Gestalt Ideas

[TheChuck]

Hey all, a buddy of mine and I are going to run some solo games for each other with gestalt level 20 characters.  Neither of us are interested in breaking the game or anything, but merely testing out builds and whatnot.  I though of this to take advantage of the racial paragon classes.

Half-Orc

1 Barbarian // Sorcerer
2 Half-Orc Paragon // Sorcerer
3 Half-Orc Paragon // Sorcerer
4 Half-Orc Paragon // Sorcerer
5 Human Paragon // Sorcerer
6 Human Paragon // Dragon Disciple
7 Human Paragon // Dragon Disciple
8 Sorcerer // Dragon Disciple
9 Sorcerer // Dragon Disciple
10 Sorcerer // Dragon Disciple
11 Sorcerer // Dragon Disciple
12 Sorcerer // Dragon Disciple
13 Sorcerer // Dragon Disciple
14 Sorcerer // Dragon Disciple
15 Sorcerer // Dragon Disciple
16 Sorcerer // Half-Dragon Paragon
17 Sorcerer // Half-Dragon Paragon
18 Sorcerer // Half-Dragon Paragon
19 Sorcerer // Barbarian
20 Sorcerer // Barbarian

Were I to build this guy, what sorts of feats and/or substitution levels and alternate class features would you suggest?  Metamagic Specialist Sorcerer?  Lion Totem Barbarian?  Jotunbrud?  Of course Power Attack and Leap Attack are going to be part of the build I suspect.

[Ikeren]

Not bad.

Definitely use Lion Totem Barbarian
Level 19/20 are dead levels on your sorc side; dip something random, like Divine Orcale 2 (Evasion), Mindbender 1(Telepathy 100 feet), Incantatrix 2 (Metamagic Effect IIRC?). Or on the barbarian side: Frenzied Berserker comes to mind.

I'm also a big fan of dropping a single level of a martial class right at the end of builds like that. Like "Bang, hi guys, I just got 5th level manouvers for no investment. (got to find the ones that don't have too many other pre-requisites)" (Has to be level 19 or 20, which are barbarian levels 2 and 3 for you). Uncanny dodge you might want; trap sense you don't.

I'd probably close out the build pulling the general overpowered stuff last minute, like:
19 Incantatrix 1 // Warblade 1
20 Incantatrix 2 // Crusader 1

[TheChuck]

I like the idea of Warblade or Crusader right there at the end, even swordsage for the wis to AC could be cool.

Not sure Incantatrix would really be worthwhile, for a single bonus metamagic feat I lose access to a school of spells and get Cooperative Metamagic which is not really worthwhile in a solo style game.  Unless I take the leadership feat...

There's a thought.  Not sure what the DM would think of that though.

Any other feat related ideas?  Or Sub levels/ACFs?

[Ithamar]

Might take a while, but consider going the Breath focused route.  Once you actually are a half-dragon, take the feat that lets you breath every 1d4 rounds from RotD.  Then take Entangling Exhalation from the same book.  Now grab cool Sorc spells like Stunning Breath, Dispelling Breath, Rebuking Breath, etc.  Depending on what you're fighting, bust out an appropriate breath weapon on the first round (the DC of which is set by your CON, not your potentially much lower CHA), then charge / pounce / destroy.

[Olo Demonsbane]

Might take a while, but consider going the Breath focused route.  Once you actually are a half-dragon, take the feat that lets you breath every 1d4 rounds from RotD.  Then take Entangling Exhalation from the same book.  Now grab cool Sorc spells like Stunning Breath, Dispelling Breath, Rebuking Breath, etc.  Depending on what you're fighting, bust out an appropriate breath weapon on the first round (the DC of which is set by your CON, not your potentially much lower CHA), then charge / pounce / destroy.

If you go this route, you probably would want to get Quicken Breath so that you can breathe and charge/pounce/destroy in one round.

[Ikeren]

Not sure Incantatrix would really be worthwhile, for a single bonus metamagic feat I lose access to a school of spells and get Cooperative Metamagic which is not really worthwhile in a solo style game.  Unless I take the leadership feat...

You're a sorcerer. Limited spells known. Easy solution: just never pick a spell of "x" school (where X is necromancy, enchantment, or evocation)

[Fluffles]

You keep all spells you already know for Icantatrix, so it only matters for 9th level spells (Ban evocation, durr)

Also, for games where LA/RHD go on one side:

Evolved Spellscale Ghost Paladin (Or Freedom/Tyranny/Slaughter as needed) 2 / Hexblade 2 // Sorcerer 5 (or 6) / Sandshaper 1 / IotSFV 7 /  Mind Bender 1 / more full casting PrC X / + Sorcerer X

Pick up a Monk's Belt, a Starmantle Cloak, and a Ring of Evasion. And take Ascetic Mage once you have the Monk's Belt.

You'll end up with Cha to saves and AC twice, which you'll have a lot of. (Assuming starting with 18 and +2 racial for 20; 58 cha at level 20, with all from levels and a +5 Tome and +6 Item)

[mans0011]

If you're going to go with Incantatrix you really should get 3rd level.

And... if you're going to get 3rd level... you really should just get all 10. It's such a good class.

[Ramaloke]

This build uses the Shifter Paragon class from savevsdm.

Code: [Select]

LEVEL CLASS ONE CLASS TWO FEAT ABILITY
LVL01 Sh Par 01 Druid  01 1 Feral Heritage I, Wild Empathy, Beast Spirit, Nature Sense, Wild Empathy
LVL02 Sh Par 02 Druid  02 - Improved Shifting, Woodland Stride
LVL03 Sh Par 03 Druid  03 1 Feral Heritage II, Ability Boost, Trackless Step
LVL04 Barbar 01 Druid  04 - Fast Movement, Rage 1/day, Reckless Nature
LVL05 Barbar 02 Druid  05 - Uncanny Dodge, Wild Shifting
LVL06 WT Mas 01 Druid  06 1 Weretouched I
LVL07 WT Mas 02 Druid  07 1(BS) Wild Empathy
LVL08 WT Mas 03 Druid  08 - Weretouched II
LVL09 WT Mas 04 Druid  09 1,1(BS) Frightful shifting, Venom immunity
LVL10 WT Mas 05 Druid  10 - Alternate form
LVL11 Barbar 03 MSpeak 01 - Augment summoning, Moonspeaker shifting, Trap sense +1
LVL12 Barbar 04 MSpeak 02 1 Energy resistance (first), Rage/2day
LVL13 Barbar 05 MSpeak 03 - Extended summoning, Improved uncanny dodge
LVL14 Barbar 06 MSpeak 04 - Thelanis tie, Trap sense +2
LVL15 Barbar 07 MSpeak 05 1 Wild shape (1/day), Damage reduction 1/-
LVL16 Barbar 08 MSpeak 06 - Wild shape (2/day), Shifter integration (ability bonus), Rage/3day
LVL17 Barbar 09 MSpeak 07 - Wild shape (3/day), Energy resistance (second), Improved natural attack, Trap sense +3
LVL18 Barbar 10 MSpeak 08 1 Wild shape (Large), Damage reduction 2/silver, Damage reduction 2/-
LVL19 Barbar 11 MSpeak 09 - Extra shifter trait, Greater rage
LVL20 Barbar 12 MSpeak 10 - Energy immunity, Rage 4/day Trap sense +4