Hey guys was looking for some ideas on optimizing an undead swordsage/warblade character. Well "half undead" is more appropriate. Let me explain...
Full explanation if you care to know how I got to this point.
Stats before I died:
str 14
dex 17
con 15
int 15
wis 9
cha 7
Stats and changes after template:
str 16
dex 15
con 11
wis 13
cha 5
D12 hit dice every level regardless of class
Fast healing 1 (upgrades every 4 hit dice)
Healing from inflict/cure spells doesn't work.
A bunch of save boosts to mind spells and immunities just like an undead.
Pair of 1d4 claw attacks
Some other random stuff.
So basically I lost my con bonus, but I get a D12 hit dice even as a swordsage and can raise my con back up if I choose. My str went up and dex went down and wisdom boosted up to take advantage of my swordsage wisdom abilities. I had previous asked him to let me take kung fu genius to use my int instead of wisdom but he chose to go this route instead though the loss of con stings a bit.
I'm looking for the best way to optimize this build using any undead feats and fighting style for the swordsage. Basically it seems to come down to either two weapon fighting style or two handed weapon. Since this was dropped on me without any idea of what was coming I set up my guy based on pure dex, but DM will allow me to swap things around to account for the change.
As of now I have shadow blade and adaptive style as feats and was contemplating my final one. He also rounds up on the 1.5x two handed weapon damage and off-hand str damage so keep that in mind as well. Also my guy will be the main scout/roguish type of the part as he let my guy keep trapfinding and all of his rogue open lock/disable device skills since our party needs it and he felt my character would not forget these skills.
So shadow blade with a pair of short swords gives me 1d6+5 damage on main hand, 1d6+4 on off-hand. If I boost dex one point at level 4 my damage increases by 1 on both hands on top of the AC and initiative boost. If I were to take EWP spiked chain and focus on that I'd still get my shadow hand bonus and damage would be 2d4+7 then 2d4+8 next level when I raise my dex.
I was planning on going swordsage 4 then taking 1 level of warblade to grab 3 level 2 manuevers. I was thinking using my swordsage maneuvers for damage output and saving the warblade ones for mostly defense. Diamond mind counters, wall of blades, iron heart aura, etc... Then at level 6 I'd go back to swordsage to pick up assassin's stance and possibly craven. I'd plan on taking warblade again at 8 to pick up iron heart aura and keep alternating swordsage and warblade to gain ever high maneuvers.
With all this in mind what would be a better optimized choice? I can get away without taking TWF for awhile by using manuevers like wolf fang strike and flashing sun but eventually I'd have to take it. Then I could take bloodclaw master for two levels and lose the penalty to TWF if I were to use daggers. Spiked chain would take a feat just to use it, then of course power attack at some point. I can see the benefit to both but I'm looking for different options on the choice. TWF would have a greater damage capability with assassin's stance and TWF, though it's very feat intensive. Spiked chain and power attack is cheaper feat wise though I think damage would ultimately be less. However the reach of the chain would come in very handy and it gains the same benefit of the shadow hand stance. I can't afford to make a full on tripper build feat wise so it's just a choice of versatility of the reach weapon versus the damage of the TWF.
So in short:
TWF focusing on shadow blade, assassin's stance and burning blade boosts for damage output.
THF with spiked chain focusing more on power attack and Diamond mind gem manuevers for damage.
Is shadow blade worth the feat if I go spiked chain and focus on strength down the road?
Should I dip fighter or something that delays manuevers, but gives me bonus feats to help beef up my damage?
Are there any undead types of feats or tactics that could help me that I'm not thinking of?
Sorry about the length, but we're playing Thursday and I have to finalize my guy by then. At low levels I could probably pull of TWF through manuevers and the spiked chain for busting through DR easier but at higher levels I will have to focus on one.
Full explanation if you care to know how I got to this point.
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Stats before I died:
str 14
dex 17
con 15
int 15
wis 9
cha 7
Stats and changes after template:
str 16
dex 15
con 11
wis 13
cha 5
D12 hit dice every level regardless of class
Fast healing 1 (upgrades every 4 hit dice)
Healing from inflict/cure spells doesn't work.
A bunch of save boosts to mind spells and immunities just like an undead.
Pair of 1d4 claw attacks
Some other random stuff.
So basically I lost my con bonus, but I get a D12 hit dice even as a swordsage and can raise my con back up if I choose. My str went up and dex went down and wisdom boosted up to take advantage of my swordsage wisdom abilities. I had previous asked him to let me take kung fu genius to use my int instead of wisdom but he chose to go this route instead though the loss of con stings a bit.
I'm looking for the best way to optimize this build using any undead feats and fighting style for the swordsage. Basically it seems to come down to either two weapon fighting style or two handed weapon. Since this was dropped on me without any idea of what was coming I set up my guy based on pure dex, but DM will allow me to swap things around to account for the change.
As of now I have shadow blade and adaptive style as feats and was contemplating my final one. He also rounds up on the 1.5x two handed weapon damage and off-hand str damage so keep that in mind as well. Also my guy will be the main scout/roguish type of the part as he let my guy keep trapfinding and all of his rogue open lock/disable device skills since our party needs it and he felt my character would not forget these skills.
So shadow blade with a pair of short swords gives me 1d6+5 damage on main hand, 1d6+4 on off-hand. If I boost dex one point at level 4 my damage increases by 1 on both hands on top of the AC and initiative boost. If I were to take EWP spiked chain and focus on that I'd still get my shadow hand bonus and damage would be 2d4+7 then 2d4+8 next level when I raise my dex.
I was planning on going swordsage 4 then taking 1 level of warblade to grab 3 level 2 manuevers. I was thinking using my swordsage maneuvers for damage output and saving the warblade ones for mostly defense. Diamond mind counters, wall of blades, iron heart aura, etc... Then at level 6 I'd go back to swordsage to pick up assassin's stance and possibly craven. I'd plan on taking warblade again at 8 to pick up iron heart aura and keep alternating swordsage and warblade to gain ever high maneuvers.
With all this in mind what would be a better optimized choice? I can get away without taking TWF for awhile by using manuevers like wolf fang strike and flashing sun but eventually I'd have to take it. Then I could take bloodclaw master for two levels and lose the penalty to TWF if I were to use daggers. Spiked chain would take a feat just to use it, then of course power attack at some point. I can see the benefit to both but I'm looking for different options on the choice. TWF would have a greater damage capability with assassin's stance and TWF, though it's very feat intensive. Spiked chain and power attack is cheaper feat wise though I think damage would ultimately be less. However the reach of the chain would come in very handy and it gains the same benefit of the shadow hand stance. I can't afford to make a full on tripper build feat wise so it's just a choice of versatility of the reach weapon versus the damage of the TWF.
So in short:
TWF focusing on shadow blade, assassin's stance and burning blade boosts for damage output.
THF with spiked chain focusing more on power attack and Diamond mind gem manuevers for damage.
Is shadow blade worth the feat if I go spiked chain and focus on strength down the road?
Should I dip fighter or something that delays manuevers, but gives me bonus feats to help beef up my damage?
Are there any undead types of feats or tactics that could help me that I'm not thinking of?
Sorry about the length, but we're playing Thursday and I have to finalize my guy by then. At low levels I could probably pull of TWF through manuevers and the spiked chain for busting through DR easier but at higher levels I will have to focus on one.
