Good Two-Level Dip for my Swordsage (Going into Pyrokineticist)

[Lycanthromancer]

Generally I have a good idea of how I want to build my characters, but not quite this time.

I want a sneaky assassin-type who is Neutral or Good, but revels in playing with fire (not maliciously; he's just utterly fascinated with it). He's a scout and a general troubleshooter, and he's going to focus on Shadow Hand and Desert Wind (the better to segue into pyro). He's playing with a Small warforged druid 5 and his baby T-Rex animal companion with the living construct template applied, a warforged artificer 5, and a warforged bard 3/crusader 1/warblade 1.

He's going to be a Small-template (-2 Str, +2 Dex, 20' speed, Small sized) warforged something 2/swordsage 3, heading into pyrokineticist 4.

I'd go factotum 3/swordsage 2, but Font of Inspiration isn't allowed, and the DM doesn't like factotums anyway (he argues until he's blue in the face that they're tier 1...which is, of course, patently ridiculous).

Anyway, the books allowed:

Anything Eberron
Core
The Completes
PHB II
ToB
And select things from other books, on a case-by-case basis.

The stats I rolled are 17, 16, 15, 14, 14, 12 before stat adjustments, and an extra +3, +2, and +1 added however I want (though only Con and Dex can go above 18, and Str can't go above 16).

I was considering Adaptive Style (of course), Craven once I get my sneak attack stance, Shadow Blade and Weapon Finesse (due to having a nice Dex), and Psiforged (since he gets a bonus warforged feat). Obviously I can't take them all by level 5, save maybe for fighter 2/psywar 2/swordsage 1, and even then Craven will be left dangling until I get some 3rd level stances...

Someone else suggested incarnum 3/something X/swordsage 1, for the Incarnate Weapon ability (a +3 weapon is nice), but it won't scale much higher than that, and access to greater magic weapon is just around the corner in any case.

So, ideas?

[Saxony]

If you're just going 2 level dip, you'd want 6 other levels to get Assassin's stance as quickly as possible without using any more Swordsage levels ({6/2} + 2 = 5). So that's level 8 for your Craven and Sneak Attack dealie.

I'd say Craven at level 9 and you're other stuff before then or Craven at 6 if you're enthusiastic about Sneak Attack.

[Agita]

I'd go factotum 3/swordsage 2, but Font of Inspiration isn't allowed, and the DM doesn't like factotums anyway (he argues until he's blue in the face that they're tier 1...which is, of course, patently ridiculous).

...But he allows an Artificer and a Druid in the party.

Anyway. Totemist 2 can get you some extra natural attacks to apply your extra damage to. Girallon Arms, say. They're not affected by GMW, but they get their own enhancement bonuses. If you go Incarnate, get Mantle of Flame for bonus points. Alternatively, the Totemist meld Phoenix Belt, for kicks.

[Lycanthromancer]

The DM doesn't like factotums, but I think I'll go factotum 3/swordsage 2 anyway. I was gonna go martial rogue 1/factotum 3/swordsage 1, but I realized that my BAB would be in the toilet. F3/SS2 isn't quite as bad, and gets better (and more) maneuvers to boot.

[carnivore]

i would suggest this:

Fighter 2/ Psychic Warrior 1/ Swordsage 2

then into Pyrokineticist til Pyrokineticist 8.... then finish with Swordsage

 

[snakeman830]

But Pyro 9 gets Heat Death.  Which is just awesome as it's the only way to kill a Fire Elemental with fire.

[carnivore]

true .... but i hate the BAB hit... either way it will work

 

[Flay Crimsonwind]

One thing I always remind people of is the "alternate class feature" from Mind's Eye(?), which is exactly "change their BAB to good instead of medium." Admitting that basically, the original was a bit... weak... until 9th, that is.

Anyways, an alternative to fighter 2 if you're going to pump charisma for the pyro's abilities (not to mention the free +4 you get from nimbus at pyro 5) is Paladin 2. I don't normally like the paladin class' power level (not 9000), but the saves you get, the cha to saves, the full BAB, and the decent HD make for a nice class for a melee guy, which I'm presuming you will, to a degree, be.

I once re-designed my namesake in this fashion, with Paladin / SS / Pyro. In that case, the DM not only allowed the increase, but said that each level of pyro could count as a full initiator level when figuring out which desert wind maneuvers I could take. Had to wait a ways to get more maneuvers after entering pyro, but it was a good Flay build, just what I wanted; a skirmish-tactics fire-user.

