Spirit of Steel: The Crusader's Handbook [WIP]

[Endarire]

Vanguard Strike is a +4 untyped bonus to accuracy. Leading the Attack is a +4 morale bonus to accuracy.

[Honjuden]

Just wanted to mention the Extra Granted Maneuver feat as I see you did not mention it. The extra maneuver gives you more options, and lets you cycle through your maneuvers faster.

[Akal Saris]

I think he will. He's only gotten through the core feats so far.

[Saintheart]

Just to add to the PrC section: I deeply hope Tome of Battle's own Ruby Knight VinWINdicator gets a look in there, because it's just awesome, and it actually looks nice whether you go into it from a paladin base or a cleric base.

Admittedly getting into RKV at low levels means you're more likely dipping Crusader, but there's nothing stopping you resuming the Crusader path once you've maxed out the Vindicator.

The two general ways in which you get to RKV as early as possible: Crusader 1/Cleric 4/RKV 10, or Crusader 1/Paladin 4/RKV 10, though there've been other builds that mix up the number of levels of cleric/crusader or paladin/crusader to get there, too.

The main reason (and therefore the best break point) for RKV is at RKV 7, where Divine Impetus kicks in. This is stupid awesome for clerics, and moderately awesome for paladins: it allows you to trade turn undead attempts for additional swift actions in a round. Combine this with Nightsticks for maximum tears from your DM, or indeed any other Divine Metamagic abuse.

As I said, it also remains moderately awesome for paladins as well ... so long as the paladin has access to Complete Champion and the Spellcasters Compendium. Reason being: Battle Blessing feat from CC, and the expanded paladin list from the Compendium. With Battle Blessing, virtually the entire paladin spell list becomes a swift action to cast, since most of it is already a standard action and the feat steps the casting time down by one action type. That's DMM (Quicken) for free without blowing a single turn attempt. And then Divine Impetus gives you additional swift actions per round for the turn undead feature which you otherwise will never, ever use.

[MeeposFire]

Martial spirit does have some advantages over aura of triumph

1) Works on any creature not just evil. You will fight nuetral foes at times.

2) Aura only works up to 10 feet. 2 squares is not very far (not that 30 feet is huge but still it is 3x the coverage).

Not sure if that necessitates a color change but it should be noted somewhere.

[gorfnab]

Some Crusader builds I like:

Crusader 5/ Binder 1/ Hellreaver 5/ Crusader 9 - tanking with lots of healing

Wild Elf Crusader 3/ Fighter 4/ Champion of Correlon Larethian 4/ Eternal Blade 9
or
Wild Elf Crusader 3/ Fighter 4/ Champion of Correlon Larethian 5/ Eternal Blade 8 - if you want Mithral Fullplate (possibly of Speed) for some reason

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1. Weapon Finesse
3. Exotic Weapon Proficiency: Elven Thinblade
4. Dodge
5. Combat Expertise
6. Mobility
7. Mounted Combat
8. Spring Attack
9. Weapon Focus: Elven Thinblade
11. Whirlwind Attack
12. Bounding Assault
15. Elusive Target
18. Rapid Blitz

Gear: +X Mithral Chain Shirt, +X Mithral Heavy Shield, +X tricked out (Keen or what not) Elven Thinblade

[Jopustopin]

From Tome of Battle:
"If at the end of your turn, you cannot be granted a maneuver because you have no withheld maneuvers remaining, you recover all expanded maneuvers, and a new pair of readied maneuvers is granted to you. Randomly determine which of your maneuvers are granted and which are withheld. At the end of your next turn, a withheld maneuver is granted to you, and the whole process of divine inspiration begins again.

You begin an encounter with an additional granted maneuver at 10th level (bringing your total to three), and again at 20th level (bringing your total to four)."

Assuming pair always means 2. Never does it say you gain more than a "new pair" (Except under the feat Extra Granted Maneuver).

Now read the feat Extra Granted Maneuver. Now finally read Maneuvers Readied from page 96.

