, Revitalizing Strike. 4: Bonesplitting Strike. 5: Mountain Avalanche, Radiant Charge. 6: Irresistible Mountain Strike, Crushing Vice. 7: Colossus Strike, Ancient Mountain Hammer. 8: Earthstrike Quake, Adamantine Bones. 9: Mountain Tombstone Strike, Strike of Righteous Vitality. 7 (5)
Stances Known: 1: Stonefoot Stance, Martial Spirit. 3: Roots of the Mountain. 5: Giant's Stance. 8: Strength of Stone.
Possessions: Unfettered (+5 greatsword), +5 holy adamantine dwarven waraxe, +5 SR 19 adamantine full plate, +5 light fortification heavy steel shield, belt of giant strength+4, cloak of resistance+3, dust of disappearance, amulet of health+6, headband of charisma+6, ring of freedom of movement, ring of protection+5, handy haversack, 3 potions of Cure Serious Wounds, 3 potions of resist energy 20 (fire, cold, electricity).
Conditions:
100 ft. square, featureless arena. Bright daylight. Opponents begin 30 ft. away from each other, in the middle of the arena.
Round 1
Before initiative is rolled, Milanda and Tranal engage each other in a duel of wills. The dwarf's steely stare conquers the human's will, giving the dwarf a slight edge before the battle even begins...
However, the speedy swordsage easily wins initiative. With supernatural speed she draws Desert Wind from her Scabbard of Keen Edges, activating her Robe of Scintillating Colors with a command word. She then assumes the Rising Pheonix stance, and a column of superheated air lifts her up 10 ft., then backwards 20 ft. Finally, she takes out her potion of Good Hope from her Handy Haversack, in hopes of overcoming the blow she has suffered to her morale.
Tranal calmly unsheathes Unfettered, assuming the Giant's Stance and activating the weapon's Enlarge Person ability. The dwarf grows to an impressive eight and a half feet tall, his reach doubled and strength bolstered.
Round 2
Hovering above the arena floor, Milanda downs her potion, receiving a welcome morale boost. She then initiates the Quicksilver Motion boost, flying to within 30 ft. of her now giant-sized foe. She then spins her scimitar with supernatural speed, generating a cone of deadly fire in what is known as the Wyrm's Flame. The surly dwarf manages to sidestep the worst of the flames, taking 24 damage which is all absorbed into his Steely Resolve.
Channeling the pain of the searing heat into zealous vengeance, Tranal abandons his stance, charging the hovering swordsage and unleashing the ultimate Stone Dragon attack: the dreaded Mountain Tombstone Strike. Simultaneously, he channels the energy of his attack into his Stone Power feat, receiving 10 temporary hit points from sheer toughness. The human's magical robe fails to provide enough concealment to protect her from Tranal's determined strike: the massive blade collides with her, shattering bone and muscle. Milanda takes 6 constitution damage, and 38 damage on top of that, effectively losing a devastating 98 hp in a single attack. Almost as an afterthought, Tranal assumes the Strength of Stone stance. His temporary hit points absorb the worst of the previous fire damage, and the dwarf effectively only suffers 14 points of damage from Milanda's initial attack.
Round 3
Milanda gasps for breath, trying to think clearly as she recovers from such a crushing blow. She faces a choice: fly out of the dwarf's reach, down several potions, and recover her strength, or take advantage of the drop in the dwarf's defenses. Realizing she may never have another opportunity such as this, she acts with earnest desperation. She floats closer to Tranal, just high enough to receive the benefit of attacking from higher ground, then activates the Avalanche of Blades maneuver, as well as the Inferno Blade boost. Her scimitar flashes with lightning speed, but alas, luck is not on her side, and she only manages to connect with three strikes before she loses her rhythm and balance. However, each slash is devastating, coated in white-hot fire, and despite the hardness of the dwarf's adamantine armor and his indomitable resolve, he still receives a punishing 114 damage (144, not counting Steely Resolve). Her foe is still standing, and Milanda knows that unless the Fates look upon her kindly, the fight might be over before it has even begun...
Tranal shrugs off the scorching barrage, ignoring the pathetic illusionary patterns of the swordsage's magical robe. With his zealous retaliation at its peak, he focuses his muscles and soul into one final finishing strike. Channeling 5 points into Stone Power and 5 points into Power Attack, the crusader unleashes the fury of the Colossus Strike. Tranal just makes the attack (he would have missed had he rolled 1 lower), connecting with Milanda and bypassing her concealment. The blow sends her flying backward 15 feet, and she falls another 10 feet. The punishing strike itself dealt 61 damage, leaving her with 2 hit points remaining, and then the fall back to the earth rendered her unconscious.
As the dust settles, Tranal returns Unfettered to the sheathe on his back. Milanda was a worthy challenger, but no amount of flashy tricks or fancy footwork could overcome the power of the Stone Dragon. "No matter how hard the wind may blow, the mountain cannot bow."
Aftermath
Victor: Tranal Firehammer, Master of Stone Dragon
Time Passed: 18 seconds
Most Damage Dealt in a Single Round: Milanda, dealing 144 hp of damage with her Inferno Blade Avalanche attack.
In retrospect, I should have had Milanda open up with Inferno Blast instead of Wyrm's Flame. Also, I should have had her use Time Stands Still in conjunction with Inferno Blade, as she would have been able to add the fire damage from the Rising Pheonix stance into the full attack. However, in the end, it probably would not have been enough to drop Tranal, though she would have made a better showing. Still, perhaps she was trying to save her big guns for later in the fight, but as we can clearly see, Tranal only needed a few hits to bring her down. Perhaps a swordsage against a crusader is a might unfair, but the other swordsages have other tricks up their sleeves. In some respects, Milanda was the weakest contender, but such is the way events unfolded.
Tune in next time for the second round of the tournament: Iron Heart vs. Shadow Hand!