With those stats, you could add Battledancer for more free AC from charisma, if it does wind up being a score you use. Like Pally 2 / Battledancer 1 / SS2 / Pyro X / Swordsage Y. Try for those ACFs though, they make it a lot easier to keep up with your teammates.

[Lycanthromancer]

But Pyro 9 gets Heat Death.  Which is just awesome as it's the only way to kill a Fire Elemental with fire.

Searing Spell.

[snakeman830]

But Pyro 9 gets Heat Death.  Which is just awesome as it's the only way to kill a Fire Elemental with fire.

Searing Spell.

Huh, I thought that worked like Piercing Cold (which didn't overcome Cold Subtype), but apparently not.

[Sohala]

Generic Warrior for +2d6 sneak attack, then either a feat or some other feature.

[Catty Nebulart]

[snakeman830]

Can't dump Str too far.  Power Attack is still the best way to boost the Fire Lash damage.  Yes, this is perfectly legal despite the Lash specifying a ranged touch attack.

[Lycanthromancer]

I managed to get factotum into the game (mostly because I have a full-blown druid and an artificer, and a buffing bard/crusader/warblade that makes the entire party much stronger), so I think I'll go factotum 3/unarmed swordsage 2, to start, and I'll take pyrokineticist for a few levels to grab a few choice abilities, then start again with factotum and more swordsage.

The stats I've got (I rolled very well) are:

Str 14
Dex 18
Con 16
Int 19 (+1 for level)
Wis 16
Cha 10 (basically desired for UMD, but that's it)

I've got Psiforged Body as a 1st level houseruled bonus feat, and Adaptive Style, but I'm not 100% sure what else to take. I WAS gonna get Weapon Finesse and Shadow Blade, but the latter won't work on my flame lash, so I guess I'll go with something else. Is there any equivalent to Searing Spell that will work with my Desert Wind and pyro abilities?

Also, is anyone else having problems with the website loading? The whole background is white, and the quoteboxes and text formatting are nonexistent.

[snakeman830]

A Metamagic Rod of Searing Spell ought to work 3/day.  If there is one, of course.

[PhaedrusXY]

If you delay entry into swordsage for a level, you can start out with level 2 maneuvers instead of 1, which is IMO well worth it. So Factotum 3/X1/SS1. Sneak Attack fighter (thug variant) might be one choice to consider.

[Lycanthromancer]

A Metamagic Rod of Searing Spell ought to work 3/day.  If there is one, of course.

But how do you use a psi-like ability with a metamagic rod?

If you delay entry into swordsage for a level, you can start out with level 2 maneuvers instead of 1, which is IMO well worth it. So Factotum 3/X1/SS1. Sneak Attack fighter (thug variant) might be one choice to consider.

I'd rather take a level in martial rogue. Forget sneak attack; I'll get it from both factotum and swordsage, if I want it, and I can't get Craven for awhile anyway.

Martial rogue, or another level in factotum? No extra inspiration points, but I do get Cunning Strike...

[Havok4]

A good option for the pyro kineticist is to use the sonic variant you can find on the mind's eye articles, the change in energy type would generally make the character effective in most circumstances.

[Lycanthromancer]

Argh. One thing I hadn't noticed; martial rogue 1/factotum 3/swordsage 1 would leave me with 2 BAB, though I'd get an extra 8 skill points, an additional feat, and better maneuvers.

I'd spend the extra feat on Power Attack, but with 2 BAB that would be horrible, and my next level would leave me with pyrokineticist, which will leave me with yet another +0 BAB.

Screw it; I'm staying with unarmed SS 1/factotum 3/SS 1, so I can get Extra Readied Maneuver and Adaptive Style.

[PhaedrusXY]

Argh. One thing I hadn't noticed; martial rogue 1/factotum 3/swordsage 1 would leave me with 2 BAB, though I'd get an extra 8 skill points, an additional feat, and better maneuvers.

I'd spend the extra feat on Power Attack, but with 2 BAB that would be horrible, and my next level would leave me with pyrokineticist, which will leave me with yet another +0 BAB.

Screw it; I'm staying with unarmed SS 1/factotum 3/SS 1, so I can get Extra Readied Maneuver and Adaptive Style.

That's why I suggested the thug SA fighter. OK skills, +1d6 SA, and +1 BAB, along with proficiencies, etc. If you want the feat, just leave off the SA part and go thug.