I'm currently afb, but I really like both clerics and crusaders, which means I can give you some options. First, what books are allowed, how are ability scores generated (and if it's by rolling the dice, have you already done so?), what houserules should we be aware of, and what is your ultimate goal for the character? Ruby Knight Vindicator is fine as an answer, but have you thought past that?
Trickery Domain isn't open to clerics of Wee Jas, is it?
Worship a pantheon. Problem solved.
Or, of course, one can simply eat the CC cost, it isn't too bad.
I'm currently afb, but I really like both clerics and crusaders, which means I can give you some options. First, what books are allowed, how are ability scores generated (and if it's by rolling the dice, have you already done so?), what houserules should we be aware of, and what is your ultimate goal for the character? Ruby Knight Vindicator is fine as an answer, but have you thought past that?
But, more importantly, this.
Martial Study in a Shadow Hand maneuver is swell and the extra maneuver is great, but if you're only taking it in order to gain Hide as an in-class skill then the benefit is null once you take Ruby Knight Vindicator since Hide is in-class for them.
Able Learner lets you get cheap ranks in all useful skills (Hide, Bluff, Escape Artist, all Knowledges, Tumble, Use Magic Device, etc) up to half (Character Level+3).
I'm just presenting another option that he could take to get the 4 ranks in Hide he requires for the PrC and have a way of becoming much more skilled in things that he otherwise wouldn't have considered with a cost of 2 points per rank.
Trickery Domain isn't open to clerics of Wee Jas, is it? I'm currently afb, but I really like both clerics and crusaders, which means I can give you some options. First, what books are allowed, how are ability scores generated (and if it's by rolling the dice, have you already done so?), what houserules should we be aware of, and what is your ultimate goal for the character? Ruby Knight Vindicator is fine as an answer, but have you thought past that?
Ability scores are generated by rolling and I have done so. We are still unsure of houserules as our DM is new to DnD aswell and this is his first time DMing. And as my for ultimate goal for the character, I would hopefully like to be not be overpowered by spellcasters because I've read that spellcasters tend to be pretty OP in 3.5. I really just want a strong martial character. I'd also like to be able to heal myself rather well thus quite a few points going into my devoted maneuvers.
The main reason that I want to be able to heal myself rather well is because I don't want to have my cleric focus so hard on me in combat so that he can have plenty of opportunity to heal the other members of the party (Ranger, Bard, Sorceress).
We're all starting level 1 and my plan so far is Crusader 4/Cleric 1/ RKV x
Also, what are your ability scores, and what books are available?
The main reason that I want to be able to heal myself rather well is because I don't want to have my cleric focus so hard on me in combat so that he can have plenty of opportunity to heal the other members of the party (Ranger, Bard, Sorceress).
As a general principle, you keep healing as a backup, only using it in combat if you absolutely have to heal in order to keep vital members of your party on their feet.
Once your opponent is no longer a threat, you'll typically have plenty of opportunity to get everyone healed, and the longer you spend fighting the more damage you'll take, so you should aim to end every fight as quickly as possible.
Slagger, the thing about Crusaders is that they can heal themselves, and eventually others, by hitting their opponent.
That's true, but they often do so at the expense of using a more damaging maneuver and even readying a healing maneuver means weighing it as more valuable than a more damaging maneuver.
I'm not saying to avoid healing like it's the plague, Spork, and if you like the idea of being safely healed up, that's fine too, just keep in mind that prevention is often better than cure when you're in combat.
Um... You could (easily) dish out more damage than anyone, (almost) sneak around as well as the ranger & bard, and cast (almost) as well as the cleric. It would be a very, VERY simple matter to give you 9th-level spells, and 8th-level maneuvers by level 20. Do you want to go that route, or would you prefer to focus on maneuvers, with spellcasting being secondary? Also, what are your ability scores, and what books are available?
I would rather focus on maneuvers but I also havent looked too far into cleric spellcasting so by saying "9'th level spells" i really dont know what kind of spells would be available. I also wouldn't be the only cleric in the party because we're going to have one party-member going melee cleric. I don't know my ability scores off the top of my head because I'm at work but I can let you know when I get home. I also have a ton of books available to me, so many that i can't actually name them all off the top of my head either and i will give you a full list when i get home as well. I have most non-setting books available because i have a lot of friends who play and they lent me their books because our party is all new.
