***UPDATE IN POST 7***
Hello,
I am about to start a new campaign with a new master (whom I have yet to meet personally), and I decided to play a melee combatant. The rest of the party consists in a Factotum and a Binder (and both will never probably prestige out), so I wanted a build around another alternate system, like ToB or Incarnum, and to keep it as simple as possible. The campaign should start at level 7, Forgotten Realms (so no Eberron-flavoured stuff), all books allowed but Psionics.
This is what I came up with, in order of my knowledge of the class:
1) Crusader 20 or Crusader 18 / Fighter 2 or Crusader 18 / Knight 2
A battelfield controller, armed with a guisarme.
Feats:
1. Power attack, Combat Reflexes, Blind-Fight (flaw), Extra granted maneuver (flaw)
3. Mage Slayer
6. Pierce Magical Concealment
9. Stand Still
12. Robilar's Gambit
15. Defensive Sweep
18. Martial Maneuver (Immortal Fortitude)
Maneuvers:
ECL/CRS/IL/ML
1 /1 /1 /1- Stone bones, Crusader Strike, Vanguard Strike, Leading the Attack, Douse the Flames
2 /2 /2 /1-
3 /3 /3 /2- Stone Vise
4 /4 /4 /2- (Leading the Attack)->Tactical Strike
5 /5 /5 /3- White Raven Tactics
6 /5 /5 /3 FTR1
7 /5 /6 /3 FTR2
8 /6 /7 /4- (Vanguard Strike)->Defensive Rebuke
9 /7 /8 /4- Entangling Blade
10 /8 /9 /5- (Douse the Flames)->Covering Strike
11 /9 /10/5- Flanking Maneuver
12 /10 /11/6- (Tactical Strike)-> Rallying Strike
13 /11 /12/6- Forged from Chaos
14 /12 /13/7- (stone vise)-> Clarion call
15 /13 /14/7- Crushing Vise
16 /14 /15/8- (Stone bones)-> Divine Surge, Greater
17 /15 /16/8- White Raven Hammer
18 /16 /17/9- (Crusader's Strike)-> Strike of the Righteous
19 /17 /18/9- Mountain tombstone strike
20 /18 /19/9- (x)-> War Master's Charge
Or something like that... I am actually quite confident in this build because I had already started playing one.
2) Warblade / Bloodclaw / Bloodstorm / Master thrower
The idea behind this one is to create a TWFer/thrower, but I do not know Warblade, so here are my questions:
1) Is it a feasible idea, or I'm trying to cram too much into it and I should stick to TWF or throwing?
2) Should I dip Swordsage? If so, why?
3) I know that TWFer are optimal only when they add extra damage to every attack. How can I achieve this?
I have read the ToB build compendium on 339 and the ToB for Dummies over here.
3) Totemist 20 or Totemist 8 / Pouncing Barbarian 2 / Totem rager 10
This is for a spanker/grappler
Now, I have read Sinfire's guide on Incarnum, but I still don't know the mechanics, so my question can appear a bit silly:
1) Ok, so you have Girallon Arms and you get 4 Natural Attacks. Let's say you are a Skarn and you get another one (do NA stack? And if they are of the same type - i.e. 2 claws stack with 4 claws granted by something else?), where do you get the other 3-4 from? And if you are not a Skarn?
2) Same as previous build: am I trying to accomplish too much with this build or I can get an effective "beast" AND grappler?
3) Why is it pouncing so good? I mean, if you do not get charging feats because you are busy taking Multiattack, Bonus Essentia and so on, why is it SO good that everyone mentions it?
Thank you for your feedback, it is appreciated.
k.