Trying to help a friend with a charger

[Vynar]

Hello everyone, and thanks in advance for taking the time to read this. I have been out of the game for a while do to challenges getting people together so I would by no means claim to be an expert. 

I was going to give dming a shot for the first time. A few of the players are relatively to the game and are used to playing a straight fighter or barbarian with really good stats and smashing things until they die with a greatsword. A more experienced friend has convinced one of these players to give Ruby Knight Vindicator a shot. Another player loves being a rogue like character above all else and was convinced to try swordsage. Not wanting to fall behind, a third player asked me for some advice. I had just bought the Tome of Battle and he likes the Warblade a lot. He wants to be a charger. I am not completely familiar with this build so I am looking for advice to help him. The party consists of an experienced player using wizard for the first time (conjurer), a new player with a druid who is smart enough to go to town with the druid's handbook on these boards, the above swordsage, the cleric aspiring to be a RKV, and the warblade. I am trying to avoid him feeling useless compared to his party mates but not be overly complex which I am having some trouble with.

The warblade has chosen human as his race. I am going to let him have two flaws. Any books are allowed but I would like to avoid piling on a bunch of obscure feats from random books only to be used once. His stats are 18, 16, 14, 14, 13, 10. The players will be starting at second level but we are trying to come up with a build to follow down the road.

The plan is for him to start as a barbarian 1/warblade 1 in order to gain the lion totem pounce variant from CC. We were thinking of shooting for Barbarian1/Warblade4/Fighter2/Warblade3/PrC(s) of choice 10.

As far as feat progression goes, We were thinking of something to the effect of:
Flaw) Power Attack (PHB)
Flaw) Improved Sunder (PHB)
Human) Improved Initiative
01) Improved Bull Rush (PHB)
03) Knowledge Devotion (CC)
06) Leap Attack (CA)
F01) Shock Trooper (CW)
F02) combat Brute (CW)
W05) Combat reflexes (PHB)
09) Ironheart Aura (ToB)
12) Stormguard Warrior (I seem to be blind and can't find the listing or the prerequisites)
15) Robilar's Gambit (PHBII)
18) Adaptive Style (ToB)

All in all, the character is not mine and it is not my place to force a specific build on him, but I would be grateful for any advice you could offer on class dips, feat progressions, and prcs. Thanks again for taking the time to read this.

[Risada]

Adaptive Style isn't much needed with Warblade, since his recovery method doesn't suck as much as the Swordsage. And Knowledge Devotion seems..... out of place in this kind of character (but it is nice to have anyway).

What I suggest is the Dungeoncrasher fighter found in Dungeonscape....

Something like Barb1/Ftr6/Warblade X/PrC Y

It would be nice if you could fit Jotunbrud in there. It helps with bull rushing....

And Stromguard Warrior's requirements are Iron Heart Aura, BAB + 6 IIRC...

[woodenbandman]

I'd suggest more warblade, really. He could probably use more int, maybe swap his 16 dex for Int, since it'll do more good in the long run. On the feat order, I'd suggest more like this;

Flaw) Adaptive Style (ToB)
Flaw) Combat reflexes (PHB)
Human) Power Attack
01) Improved Bull Rush (PHB)

I honestly can't remember anything about most of these feats, as I'm AFB right now, but take Leap attack as soon as possible, it's gold for a pouncer. A good dip would be Dervish, for the Dervish Dance ability, bonuses to damage on slashing weapons, and the ability to take 10 on Jump, Balance, and Perform checks.

I wish I could recommend Dungeoncrasher but I don't know what it does.

You know, a Crusader might accomplish this build better since it's got lovely White Raven charge related maneuvers and non-action recovery along with tanky-stuff and Thicket of Blades. Charge in with no AoO and keep them from leaving? Yeah! Or, you know, let them run and charge them again. Take 2 monk levels, 2 drunken master levels, and charge ALL THE TIME! Dip into dervish, and suddenly you can make a dc15 tumble check, provoke no AoO, run around in a circle, jump 10 feet back to where you started from, full attack, possibly tripping and bullrushing them, and then repeat!

[Risada]

I wish I could recommend Dungeoncrasher but I don't know what it does.

Basically, if you bull rush something into a wall, you deal an extra 4d6+2xStr mod (at Fighter 2) dmg or 8d6+3xStr mod (at Fighter 6)

You know, a Crusader might accomplish this build better since it's got lovely White Raven charge related maneuvers and non-action recovery along with tanky-stuff and Thicket of Blades. Charge in with no AoO and keep them from leaving? Yeah! Or, you know, let them run and charge them again. Take 2 monk levels, 2 drunken master levels, and charge ALL THE TIME! Dip into dervish, and suddenly you can make a dc15 tumble check, provoke no AoO, run around in a circle, jump 10 feet back to where you started from, full attack, possibly tripping and bullrushing them, and then repeat!

