Psion or Erudite? Level 15, gestalt other side is WS Ranger/MoMF 10

[the_shadowmind]

Okay now I'm trying to make a character build for a gestalt dungeon crawl game.
StP Erudite hasn't been disallowed, but I would quite rather not select that.

Objective character idea is a psionic shapechanger. All book are open except BoVD,BoED, and MMII. Only a limited about of UA is allowed, (variant classes, and flaws are mostly what is allowed.)
Okay for the race I'm thinking psiforged, so that is 1 feat taken up, Alterness will take another feat for the MoMF qualifications.
Two Prestige classes can be taken at the same time, but dual class prestige classes have to qualify on that side.

So for the one side which psionic class to choose. The Psion, using possibly the Slayer or Crystal Master PrCs(other options possible),  or near straight Erudite(because of the UPD and the to many non Erudite class problem). And if psion which one(Shaper, Egoist, etc? And ACFs)


For the MoMF, when you add Metamorphic Transfer to gain a (Su) ability a few times a day which are good forms for that? And some good forms in general.

The advanced psionic tattoos haven't been approved yet, so no Swift action PsyRef for 14 PP at will yet. And even then it would be an emergency use for cases of most enemies undead, when half of your powers are mind effecting situation.

[Lycanthromancer]

What level is this starting at?

How about changeling egoist (using the ACF from Races of Eberron)/ghostbreaker (from Hyperconscious)/illithid slayer//wildshape ranger/totemist/MoMF/warshaper?

He's the ultimate shapeshifter this side of a phasm.

[the_shadowmind]

Starting level is 15, with half the exp to level 16(for things like item crafting, etc.

3rd party isn't allowed, even though Hyperconscious is a good book.
Before anyone suggests it, Leadership and variants aren't allowed(including Thrallherd.)

Isn't the SRD's slayer better than illithid slayer? Totemist and Warshaper will have to wait, getting MoMF finished first is important.

[Lycanthromancer]

Starting level is 15, with half the exp to level 16(for things like item crafting, etc.

3rd party isn't allowed, even though Hyperconscious is a good book.
Before anyone suggests it, Leadership and variants aren't allowed(including Thrallherd.)

Isn't the SRD's slayer better than illithid slayer? Totemist and Warshaper will have to wait, getting MoMF finished first is important.

Totemist/psion is incredibly useful, since you can use the Psionic Open Chakra power with a great big ML boost to bind high-level chakras far before you could otherwise. See: shoulders-bound Phase Cloak at level 9.

And yes, slayer is better than illithid slayer, because you don't have to kill illithids to get in, and you can choose which psionic critter you want to focus on.

[awaken DM golem]

Erudite side could be made to work, but
it's a fairly large change in what you're doing.
You turn into a Utility Wizard as of round 2 of combat.
Lyca's build idea is better, even if you don't have Ghostbreaker.

Discipline Erudite variant in Mind's Eye
picking PsyMetabolism (Transmutation),
Chameleon Crafting feat from Dr#349,
party has both a Divine and an Arcane caster
to poach spells off of. If you don't have
Div Arc helpers, this doesn't work much at all.

Shapechange (su) list is still around here somewhere.

[the_shadowmind]

For Totemist, would a Psion 3/Totemist 2/Soul Manifester 10 Work?. Two ML behind, and would already be a power level behind unless straight psion 15 was chosen. The bonus feat would be spent on the psicrystal of course.

Found the (Su) list here

With Metamorphic Transfer, taking it more than once say you gain one additional supernatural ability, does that mean 1 more use, or you pick two (Su) abilities of your form or what?

[Lycanthromancer]

For Totemist, would a Psion 3/Totemist 2/Soul Manifester 10 Work?. Two ML behind, and would already be a power level behind unless straight psion 15 was chosen. The bonus feat would be spent on the psicrystal of course.

Found the (Su) list here

With Metamorphic Transfer, taking it more than once say you gain one additional supernatural ability, does that mean 1 more use, or you pick two (Su) abilities of your form or what?

MT gives you 3 Su abilities per day, picked from whatever form you're in when you decide to use it. So 3 different ones from 3 different forms, 3 different ones from the same form, 3 uses of the same Su ability from one form, or anything in between. Each time you take the feat you gain 1 additional Su ability.

[the_shadowmind]

How does it work with constant abilities like the Arcane Ooze's spell siphon, the Nymph's Unearthly Grace, the Choker's Quickness?

Is the Soul Manifester a Decent PrC for the Psionic Wildshaper build?

I think I'm going with Psiforge over Changling for the type immunities, since wild shape doesn't change your type now.

