Walking the Way: A Swordsage's Handbook [Under Construction]

[Corrik]

Elfin's last activity was back in the middle of February, I'm sure he would understand if someone else took over to finish the handbook.

[Hazzardevil]

I'm about to start (hopefully playing one,) I'll repost this and carry on.

[Hazzardevil]

And here is my handbook, I'll start working on it later.

[Drynwyn]

And, after much delay, we bring you.... THE 24d6 DAMAGE BUILD!
This build is for level 11, when you get your first level 6 maneuver. THis must be ring of fire. You must then take Desert Wind Dodge and Tactical Feat: Scorching Sirroco. You must also max out Tumble and select 2 Desert Wind stances, plus either a +6 Tumble item or a +3 ite and skill focus. At least half of your maneuver slots should be ring of fire.
Round 1:Act as normal, but make sure to move at least 10 feet and enter a desert wind stance.
Round 2: You can now use the third tactical ability of Scorchng Sirroco. This deals 1d6 fire damage to an opponent when you avoid provoking an attack of opportunity using tumble. Use ring of fire. Use "accelerated tumble" to increase the DC of the avoid check to 25 while moving at full speed.mSince assuming an 18 DEX( which every Swordsage should have by level 11 anyway), you have +24 to tumble, an auto-success. You can move 12 squares since ring of fire grants a double move, moving away from the target with your last 5 feet of movement and switching Desert Wind stances. 12d6 from successful Tumbling + 12d6 from Ring of Fire= 24d6.
P.S. If you have enough Diamond mind maneuvers, take Quicksilver Motion later to bump up damage to 30d6.

[Greenish]

Originally Posted by Drynwyn

And, after much delay, we bring you.... THE 24d6 DAMAGE BUILD!

Pounce & Searing Charge & Dancing Mongoose for five attacks with 5d6 bonus damage each? Works from ECL 10, too.

Of course, yours is AoE, that's just single target.

[Edit]: You can't ready the same maneuver more than once, and you only provoke AoO from movement 1/enemy/round max.

[Draz74]

Originally Posted by Greenish

and you only provoke AoO from movement 1/enemy/round max.

Wait. So if I move past an enemy, and leave multiple threatened squares as part of my movement, he doesn't get to choose at what point he takes a swing at me?

He can only take one swing, yeah. But I think until he actually makes an AoO, I keep provoking AoO opportunities each time I move another square.

I could be wrong, though.

[Essence_of_War]

This build is for level 11, when you get your first level 6 maneuver. THis must be ring of fire. You must then take Desert Wind Dodge and Tactical Feat: Scorching Sirroco. You must also max out Tumble and select 2 Desert Wind stances, plus either a +6 Tumble item or a +3 ite and skill focus. At least half of your maneuver slots should be ring of fire.

This isn't allowed. A maneuver is either readied or not readied for a pure swordsage. You cannot ready a maneuver multiple times.

[Drynwyn]

All right, then only ready it once. Still enough to kill most things.
Also, where is this "only Aoo per enemy per round" coming from? He can only MAKE one attack, but when I Tumble, I don't provoke, so he still threatens.

[Cieyrin]

Originally Posted by Drynwyn

Also, where is this "only Aoo per enemy per round" coming from? He can only MAKE one attack, but when I Tumble, I don't provoke, so he still threatens.

Originally Posted by d20SRD

Moving out of more than one square threatened by the same opponent in the same round doesn’t count as more than one opportunity for that opponent.

Pretty much that. There's only one provocation per action. Moving past them doesn't produce multiple AoOs.

[Greenish]

Originally Posted by Draz74

Wait. So if I move past an enemy, and leave multiple threatened squares as part of my movement, he doesn't get to choose at what point he takes a swing at me?

He can only take one swing, yeah. But I think until he actually makes an AoO, I keep provoking AoO opportunities each time I move another square.

And you are:

Originally Posted by SRD

Moving out of more than one square threatened by the same opponent in the same round doesn’t count as more than one opportunity for that opponent.

The first time you provoke, it's a "speak now or forever hold peace" sort of deal. Next time you move out of a threatened square during the same round, you won't provoke, so the the enemy doesn't get to choose when to take it's AoO.

And for the same reason you can't stack those d6's from Scorching Sirocco on a single target, now matter how you danced and cartwheeled around him.

[Half-orc Bard]

Thanks so much for doing this. I didn't know about Tome of Battle before this and it is perfect for me. I hated wizards doing insane damage while I hit a guy with a sword a few times, but then I made a warblade using your other handbook, and I love it. I can't wait for this one to be finished

[Half-orc Bard]

In the Warblade handbook you said what the disciplines did and how well they did it can you please do this for this hand book as well

[Half-orc Bard]

Stances: setting sun
Shifting defense Think about if a monster full attacks you after the first obe leave his reach and on your turn go in and attack and this can go on for quite a while

Step of the wild This stance is situational and even if you always got the benefits it's still only

Giant killing style This was great for my whisper gnome unarmed swordsage. It's not so great for medium swordsages.

Ghostly defense This can be fun! Another player is pissing you off, drink a potion displacement and make him get hurt, or you could make it hit a monster. Still I like it for revenge

[Half-orc Bard]

Diamond mind stances:

Hearing the air this is okay but a magic item does it better but if you can only use core and ToB this is Nice


Pearl of black doubt For those people who are AC junkies this is nice others it's just a meh

Stance of clarity This is okay at first level when if anything hits you you're dead but it soon loses it's punch

Stance of alacrity this great two counters per round or a swift manuver and a counter! This is great but you can live without it. If you meet the pre-recs GET THIS

[Half-orc Bard]

Tiger claw stances:
Blood in the water This is nice and a must Kukri crit fishers


Leaping dragon stance for all you jumpers this can be fun like jumping 60 feet per round without running, but not great for optimization


Prey on the weak extra attacks are alway welcome, but you can do better because it's situational

Wolverine stance who grapples?

Wolf pack tactics this is nice for swordsages with sneak attack

[Half-orc Bard]

Dessert wind stances:
Fiery assault This must be a typo this would be nice at first level, but as a 6th level stance! No way

Flame's blessing have the wizard or cleric cast energy resistance on you! But in a fire heavy game it's nice

Holocaust cloak No no just no

Rising phoenixas a third level stance this would be nice, but it's an eighth level stance so just use a magic item.

[Jade Dragon]

Originally Posted by Half-orc Bard

Giant killing style This was great for my whisper gnome unarmed swordsage. It's not so great for medium swordsages.

It should be noted in Giant Killing Style and Stonefoot Stance that they're great for small-sized swordsages or warblades.

[Half-orc Bard]

That s true

[Endarire]

Was this handbook updated or finished somewhere? I'd love to have a full version!