Questions tagged [tome-of-battle]

For questions about "Tome of Battle", an expansion book for D&D 3.5e which introduces the concept of martial maneuvers to give martial characters extra options in combat.

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20 votes
2 answers
7k views

Does Adaptive Style really let you recover expended maneuvers?

You can change your readied maneuvers at any time by taking a full-round action. If you’re a crusader, your current granted maneuvers are lost and you gain new granted maneuvers as if you had ...
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12 votes
1 answer
977 views

How does Firesnake work (RaW, RaI, or house rules)

Firesnake has a duration of instantaneous, but claims to be able to move 60 ft every round, and "A creature can only take damage from the firesnake once in a single round", both of which imply that ...
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11 votes
1 answer
925 views

Is there a reason for Searing Blade to have a standard action as an initiation action?

Both Inferno Blade (stronger) and Burning Blade (weaker) have a swift action as the initiation action, which make sense, as the boost only lasts until your turn ends, however, Searing Blade stands out ...
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11 votes
1 answer
3k views

Can I use Maneuvers out of combat?

Can you initiate a maneuver outside of combat? This is specifically about the Moment of Perfect Mind maneuver, which allows me to substitute my Will save for a concentration check. My GM feels that I ...
10 votes
4 answers
4k views

Can a martial character ready the same maneuver multiple times simultaneously?

All the martial classes from ToB have different methods of preparing and re-preparing maneuvers, but the basic mechanics are pretty much the same for all of them (well, maybe just two, except the ...
9 votes
2 answers
2k views

Maneuvers and Cleave

So, Maneuvers in Tome of Battle come in three shapes (strikes, boosts and counters), which make the martial characters extremely deadly, even through they are usually limited to 1 boosted attack per ...
9 votes
3 answers
4k views

If my Initiator Level is high enough, can I take Stances of a level higher than 1st when I take my first level in a martial adept class?

Usually, a martial adept’s Initiator Level is equal to his class level, plus his class level in any maneuver-granting Prestige Classes, plus half his level in all other classes. This means a ...
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8 votes
6 answers
3k views

Do the AC Bonus (Ex) class abilities of monks and swordsages stack?

Monk and Swordsage both get the class feature AC Bonus (Ex). Monk: When unarmored and unencumbered, the monk adds her Wisdom bonus (if any) to her AC. In addition, a monk gains a +1 bonus to AC ...
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8 votes
2 answers
1k views

Is Iron Heart Surge limited to effects measured in rounds?

I have just been able to convince my DM into allowing Tome of Battle and allowing my character entering the Warblade. Nonetheless, he felt uncomfortable about the scope of abilities, especially Iron ...
  • 5,176
8 votes
2 answers
32k views

Martial maneuvers in an organised, easy to read form?

So, the question came up during the making of a swordsage, and the need to check if the maneuvers chosen can actually be acquired due to prerequisites. Is there anything, in pdf or online form, that ...
  • 3,862
8 votes
3 answers
1k views

Can I use Moment of Perfect Mind in response to a surprise attack?

Say I want to use the Tome of Battle maneuver Moment of Perfect Mind, a maneuver that replaces my Will save with the equivalent Concentration Check. Out of combat, my warblade and an enemy wizard ...
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8 votes
1 answer
861 views

Do you lose flanking from Island of Blades stance if you're invisible?

If you are in Island of Blades stance do you and your allies lose your flanking bonus if you are invisible?
  • 1,857
7 votes
2 answers
9k views

Dealing with Tome of Battle's power inflation

Wait, your swordsage can run up and stab a guy with a fireball (which he's immune to), on top of a normal attack. He can do this 4 times, and take a one round break to get a full charge again? ...
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7 votes
4 answers
3k views

Can Iron Heart Surge remove sleep, paralysis, or similar effects?

The description of Iron Heart Surge seems unclear to me. Normally, you must be able to move to initiate a maneuver. However, Iron Heart Surge seems very broad in what it affects. Can it also remove ...
7 votes
1 answer
430 views

Can Iron Heart Surge remove a Necrotic Cyst?

Plain and simple, by RAW can the Iron Heart Surge maneuver from the Tome of Battle remove a Necrotic Cyst, a spell from Libris Mortis.
7 votes
1 answer
760 views

How is the Initiator Level of a Gestalt character calculated by RAW?

Say you have a Martial Adept class on one side of your Gestalt and some other class on the other side, for sake of example let's go Rogue6//Swordsage6. By RAI, I figure that the Initiator Level takes ...
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7 votes
1 answer
1k views

Tome of battle multiclassing recovery method

In tome of battle page 97, the book says that if I multiclass with multiple martial adept classes, I "retain the same method for readying and recovering maneuvers that I previously used". Does that ...
6 votes
2 answers
1k views

Does a low Wis Swordsage have an AC penalty?

