Crusader lvl of manuver known?

[juriel1]

Please, I have few questions.
Im fighter lvl6/ weaponmaster lvl2
On lvl 9 i want to take crusader.
What is my initiator level and what is my highest lvl of manuvers?

In your opinion which is better? Crusader or Warblade? Or maybe to take 1 Crusader lvl and 1 Warblade lvl? Doeas their manuvers stack (for example lvl 1 crusader and 1 level of Warblade gives you 5(2) + 3 manuvers and 1+1 stances?

What stance do you prefer? Thicket of Blades or Roots of the mountain?
If I move 5 feet Roots of the mountain ends? Can I reactivate it same or next turn?
Thank you very much for help.

 

[nogray]

Please, I have few questions.
Im fighter lvl6/ weaponmaster lvl2
On lvl 9 i want to take crusader.
What is my initiator level and what is my highest lvl of manuvers?

You have eight non-initiator levels and one initiator level. Your effective initiator level would be (8/2) + 1 = 5. That means that your maximum level for maneuvers is 3rd.

In your opinion which is better? Crusader or Warblade? Or maybe to take 1 Crusader lvl and 1 Warblade lvl? Doeas their manuvers stack (for example lvl 1 crusader and 1 level of Warblade gives you 5(2) + 3 manuvers and 1+1 stances?

Crusaders tend towards slightly more defensive abilities, while warblades tend towards more offensive ones. (Both have fairly strong offensive and defensive choices.) The warblade has the advantage of "stacking" its levels with fighter for fighter-only feats, like greater weapon focus and specialization. To me, it has more of a "weapon master" vibe, while the crusader has more of a "holy warrior" feel. If you go into both, you do learn all of the maneuvers, but track their initiator level, recovery, and other things separately. Each class counts as a "non-initiator" for the other. Your character, with one level in each, would be 5th level initiator for each. Add a few, say four warblade levels and one crusader level, and the initiator level calculations would look like this:

Crusader: (6 fighter + 2 weapon master + 4 warblade)/2 + 1 crusader = 7 effective levels
Warblade: (6 fighter + 2 weapon master + 1 crusader)/2 + 4 warblade = 8 effective levels (actually 8.5, but round down)

The max level of maneuver for both of those would be 4th, though you haven't learned a new crusader maneuver since your first level of that class.

What stance do you prefer? Thicket of Blades or Roots of the mountain?
If I move 5 feet Roots of the mountain ends? Can I reactivate it same or next turn?
Thank you very much for help.

Your first stance from class levels in warblade or crusader (or sword sage) has to be a first-level one, regardless of what other maneuvers you could take or what their available levels would otherwise be. You can reactivate (or generally switch or activate) stances as a swift action, with all the restrictions that entails. That being said, of the two stances mentioned, I much prefer Thicket of Blades to Roots of the Mountain. I find casters and ranged love to 5-ft away, and Thicket punishes that. Roots is more useful, though, if your DM likes to bull rush or trip you.

For the record, my favorite level one stances are Leading the Charge (for crusaders or warblades), Stance of Clarity (for warblades) and Martial Spirit (for crusaders). The added damage for everyone that charges, "free" +2 AC against a solo opponent (or any time you are one-on-oneing a foe), and the healing (two per hit seems low, but it can add up) are all nice features. My more offensively-minded friend prefers Punishing Stance. For "set it and forget it," I'd highly recommend Leading the Charge or Martial Spirit, depending on what class you decide to take.

Hope that helps.

 

[juriel1]

Thanks for quickreply and lots of usefull informations. Is it possible to use Bonecrusher manuever with Whirlwind attack?

 

[juriel1]

Your first stance from class levels in warblade or crusader (or sword sage) has to be a first-level one, regardless of what other maneuvers you could take or what their available levels would otherwise be.

Sry dont get this. Does it means that I need to take stance lvl1? Do I have restrictions to numer of lvl 3 manuevers because Im only Crusader lvl1? For example I wanted to take

• mountain hammer lvl 2
• stone vise lvl 2
• bonecrusher lvl (3)
• Tactical Strike (2)
• Lians Roar (3)
• And stance : Roots of the Mountain (3)

Is it possible in my case: Fighter/6/Weaponmaster/2/Crusader/1 ?

 

[nogray]

Thanks for quickreply and lots of usefull informations. Is it possible to use Bonecrusher manuever with Whirlwind attack?

Nope. Maneuvers, particularly strikes, are self-contained bits of rules. You spend what actions the maneuver tells you to, then do what it has you do. You have to use Bonecrusher as a standard action. As part of that action, you make one attack roll. If you hit, it deals regular melee damage, and if you threaten a crit, you have +10 to confirm. Whirlwind attack is its own full attack action. Pretty much the only thing you can combine with whirlwind attack (as far as maneuvers) would be stance bonuses and some boosts. The high-level Time Stands Still maneuver would let you full attack twice, each of which could be used for whirlwind attacks.

Sry dont get this. Does it means that I need to take stance lvl1? Do I have restrictions to numer of lvl 3 manuevers because Im only Crusader lvl1? For example I wanted to take

• mountain hammer lvl 2
• stone vise lvl 2
• bonecrusher lvl (3)
• Tactical Strike (2)
• Lians Roar (3)
• And stance : Roots of the Mountain (3)

Is it possible in my case: Fighter/6/Weaponmaster/2/Crusader/1 ?

The wording for the various classes all say (under the "Stances Known" feature) this:

You begin play with knowledge of one first-level stance from any discipline open to you*....

(* - Note that the crusader lists the disciplines open to him, while the others use the wording in the quote.)

Regardless, the first stance you take from any of the classes has to be one of the first-level stances. For a crusader, that limits choices to Iron Guard's Glare, Martial Spirit, Stonefoot Stance, or Leading the Charge. What you can do, if you would like, is take one of those stances and spend your level 9 feat on the Roots of the Mountain stance. If your DM allows retraining, you could then take the Roots of the Mountain stance at your second Crusader level and retrain your level 9 feat whenever you take that second crusader level.

As to the maneuver selection, I think it's okay, though your DM may require you to take at least one White Raven maneuver that has no prerequisite. (Both of yours require one WR maneuver, and I would let it pass, with each satisfying the prerequisite of the other, but your DM's mileage may vary.) The only thing that is against the rules-as-written with your selection is your stance, which I have already noted is limited to level one stances.