Is this really possible? 

[Vynar]

thanks for the advice so far. Knowledge Devotion was in there because it is always useful, and it kind of fit with his concept but it is not vital. I believe these fighter subs are from Dungeonscape? Will try to get a hold of them if possible. I checked and the large library of one of his friends seems to be strangely lacking this book. If for some reason we can't get a hold of this book do you have any other suggestions? I apologize for being a little misleading. I could have sworn that this was on hand. 

[SorO_Lost]

Basically, if you bull rush something into a wall, you deal an extra 4d6+2xStr mod (at Fighter 2) dmg or 8d6+3xStr mod (at Fighter 6)

The variant sucks beyond level 2.

Have some numbers
[SPOILER]
Say best case str of 30 = 18 (rolled) + +2 (racial) 6 (loth) + 2 (level) + 2 (enchantment).
8d6+30 (58 avg) = requires 6 levels in the worst class in the game and a nearby wall.
Ok, decent I guess.

But with a charge lets toss in power attack, two hand fighting, a valorous weapon, and umm... idk, both shock trooper and power lunge so they get to attack you once before death (works great with roiler's gambit & stormguard warrior).
2d6 (greatsword) + 20 (str*2) + 12 (PA 8 ) * 2 (valorous) = 78 avg.
Of course, then you have such options as pounce from CC's lion totem barbarian, bracers of blinding strike from the MiC, leap attack for more PA damage form CW, battle boots form the DMG if your mounted, enchanting your weapon, etc.
[/SPOILER]

Have you seen the Frenzied Berserker class? As a four level dip you'll net a 2:3 trade in with PA and a 3/day +6 str. You can just use a save booster from the warblade side or IHS to break frenzy when you don't need it any more.

As yet another option for an uber charger. Battle Leap + Shadow Something/Jaunt/Blink, charge three times in a single round by teleporting above them and falling.

[TheEndIsNear]

You know, a Crusader might accomplish this build better since it's got lovely White Raven charge related maneuvers and non-action recovery along with tanky-stuff and Thicket of Blades. Charge in with no AoO and keep them from leaving? Yeah! Or, you know, let them run and charge them again. Take 2 monk levels, 2 drunken master levels, and charge ALL THE TIME! Dip into dervish, and suddenly you can make a dc15 tumble check, provoke no AoO, run around in a circle, jump 10 feet back to where you started from, full attack, possibly tripping and bullrushing them, and then repeat!

Umm, I dont want to sound like a kid that is a "gimme, gimme", but could you post the elements and what they do?

I'm not sure i really get what gives you what, because I know drunken master can make round charges, Dervish for dervish dance but i didnt nkow that mixed with charge, not to good with crusader, but I know TOB so thats how they cant leave but how does that help you charge again, dont you want them to go away from you so you can charge them again? I see the monk 2 gives you feats? Do I have it?

Im so noob:P

Thank you,

D-End

[woodenbandman]

Here's how that would work, it would be sort of a Charisma based tripper:

Barbarian1 (Lion Totem is the only totem anymore)/Marshal1/Monk2 (Passive Way variant)/Dervish2/Drunken Master2/Crusader12

The order you take it in is whatever order you can in order to qualify for everything. I haven't worked it out, but you do need some bad feats (dodge, great fortitude, weapon focus with a slashing weapon, mobility i think)... and ranks in perform dance, but that's not really an issue. Statline with a 32 PB looks a bit like 16 14 14 8 8 16. Take the Marshal aura that grants your Charisma bonus as an insight bonus to combat maneuvers like disarm, trip, etc. For feats (Flaws are assumed):

Weapon Focus (guisarme), Dodge, Great Fortitude, Mobility
Monk1: Combat Expertise
Monk2: Improved Trip
Character3: Short Haft
Character6: Combat Reflexes
etc etc AoO build.

The interesting part of this build is that you get the coolness of charging with the ability to always retain those benefits along with rage, dance, charge in a circle, and basically be god. You can boost your strength up pretty high with all the bonuses you get (up to +8 if you drink), and you can also be a lockdown build in a pinch. Not to mention that every charge attack you make gains a +16 bonus on damage with "Leading the Charge" (unless  it's ruled not to, in which case, leadership time), and you of course get all the lovely crusader maneuvers. And of course FURIOUS COUNTERSTRIKE 11111