Optimizing a Black Ethergaunt for gestalt?

[anomalousman]

Well, for one thing, d12 vs d8 HD is not a humongous difference for a non-beatstick, paralysis and sleep effects tend to be rare and weak enough that there's no point protecting against them, and Black Ethergaunt's Total Vision (Ex) ability completely trumps low-light vision.

However, not needing food and sleep is a big, big deal, so are skill points and proficiency with martial weapons is not a huge benefit but it's much more helpful than anything half-dragon can bring to the table, besides, maybe wings and breath weapon, both of which a wizzard can circumvent with ease.

Plus, half-dragon doesn't change racial saves or BAB.  Or, for an ethergaunt, wings.

[Silent Wayfarer]

Hm, does the half-celestial template give those changes?

[Wih]

Hm, does the half-celestial template give those changes?

Nope, both Celestial and Half-Celestial will just be Augmented.

EDIT:

Psuedonatural may be able to do it, but there's no designated LA for it.

[Cyrocloud]

EPH psuedonatural or CA psuedonatural?

[Wih]

Looking over it, neither works. I must have remembered wrong, both just make you Augmented.

[Silent Wayfarer]

Otherworldly feat is the least painful way, regional reqs aside. Shadowcrafter makes you an outsider at level 10, but it might be too long to wait for.

[Idontknow]

just take a prestige class, (like divine disciple) that makes you an outsider , on your other gestalt side

[woodenbandman]

Exemplar or KotSS will work fine.

[anomalousman]

You're trying to optimise.  You could go all the way and take the saint template.

LA +2:
Full outsider type.
+2 to save DCs
Wis to AC
DR 10/evil
Fast healing 10
Immunity to acid, cold, lightning, electricity and petrification, Resist Fire 10
Con +2, Wis +2, Cha +4
Plus some extra bits.

Any sane DM would put the brakes on before that, but I'm thinking if gestalt ethergaunts are in...

[woodenbandman]

add in monk1 and carmedine monk, see if you can get those to stack up!

[Widow]

If you have access to dragon magazine, issue #280 has the eldrich master PrC class.  This class allows you to add another classes spell list to yours every 4 levels.  It also nets you bonus metamagic feats and a bonus spell slot one level higher than you can currently cast every 3 levels.  Finally it adds its level to all level based effects of a spell cast by an arcane caster.  So for instance if you were a wizard 5/ Eldrich Master 5 casting a spell, the duration, range, and damage would all equal to level 10.  It does not actually increase your caster level though (so spell resistence checks the same).

Black Ethergaunt 20// wizard 1/Saint Template 2/Monk 2 (if you want Int to AC)/Eldrich Master 10/Geometer 2/Uncanny Trickster 3

What do you get
1) Full 20 levels of Spell progression with effective caster level of 32 before equipment
2) Wizard, Cleric, Bard, and Druid Spell lists
3) Dex, Int, Wis to AC
4) Outsider type
5) One page spells in spell books (Get Baccobs blessed book, your spell book will basically be the entire Spell compendium)
6) 4 bonus metamagic feats with only 1 feat required for build (if monk, Int to AC)

The order of the build can be moved around.  Have the wizard offest the 1 LA in the first 5 levels and the 2 geometer levels offset the remaining 2 LA for full casting progression.  The monk levels are not needed, but as suggest by woodenbandman they can give you Int to AC.  Also the saint template gives you the outsider type and wisdom to ac as suggested by anomalousman.

The only trick here is using the Uncanny Trickster.  Using it to advance Eldrich master above 10th level Pre-epic maynot be allowed by some DM's.  You can always drop it and still have 2 extra spell lists and 3 bonus metamagic feats.

I have a similar gestalt build Beguiler 20//Cleric 2/Bard 3/Eldrich Master 5 (cleric list to beguiler)/Sublime Chord 2 (selecting beguiler for spell caster level)/Dweomerkeeper 8 (advancing sublime chord).  Ends up with a caster level of 30/ 35 effective.  The beguiler can spontanously cast its list plus the clerics, while the sublime chord has Sorc + Bard spells.  The races of destiny's Illurien (spelling) race used to give effective divine metamagic persistent spell with any list, not to mention no component casting from dweomerkeeper.

Sorry for the long response.

[Heliomance]

If you have access to dragon magazine, issue #280 has the eldrich master PrC class.  This class allows you to add another classes spell list to yours every 4 levels.

That is horrifically, disgustingly broken. Can anyone say Warmage?

[BowenSilverclaw]

Meh, we already have the Rainbow Warsnake Prestige Bard for that

Doesn't even lose CLs

[Anklebite]

Meh, we already have the Rainbow Warsnake Prestige Bard for that

Doesn't even lose CLs

with DMM: persist and everything, all by level 13 

[Heliomance]

That doesn't let you spontcast from the Druid list.

[tusk]

Anyone cares to spare a linky to the "awesome monster" thread? My search-fu seems too weak for that.

Out of curiosity, which book does black ethergaunt come from?

[Agita]

Anyone cares to spare a linky to the "awesome monster" thread? My search-fu seems too weak for that.

Out of curiosity, which book does black ethergaunt come from?

Shame on you. It's the very first hit.

B.E. is from the Fiend Folio.

[tusk]

It BUUUUUUUUUUURNS!! AHHH!![/mock pain]

 

[Widow]

Meh, we already have the Rainbow Warsnake Prestige Bard for that

Doesn't even lose CLs

While that is great for non-gestalt, Eldrich master is far superior in the gestalt setting.  With 8 levels you get two additional spell lists and add 8 effective levels to your spell casting level (with uncanny trickster and 13 levels you get 3 lists and +12 to caster level).  The rainbow sevant gets just one list in 10 levels which you don't get to choose.  Also the casting progression is not needed unless you are running your gestalt character as a dual caster, in which case you might as well just go cleric (or archivist with a sacred exorcist level for turning) on the other side to get a lot more spells per day.  Not to mention you could then take Dwenomer Keeper progression with Iniate of Mystra which is far superior to rainbow sevanting warmage on other other side.  Free wishes, True resurrections, and Alamanther's Returns are a go while in an antimagic field!

Black Ethergaunt 20//Cleric 5/Dwenomer Keeper 10/ X 3/Saint 2  (not in that order necessarily)

An additional note, Eldrich master gives you a spell slot one level higher than you can currently cast every 4 levels (for one specific spell only).  In my listed build from the other post, that would get you an extra 6th, 8th, and 10th level spell slot.  A pre-epic level 10 slot cannot hurt, even if it is only for one specific spell.  And you get a bonus metamagic feat every 3 levels.

If you want divine metamagic tricks, just drop uncanny trickerster or geometer to pick up a sacred exorcist level.  We are already in the realm of dragon magazine anyway, so take the alternate spell source feat.  It allows you to cast arcane as divine and vice versa.  Only downside is the spell counts as one spell level lower, so you are at -1 DC, but should not matter for personal buff spells.  Divine metamagic up anything you want.

I wonder why no one ever gives the Beguiler love with this added list classes.  I would rather have the 6 skill points and nice class skill list than the warmages edge.