4th level character help - favored soul or warblade?

[carborundum]

I'm making a character for a weekend adventure. It's 4th level going to 5th and with a bit of luck the 2nd weekend will be 6th, possibly 7th. I'd like him to be competent, not too complicated and with a few tricks up his sleeve. I've always wanted to play a Warblade and a Favored Soul - your opinions and ideas are most welcome.

Starting level 4th
Equipment 4250gp
Rules: PHB and 2 other books max. (Yup - ouch!)
Abilities: 17, 16, 13, 10, 11, 8 (thank you, dice)

So - whaddya think?

[sirpercival]

So you don't get the dmg either?  Because there's no equipment in the PHB...

Can you lobby for SRD instead of PHB?  It's readily available to everyone with an internet connection at d20SRD.org, and would help dramatically.

That being said, I would pick Warblade, because with Favored Soul there are too many other books you'd need (CDiv for the class, SpC for the spells, CChamp for OTHER spells).  Warblade is pretty contained in a single book.

Can you get homebrew allowed?

Do you know anything about the rest of the party?  If you'd like to be both beatstick and party support is to play a bardblade, which still only needs ToB; I'd probably then grab either Dragon Magic for DFI and Silverbrow Human, or Magic Item Compendium.

Even if you don't want to go bardblade, I'd still suggest ToB and MIC.

[carborundum]

I was thinking MIC and the other equipment is in the tables at the back :-) That might be swingable...

Bardblade at those levels - that sounds fun! Though wouldn't he just be giving +1 bonus and maybe losing 2nd level maneuvers? I haven't seen the bardblade build yet - time for a search! What's DFI again?

Thanks!

[sirpercival]

Dragonfire Inspiration.  It turns your inspiration pluses into d6's of damage.

If you get MIC, you can get the badge of valor for an additional +1 3/day.

[carborundum]

Thank you - and I found bardblade. Now to choose between Dragon Magic and MIC :-)
I think Dragon Magic - the back-story and fun to be had with a silver dragon in the family is already getting me inspired!

[Unbeliever]

I'd second the bardblade.  It seems to do what you want from it from the OP. 

Also, presumably there are going to be magic items given out in this campaign, right?  If that's the case, then the MIC will likely be "in play" at some point.  I've never even heard of having to put that on a list of available books for such reasons.  Although I happen to think book limiting is dumb as it is.

[carborundum]

Thanks! So what would you guys do with the abilities? Bard seems to have totally different priorities to Warblade, though the extra skill points are a help of course.
I'm now thinking 17, 16, 13, 10, 11, 8
Str 11 ->12 at 4th
Dex 16
Con 10
Int 13
Wis 8
Cha 17

Then stay out of trouble til the magic d12 comes around at level 5 :-)

[sirpercival]

I think Str>Dex, depending on what you're going to do weapon-wise.

[TSS]

I'm late to the party but 11 Str, 10 Con? That... isn't something you should go into melee with. 10 Con isn't exactly safe to cast with either, but at least then you don't have to go into melee range.

I don't suppose it isn't too late for you to switch to Favored Soul or something, anything that doesn't have to melee with those stats?

[carborundum]

I love the Bardblade idea, though I've just noticed I'll really want Melodic Casting - which is Complete Mage. Core books count as one book now, so my other 2 books being Dragon Magic and Complete Mage would mean no Tome of Battle. Which means straight Silverbrow Bard. Grrr - book limiting is frustrating once the min/max urge has been awakened :-)
It's a new DM and he'll have 6 players doing an adventure geared for 4, and he has a busy family life so little prep time.