[the_shadowmind]

Let me check if this tactic works.
Wild shape into a Protean Scourges, choosing Split with Metamoprhic transfer
Getting hit(even hit your self).
Become Two Protean Scourges with near full hit points(can't change shape until rejoining), share a power point pool(due to transparency, any other reading would mean a doubling of power points.)
Each Scourges manifest Fission on Self. Then the Two full and the two -2 Scourges manifest fission.
Each round have
4 standard actions(two at ML -2), 4 Standard actions[mental],(two at ML -6, two at ML -6), 4 move actions.
Only take half damage for the two fissions, and no damage from the main two bodies(two lives, nothing says the other body has to be alive to refuse other, and you have to kill both to truly kill it)
You've become a party of psionic adventures all to your self.
I think the StP Erudite can do it better, but still.

[Lycanthromancer]

How does it work with constant abilities like the Arcane Ooze's spell siphon, the Nymph's Unearthly Grace, the Choker's Quickness?

Generally always-on abilities last for as long as you're in the form, I'd imagine. Otherwise they'd be always on until you turned them off (or forever, if you can't choose that option), which is borked.

This makes pixie form pretty nice, really. And choker is even better.

However, your DM might say otherwise.

Is the Soul Manifester a Decent PrC for the Psionic Wildshaper build?

Soul manifester is a good class, though I find a dip into incarnate or totemist + Psionic Open Chakra to be pretty damned good by itself.

I think I'm going with Psiforge over Changling for the type immunities, since wild shape doesn't change your type now.

Warforged is not a bad decision at all, though Psiforged isn't a very good feat. I'd rather use...well...just about anything but the unarmored one (since dragonborn is better for that).

Let me check if this tactic works.

Wild shape into a Protean Scourges, choosing Split with Metamoprhic transfer
Getting hit(even hit your self).

Become Two Protean Scourges with near full hit points(can't change shape until rejoining), share a power point pool(due to transparency, any other reading would mean a doubling of power points.)

Each Scourges manifest Fission on Self. Then the Two full and the two -2 Scourges manifest fission.

Each round have 4 standard actions(two at ML -2), 4 Standard actions[mental],(two at ML -6, two at ML -6), 4 move actions.

Only take half damage for the two fissions, and no damage from the main two bodies(two lives, nothing says the other body has to be alive to refuse other, and you have to kill both to truly kill it)

You've become a party of psionic adventures all to your self.

I think the StP Erudite can do it better, but still.

Yeah, this is the kind of thing psionics does well, though I'm sure you'll drain yourself of pp pretty damned quick.

However, remember that your DM may say nay, or do something evil to you for doing this.

[the_shadowmind]

I'm not sure how Wild shape interacts with Soulmelds/chakras. Do meld into the form like normal magic items or do they stay active like class features. The mention I could find was that the interaction with polymorph is stated, but the person didn't give a page number. Why does MoI have to be so poorly organized.

For getting a effective high ML, does standard Arcane Caster Level boosts from a Wiz/Sor, then have the Wiz/ Sor cast Mental Pinnacle for CL=ML, then Metaconcert with him, or is Fusion necessary for this to work?

[Lycanthromancer]

I'm not sure how Wild shape interacts with Soulmelds/chakras. Do meld into the form like normal magic items or do they stay active like class features. The mention I could find was that the interaction with polymorph is stated, but the person didn't give a page number. Why does MoI have to be so poorly organized.

Soulmelds aren't items, and thus don't meld (heh) into your body when you wildshape. They stay on your form if you have the correct body-slots or something equivalent (front limbs for hands/arms slots, head for the crown, etc).

Also be careful of a changing Con score. Being undead actually helps here, since you use your Cha with the Undead Meldshaper feat, and that doesn't change when you do.

[the_shadowmind]

Okay I can get the Waist/Throat chakra using Over Channel, by takingt 3d8, which doesn't matter much when fast healing 22 is in easy graps(Frozen Wildshape, yes please). Any forms that have a higher fast healing?

Since I have 6 soul melds, I need to keep Con to 16, unless the form is worth losing a few soulmelds.
Using necropolitan might make the build for mad. And it would cost me the Soul Manifester levels.I'm going to stick with normal warforged, from your suggestion to ignore psiforged body,

Does Intellect Fortress reduce damage from spells and spell-like sources if normal transparency is in play?

Thanks for the help so far.

Was thinking about making a Skin of Proteus for the psicrystal, but with only a ML 7 I don't know how much use it would be, even with the psicrystal having metamorphic transfer(Host feat at level 1, using the ability boosts every 4 levels on wisdom)