Menu
News
All News
Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
Pathfinder
Starfinder
Warhammer
2d20 System
Year Zero Engine
Industry News
Reviews
Dragon Reflections
Columns
Weekly Digests
Weekly News Digest
Freebies, Sales & Bundles
RPG Print News
RPG Crowdfunding News
Game Content
ENterplanetary DimENsions
Mythological Figures
Opinion
Worlds of Design
Peregrine's Next
RPG Evolution
Other Columns
From the Freelancing Frontline
Monster ENcyclopedia
WotC/TSR Alumni Look Back
4 Hours w/RSD (Ryan Dancey)
The Road to 3E (Jonathan Tweet)
Greenwood's Realms (Ed Greenwood)
Drawmij's TSR (Jim Ward)
Community
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Resources
Wiki
Pages
Latest activity
Media
New media
New comments
Search media
Downloads
Latest reviews
Search resources
EN Publishing
Store
EN5ider
Adventures in ZEITGEIST
Awfully Cheerful Engine
What's OLD is NEW
Judge Dredd & The Worlds Of 2000AD
War of the Burning Sky
Level Up: Advanced 5E
Events & Releases
Upcoming Events
Private Events
Featured Events
Socials!
Twitch
YouTube
Facebook (EN Publishing)
Facebook (EN World)
Twitter
Instagram
TikTok
Podcast
Features
Top 5 RPGs Compiled Charts 2004-Present
Adventure Game Industry Market Research Summary (RPGs) V1.0
Ryan Dancey: Acquiring TSR
Q&A With Gary Gygax
D&D Rules FAQs
TSR, WotC, & Paizo: A Comparative History
D&D Pronunciation Guide
Million Dollar TTRPG Kickstarters
Tabletop RPG Podcast Hall of Fame
Eric Noah's Unofficial D&D 3rd Edition News
D&D in the Mainstream
D&D & RPG History
About Morrus
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles only
By:
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Menu
Log in
Register
Install the app
Install
The
VOIDRUNNER'S CODEX
is coming! Explore new worlds, fight oppressive empires, fend off fearsome aliens, and wield deadly psionics with this comprehensive boxed set expansion for 5E and A5E!
Community
General Tabletop Discussion
*TTRPGs General
New Excerpts - Tome of Battle & Dragons of Faerun
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="satori01" data-source="post: 2985862" data-attributes="member: 7859"><p>I'm not going to pass judgment from one excerpt, I have long had this book pre-ordered so I will examine it when I get it. A couple of thoughts on the Warblade, Stances, and Maneuvers.</p><p>I am a little dismayed that Maneuvers are in essense infinitely usuable, even if you read the recharge rules as "swift action plus single attack action", it is not much of a downside.</p><p></p><p>Combat Rites from AE use a more standard Spell Slotting system for the Rites, with uses per order of right increasing as level increases. On the surface that seems more balanced.</p><p></p><p>The Warblade as written seems to take the place of the Barbarian.</p><p>It has the same HD, BAB, Base Saving Throws, and Skill Points. The skill list of a Warblade is arguably less valuable than Barbarian, the lack of Spot and Listen the Warblade into the same boat as the Fighter. Balance and Diplomacy might make up for that, and the fact that most Warblades will probably have a decent (14) INT score probably makes it a wash.</p><p></p><p>Uncanny Dodge is the same. The bonus Feats are from a very small and very specialized list. The Warblade despite being able to act a a Fighter = Warblade level -2 is never going to rival a Fighter in acquiring those nifty PHB II feats, Warblade only gets the base number of feats, and his Fighter emulation level is going to throw off when he can use the feats he gets for the more spiffy feats.</p><p></p><p>Battle Skill, Battle Mastery, Battle Ardor etc are probably equal or slightly greater in power to Rage and Damage Resistance, though many of the Warblades class abillities are very situational in nature, and require Feats and abillity scores to get the most out of them, and many of the Warblade abillities are not gained to very late in the class progression.</p><p></p><p> Of course on top of this you add the Stances and Manuevers, which I would guess are more powerful than Fast Movement and Trap Sense.</p><p></p><p>The Warblade suffers from MAD. Good Strength and Intelligence are a must. The d12 HD, Good Fort Saves, and Int Bonus to Reflex saves as on progresses means you can stick with average Con and Dex scores. In a low point buy, you could probably survive with Con as 10, a 12 Dex is probably the real minimum to take advantage of the Int Bonus to AOO, and 14 is preferable.