So the S.Sage isn't lagging behind anyone? Do you have a pf Monk or Rogue with a solid damage build in the party? And is the S.Sage utilizing any of the other schools, or just Shadow Hand? I'm trying to get a feel for how they compare and balance out, especially when not using Shadow Hand focused builds.Tome of Battle introduced Martial Maneuvers, a new mechanic which works similar to spells, and introduced a whole new dynamic for martial combat. Thicket of Blades has been the Crusader PC's personal favorite in my Bo9S-heavy game, as it allows her to lock down her one major tactical weakness (spells that require high Dex/Reflex to resist, and those who cast them). Thicket of Blades makes it the best class to use for a lockdown build, IMHO.Ĭrusaders seem night-unto-unkillable unless you really try to single them out and mess with them. Some even argue that it is better than the warblade.

I'm looking for what abilities could fill the slots on the Crusader's empty levels, and for a way to give the Swordsage a bit more oomph without overbalancing them (at 20th, the Monk and Rogue both out damage the S.Sage, and the new utility provided by their special powers puts them on the same level as the S.Sage in terms of utility). The Warblade, as stated, is mostly fine as is (I agree that the d10 could be dropped).Ĭrusader (especially) and Swordsage however are lower in utility than Warblade overall, and need additional help, if only a bit. They provide a tactical mechanic and variety lacking in other fighter-types, thus their appeal.

The player has discovered that it is almost vital to take the Adaptive Style feat as a Swordsage unless you want to fire and forget your whole maneuver set in the first few rounds of a fight, but having taken that feat, she's been doing rather well, having used the Wisdom-AC Buff and defensive maneuvers to avoid having her low HP exploited by enemies. The Swordsage in particular (an assassin-flavored character) has been using Shadow Hand stances and maneuvers to stunning utility effect outside of combat as well as being an effective, though glass-cannon-esque, combatant. They're meeting the Fighters on equal footing, and outdoing the other melee classes unless built very carefully and power-gamey. All three are amongst the most dangerous people in their level range, easily a match for spellcasters of roughly equal level. I just houseruled Concentration back into the game and let go, though our group has discussed cutting Warblades back to a d10, and possibly stripping Uncanny Dodge, both changes for balance issues.Įdit/Add: So far, we've got one Swordsage PC, one Crusader PC, and one Warblade NPC. The 3.5 Fighter was lagging behind a little, but the PF fighting classes feel balanced against the B09S stuff. They match up pretty well with PF core class builds that use feats, spells, alternate class abilities, etc., from the 'Complete' books and the Player's Handbook 2. They tend to out-power core-only builds, but by a much more narrow margin than in 3.5. I've been using the Bo9S classes in my converted-forward PFRPG game with little issue. Increasing the saves to be all good saves seems like a good idea though. Flurry in its new incarnation seems overpowered for the class, and the little stuff is mostly covered by maneuvers. Since it's based on a monk build, I've contemplated adding monk-like abilities to it, though which ones are still uncertain. A well built rogue or monk will out-damage this character easily, and likely out-survive it as well. It has many abilities, and many maneuver known, but still is not stunningly powerful when compared to the other options available.

This one is almost there, but needs more oomph. Other possibilities I've been contemplating are to give it a domain granted ability, give the save bonuses for divine grace, and increase the smiting effect (though not to the degree of the paladin). What I've got so far is DUAL STRIKE for the 20th level ability (which brings it into parity with the other ToB classes, and is less powerful due to the random recharge and limited schools known), and HD INCREASE to a D12. It is the weakest of the the three in terms of cool abilities, despite it having a nice recharge mechanic. The only thing that might be worth changing is the hit die.

It has a very nice 20th level ability, but doesn't gain the raw bonuses that the fighter gets. It gains frequent abilites, and when not gaining abilities it gets new maneuvers. How would one go about converting these classes to Pathfinder? My ideas are limited so far, and would find some suggestions helpful (though it would also be appreciated if people would refrain from 'Bo9S is broken' and 'Bo9S needs xyz mechanics updated/changed/removed').įunctionally perfect for the new system imo.

Warblade 5e