Gestalt Totemist

[Generic_PC]

Ok, i have a basic build. It is extremely basic at this stage.

Dragonborn Shifter (Soultouched Descent [Heir of the Mishtai, Skarn]) Totemist 7 (Totemist +13)//Barbarian 2/ Fighter 4/Weretouched Master (Tiger) 1 (Weretouched Master +4/Bear Warrior 3/ Warshaper 4/ Bloodclaw Master 2)

Stats:

Str: (10) 16
Dex: (10) 16
Con: (16) 21 (+1, 4th level)   
Int: (7) 13
Wis: (0) 8
Cha: (0) 6

1st: Multiattack, [flaw, Inattentive]Healing Factor
3rd: Improved Natural Attack (Claw) [Claw goes up 2 sizes while Totem Avatar is bound to shoulders, 4 sizes while shifting)
3rd(b): I have no clue.
4th(b): As Above. All the good feats are not fighter bonus feats. Wish Shifter Feats were. Improved Multiattack? Improved Natural Attack (Bite) even.
6th: Shifter Savagery
6th(b): Martial Study (Claw at the Moon)
Somewhere between 6th and 7th, he becomes Dragonborn.
9th: Extra Trait [Longtooth]
10th: Bonus Essentia
12th: (Martial Tiger Claw feat.)
15th: Shifter Feat
18th: Shifter Feat


Is dragonborn enough to count as Draconic for the Dragon Magic Soulmelds? if so, Dragon Tail will be fun. Soulmelds at any given time are Sphinx Claws bound hands (Pounce), Girralon Arms bound Totem (4 claws), Dragon Tail, Rageclaws and Blink Shirt. At tenth level, Totem Avatar bound to Shoulders. Is wormtail belt worth a slot for the Natural Armour?

N alignment. He is on his vision quest, I think. Ima read the Shifter section of Races Of Eberron.


I need a flaw at 6th level, so i can get Bonus Essentia at the same time as Shifter Savagery. Ergh. Advice please?

[VennDygrem]

I'm pretty sure that by going Dragonborn, you lose Shifting, so Shifter Savagery isn't going to work. I guess I could be wrong, but that seems like one of the things you lose as a racial ability.

[Generic_PC]

I dunno... Sinfire seemed to think it was fine earlier in the thread. I don't have access to Dragonborn right now though.

[DavidWL]

Instead of Totemist, you could be a dipmonkey ...

Feat Rogue 2/Monk 2/Paladin 2/Fighter 2/Ranger 1/
-- Take the feat Able Learner for complete skill access
-- Put in Totemist 2/ Incarnate 3 / etc. as desired.

Evasion, Spell Reflection, Cha to Saves
6 bonus fighter feats
Trapfinding, Track

Not what you asked for, but you can add it to any gestalt build to make the build much tougher/more flexible.

Best,
David

[Generic_PC]

Ummmm.... No. Totemist 20 is one half of the build, period. That is how it works.


Anyway, Taking Shifter Savagery should be fine, but i'll ask the DM (Sinfire Titan) about it.

[VennDygrem]

What Generic means is, the specific type of gestalt we're using requires one side to be a single class all throughout. He's not just being stubborn.

[Generic_PC]

As for taking Shifter Savagery, I just realized why it was legal. Even though i had known that beforehand.

This shifter becomes Dragonborn at 6th level, sometime between his 6th and 7th class levels.

[Sinfire Titan]

I'm pretty sure that by going Dragonborn, you lose Shifting, so Shifter Savagery isn't going to work. I guess I could be wrong, but that seems like one of the things you lose as a racial ability.

They keep the Shifting ability if they have a Shifter feat that grants an additional form of shifting (such as Extra Shifter Trait), but they lose the normal racial ability. In effect, the feat replaces it. It's a house rule, but I felt it close enough to the Warforged Dragonborn with Admantine Body feat that I felt the two should be equal.

[Generic_PC]

And once again, having a 6th level flaw would be perfect.

How does the build look so far? Especially Soulmelds other than Girallon Arms and Sphinx Claws for Pounce. Is Dragon Tail, Rageclaws and Blink Shirt good?

Now, other, gestalt-ish stuff.

2 levels of Totemist has good Fort and Ref, d8 hd, medium BAB. 2 levels of Barbarian has good fort, Good BAB, d12 hd. So, first two levels are d12, good fort and ref, good BAB.
next 4 levels of Totemist is exactly the same. Fighter is good fort, good BAB, d10 hd. So, levels 3-6 are good fort and ref, good BAB, d10.
The next level, both classes are good fort/ref, d8 HD. However, Totemist gains a point of BAB, so i assume both classes do. +7/+2 BAB.