Slagger, the thing about Crusaders is that they can heal themselves, and eventually others, by hitting their opponent.
That's true, but they often do so at the expense of using a more damaging maneuver and even readying a healing maneuver means weighing it as more valuable than a more damaging maneuver.
I'm not saying to avoid healing like it's the plague, Spork, and if you like the idea of being safely healed up, that's fine too, just keep in mind that prevention is often better than cure when you're in combat.
I do like the idea of being safely healed but I also see your point in saying that "prevention is often better than cure" and it makes sense. I do see your point in having more damaging maneuvers too rather than healing maneuvers.
I appreciate everyones help in building my character. I'm glad this forum really helped a lot.
Ninth level spells are pretty much the most powerful things that players have access to in the game. For clerics, that means spells like Miracle and True Resurrection, which alter the fabric of reality. Even ninth level maneuvers won't do that; but they will let you hit things really hard.
The problem is that you & the melee cleric are going to be stepping on each other's toes. Since the Ruby Knight doesn't slow casting very much, and you MUST have either cleric or paladin levels, you're basically going to be a melee cleric yourself. Ninth level spells are pretty much the most powerful things that players have access to in the game. For clerics, that means spells like Miracle and True Resurrection, which alter the fabric of reality. Even ninth level maneuvers won't do that; but they will let you hit things really hard.
Yea, I'd rather not be stepping on my cleric's toes with my cleric spells so dipping one level into cleric and going almost all out martial RKV. Maybe If I don't feel the maneuvers are going to be able to help me anymore I could get another level as a warblade or something.
I'm also going to be using a Warhammer and a shield. I'm curious as to if a Warhammer would actually be a good choice or if I'd be better going with a one-handed axe or even a sword?
Heh. How would you feel about a tank/trip/TWF crusader? Try looking up Tess the Molestress or Kris the Sadomasochist on here and see what you think. RT explains the "why" with Tess, and expressed interest in a Magic of Incarnum update. That's what I did with Kris.
I really do like tess but we've already rolled our characters and I'm a dwarven crusader so i only get 1 feat. Going TWF would be awesome. I haven't looked into the exotic weapons though. What's so good about the exotic weapons?
They're reach weapons that also threaten up-close. Since you're a dwarf, have you considered going for Deepstone Sentinel? Complicated builds tend to be less than ideal for new players, and the Sentinel is easily available to a crusader.
I have looked at the deepstone sentinel but only glanced over it.
Str - 17
Dex - 14
Con - 17
Wis - 15
Int - 10
Cha - 14
We did the 4d6 - lowest for rolling our stats and allocated the 6 rolls to our character as we desired.
Books available...
Book of Exalted Deeds, Cityscape, Complete Arcane, Complete Champion, Complete Psionic, Complete Divine, Complete Mage, Complete Scoundrel, Complete Warrior, Dragon Magic, Drow of the Underdark, Dungeonscape, Elder Evils, Exemplars of Evil, Expanded Psionics Handbook, Fiendish Codex I-II, Forstburn, Heroes of Horror, Libris Mortis, Lords of Madness, Magic of Incarnum, Miniatures Handbook, Monster Manuals I, III-V, Planar Handbook, Players Handbook I-II, Races of Destiny/Stone/Dragon/Wild, Sandstorm, Stormwrack, Tome of Battle, Tome of Magic, Unearthed Arcana, Weapons of Legacy
Thats everything and yes they're organised alphabetically because I'm OCD lol
Oh, and are you open to changing your ability scores around?
He shouldn't need to change ability scores around unless you really think he needs more INT. Even if they aren't as "efficient" as they could be they the "weak" scores already have the kind of score I'd put into them if I needed them. Sorry if I have something against rolling but with those stats you could almost make two characters.
I would probably switch int and cha or wis (depends on what you want to lose/benefit from)
Wis would the best one to drop, IIRC, given that there are more uses, including will saves, and I believe, although I haven't played a crusader, so my memory may be faulty, they have some DC thingy based on Cha.
And, yes, I do love commas, in a purely platonic fashion.