An idea for a variant

[playswithfire]

Alright, so everyone pretty much avoids the arcane swordsage variant that's briefly mentioned in ToB as it's not well explained and it could potentially lead to brokenness with Adaptive Style, etc.

But I've been wondering if a divine version, which I've been calling the swordsaint in my head, could be viable. I realize this should probably end up in Homebrew, but it's not a fully formed variant yet, just brainstorming, so I thought I'd put it here for review.

Essentially, what I've got so far would work like this. You choose up to three domains. For each domain you pick, you lose access to two disciplines and have one less maneuver/spell known at first level. So, you could have access to 4 disciplines and 1 domain, 2 disciplines and 2 domains or 3 domains and no disciplines.

Any time you would learn a new maneuver, you could learn a spell from one of the domains you selected of the same level or lower instead. Any time you would learn a new stance, you may instead gain the domain granted power of one of the domains you selected.

Does this seem reasonable? Would you be interested in using it as a player? Would you allow it as a DM?

And then there are two things I'm debating:
Should they be able to use metamagic with the spells they know? I'm leaning towards no, but I wanted other opinions.
I'm considering having a spell you cast with a target of 'You' and a duration of longer than 1 round/level replace the effects of your current stance; spell ends if you change stance and stance automatically reverts at end of spell. Does that seem reasonable?

[Knaight]

I like the concept. It might need a little more work than that, but the concept itself is good.

[RTGoodman]

I think it has potential as a Swordsage variant, but I think it could work well as a Crusader variant, too. Lose access to one martial discipline, and gain access to one domain your deity offers, or something like that.

[Tempest Fennac]

I like the idea, but I agree that, fluffwise, it would work better with the Crusader (that would result in the class being a much better healer if the Healing Domain was taken, though).

[Hunter Noventa]

You could probably do the arcane variant the same way, using the domains out of UA.

[Tempest Fennac]

You mean these Domains, right Hunter? http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/UA:Wiza..._Domain_Wizard

[playswithfire]

It would make sense as a Crusader, wouldn't it? I don't play crusaders much, so I didn't think of that. I was thinking of something along the lines of what the Sacred Fist might be like if it was a base class (and based on unarmed swordsage rather than monk, obviously). Since the Crusader only has three disciplines, I guess it would be a 1 for 1 swap of disciplines for domains, still losing a maneuver at first level I think.

Do people like the tradeoff of a domain granted power in exchange for a stance known? Or should you just get the domain power for choosing the domain? If you have to swap for it, odds are good you'll only get one, maybe two of them, trading off one or both of your first level stances, but probably not any of the higher level ones.

You could probably do the arcane variant the same way, using the domains out of UA.

You mean these Domains, right Hunter? http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/UA:Wiza..._Domain_Wizard

I like that. The reduced spell options should make the arcane swordsage easier to get into a game. And if some domains need tweaking to avoid broken combos, so be it. Still gonna be less powerful than a version that can learn any spell ever written.