HP is double at 1st (12+5)*2, or 34. Afterwards, take average, so 6+5 points for level 2, 5+5*4 for levels 3-6, 4+5 for the last level.

94 hp ain't bad for 7th level. the saves are a different story. I don't even know how to deal with those.

[Sinfire Titan]

And once again, having a 6th level flaw would be perfect.

How does the build look so far? Especially Soulmelds other than Girallon Arms and Sphinx Claws for Pounce. Is Dragon Tail, Rageclaws and Blink Shirt good?

Dragon Tail, normally, would be crap. You're very lucky I know why that soulmeld is underpowered, and am willing to let it slide by (read the soulmeld's base effect very closely). Your soulmelds are very well-picked. Just need to finish the feats and magic items, and you're set.

[Generic_PC]

Hoo. Dragon Tail, by RAW, can't be used as part of a Full Attack Action. ouch.

Maybe I'll drop it then. Wormtail Belt looks good, and i've been looking for a way to slide it in there.

Is Amulet of Mighty Fists (6000 for all my natural attacks to be considered +1) or Necklace of Natural Attacks (15600 for all of my attacks to be considered +1) better? Is either, since i can invest 1 essentia and do the same thing?

+1 Mithral Breastplate? Glamered?

For Dragonborn, would Heart, Mind or Wings be better? i'm leaning towards Wings, cause flying is good, and i could fill some of my feats with Hover and Fly-By Attack.

And, i still need Fighter Bonus feats. Ergh.

[Operation Shoestring]

Bear warrior?  WHY?  A black bear only has 19 str.  Your stats go DOWN when you turn into a bear becaue any decent totemist should have more CON than a bear warrior's bear form.

I like Elan Totemist//Psychic Warrior, with that Elan feat that lets you keep your Psionic Focus by spending 3 PP. Combine that with Deep Impact, and.... ^_^.  Elan also qualify for Rapidstrike.  And psycarnum infusion just rocks all around.

Plus, Psionic Lion's charge frees up your hand chakra for Worg pelt. 

Behir Gorget for a priamary bite attack, and a free trip with worg pelt.  Girralon arms for 4 secondary clows an rend.  (You'll need Double Chakra: Totem)

Alternatively, go ranged with dual-bound Manticore Belt.  Scout3/Beguiler2/Unseen Seer10/Swiftblade(?) on the other side for bonus damage.

You don't gain the bear's stats, you gain stat bonuses based on them. Black Bear form gives you +8 STR, way before you'd normally get Mighty rage (20th level), then at Bear warrior level 5 you get Brown bear form which is +16 STR, still earlier than you'd get Mighty Rage as a normal barbarian. Not to mention, tiny boost to Dex, and great boost to Con.

The thing is, the class has no real benefit past level 5, which is why I suggested taking it only that far.

huh, i remebered wrong then.  And totally missed that elan thing being only 1/day.  My bad.

Still, rapidstrike is enough to make elan worth considering.

Use essentia to get +3 on your natural attacks at your level.  A necklace of natural attacks keyed to bite can work if you use a bite that gives bonus elemental damage instead of enhancement bonus for essentia.

[Generic_PC]

At this point, a shifter is pretty much locked in stone.

All i'm debating is feats (and only like 5 of those) what kind of dragonborn i am (Heart, Wings or Soul) and magic items. The problem with an Amulet of Mighty Fists is that Girallon Arms and Dragon Tail both gain enhancement bounses with essentia invested, which means they don't stack. Thus, 17000 gold and no amulets/necklaces to spend it on.

[woodenbandman]

Have you got the essentia capacity boosters? Also, see if your DM will let you buy one for your totem chakra.

Wait... they cost 25k each. I suppose you could save your money? That, or craft them yourself, all you need is Craft Wondrous item and you can craft 1. Maybe even 2 before the next level.