Q: Dear Sage,
When a crusader's maneuver recovery mechanic (Tome of Battle, p.9) activates, what happens to any maneuvers he still had ready and granted?
--Dan
A: If at the end of the crusader’s turn he cannot be granted a maneuver because he has no withheld maneuvers remaining, the process starts over from scratch. All maneuvers (whether expended or not) once again become withheld, and two of those maneuvers are randomly granted.

Am I mistaken when I say that a 20th level crusader is granted 4 maneuvers at the beginning of battle then when he recovers all of them he is only dealt a new pair that he can use?

[DUNGE0NMA5TER]

Here is a build I'm playing in my game. It's simple DM friendly and powerful. However it can be made more powerful quite easily. (I picked elf because if the game goes epic I plan on grabbing Heir of Siberys and in this hypothetical situation I'd have to be a true elf and not an elf subrace)

Pretty much my DM poo-poo's on dipping (no pounce variant barbarian for me), multi-classing (XP penalties!), and flaws. So I give you this very strong build that I started playing at ECL 1 and am currently ECL 4:

Crusader 10/Eternal Blade 10
Phrenic Elf Eternal Blade

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Feats:

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1: Power Attack
3: Improved Bull Rush
6: Shock Trooper
9: Weapon Focus (Glaive)
12: Combat Reflexes
15: Robilar's Gambit
18: Extra Granted Maneuver (Mountain Tombstone Strike)

Maneuver Progression
Levels 1 - 10 (Crusader)

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1st: Vanguard Strike, Crusader's Strike, Stone Bones, Douse the Flames, Leading the Attack, Martial Spirit
2nd: Leading the Charge
3rd: Battle Leader's Charge
4th: Foe Hammer (Stone Bones)
5th: White Raven Tactics
6th: Revitalizing Strike (Crusader's Strike)
7th: Entangling Blade
8th: Thicket of Blades, Covering Strike (Douse the Flames)
9th: Radiant Charge
10th: Flanking Maneuver (Leading the Attack)

Levels 11-20 (Eternal Blade)

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11th: Moment of Perfect Mind
12th: -
13th: Rapid Counter
14th: -
15th: Moment of Alacrity, Stance of Alacrity
16th: -
17th: War Master's Charge
18th: Mountain Tombstone Strike
19th: Time Stands Still
20th: -

Roles: This is not a tank build. At low levels you have Phrenic so you're two levels behind everyone else. Being two levels behind everyone makes tanking hard. In fact you are not much more than a support character at this point. Hope that all the other roles are taken care of. At high levels you deviate too far away from Crusader to really shine as a tank. This build is simple and effective at what it does (which should be obvious).

You enter the stance Leading the Charge and Robilar's Gambit and charge; power attacking for full and dumping it into a penalty to your AC. When you get hit back they provoke. You now become even more accurate due to Furious Counterstrike and still have your full power attack to add to damage. You should beat things to a pulp.

At higher levels you can use War Master's Charge + Leading the Charge + Shock trooper + Power attack to dish out an incredible amount of damage (Powerful but not theoretical). (Assuming you were already in Leading the Charge Stance) Then you use a swift action to put your initiative count @ +20. Then it's your turn again. You initiate a powerful maneuver then move back into charging position. Then you take your turn again as an immediate action and use leading the charge + shock trooper + power attack + Robilar's Gambit to dish out more wonderful damage. Then finally the monster gets to go... does he dare attack you?

I recommend grabbing some maneuver granting items to make up for those you don't get from levels 11 - 17 (since you'll be ramping up for Time Stand's Still).

[Hiro Protagonest]

This is good, I like it.

[subject42]

For races, what about Snow Elf? Aren't they another elf race that doesn't take the CON penalty?

[Amphetryon]

For races, what about Snow Elf? Aren't they another elf race that doesn't take the CON penalty?

There's the Painted Elf, also. If memory serves, Painted Elves get an INT penalty, while Snow Elves get a CHA penalty. For a Crusader, the former might be more appropriate, assuming my shoddy memory is accurate.

