Post/Author/DateTime	Post
The_Cheeseman 12-05-07, 12:50 AM	I love the Tome of Battle, and I very much enjoy playing martial adepts. However, my group often plays characters who are not starting at level 1, since we like to try out various level ranges with different builds, so I often end-up having to build a martial adept from the ground up. Now, if you're taking the levels one at a time, choosing and swapping maneuvers is easy, but when you're trying to build one starting at level 15 or so, it takes forever to go through and choose, replace, and ensure compliance with maneuver prerequisites for every level your character has attained. So my question is this: Does anybody know of a simple program or database tool that could help with this issue? Something as easy as a menu that highlights maneuvers that your character qualifies for would be helpful. I have considered trying to make one in Microsoft Access, but I have very limited experience with the program, so it would take me a while to get used to it. If anybody has any ideas, please let me know!
Marcotic 12-05-07, 01:13 AM	I usually use Microsoft excel, though that's obviously not what ur lookin for. I would suggest going ahead and making that program though, it should be useful when the time comes for 4e, and if nothing else, you gain knowlege of a program that would otherwise waste away on your computer harddrive
navar100 12-05-07, 02:31 AM	I don't know of any program, but to make it easier, don't choose specific maneuvers that you will eventually trade away. Just note down "1st level white raven manuever", "3rd level tiger claw maneuver", etc. You need the discipline name for prerequisites and level for character level verification of legality. When you trade up, cross it off and replace. If there's a particular maneuver you know you'll want for your character, that gets written down explicitly. Once you're done picking "maneuver slots", any that you still have in generic form gets a named maneuver as a manuever known. For example, after getting your 15th level warblade maneuver slots, you still have "4th level Diamond Mind manuever". Now you pick your named 4th level Diamond Mind maneuver. If it has prerequisites, you can only take it if you meet it now with 4th level and below maneuvers. It's not perfect, since upon normal leveling up during a game you can take a maneuever with prerequisites and then at a higher level still have that maneuver yet no longer have the prerequisites. However, you are trading some efficiency for some simplicity. Also, since it was an unnamed maneuver slot instead of a named one you already dedicated as known, you didn't care as much for it and are just now picking one that suits your fancy.
ThePope 12-05-07, 03:10 AM	sorry but don't know of any tools, and personally i just tend to have to write down the manuevers i wanna end up having and then work backwards to figure out what i'll need to take in order to qualify... course then i have to sit and shuffle all manuevers i just wrote down so that the character is actually fun to play as a i level (rather than just coming together right at the end)
Mr_Teapot 12-05-07, 09:04 AM	Now, if you're taking the levels one at a time, choosing and swapping maneuvers is easy, but when you're trying to build one starting at level 15 or so, it takes forever to go through and choose, replace, and ensure compliance with maneuver prerequisites for every level your character has attained. Weird. My complaint would be almost the exact opposite: if you're making a 15th level character from scratch, it is easy to pick out the handful of high level maneuvers you want, then fill in the prereqs for them. But building from level 1 up without constantly looking ahead often means I pick the maneuvers that are interesting now but wind up not qualifying for the best maneuvers at higher levels. Anyway, this post (http://forums.gleemax.com/showpost.php?p=9760888&postcount=3) organizes maneuvers by category and by number of prerequisites, which is pretty useful.