Swaping Bo9S disciplines

[jasin]

Would it break anything if you just swapped around the disciplines a bit to create variants on the Bo9S classes? For example, a crusader that was more sohei than paladin, with Tiger Claw instead of White Raven.

In theory it shouldn't be a problem. If Tiger Claw and White Raven are supposed to be equally valid choices for a warblade, who has access to both, getting access to one instead of the other shouldn't change much.

The only thing that immediately comes to mind as worrying is the warblade's easy recovery method + Devoted Mind's 9th-level heal-granting strike. But then, something like a crusader 1/warblade 19 or a Jade Phoenix Mage heavy on the warblade could get that relatively easily too...

 

[Nifft]

IMHO, there are three schools that are "top tier" -- three that need to be guarded jealously. Devoted Spirit, Iron Heart and Shadow Hand. Those three you cannot gain except via the appropriate base class.

The others, IMHO, it's safe to swap.

Cheers, -- N

 

[hong]

I don't think cru1/WB19 could get the 9th level Devoted Spirit strike. You track initiator level separately for each class, so you have IL 10 on the crusader side. Nor can you take Devoted Spirit maneuvers with warblade levels, since warblade doesn't give access to that school.

 

[FireLance]

IMHO, there are three schools that are "top tier" -- three that need to be guarded jealously. Devoted Spirit, Iron Heart and Shadow Hand. Those three you cannot gain except via the appropriate base class.

There's a fourth exclusive school: Desert Wind.

The Master of Nine PrC also makes it relatively easy to get top-tier maneuvers from quite a few schools. Plan your progression properly, and you can even get base class levels to swap out lower level maneuvers for the highest-level maneuvers in the schools your base class gives you access to.

 

[FireLance]

I don't think cru1/WB19 could get the 9th level Devoted Spirit strike. You track initiator level separately for each class, so you have IL 10 on the crusader side. Nor can you take Devoted Spirit maneuvers with warblade levels, since warblade doesn't give access to that school.

How's this:

Warblade 16 takes one level of Crusader (IL 9), and learns three Devoted Spirit maneuvers.

At 18th level (Warblade 17/Crusader 1), take Martial Study for Strike of Righteous Vitality, adding it to your list of Warblade maneuvers known.

 

[FireLance]

Would it break anything if you just swapped around the disciplines a bit to create variants on the Bo9S classes? For example, a crusader that was more sohei than paladin, with Tiger Claw instead of White Raven.

Nifft does have a point that some schools are better than others, but as long as you swap out one school for another of similar power, I don't think you would have a problem.

 

[Nifft]

There's a fourth exclusive school: Desert Wind.

There's also a fifth (Setting Sun), but no-one cares about those two. Shadow Hand is the best school that Swordsages have exclusive access to.

Cheers, -- N

 

[Nifft]

Nifft does have a point that some schools are better than others, but as long as you swap out one school for another of similar power, I don't think you would have a problem.

Right. That's it exactly.

-- N

 

[jasin]

Warblade 16 takes one level of Crusader (IL 9), and learns three Devoted Spirit maneuvers.

At 18th level (Warblade 17/Crusader 1), take Martial Study for Strike of Righteous Vitality, adding it to your list of Warblade maneuvers known.

That's what I was thinking of.

 

[Ltheb Silverfrond]

As others have said, some of the disciplines are much better than others. Iron Heart is, IMO, way better than desert wind (even though desert wind is cooler).

Also, some disciplines would be very powerful to other classes. Setting Sun, for example: Lots of trips. Normally, only a 3/4 Bab class gets setting sun, so the huge bonuses you get to your trip attempts put you on par with a Fighter trip-monkey. Now, if you gave Setting Sun to a Warblade, you may want to include the penalties for fighting prone right into your NPC stat blocks, because thats where they will be 9 times out of 10.

Other than that, I don't think mixing them up is "broken" but that the balance could become dubious with the right combination of unintended feats and class features. Then again, that could be said for anything.