Roots of the Mountain or Wolverine Stance?

[Egres]

What would you take for your Warblade, if you were restricted to only take one of these stances?

Roots of the Mountain:

Pros:

a) Works against trip, bull rush, overrun, not only grapple checks

b) Works against tumblers

c) Gives you RD 2/-

Cons:

a) Ends if you move more than 5ft

b) Is useless against grappling opponents if they are already grappling you

c) +10 is an interesting bonus, but sometimes is not enough, especially against semi-invincible grapplers, like huge creatures and such

Wolverine Stance

Pros:

1) Is useful against grapplers, no matter what their grapple check is (especially useful against semi-invincible grapplers, like huge creatures and such)

2) Does't end if you move more than 5ft

3) Is useful even if your opponent is already grappling you

4) Is more offensive oriented, granting you a bonus on your damage rolls against larger creatures

Cons:

1) Works only against grapplers, not trippers, and so on

2) Doesn't give other benefits

 

[Nifft]

Really depends which your DM prefers -- if he's into tripping and bullrushing, that's a vote for one, but if he's just using big monsters who have Improved Grab, that's a vote for the other.

Also depends how mobile your combats are. If you tend to run around a lot, one of those isn't going to be as useful.

Cheers, -- N

 

[Egres]

Really depends which your DM prefers -- if he's into tripping and bullrushing, that's a vote for one, but if he's just using big monsters who have Improved Grab, that's a vote for the other.

Sounds like metagaming.

Also depends how mobile your combats are. If you tend to run around a lot, one of those isn't going to be as useful.

The battles in the campaign I'm playing are quite different from each other, and so is my fighting style.

 

[TheGogmagog]

Looks like roots of the mountain is the better deal to me. The near impossible grapple checks 1) arn't that common and 2) are significantly mitigated with +10. They can also be defeated at later levels with magic items or support (freedom of movement, blink, regroup, teleport).

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ex/20060802a&page=2

 

[Ridley's Cohort]

I think the movement restriction is very significant for most PCs.

 

[Nail]

Since these are Stances, activating them is a swift action. That means that it's possible to get into position, then activate the stance. If you have to move, do so - then reactivate the stance.

I.e. your PCs movement isn't compromised as much as it could be.

Also, Wolverine Stance is only useful *after* you've been grappled. Far better to avoid the whole situation entirely.....if possible.....with Roots of the Mountain.

And DR 2/- ain't bad.

 

[castro3nw]

Since these are Stances, activating them is a swift action. That means that it's possible to get into position, then activate the stance. If you have to move, do so - then reactivate the stance.

Yes, he can use his swift action to just reactivate the stance... But we're talking a Warblade here. Pretty much every turn, his swift action will be being used for something already... Boost/Counter/Refresh... All eat swift actions. It's a little more of a drawback than you're thinking.

 

[hong]

Wolverine stance. True, a ring of freedom of movement negates grappling entirely, but that's still 40000gp! Even a 16th level character would be thinking hard about it.

 

[Slaved]

Roots of the mountain.

I am not sure why there is even a second choice listed. Roots of the mountain is just incredible and fun.

 

[Nail]

Pretty much every turn, his swift action will be being used for something already... Boost/Counter/Refresh... All eat swift actions. It's a little more of a drawback than you're thinking.

Perhaps.

The swift action manuevers are important, no doubt....but given the selection we have here, your arguement cuts equally for both the stances under consideration.

Roots of the Mountain is a better stance because it will be useful more often, and you don't have to fail a grapple check in order to use it!