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The Thinktank => Min/Max It! => : Saberwolfx February 22, 2010, 10:11:13 PM

: Gestalting help - Arcane Strike Build
: Saberwolfx February 22, 2010, 10:11:13 PM
Okay, well my DM felt like he was able to handle gestalt characters so I gave it my first try.
How the gestalt works in his game is that instead of having both progressions at once, you have the Class abilities of one of them already at lvl20 and you get the other ones as you level up. The feats, stat bonus, BAB and saves are level per normal rules

The build is focused around the Arcane Strike feat and the Iaijutsu Focus But I have three feats left to take. with the sorc 20 I have plently of spell slot to burn and neat spells

As far as my weapons go the DM allowed me to use an ironwood bokken for bludgeoning and mighty whalloping damage and is usable for my reqs too

Race: Human
Progression 1:

Sorcerer 20

Progression 2:

Duskblade 7
Iaijutsu Master 5
Duskblade 8

Feats:
1: Quickdraw
1 (Human): Skill Knowledge (Iaijutsu Focus)
3: Improved Initiative
6: Weapon Focus (Bokken)
9: Arcane Strike
11 (Iaijutsu Master): Power Attack - Iaijutsu
12: ?
15: ?
18: ?

Stats (28 point buy):

STR:12
DEX:8
CON:14
INT:14
WIS:8
CHA:17

The shocktrooper feat chain was an ok option but I already tried that and want some fresh and new featness with a lemon flavor if possible.

So thank you in advance if you can help me

EDIT: After talking with the DM the sorcerer levels cannot be in both progression so I had to drop the Kobold race for human, and I realized I had enough feat space to drop the two levels of fighter. I might need some help to optimiize the stats too after all and if it's not too much trouble, suggesting a PrC for the sorcerer progression, if necessary.
: Re: Gestalting help - Arcane Strike Build
: deuxhero February 22, 2010, 10:35:52 PM
Factotum 8/warblade 12//Wizard and full casting prcs 20


There.
: Re: Gestalting help - Arcane Strike Build
: Saberwolfx February 22, 2010, 10:45:25 PM
Factotum 8/warblade 12//Wizard and full casting prcs 20


There.

Here, have the 9th commandment of practical CO

Respect the parameters of the request.

Sorry if I wasn't clear enough, but I asked for help with choosing my feats... At first
: Re: Gestalting help - Arcane Strike Build
: deuxhero February 22, 2010, 10:54:12 PM
Martial Study (bonus points if you build upon that with Heroics to aquire better manuvers or stances.)
: Re: Gestalting help - Arcane Strike Build
: ninjarabbit February 22, 2010, 11:06:12 PM
Improved familiar is good is pretty good since you'll have full BAB and decent hit points. Knowledge devotion is also a good feat for gishes.
: Re: Gestalting help - Arcane Strike Build
: Saberwolfx February 22, 2010, 11:26:59 PM
Improved familiar is good is pretty good since you'll have full BAB and decent hit points. Knowledge devotion is also a good feat for gishes.

Cool, well then I'm going to take Knowledge Devo, power attack and Martial Study for Sapphire Nightmade blade. Thanks for the help on the feats. If you still have time Ninja... or Rabbit? or both? can you run a scan on the sorc progression and stats to see if I get a seal of approval? or something to improve on Please?
: Re: Gestalting help - Arcane Strike Build
: CantripN February 23, 2010, 05:19:50 AM
You got plans for actually using spells here?

Some interesting suggestions for spells (pick some, not all):
1st - True Strike, Burning Rage, Blade of Blood.
2nd - Wraithstrike, Heroics, Whispercast, Glitterdust, Quick Potion.
3rd - Haste, Dragonskin, Investiture of the Chain Devil, Giant's Wrath.
4th - Heart of Earth, Ruin Delver's Fortune, Investiture of the Steel Devil.
5th - Arcane Fusion, Investiture of the Orthon, Greater Enlarge Person.
6th - Antimagic Field, Eyes of the Oracle, Freezing Fog.
7th - Arcane Spellsurge, Stored Lightning Bolt, Investiture of the Ice Devil, Elemental Body.
8th - Greater Arcane Fusion, Ghostform, Mystic Shield, Superior Invisibility.
9th - Replicate Casting, Absorption.
: Re: Gestalting help - Arcane Strike Build
: Saberwolfx February 23, 2010, 08:10:24 PM
You got plans for actually using spells here?

