Warblade: Where do I go from here?

[VeitHolderhek]

So I redid my maneuvers the right way this time. What do you think about this?

Diamond Mind: Action Before Thought, Moment of Perfect Mind
Iron Heart: Punishing Stance (AC is 21, 19 with this on. Not bad, considering I can never be flat footed.)
Stone Dragon: Bonecrusher, Crushing Weight of the Mountain
Tiger Claw: Claw At The Moon
White Raven:Leading the Attack, Battle Leader's Charge
Desert Wind: Burning Blade

If you're going to take Martial Study as a Warblade, I highly recommend taking Burning Blade (Desert Wind) as your first iteration of it; it allows you to spend a swift action to deal 1d6 + initiator level extra fire damage until the end of your turn with no upper limit. There's also a higher level version (Inferno Blade, 3d6 + initiator level, 3rd level maneuver?) with no prerequisite. If it is indeed 3rd level, you could qualify for it now. These maneuvers scale really well, as there's no upper limit, and they apply to all of your attacks as you get more.

I wanted to go Shadow Hand to get the teleport maneuver Shadow Jaunt, but that's not really going anywhere. I can't really see any use for it in the campaign, seeing as it turns me into Nightcrawler: I have to see where I'm going. Advice taken, sir/ma'am. We shall see how it turns out this Friday.

By the by, Inferno Blade is a 7th level maneuver, so I think I'd have to be 13th to get it?

 

[VeitHolderhek]

My "Master of 9" build involves one level of Crusader, one level of Swordsage and the rest in warblade. Only winds up costing you one initiator level, and you get some pretty awesome benefits... with no need for the Martial Study feat.

Now this is interesting. Could you technically take just one level of Swordsage or Crusader and not need the other with that?

 

[Nifft]

Now this is interesting. Could you technically take just one level of Swordsage or Crusader and not need the other with that?

Absolutely.

Entry into Mot9 requires either a Swordsage (who has access to six schools), or the Martial Study feat, or multi-classing.

But if you're going to take one level, take two. Your Initiator level won't be any worse, and you'll get something nice. Swordsage's Wisdom to AC is fantastic IMHO.

Cheers, -- N

 

[Arkhandus]

There's also a higher level version (Inferno Blade, 3d6 + initiator level, 3rd level maneuver?) with no prerequisite. If it is indeed 3rd level, you could qualify for it now. These maneuvers scale really well, as there's no upper limit, and they apply to all of your attacks as you get more.

Correction. Burning Blade is 1st-level with no prerequisites; Searing Blade is 4th-level with a prerequisite of 'two Desert Wind maneuvers'; Inferno Blade is 7th-level with no prerequisites. Burning Blade adds 1d6 + initiator level in bonus fire damage for each melee hit for 1 round, Searing Blade is 2d6 + initiator level, and Inferno Blade is 3d6 + initiator level.

It's kinda odd that Searing Blade has a prerequisite but not Inferno Blade; but it means that you can't get all three boosts with just Martial Study (you'd need to learn another DW maneuver somehow before learning Searing Blade), unless you take Martial Stance (some DW stance, like Flame's Blessing) before your second copy of Martial Study for Searing Blade.

 

[Zurai]

It's kinda odd that Searing Blade has a prerequisite but not Inferno Blade; but it means that you can't get all three boosts with just Martial Study (you'd need to learn another DW maneuver somehow before learning Searing Blade), unless you take Martial Stance (some DW stance, like Flame's Blessing) before your second copy of Martial Study for Searing Blade.

Hell, the 9th-level Stone Dragon strike has no pre-reqs at all. There are a ton of screwed up pre-reqs in the book (Wolf Fang Strike is the only no-prereq 1st level Tiger Claw manuever, for example, but none of the 2nd level ones have prereqs...).

 

[useridunavailable]

Correction. Burning Blade is 1st-level with no prerequisites; Searing Blade is 4th-level with a prerequisite of 'two Desert Wind maneuvers'; Inferno Blade is 7th-level with no prerequisites. Burning Blade adds 1d6 + initiator level in bonus fire damage for each melee hit for 1 round, Searing Blade is 2d6 + initiator level, and Inferno Blade is 3d6 + initiator level.

It's kinda odd that Searing Blade has a prerequisite but not Inferno Blade; but it means that you can't get all three boosts with just Martial Study (you'd need to learn another DW maneuver somehow before learning Searing Blade), unless you take Martial Stance (some DW stance, like Flame's Blessing) before your second copy of Martial Study for Searing Blade.

Thanks. I have a high level Warblade who qualified for both Burning Blade and Inferno Blade through Martial Study with no Searing Blade a long time ago, so I was pretty hazy on exactly what was available when. At any rate, I find that the dice become largely insignificant, given that at high levels, your character deals a very respectable amount of extra damage just from the "+ initiator level" part, which is why I took and (almost) always ready both of these maneuvers. Even with a Warblade 17/Barbarian 1/Frenzied Berserker 10, that 22 points of damage (plus dice) on every swing is awesome, especially when fighting foes who make it hard to Power Attack.

 

[Christian]

But if you're going to take one level, take two. Your Initiator level won't be any worse, and you'll get something nice. Swordsage's Wisdom to AC is fantastic IMHO.

Sometimes. Sometimes not.

11 WIS

 

[VeitHolderhek]

Armor Proficiency (Heavy) is a feat from the PHB.

I looked this up, and Heavy Armor Proficiency is a Warblade class bonus. It makes sense, I guess..

Absolutely.

Entry into Mot9 requires either a Swordsage (who has access to six schools), or the Martial Study feat, or multi-classing.

But if you're going to take one level, take two. Your Initiator level won't be any worse, and you'll get something nice. Swordsage's Wisdom to AC is fantastic IMHO.

Cheers, -- N

Is there anything else that makes taking a second level of Swordsage worth it? Otherwise, I'm going to take my flaming maul and use it as a campfire with the group. Heh, imagine warming your hands to a flaming maul.



I spoke with my DM about my maneuvers list and he thinks I'm completely overpowered and breaking his campaign since he can't throw big stuff at us. My other party members are 1, 2 and 3 levels below me, the closest being a paladin who's shooting for Shadowbane Inquisition.
What does EN World think of my maneuver list?

 

[Zurai]

I looked this up, and Heavy Armor Proficiency is a Warblade class bonus. It makes sense, I guess..

No. Warblades only get medium armor proficiency, and Heavy Armor Proficiency is NOT on the Warblade bonus feat list.

 

[VeitHolderhek]

No. Warblades only get medium armor proficiency, and Heavy Armor Proficiency is NOT on the Warblade bonus feat list.

And by looked it up, of course I mean I asked my DM. Thank you for the amendment! I'm going to go kick him now.

Edit: DM dutifully kicked, and I have it settled. My next level is going to be a level in fighter, so I won't take any XP penalties for multiclassing to Swordsage. Dwarven favored class is fighter, and with it comes an extra feat. My current martial study feat is changed to Heavy Armor Prof. Next level, the extra feat from fighter will grant me Martial Study, which I can put towards Desert Wind, getting me all the maneuvers I need to hit Mot9, and still making sense with the +2 full plate.