Stances, Techniques and the way of the Fist

[Stormcrow]

Forgive me in advance for this sacrelige.

I hate the monk class. Alot.

I know its called "Tome of Battle: The book of nine _swords_".
But i'd like to run martial artists who use their hands with the system of Stances and maneuvers. Thoughts?

[Khantalas]

Swordsage adaptation part?

[Deus Mortus]

I'd take the tiger claw or setting sun style with a swordsage and take that unarmed feat that let's your blows scale with level.

[Douglas]

You can do that just fine. In fact, unarmed strike is one of the favored weapons of the Tiger Claw discipline. I don't think any of the ToB classes get Improved Unarmed Strike for free, though, so you'll have to either spend a feat on that or use spiked gauntlets. That, or talk your DM into houseruling it for you, or dip a single level in Monk.

[Deus Mortus]

The two feats you want are improved unarmed strike and superior unarmed strike, the latter is in ToB. Get swordsage for further focusses for unarmed strike which you get through setting sun.

[Stormcrow]

I mean to use it INSTEAD of monks in my campaign setting the Swordsage will become the monk equivilent with unarmed being one of many martial styles. Just like real martial artists.

[Assassinfox]

I mean to use it INSTEAD of monks in my campaign setting the Swordsage will become the monk equivilent with unarmed being one of many martial styles. Just like real martial artists.

It'll work just fine. Shadow Hand, Setting Sun, Tiger Claw, AND Stone Dragon all have unarmed strikes as a favored weapon.

[Fax Celestis]

Yeah. Take the swordsage (as-is), replace proficiencies with that of the monk, add unarmed strike damage as a monk. Voila.

[Viscount Einstrauss]

Yet another melee class is vastly improved upon via ToB. Drinks and high fives all around!

[Khantalas]

Yeah. Take the swordsage (as-is), replace proficiencies with that of the monk, add unarmed strike damage as a monk. Voila.

Which is basically a swordsage with the changes in adaptation part. Which I mentioned.

Am I even here?

[Viscount Einstrauss]

^ Who was that chick?

[Stormcrow]

Thankyou Khantalas Thankyou Everyone.

[Behold_the_Void]

Just remember, while the Swordsage adaption removes light armor proficiency and gives unarmed strike as monk, it does not forbid them from wearing, say, a Mithral Chainshirt or a Masterwork suit of Studded Leather and still gain all of the benefits of their class without that nasty armor check penalty getting in the way. So if you want the unarmored monk thing, you might want to rule against that in some way.

[Jack Mann]

Customer service has said that the intention is for the swordsage's wisdom to AC to apply when unarmored in the adaptation. Just use that ruling, and you'll be fine.

Gee, I wonder if Khantalas is going to post in this thread? Haven't seen him around in ages...

[silentknight]

Good idea. I just wish that they had concentrated on armed combat for the Book of Nine Swords (ergo the name) and done another Tome of Battle for unarmed combat.

[Zincorium]

Good idea. I just wish that they had concentrated on armed combat for the Book of Nine Swords (ergo the name) and done another Tome of Battle for unarmed combat.

All three classes, without some sort of adaptation, are primarily useful for people who use weapons other than unarmed. There is one feat which significantly improves unarmed strike. There is an option among four of the nine disciplines to use an unarmed strike, leaving five that do not.

Tome of Battle is about armed combat. And there isn't a whole lot more you can do for unarmed, so if WotC did make a book there's a good chance not many copies would sell.

[marjan]

Gee, I wonder if Khantalas is going to post in this thread? Haven't seen him around in ages...

Who's this Khantalas guy anyway?

[Viscount Einstrauss]

Guy? I thought it was butter spread.

[marjan]

Guy? I thought it was butter spread.

Isn't that meaning of word guy, or my English is simply that bad?

[Jack Mann]

Isn't the guy what the English burn on the fifth of November?

[Viscount Einstrauss]

Okay, that settles it then. From this day forth, Khantalas means butter spread!

Delicious, delicious butter spread.

[NEO|Phyte]

Eh, armed and unarmed combat is fine and dandy, what I wanna see is some love for Grappling.

The only PrC that is based around grappling (Reaping Mauler, if there are others, I don't know where) implodes on itself if you increase your size past Medium, due to the funky rules or whatever that make you lose PrC abilities if you no longer qualify for the PrC. Then there is all of 2 feats (that I know of) that improve your ability to grapple. Improved Grapple, and Earth's Embrace. (This is ignoring feats such as Weapon Focus, as they are not specifically for grappling), as well as a handful of feats that are useful for escaping a grapple.

Mind you, even with such an utter lack of stuff to add, I'd say that my grapple build came out nicely. Nothing like grappling things from 1200' away...

Anywho, I'd apologize for going offtopic, but its a bit late for that.

[SpiderBrigade]

Isn't that meaning of word guy, or my English is simply that bad?

that's ghee. You can also wear it for karate.

[kamikasei]

that's ghee. You can also wear it for karate.

No, in karate you wear a gi.

[Shisumo]

All three classes, without some sort of adaptation, are primarily useful for people who use weapons other than unarmed. There is one feat which significantly improves unarmed strike. There is an option among four of the nine disciplines to use an unarmed strike, leaving five that do not.

Technically, almost all the maneuvers and stances in ToB can be used with unarmed strikes. The maneuvers that cannot specifically say so; beyond that, there are a few feats and a class ability of swordsages that reference the associated weapons. In general, however, you can use most maneuvers with unarmed strikes regardless of whether unarmed strikes are associated with the discipline or not.

[JoeFredBob]

"Remember, remember, the fifth of November, the gunpoweder treason and plot. I know no reason the gunpowder treason should ever be forgot."

Sorry, not adding anything. Move along.

[Viscount Einstrauss]

Huh. So we burn Khantalas with gunpowder on the fifth of November? But what if I want butter spread for my toast that morning?

[elliott20]

Huh. So we burn Khantalas with gunpowder on the fifth of November? But what if I want butter spread for my toast that morning?

wait, if Khantalas is a butter spread, are we supposed to say, "I can't believe it's not Khantalas" now?

[Fax Celestis]

wait, if Khantalas is a butter spread, are we supposed to say, "I can't believe it's not Khantalas" now?

Yes. We are.

I Can't Believe It's Not Khantalas!

[silentknight]

Well I have always been disappointed that I can't get the classic "wire-fu" feel with monk class. You can some pretty cool stuff with ToB, but I would certainly buy a new ToB that concentrates on martial arts (like judo, karate, and such)