[Hiro Protagonest]

When's the next update gonna happen?

[Private-Prinny]

When's the next update gonna happen?

I have massive procrastination issues. I'll try to put the stances up tonight, but it's nowhere near suitable penance. I should try sacrificing a goat.

[Private-Prinny]

Okay, stances are done, and it only took me a 3-month hiatus. I'll start work on another section as soon as I get a request for one of the following.

A: Multiclassing and Prestige Classes.
B: Combat Styles.
C: Non-core feats and races.
D: Example builds and useful links.

As always, I'm open to massive amounts of help.

[Lateral]

It's probably best to go for non-core feats and races or multiclassing first; combat styles are fairly intuitive for initiators, and example builds usually come last. I might do the Tome of Battle feats and the best non-LA noncore races next, then do a couple of multiclasses and prestiges.

[Private-Prinny]

It's probably best to go for non-core feats and races or multiclassing first; combat styles are fairly intuitive for initiators, and example builds usually come last. I might do the Tome of Battle feats and the best non-LA noncore races next, then do a couple of multiclasses and prestiges.

Starting now. I'll have some sort of update in 3 hours.

[MammonAzrael]

I agree with the non-core feats and races. I'd suggest hitting the feats first. In order, I'd think ToB, then the Completes and PHB II, then others.

Personally, I'd like to see the equipment section have something, even just core items, before hitting multiclassing and PrCs.

[Private-Prinny]

Tome of Battle feats added. As usual, feel free to try to persuade me. I'll update more tomorrow.

[Akal Saris]

You might want to add more in-depth analysis of each of the 3 tactical feats and how useful each option is.

Otherwise looks fine to me, though I would downgrade stone power to black considering that 10 temporary HP for -5 BAB is pretty worthless at higher levels, despite its godliness at levels 1-6 or so.

[Firechanter]

I agree with Akal about Stone Power, it doesn't look at all great to me. Maybe fine at low to mid levels if you just want to tank and are fine with not hitting anything; at high levels the 10 soak per round don't look so hot. Black seems to be the proper colour.

Also, Song of the White Raven: you can still choose to activate your music as standard action, and your adept and bard levels still stack, which is the real boon of this feat. This is the most defining aspect of a Bard-sader, and thus it should be gold.
The swift action drawback may be reason to give it "only" cyan, but I'm going by the fact that there simply isn't a Bardsader without this feat.
(Of course, no point for anyone else to take it.)

[Lateral]

I'd agree with Firechanter; Gold for crusaders with Bard levels (even just one!), but Red if they don't have any.

[Thrice Dead Cat]

I'd say that the Bard-sader is a strong multiclass option, but it also probably outside of the range of this handbook. Also, I'd knock down Stone Power as has been mentioned. Great at low levels, but, much like Stone Bones, it's limited very soon.

[Greenish]

I did the weapons from core, though I only mentioned, well, the ones worth mentioning. Do point out if you disagree with anything:

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Simple weapons are by and large outclassed by martial weapons. Worth mentioning:

Spiked Gauntlet: A platform for enhancements such as Warning (or Defending cheese) once you can afford those. Otherwise a last ditch weapon at best.

Morning Star: Being both piercing and bludgeoning is it's only claim to fame. Cheap back-up weapon at lower levels.

Sling: Doesn't cost anything, allows applying Str to damage with 50' range increments. Low level steady.


Martial weapons:

Light weapons: Get a piercing or slashing one in case you get swallowed whole, though Spiked Gauntlet helps too.

Spiked Armour: Allows you to threaten in melee range even while holding a reach weapon. Also enhancement platform. Never your first weapon, but useful enough to always have.

Flail: Disarms and trips.

Longsword: The basic thing.

Shield and Spiked Shield: If shieldbashing is your thing, here you go. Cheap Bashing enhancement allows normal shield to outdamage spiked one, but the difference is minor.

Trident: Can be thrown or set against charge. Versatile and under-appreciated.

Greatsword: The basic two-hander.

