Help me with a melee in low magic land

[Ubernoob]

Tripping sounds like fun, would help power attack, since if you trip someone they get -4 to AC for the rest of the full attack.

K.
Dervish for dummies:
Barb 2 (Lion Totem CC, whirling frenzy+wolf totem UA)/ Ftr 2/ Trapfinding Wildshape Ranger 1/ Dervish X
Goliath w/ LA buyoff.
For your two open feats, take knock-down from the SRD and power attack.

[Nodaisho]

So for that, you need Int 13, right? You get improved trip from the barbarian, but you still need combat expertise? I take it dervish is one of the classes that is good til the last drop? What reach weapon do you suggest? In the DMG, the only one I see is the Guisarme. Thanks for the help, I would be lost on this otherwise.

[AndyJames]

Spiked Chain
Kusari-gama

[Ubernoob]

So for that, you need Int 13, right? You get improved trip from the barbarian, but you still need combat expertise?

Yes.  Try and get 14 int though.  Skill points are cool.  Guisarme is indeed your weapon of choice.  Take as much dervish as possible.  Are you devoting yourself to an elder evil or using flaws?

[Ubernoob]

Spiked Chain
Kusari-gama

Spiked Chain don't deal slashing damage.  Kusari-gama costs a feat to deal *less* damage than the Guisarne.  As a dervish we don't need the chain's "special" reach.

[Nodaisho]

Flaws, I guess, never used them before. What kind of Dex should I be looking for? I figure I will get Mithral Breastplate, to keep my speed up, but I am still worried about not having enough AC, the loss of dex from Goliath isn't fun, but having lots of strength is.

[AndyJames]

Spiked Chain
Kusari-gama

Spiked Chain don't deal slashing damage.  Kusari-gama costs a feat to deal *less* damage than the Guisarne.  As a dervish we don't need the chain's "special" reach.

Point.

[Ubernoob]

Flaws, I guess, never used them before

Fuck AC.  Low gear in 3.5 means *everything* hits you.  Don't even bother buying armor.  14 dex is fine.  From flaws pick up combat reflexes and karmic strike.

[Nodaisho]

Okay, one thing I am worried about is healing, since we don't have a CoD to healbot after the battle. Should I get healing abilities on my weapon/other magic item?

[Ubernoob]

Okay, one thing I am worried about is healing, since we don't have a CoD to healbot after the battle. Should I get healing abilities on my weapon/other magic item?

No.  Just trust that someone will play a crusader.

[Nodaisho]

Sorry to waste your efforts, uber, but I think I am going with a ToB build instead, kept thinking about the Thri-Kreen, so I have a MonHum2/Ranger2/Swordsage2/Bloodclaw Master3, going into Kensai next level (would take it now, but I want the pouncing strike, gives me four attacks in a standard attack). AndyJames suggested something similar, but his build just had 1 level in swordsage and didn't work as far as I could tell, at level 5, your max jump ranks are 8, and bloodclaw master needs 9. When I get further in to the Kensai class, I will get undead bane, construct bane, elemental bane, and then wounding on all my unarmed strikes, I currently get +2d6 off of every attack while in assassin's stance, I will get armor that gives concealment, since that makes an enemy lose their dexterity bonus against me, right?

Soon as I have finished the build, I will either edit it in or reply with it.

edit: Are you able to ready the same maneuver more than once? I don't see why you couldn't, but it doesn't explicitly state either way.

Male Thri-Kreen Monstrous Humanoid 2 / Ranger 2 / Swordsage 3 / Bloodclaw master 3
Lawful Good
Strength    12    (+0)
Dexterity    22    (+6)
Constitution    16    (+3)
Intelligence    13   (+0)
Wisdom     16      (+3)
Charisma    4    (-3)

Initiative modifier:   +7   = +6 [dexterity] +1 [Quick to Act]
Fortitude save:   +9   = 6 [base] +3 [constitution]
Reflex save:   +18   = 12 [base] +6 [dexterity]
Will save:   +9   = 6 [base] +3 [wisdom]
Attack (handheld):   +8/+3   = 7 [base] +1 [strength]
   Weapon Finesse:   +13/+8   = 7 [base] +6 [dexterity]
Attack (missile):   +11/+6   = 7 [base] +6 [dexterity] -2 [shaky]
Grapple check:   +8/+3   = 7 [base] +1 [strength]

Attacks: Unarmed attack, 1d6+1 (+6 in shadow hand stance), +14/14/14/14 standard attack,
Bite, 1d4, +9 to hit
Full attack: 14/14/14/14/9/9/9/9/9