Swordsages get: Starting at 2nd level, you can add your Wisdom modifier as a bonus to your armor class I have a warblade who has an 8 WIS (-1 mod), and was thinking of taking a two level dip into ...
  • 8,774
6 votes
2 answers
277 views

What's the DC for Hatchling's Flame?

Saving Throw: Reflex half You focus a burning aura of energy at the end of your blade. It forms a seething sphere that, after a moment, bursts into a torrent of energy. The Desert Wind discipline ...
  • 1,159
6 votes
1 answer
448 views

Can you trip as part of a Tome of Battle Maneuver?

If a ToB Maneuver such as Daunting Strike calls for a melee Attack as part of the maneuver, can this melee attack be resolved as a trip attack/include a trip attempt?
  • 2,175
6 votes
1 answer
1k views

Can you use feats in the warblade maneuver emerald razor?

The diamond mind path maneuver EMERALD RAZOR states: As part of this maneuver, make a single melee attack against an opponent. This is a touch attack rather than a standard melee attack. If you ...
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6 votes
4 answers
648 views

Does initiating a maneuver involving a skill check trigger attacks of opportunity?

When a martial adept initiates the Tiger Claw maneuver death from above [strike] (Tome of Battle 86–7), does the maneuver's Jump check provoke attacks of opportunity?
6 votes
1 answer
2k views

In 3.5e, does one have to be a martial adept class to use maneuvers?

I'm preparing for a 3.5e game, and I wanted to be a fighter or a marshal, but I also want to be able to use the maneuvers for martial classes. It does not say that one must be a swordsage, warblade, ...
6 votes
2 answers
178 views

Is the swordsage's recovery interruptable?

I'm new with the whole "martial adept" thing, and while the Tome of Battle itself is kinda self-explanatory, some things are more ambiguous. In the manual it says that a swordsage can recover a ...
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6 votes
2 answers
4k views

Can you use more than one martial maneuver in a single round?

At first I thought you could only use one martial maneuver a round, but after looking through Tome of Battle, I can't seem to find that explicitly stated anywhere. Is there really such a restriction ...
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6 votes
1 answer
253 views

Can a Warblade use Wall of Blades to counter an attack from an invisible foe?

My Warblade is battling a vampire. The vampire is invisible. My Warblade is level 8, and has Uncanny Dodge, letting him keep his DEX bonus to AC. He has Wall of Blades readied. Can he use that ...
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6 votes
1 answer
2k views

Can you initiate maneuvers with weapons other than those the discipline favors?

When playing a class from Tome of Battle: Book of Nine Swords can you initiate manuevers while not weilding a disciplines favored weapon? For example: could one use Desert Wind manuevers without ...
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6 votes
2 answers
2k views

Can you take more than one 5-foot-step using Combat reflexes, Evasive Reflexes and Robilar's Gambit together, or Shifting Defence by itself?

Can you using these three feats, take more then one five foot step per round? From Robilar's Gambit: In return, they provoke attacks of opportunity from you each time they swing From Evasive ...
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6 votes
1 answer
3k views

Tome of Battle maneuvers clarification?

There are many maneuvers that state that you use a skill check with your opponent's Armor Class as the check's DC, and then you proceed to attack with an empowered attack. Does this mean that you ...
  • 3,862
6 votes
1 answer
161 views

Does Iron Guard's Glare stack with itself?

The Devoted Spirit Stance Iron Guard Glare reads: While you are in this stance, any opponent that you threaten takes a -4 penalty on attack rolls against your allies. Tome of Blades p. 59 Let's ...
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6 votes
1 answer
310 views

Thunderous throw and flanking

The class Bloodstorm Blade (ToB p.100) has an ability called Thunderous Throw that states: ...As a swift action, you can choose to treat your ranged attack rolls with thrown weapons as melee ...
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6 votes
1 answer
1k views

Can a dive attack be made when you would charge as part of an effect?

The Battle Leader's Charge maneuver says you make a charge as part of the maneuver. If a character has wings and is able to do a dive attack, can a dive attack (which "works as a charge") be done in ...
6 votes
1 answer
270 views

Does thunderous throw permit iterative attacks with two-handed thrown weapons?