Falchion: Greatsword's challenger, requires some damage bonus to outshine it on the long run, but the difference is rather minor. Solid if you like critting.

Halberd: Trips, can be set against charge. Doesn't actually have reach, note.

Scythe: The coup de grâce weapon due to it's x4 crit. Also trips. Otherwise unremarkable.

Glaive: If you don't care about fancy combat manoeuvres, this is the reach weapon for you. No tricks, just d10 damage.

Guisarme: Reach & trip.

Ranseur: Disarm bonus. Surprisingly effective, especially on low levels against humanoids. Being two-handed with a bonus means the roll is easy, and having reach means the opponent can't make an AoO without a reach weapon of it's own.

Lance: Intended and best utilized with mounted charges. Otherwise meh.

Longbow: Keep one with you just in case. Seriously.


Exotic weapons:

Dwarven Waraxe: Dwarves get it as a martial weapon, so blue for them.

Spiked Chain: The only core exotic weapon worth a feat. Reach & close, trips, disarms, the works.

[Amphetryon]

One quibble with your list, Greenish:

The sling's difficulty in generating multiple attacks/round versus almost any other weapon's ability to do the same is definitely a detractor.

[Cieyrin]

One quibble with your list, Greenish:

The sling's difficulty in generating multiple attacks/round versus almost any other weapon's ability to do the same is definitely a detractor.

It's still a nice starter ranged weapon, since most Crusaders will have a high strength that they'll want to take advantage of and it's a backup weapon, anyways. It'll at least get them through the first couple levels until they can pick up a proper composite longbow with a complimentary strength bonus, y'know?

[Devmaar]

It's worth mentioning that the spiked gauntlet allows you to threaten squares around you while wielding a reach weapon.

[Amphetryon]

It's still a nice starter ranged weapon, since most Crusaders will have a high strength that they'll want to take advantage of and it's a backup weapon, anyways. It'll at least get them through the first couple levels until they can pick up a proper composite longbow with a complimentary strength bonus, y'know?

I'll agree it ain't horrible at low levels. Generally, I'd consider other weapons better, even at low levels, though. Dagger gets multiple damage types (useful at low levels), is light, and can be thrown; Spear/Trident can serve as your melee and ranged weapon should you carry a spare, etc.

[Greenish]

One quibble with your list, Greenish:

The sling's difficulty in generating multiple attacks/round versus almost any other weapon's ability to do the same is definitely a detractor.

Well, I was mostly thinking of very low levels, before iterative attacks. After that, yeah, it's crap. Should change that to reflect.

It's worth mentioning that the spiked gauntlet allows you to threaten squares around you while wielding a reach weapon.

Well, I'm not sure about that. You'd need to stop holding the reach weapon to be able to use (and threaten) with a spiked gauntlet, and you'd need to do it on your turn, so you wouldn't threaten with the main weapon.

But you remind me that I forgot armour spikes.

[Aramalian]

Unfortunately, a Crusader won’t be able to get either of these without multiclassing or taking the Martial Stance feat. Since both of these are obviously possible, I’ll just put these here for completeness’s sake.

I can't find anything besides a lack of patience that prevents Crusaders from getting into 8th level stances - and Immortal Fortitude seems good enough for even a feat-starved Crusader who doesn't have room for Martial Stance to wait for. Especially considering the mediocrity of the 5th and 6th level stances.

Is it feasible or just ridiculous to just leave that stance slot open until 8th level stances are available?

FINE handbook - tremendously useful to my newborn campaign!

yours,
aram

[Cieyrin]

I can't find anything besides a lack of patience that prevents Crusaders from getting into 8th level stances - and Immortal Fortitude seems good enough for even a feat-starved Crusader who doesn't have room for Martial Stance to wait for. Especially considering the mediocrity of the 5th and 6th level stances.

Is it feasible or just ridiculous to just leave that stance slot open until 8th level stances are available?

FINE handbook - tremendously useful to my newborn campaign!

yours,
aram

Like most things in 3.5, you have to fill the slot when you get it, you can't just leave it open till later.