[Generic_PC]

1st: Multiattack, [flaw, Inattentive]Healing Factor
3rd: Improved Natural Attack (Claw) [Claw goes up 2 sizes while Totem Avatar is bound to shoulders, 4 sizes while shifting)
3rd(b): Combat Reflexes (?)
4th(b): I wish Improved Natural Attack was a fighter bonus feat. Improved Initiative or Improved Unarmed Strike.
6th: Shifter Savagery
6th(b): Martial Study (Claw At The Moon)
Somewhere between 6th and 7th, he becomes Dragonborn.
9th: Extra Trait [Longtooth]
10th: Bonus Essentia
12th: (Martial Tiger Claw feat.)
15th: Elite Longtooth
18th: Shifter Feat

Skarn arm-spines allow me to slide into Weretouched Master (Tiger) with an improved die size to all my claws, even though it disappears later. This should increase my tiny 1d4 to 1d8, or 3d6 while raging and shifting, and once I hit tenth level, 4d6 because of Totem Avatar. Does it not?

Bite isn't as good, going from 1d6 to 4d6 after tenth level. Picking up Imp. Natural Attack increases it to 6d6 though.

So, my build... Totemist 20//Barbarian2/Fighter 4/Weretouched Master 5/Warshaper 4/Bear Warrior 3/Bloodclaw Master 2.

Bear Warrior can be totally cut out at this point, since Weretouched Master 5 gives me Alternate Form, which definetly qualifies. I mean, as much as i would like to bend game physics by morphing into a tiger-bear clawing biting tail sweeping ball of fur, Is there something better than Bear Warrior?

[Sinfire Titan]

Have you got the essentia capacity boosters? Also, see if your DM will let you buy one for your totem chakra.

Wait... they cost 25k each. I suppose you could save your money? That, or craft them yourself, all you need is Craft Wondrous item and you can craft 1. Maybe even 2 before the next level.

The Incarnum Focus items were errataed in the MiC to cost 15K. Still expensive, but not as bad. This also means that either effect can be applied to an item for 7,500gp, or you can mix them with other items the same way you do for stat boosters. Multiple Foci on the same slot don't stack though.

I always thought an Incarnum Focus for the Totem would be a ring. It's one of the few slots meldshapers never have a need for, and it makes perfect sense for the Totem to have one. At least, until you realize you can't shape a soulmeld on the Totem slot by itself (it has to be attached to another chakra slot whether or not it's bound).

Hoo. Dragon Tail, by RAW, can't be used as part of a Full Attack Action. ouch.

Maybe I'll drop it then. Wormtail Belt looks good, and i've been looking for a way to slide it in there.

Is Amulet of Mighty Fists (6000 for all my natural attacks to be considered +1) or Necklace of Natural Attacks (15600 for all of my attacks to be considered +1) better? Is either, since i can invest 1 essentia and do the same thing?

+1 Mithral Breastplate? Glamered?

For Dragonborn, would Heart, Mind or Wings be better? i'm leaning towards Wings, cause flying is good, and i could fill some of my feats with Hover and Fly-By Attack.

And, i still need Fighter Bonus feats. Ergh.

Dragonborn with Wings would be the most optimal, as it conserves a Soulmeld slot. Although the Blindsense provided by the Mind is really useful.

See if you have enough feats to gun for the Robilar's Gambit+Karmic Strike feats. Both of those will help your damage output.

[Generic_PC]

I don't think i have enough for Rolibars/Karmic Strike. Karmic Strike because of the pre-req of Dodge, Rolibars Gambit because of the Pre-req of +12 bab, which means that by the time i can get it, I have no open feat slots.

1st: Shifter Multiattack (Shifter),
1st: [flaw, Inattentive] Healing Factor (Shifter)
3rd: Improved Natural Attack (Claw) [Claw goes up 2 sizes while Totem Avatar is bound to shoulders, 4 sizes while shifting) (Shifter)
3rd(b): Combat Reflexes (?)
4th(b): Martial Study (Sudden Leap)
6th: Shifter Savagery (Shifter)
6th(b): Martial Study (Hunter's Sense)
Somewhere between 6th and 7th, he becomes Dragonborn.
9th: Extra Trait [Longtooth] (Shifter)
10th: Bonus Essentia
12th: Fly-By Attack
15th: Elite Longtooth (Shifter)
18th: Hover

Pick up a Tiger Claw Bracer of Claw at the Moon sometime before 4th level.

Thats 1500 gold down, only 15500 gold left. +1 Glamered Mithral Breastplate? 8050. I would also like a use activated item for Enlarge Person, if Sinfire can find it in his heart to give me one.

As you can probably guess by the 12th and 18th level feats, Dragonborn Wings is the way to go. Now i just need Speed Enhancers.

[BowenSilverclaw]

Now i just need Speed Enhancers.

Boots of Speed?

[Generic_PC]

work on fly speeds?

[BowenSilverclaw]

It's a Haste effect, so IIRC it should...