Crusader, Hellreaver, Deepstone Sentinel build

[Unbeliever]

...
So it's not a terrible class by itself, but compared to Knight and Crusader in almost all aspects, who can do his job just as well without being restricted to the ground, you're simply left with, "Why bother?"

Yeah, I really really want to like Deepstone Sentinel.  I haven't looked at it in a while, but I recall that being my feeling. 

OP, what about using Earth Devotion (Complete Champion)?  Won't that give you a lot of what you're looking for.

Also, I can see the utility of some (or even a fair amount, 5 or even 8 levels maybe) of Hellreaver in a build like this.  Here's what it's got going for it.  It has easy healing, healing that you can use reliably and not have to worry about hitting an opponent or that doesn't impede your damaging strikes.  And, it can make your single strikes a lot more accurate.  A Crusader could really benefit from that:  there's nothing worth than missing with those big standard action strikes.  Finally, you don't lose that much from taking it.  You still get half its levels as initiator levels, so it's not a huge cost. 

OP, it's been a couple of weeks since you posted this.  It's not hard to build a character that will pummel people, take the hits that involves, and lock some folks down.  I just built one based on Monk (anything works with sufficient optimization ...).  If you're still interested I can whip up a build stub.

[bobtheapple]

Personally, I'd take the Incarnum dip over the Binder dip for a couple of reasons.  First of all, while Naberius is generally more useful, if you are regularly using Heroic Sacrifice you are plinking yourself for 10-20 damage every 5 rounds due to the con loss.  You heal that temporary hp loss back in 1-2 rounds, so its nothing major, but it still is a weakness you wouldn't have with Strongheart Vest.  Secondly, dipping Incarnum opens up Therapeutic Mantle at low levels, doubling (or 2.5x depending on ruling) the effectiveness of the Martial Spirit stance, and also contributing to other Crusader abilities.  Early game survivability is apparently the most pressing problem, and the Hellbreaker healing doesn't kick in until level 7 at the earliest, and isn't replenishable mid-fight until 10 at the earliest.  Something like:

Code: [Select]

Azurin or Other
01 - Crusader    1 - Stone Power, Extra Granted Maneuver
02 - Incarnate   1 -
03 - Crusader    2 - [Combat Reflexes]
04 - Crusader    3 -
05 - Crusader    4 -
06 - Crusader    5 - Bonus Essentia
07 - Hellbreaker 1 -
08 - Hellbreaker 2 -
09 - Hellbreaker 3 - [Improved (S)trip]
10 - Hellbreaker 4 -
11 - Hellbreaker 5 -
12 - Crusader    6 - [Mage Slayer]
13 - Crusader    7 -
14 - Crusader    8 -
15 - Crusader    9 - [Robilar's Gambit]
16 - Crusader   10 -
17 - Crusader   11 -
18 - Crusader   12 - [Defensive Sweep]
19 - Crusader   13 -
20 - Crusader   14 -
Feats marked in brackets are suggestions, power attack can be subbed for stone power.
Highest Level Maneuver: 8th
Highest Level Stance: 8th

Would cost a level and a feat, but it allows you to heal 5 hp on every swing at early levels (2-5), 7 hp at 6, and makes your crusader's strike heal for +2 until level 7-8, where you get the Hellbreaker heal.  It also gets eighth level stances and maneuvers, such as Immortal Fortitude and Greater Divine Surge, which when combined with Strongheart Vest, is a free extra +4 TH, +14d8 damage on an Azurin, less on a non Azurin, and more if you really want to dump.  Naberius can do it more often, but Strongheart Vest can do it with more burst or for free. 

Regardless of what dip you choose (they both work great with Hellbreaker) I would strongly advise against Deepstone Sentinel.  Their lack of stance progression alone is damming enough, but it restricts your highest level maneuvers (unless you go into another initiator class afterwards) to Stone Dragon maneuvers, which cannot be used off the ground... and in high level D&D, that's where fights tend to take place.  Since its a ECL 11-15 class, that is very problematic.  This is in addition to the flaws in the class abilities that Tonymitsu described.  The only good that comes from it is Dragon's Tooth's UNLIMITED PILLAR WORKS (which is a glorious ability, mind you.  The uses for an unlimited amount of 5/5/5 or 10/5/5 non-magical stone pillars that are dismiss-able are staggering in number.  But even this is flawed: it can only be used on unworked stone or earth.)

[Beaker]

Thank you all for your input. Unfortunately I won't be able to pursue this guy again for a while, he died last session. We activated a trap which released a shambling mound who got hits with both of its tentacles, made the grapple check, and its constrict damage. I wound up unconscious at -5 first round. Then our brilliant druid decided to cast Entangle on it, yea that just made it bigger. The rogue and my unconscious crusader are the only people who survive this buffed up mound. Once the rogue was done with the mound he walked over to me and put a dagger in my throat. So yea, Ill come back to this guy in a while.