The Player's Handbook on Thrown Weapons says, "Throwing a light or one-handed weapon is a standard action, while throwing a two-handed weapon is a full-round action" (113). The prestige class ...
6 votes
1 answer
7k views

Epic 3.5 Warblade Optimization [closed]

I'm sure we've all seen and/or played Final Fantasy VII. I was asked to join into the fray of an epic game being run once a month starting at ECL 21 and to bring a character with starting wealth as a ...
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5 votes
5 answers
1k views

Does the spell Dimensional Anchor stop Shadow Jaunt?

Does the spell Dimensional Anchor stop the ability Shadow Jaunt from the Tome of Battle?
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5 votes
1 answer
8k views

Why is the Master of Nine a bad choice?

Say, what is the first thing that comes to mind when you talk about Tome of Battle? Most likely, the maneuvers - the thing that made the close-quarter combat fun for even those players who don't like ...
5 votes
1 answer
2k views

Melee touch attack with two weapons?

I have a Rogue/Swordsage that fights with 2 daggers and has Two Weapon Fighting (TWF). I'm considering taking Fire Riposte (Tome of Battle, 53) which grants the ability to do an immediate melee touch ...
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5 votes
2 answers
319 views

Can a warblade use maneuvers on thrown weapons?

Most strike maneuvers require a melee attack. Thrown weapons aren’t really melee attacks. Warblades get proficiency with thrown weapons. Can warblades use strike maneuvers with thrown weapons?
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5 votes
1 answer
455 views

Per RAW, does knowing Assassin's Stance allow for feats that have "sneak attack" as a prerrequisite?

I've read that both Craven and Staggering Strike are very good feats for a Sneak Attack oriented swordsage, however, per RAW, I don't think knowing Assassin's Stance would accomplish the prerrequisite ...
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5 votes
1 answer
721 views

Can different school's Stances and Maneuvers be mixed in a single round?

I'm trying to find out exactly how Stances and Maneuvers work, since I plan on going as a Swordsage specializing in Diamond Mind and Desert Wind schools for their maneuvers. Is it possible to use ...
5 votes
1 answer
211 views

Is the damage from Snap Kick fixed like, for example Insightful Strike or can you add any more bonuses to it?

Snap Kick states the following (emphasis mine): When you make a melee attack with one or more melee weapons (including a standard attack, full attack, or even a strike maneuver), you can make an ...
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5 votes
1 answer
261 views

Can you use Counters and Stances while swimming? (and other non-standing positions)

Game situation: Warblade with active stance: Pearl of Black Doubt. Warblade jumps in the lake, and is attacked by demon-humans with unarmed strike and spitting acid. Can I apply the dodge benefits ...
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5 votes
2 answers
3k views

Is Stormguard Warrior really that good?

I have an idea of build centered around the Crusader class, with some possible dips in Warblade/Swordsage to take advantage of the goodies in other disciplines (such as Ironheart Surge or Time Stands ...
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5 votes
1 answer
396 views

Tome of Battle: Strikes and Weapon Properties

I'm making a Warblade and I'm wondering if I get my weapons properties on all my maneuvers that initiate a melee strike. For example, Steel Wind or Mithril Tornado, would I get my Vicious weapon ...
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5 votes
1 answer
3k views

What's my initiator level for maneuvers from Martial Study?

I'm building a Warblade/Master of Nine using the rules in Tome of Battle: Book of Nine Swords. To qualify for MoN, I'm using the Martial Study feat to take maneuvers from disciplines that a Warblade ...
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5 votes
1 answer
692 views

Can a Bloodclaw Master stack Superior TWF with Improved/Greater TWF?

Does the Bloodclaw Master ability Superior Two-Weapon Fighting interact in any way with the benefits of Improved and/or Greater Two-Weapon Fighting in terms of attack bonus modifiers?
5 votes
2 answers
464 views

Throwing upwards

Some Setting Sun maneuvers are concentrated on throwing your target - Devastating Throw, Comet Throw etc, and some of them get even more throwing range than 10 ft. AND add some decent damage to that. ...
5 votes
1 answer
203 views

Can a mounted combatant utilize the pouncing charge maneuver from their mount's charge?

As related to this question, can a creature utilizing a mount take advantage of pouncing charge from page 88 of Tome of Battle: The Book of Nine Swords? The relevant rules for pouncing charge are: As ...
5 votes
1 answer
553 views

How do Masters of the Nine prepare maneuvers?

Say I have a multiclass warblade/swordsage. I want to go into Master of the Nine. What are my initiator levels for each class? How do I prepare maneuvers gained through the PrC? Under what classes ...
  • 8,774
5 votes
2 answers
764 views

Can weapon aptitude change discipline focus weapons?

The warblade's level 1 extraordinary ability weapon aptitude, in part, says You also have the flexibility to adjust your weapon training. Each morning, you can spend 1 hour in weapon practice to ...