      Combat Expertise (flaw)
      Deflect Arrows   [free to thri-kreen]
      Shaky   [flaw]
      Track   [free to rangers]
      Multi-Weapon Fighting    [ranger two-weapon track]
      Improved Multi-Weapon Fighting   
      Weapon Finesse (1st level)   
      Shadow Blade (6)
      Weapon Focus (Tiger Claw)

Used the pathguy character generator, still need to decide on skills. One major problem I am seeing: I was planning on using Assassin's stance, for the bonus 2d6 damage, but I am short by one IL after my last level in swordsage, and I wouldn't get another stance before 5th swordsage.  Anyone know a way I can get that stance? I am thinking maybe take two levels of Warblade/Crusader rather than Ranger, downside is I would have to take MWF with a feat, I don't really need track, I won't likely have any points in survival, and we already have a ranger with maxed survival ranks anyway. Well, I seem to have talked myself into it. Ranger is the favored class, but as long as I am careful, I can avoid penalties.

[Ubernoob]

You can't ready a maneuver more than once.  Kensai... is strange.  I wouldn't take it.  Just take more swordsage.

[Nodaisho]

Kensai allows you to enchant your unarmed attacks, though, which means that I would likely be doing at least 4 con damage out of every full attack as I am now, the higher BAB would make it more like 8 by the time I had a high enough level to take wounding.

Is there a magic item that lets you put abilities on your unarmed attacks? AoMF just gives you a numerical bonus, doesn't it?

And should I take the quick trait, gets me an extra 10 feet of move speed in return for one less HP every level? 16 con, so I still get +2 to the die roll or however we are doing the HP, I asked but haven't gotten an answer yet.

edit: I realize I might not have made the rules on magic items clear, we have 2 starting, and adding the effect of one item to another costs 1.25 of the item added rather than 1.50, I am not quite sure of the rules regarding doing that, though, so I don't know how that works.

[Ubernoob]

Kensai allows you to enchant your unarmed attacks, though, which means that I would likely be doing at least 4 con damage out of every full attack as I am now, the higher BAB would make it more like 8 by the time I had a high enough level to take wounding.

Wounding sucks.  Any enemy that is a threat to you is immune to crits (especially spellcasters).

Is there a magic item that lets you put abilities on your unarmed attacks? AoMF just gives you a numerical bonus, doesn't it?

Amulet of natural attacks in savage species.

And should I take the quick trait, gets me an extra 10 feet of move speed in return for one less HP every level? 16 con, so I still get +2 to the die roll or however we are doing the HP, I asked but haven't gotten an answer yet.

Hell.  Fucking.  No.

edit: I realize I might not have made the rules on magic items clear, we have 2 starting, and adding the effect of one item to another costs 1.25 of the item added rather than 1.50, I am not quite sure of the rules regarding doing that, though, so I don't know how that works.

Get either an amulet as your item.  Your best bet.

[Hallack]

If you are sure about being the bug man consider something like this....

Feats
Multiweapon Fighting (flaw)
Shaky   [flaw]
Deflect Arrows   [free to thri-kreen]
1)Weapon Finesse
3)Martial Study (A shadow hand 1st level Shadow hand strike)
6)Martial Stance (at MH2/WB4 = IL5 for 3rd level Assassin Stance)
9) Shadow Blade
Warblade Bonus: Combat Reflexes ?


Just take Improved Multiweapon fighting at 12th level as you need a +9BAB anyways.

When you IL is 9 take Pouncing Charge (Tiger Claw) Then you can full attack charge every other round if you want hehe.
     
This also nets you...
Uncanny Dodge
Improved Uncanny Dodge
Battle Clarity
Battle Ardor

BAB:+9

Crap, jut realized.... Thri Kreen is +4 LA on top of its two HD.  It uses up 6 of your 10 Character levels as I highly doubt your DM is going to disregard that +4 LA.


Consider playing something with +2 or less LA. 
     
     
     

[Alastar]

You can always use the dark sun version that is 2 racial hit dice + 1 la.

[Hallack]

Ah, that is probably what he was planning.  I forgot about that one.

[dman11235]

Personally, I support the quick trait.  It's not that much HP, and for a dervish especially +10' speeds is GOOD.

[Ubernoob]

Personally, I support the quick trait.  It's not that much HP, and for a dervish especially +10' speeds is GOOD.

We dropped the dervish idea.  For a dervish it's a maybe.   For anyone else, fuck no.

[Sunic_Flames]

It's 2 Con worth. Seeing as that basically makes High Elves useless... I'd say it's important.