Crusader/Bard build help

[gabrion]

Putting a character together that will join a party somewhere between 6th and 9th level in a hybrid 3.5/pathfinder game (for those not familiar with PF don't worry about it, if a build mechanic works in 3.5 my DM will work with me to fit it into PF).

The title is misleading as I don't intend to take any actual bard levels, rather picking up 5th level bardic music from Heartfire Fanner (Dragon 314) and having those five levels stack with Crusader (or Warblade if applicable) levels for purposes of inspiring courage.

Background stuff that matters
-All 3.5, PF, and Dragon Mags allowed
-Homebrew can be submitted on a case-by-case basis, but I personally wish to use as much printed material as possible just for ease of use and so that my DM doesn't have to worry about reviewing stuff
-If it matters, the spellcasting requirment and progression in Heartfire Fanner can be subbed for psionics (say if the build used PsyWar instead of a spellcasting class)
-Two flaws allowed
-Abilities: 18, 17, 16, 16, 13, 10 (not necessarily in that order)
-Standard WBL
-Song of the White Raven applies to any PrC that has access to White Raven maneuvers/stances
-Using PF bardic performance, including the faster progression of Inspire Courage
-Using PF skill system, so HfH requirements adjusted to diplo 7 ranks and perform 7 ranks (and these ranks can be spent from any class, don't worry about cross-class skill rank maximums)
-Human race gets as +2 bonus to one stat (as PF), though I don't require human

Stuff that I personally require
-Some Crusader (more is better IMO for stacking Song of the White raven, though warblade is next best for that purpose)
-A level of heartfire fanner
-No actually bard levels (to maximize the benefit of music from HfF)
-Use of the Talenta Sharrash from ECS as printed (not the errata), without need for a proficiency feat (treated as being from an equivalent region in the campaign)
-Song of the White Raven
-Dawnflower Dervish PF Archetype for bardic performance, even though bardic performance is being granted by HfF (this allowed by DM).  This doubles the bonus from inspire courage, but only applies to me.

Things I'd Like
-As SAD as possible (Charisma)
-A way to increases size for more reach (thinking either PsyWar expansion or Cleric enlarge person)
-Extra movement in case Slippers of Battle Dancing come into play (Hustle or Travel Devotion?)
-Attack of Opportunity focused in some way (doesn't have to be full lock down, even just 15' reach with Combat Expertise, but open to the idea of stand still/improved trip builds)
-Shape Soulmeld (Therapeutic Mantle) to increase healing from maneuvers/stances.
-Either Ruby Knight Vindicator (ignore flavor requirements) or Master of the Nine Prestige Class.

The biggest problem I face is not having a ton of experience with Tome of Battle mechanics.  I've seen people propose some pretty wild advancements to maximize when maneuvers and stances are learned, but I've never fully understood them.  That said, I have a few different concepts floating around my head that meet the above requirements.  Here are some build skeletons:

Incarnate 2/Crusader 4/Ur Priest 2/Heartfire Fanner 1/Crusader 1/Ruby Knight Vindicator 9/Crusader 1
-Incarnate gives therapeutic mantle and a crown chakra bind, plus helps meet the UP will save requirement.
-Don't see a great option here for extra move actions for Slippers of Battle Dancing (though maybe that isn't a big deal if hit bonus is high enough and gauntlets of heartfelt blows are used for damage purposes).
-Potential DMM Persistent abuse, though I'm not sure enough feats are free for it
-9th level maneuvers and spells

Psychic Warrior 3/Crusader 4/Warblade 1/Heartfire Fanner 1/Warblade 4/Master of the Nine 5/Warblade 2
-Kalashtar Race pretty much required (PF conversion gives +2 to a mental stat, but keeps the extra power points, which would be enough to fuel expansion and hustle)
-Super heavy on feat requirements for HfF and MotN
-Gets a final warblade maneuver at 20th level, but maximum 8th level.  Would I be better dropping 2 levels of crusader so that could be a 9th level maneuver, or even dropping a bunch of warblade in favor of more crusader (mostly went deep in warblade for the bonus feat)?
-I really don't know how best to order levels to maximize when I get maneuvers and stances, so any advice in that area is welcome.