</p><p> Going the Human Warblade 1 route , using the above as the Abillity score distribution guide I would be tempted to take Insightful Reflexs, (for even more Reflex save fun), and Heavy Armor Proficiency, the class abillities really encourage you to mix it up in melee with flanking and being able to threaten as many people with AOO. Combat Reflexs, Weapon Specialization (and thus Weapon Focus), Mobility (and thus Dodge), seem to be very logical feat choices.</p><p></p><p>Until I see the power level of the Stances and Maneuvers, I can not make a judgement, but on the surface of things, w/out Stances and Maneuvers, it seems balanced with the Barbarian, and given the situational nature of many of its Class abillities perhaps a bit weaker, as the Barbarian has more control over when it can unleash the pain, (Rage, Power Attack, 2 Handed Weapon and High Strength and Con). Of course Stances and Maneuvers are going to be the kicker...I predict a very strong class indeed. Me thinks my new House rule is going to give Fighter 2 free Skill slots fillable by any skill the player choses to go on the Fighter list, and possibly an extra skill point to boot.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="satori01, post: 2985862, member: 7859"] I'm not going to pass judgment from one excerpt, I have long had this book pre-ordered so I will examine it when I get it. A couple of thoughts on the Warblade, Stances, and Maneuvers. I am a little dismayed that Maneuvers are in essense infinitely usuable, even if you read the recharge rules as "swift action plus single attack action", it is not much of a downside. Combat Rites from AE use a more standard Spell Slotting system for the Rites, with uses per order of right increasing as level increases. On the surface that seems more balanced. The Warblade as written seems to take the place of the Barbarian. It has the same HD, BAB, Base Saving Throws, and Skill Points. The skill list of a Warblade is arguably less valuable than Barbarian, the lack of Spot and Listen the Warblade into the same boat as the Fighter. Balance and Diplomacy might make up for that, and the fact that most Warblades will probably have a decent (14) INT score probably makes it a wash. Uncanny Dodge is the same. The bonus Feats are from a very small and very specialized list. The Warblade despite being able to act a a Fighter = Warblade level -2 is never going to rival a Fighter in acquiring those nifty PHB II feats, Warblade only gets the base number of feats, and his Fighter emulation level is going to throw off when he can use the feats he gets for the more spiffy feats. Battle Skill, Battle Mastery, Battle Ardor etc are probably equal or slightly greater in power to Rage and Damage Resistance, though many of the Warblades class abillities are very situational in nature, and require Feats and abillity scores to get the most out of them, and many of the Warblade abillities are not gained to very late in the class progression. Of course on top of this you add the Stances and Manuevers, which I would guess are more powerful than Fast Movement and Trap Sense. The Warblade suffers from MAD. Good Strength and Intelligence are a must. The d12 HD, Good Fort Saves, and Int Bonus to Reflex saves as on progresses means you can stick with average Con and Dex scores. In a low point buy, you could probably survive with Con as 10, a 12 Dex is probably the real minimum to take advantage of the Int Bonus to AOO, and 14 is preferable. Going the Human Warblade 1 route , using the above as the Abillity score distribution guide I would be tempted to take Insightful Reflexs, (for even more Reflex save fun), and Heavy Armor Proficiency, the class abillities really encourage you to mix it up in melee with flanking and being able to threaten as many people with AOO. Combat Reflexs, Weapon Specialization (and thus Weapon Focus), Mobility (and thus Dodge), seem to be very logical feat choices. Until I see the power level of the Stances and Maneuvers, I can not make a judgement, but on the surface of things, w/out Stances and Maneuvers, it seems balanced with the Barbarian, and given the situational nature of many of its Class abillities perhaps a bit weaker, as the Barbarian has more control over when it can unleash the pain, (Rage, Power Attack, 2 Handed Weapon and High Strength and Con). Of course Stances and Maneuvers are going to be the kicker...I predict a very strong class indeed. Me thinks my new House rule is going to give Fighter 2 free Skill slots fillable by any skill the player choses to go on the Fighter list, and possibly an extra skill point to boot. [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Community
General Tabletop Discussion
*TTRPGs General
New Excerpts - Tome of Battle & Dragons of Faerun
Top