Some interesting suggestions for spells (pick some, not all):
1st - True Strike, Burning Rage, Blade of Blood.
2nd - Wraithstrike, Heroics, Whispercast, Glitterdust, Quick Potion.
3rd - Haste, Dragonskin, Investiture of the Chain Devil, Giant's Wrath.
4th - Heart of Earth, Ruin Delver's Fortune, Investiture of the Steel Devil.
5th - Arcane Fusion, Investiture of the Orthon, Greater Enlarge Person.
6th - Antimagic Field, Eyes of the Oracle, Freezing Fog.
7th - Arcane Spellsurge, Stored Lightning Bolt, Investiture of the Ice Devil, Elemental Body.
8th - Greater Arcane Fusion, Ghostform, Mystic Shield, Superior Invisibility.
9th - Replicate Casting, Absorption.

Sweet! Le thanks!
: Re: Gestalting help - Arcane Strike Build
: ninjarabbit February 23, 2010, 10:42:56 PM
I'd redo the stats a bit

str 14
dex 10
con 12
int 14
wis 8
cha 16

Con isn't that important once you start arcane channeling vampric touch

Since you're a duskblade I'd try to get as many touch attack spells as possible on the sorcerer side, a good one is shriveling touch.

Abjurant champion would be awesome for this build on either side, a level of spellsword would work too for the -10% ASF on the sorcerer side.
: Re: Gestalting help - Arcane Strike Build
: templer10 February 24, 2010, 10:08:31 AM
if you ask CantripN nice enough he can point you to his build for something similar to what you Want he using at our current game group - althrough in power levels it's pretty high - even when talking about gestalt and it's only Viable to play since the whole group including the DM optimize to the 9th degree.  (well - the DM cheats - but whatever...).
: Re: Gestalting help - Arcane Strike Build
: CantripN February 24, 2010, 12:32:11 PM
if you ask CantripN nice enough he can point you to his build for something similar to what you Want he using at our current game group - althrough in power levels it's pretty high - even when talking about gestalt and it's only Viable to play since the whole group including the DM optimize to the 9th degree.  (well - the DM cheats - but whatever...).

What, THIS (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=6044.msg200017#msg200017)?

Some general notes:
0 - Sorcerers got shafted by Wizards. Talk to your DM about either getting more spells known (I'm using the Favored Soul table), and no delayed spell levels (...and this, too). Also, no reason you shouldn't get Bonus Feats like a Wizard does. Take Fighter Bonus Feat at levels 1/5/10/15/20 if you have to play a Sorcerer 20 (see note 1, though).
1 - No reason to be a Sorcerer 20 on one side. You can have PrCs on the levels you're not taking any at the other side. Something as simple as Abjurant Champion OR Jade Phoenix Mage OR Swiftblade works just fine. Swiftblade is probably the most powerful, but it's a close call at high levels.
2 - Use your CHA for more than Spellcasting, Initiative and Damage (which I'm sure you'd have a LOT of). At the least, get it to AC and Saves once for the boost in survivability. I'd get it twice or more, if I were you, which you can easily do (...and I am).
3 - Plan your spells level by level.
4 - Get spells and effects that boost your CHA. Most are Bard Spells, but some are Paladin spells, and some are the effect of Greater Planar Binding a Lilitu for +2 Profane to CHA. Playing something with a Racial +4 CHA pays off.
5 - Plan your items level by level.
6 - Be on good terms with your friendly Cleric/Archivist. You need the buffs.
7 - Combat Panache is GOOD (http://realmshelps.dandello.net/cgi-bin/feats.pl?Combat_Panache).
8 - So is this Feat: Ability Enhancer! (http://realmshelps.dandello.net/cgi-bin/feats.pl?Ability_Enhancer)
9 - Domain Access (CC) as written sucks, but ask your DM to use it more than 1/day per spell level and it might be worth it.
10 - If you take this Feat, it WILL be worth it (http://realmshelps.dandello.net/cgi-bin/feats.pl?Customize_Domain).
11 - Slippers of Battledancing should be your goal in life. Failing that, a Thunderlance will do in a pinch.
12 - Draconic Pacts give you a good return for your cost. Use them well.
13 - Initiate of Mystra (http://realmshelps.dandello.net/cgi-bin/feats.pl?Initiate_of_Mystra) is probably the best feat for a Sorcerer anywhere, if only for the versatility. But casting spells in an AMF is NICE.
14 - Seems obvious, but Divine Champion, as written, is VERY powerful. Overly so, in fact. Use it well. Fuel it with the SLAs from your Draconic Pact and low-level spells.
15 - The Spell-like Ability Dragonblood Sorcerers get is nice. Having Greater Arcane Fusion known twice (once as a SLA and once as a Spell) is worth it. That's like having 3x7th+3x4th (Free Action) level spells for 1x8th+1x9th.
16 - If you can, take Supernatural Transformation for your 18th level feat on your Greater Arcane Fusion SLA. Supernatural Spells are useful, to say the least.