Cloistered Cleric 2/Crusader 5/Heartfire Fanner 1/Ruby Knight Vindicator 10/Crusader 2
-DMM Persist easier to pull off since fewer required feats (and planning domain gives one for free), but only 10th level cleric casting.
-Travel devotion for mobility and knowledge devotion for fun
-Overall just more open feats to potentially make a full lock-down build if desired
-Again gets 9th level maneuvers

Anyway, those are just some of the ideas floating around in my head, but I'm having a hard time nailing down a full build.  I know asking for a full build with feats and all is a lot, but I appreciate anything you folks are willing to offer up.  Thanks!

[cjosephs1s]

Hmmm...well most of your post is really detailed so I'm just going to focus on the section "Thing's I'd like" and offer some suggestions as I'm not real familair with some of the classes you want to go with or their rules.
 
The main question I have is what is the main thing you want this character to do?

Crusader is great and more is better to a point.  16 levels is about the max you want to go and I'd even say 14 is enough but it looks like you're not going to get anywhere near that as you've multiclassed a lot.  Don't go with Master of Nine as it is hugely intensive for the benefits which are mainly more manuevers known but suck up nearly all your resources to get there.  Ruby Vindicator is great and I've heard great things about it. 

Getting bigger isn't hard.  Enlarge person works great.  There are also a few magic items in the MIC that give you this ability a few times per day that are really cheap. (a pair of bracers of some kind)

When you say extra movement do you mean an extra action or increased speed?  Boots of speed give you haste for 10 rounds/day and Boots of Striding and Springing double your speed.  There's also a feat that increases your speed by 10ft.  And a few other magic items that give Haste a number of times per day as well in the MIC. 

AoO:  Thicket of Blades is probably the best stance for a crusader.  Also some feats that grant AoO are:

Mage slayer (Com Arc) casters can't cast defensively so if they try and cast you get an AoO but you lose 4 spellcasting levels so probably not great for your build
Defensive Sweep  (PHB2)  Adjacent foes that you threaten that don't move during their turn provoke AoO
Supernatural Insticts (fiend codex 2)  anytime a foe you threaten uses a supernatural ability it provokes an AoO

Also look up Countersrike Bracers in the MIC.  You get an AoO twice per day in excess of your maximum whenever a foe misses you as an immediate action

The Kasuri-Gama weapon from the DMG is nice for reach and tripping or just reach.  Its even 1h so you can still use a shield. 

ToB manuevers and stances aren't too hard to understand and master.  Its just different kinds and a lot of reading.  Look at stuff that is useful for your campaign and your build and that compliments other abililites you have.  But yes it is probably the most difficult book to understand (IMO) as it uses somewhat different rules than everything else but its also one of the funnest books to use and play characters from. 

Also no matter what path you end up going with you want 9th level manuevers.  These are insanely powerful IMO.  Tiger claw for example gives you Feral Death Blow that if you hit your foe dies instantly or saves for 20d6 damage and the save is 19+STR mod so it can be quite high.  Other disciplines also have strikes that do massive damage or for Crusader grant you or allies the Heal spell. 

While much of this is probably general advice I hope at least something here was useful and good luck!

 

[gabrion]

Yes your post was helpful, thank you.

I realize my OP wasn't great because it was posted in brainstorming mode and didn't do a great job as far ask asking for help creating a specific build with a specific purpose.  The reason is because while I know the basic concept, I see two different paths it could take.

The basic concept to which I refer is a martial adept wielding a Talenta Sharresh and self-buffing through very powerful inspire courage (doubled by dawn flower dervish and taking advantage of stacking heart fire fanner and vest of legends).

The Talenta Sharresh is a reach weapon, so naturally I'm looking to take advantage of attacks of opportunity, which in turn led me to think that increasing to large size would be ideal.  From that point I have trouble deciding details though.  One option is to use the advantages of reach to focus on lock down type abilities.  This requires investment in feats to optimize, but works well with a crusader build because of the thicket of blades stance.  The other option is to just be a "generalized" reach fighter, still capitalizing on attacks of opportunity, but not on lock down.  In this case the crusader's martial spirit stance (or later on aura of triumph) combined with the therapeutic mantle soulmeld would make for an extremely durable character, healing at least 5 hit points with each attack.

As far as extra movement, I was talking about ways to get extra movement actions, not speed increases.  Reason being I want to be focused on charisma and slippers of battle dancing (dmg 2) allow you to add charisma to attack and damage rolls as long as you use a move action to move 10 feet that round. 

Either way, your input was useful, especially regarding items.  After playing with a few builds, I also tend to agree that master of the nine is too feat intensive.  I was mostly looking at it for the dual stances, but I think it just takes too much to get there.